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So I think what I have is a Cucumber Magnolia tree (magnolia acuminata). It was rotting at the base and leaning towards our pond so I had it felled so it wouldn’t fall into the pond (still came close though) and maybe I can harvest the wood from it.
From what I’ve read it’s generally used for furniture frames, trim. and carving (kinda like linden wood according to one source). I do like wood carving but some 450bf is a lot of carving.
I also have a wood burning stove, although from what I’ve read it doesn’t burn as hot as hard-hardwoods.
Has anyone here used this wood? What is your experience with it?
Thanks
Ray
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I have some southern magnolia wood I am waiting for a project for. I've read it bends well but I don't do much bending work.
The wood database says southern magnolia, cucumber magnolia, and tulip poplar are all similar and sometimes sold as the same thing. So kind of a non-descript secondary wood. I could definitely find a use for poplar but it's a judgment call as to whether worth the process of milling it.
https://www.wood-database.com/cucumbertree/
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03-06-2023, 06:34 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-06-2023, 06:39 AM by DogwoodTales.)
I saw that site too. Thanks!
I know a local Sawyer with a portable mill who would mill it on site for only 25 cents a bf, about $125 - roughly 500 bf. I’ll only have to stack it to let air dry, or I can have some/all kiln dried at a local lumberyard for about the same price pbf. Not a bad price for all that wood, but it’ll be a while until I exhaust the supply. I may be able to sell some of it too.
It’s either that or I exert a lot more effort converting the logs to firewood.
Ray
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I’ve gotten some really nice figured magnolia with cool chatoyance.
At $.25/BF, it’s well worth doing.
Gary
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(03-06-2023, 06:34 AM)DogwoodTales Wrote: I saw that site too. Thanks!
I know a local Sawyer with a portable mill who would mill it on site for only 25 cents a bf, about $125 - roughly 500 bf. I’ll only have to stack it to let air dry, or I can have some/all kiln dried at a local lumberyard for about the same price pbf. Not a bad price for all that wood, but it’ll be a while until I exhaust the supply. I may be able to sell some of it too.
It’s either that or I exert a lot more effort converting the logs to firewood.
$0.25/bf? That guy is desperate for work. I charge $0.45/bf plus travel, and I'm lower than most around here. You best have him do it quick before he realizes he's losing money.
If it's anything like tulip poplar you love the wood.
John
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(03-06-2023, 10:18 AM)jteneyck Wrote: $0.25/bf? That guy is desperate for work. I charge $0.45/bf plus travel, and I'm lower than most around here. You best have him do it quick before he realizes he's losing money.
If it's anything like tulip poplar you love the wood.
John
Do you intentionally charge by the board foot or does it just work out that way? When I milled the oak tree back in November, the sawyer charged me $800 for seven hours of work (one travel). Total yield was around 2000 board feet, give or take, so it works out to $.40. But he charged for the time, and you get what you get based on what you ask for. Nearly all of the non-slab lumber was quartersawn, so I didn't maximize yield. With proper loading equipment and a helper or two we could've easily done twice that amount in that time. But we only dragged logs roughly in place with chains and a truck and rolled them with cants onto the hydraulic loader.
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03-06-2023, 04:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-06-2023, 04:08 PM by jteneyck.)
(03-06-2023, 11:22 AM)FS7 Wrote: Do you intentionally charge by the board foot or does it just work out that way? When I milled the oak tree back in November, the sawyer charged me $800 for seven hours of work (one travel). Total yield was around 2000 board feet, give or take, so it works out to $.40. But he charged for the time, and you get what you get based on what you ask for. Nearly all of the non-slab lumber was quartersawn, so I didn't maximize yield. With proper loading equipment and a helper or two we could've easily done twice that amount in that time. But we only dragged logs roughly in place with chains and a truck and rolled them with cants onto the hydraulic loader.
My mill is on a trailer, but everything about using it is manual, loading logs, turning them, etc. On a really, really good 6 hour day I make 750 to 1000 bf. More often, though, it's more like 500 bf. I don't need the pressure of someone complaining that I'm not making enough BF to charge by the hour, so I charge by the BF, based on the calculated BF of the logs using the International 1/4" scale. I only adjust the calculated BF if the log is full of rot, nails, etc.. I don't measure the actual BF; I've done that enough to know it's within 5%. I also charge $30 for each occurrence of hitting metal, etc.
John
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