Thread: A little advice on a lot of hardwood (turp and Jarrah)

Jay, recycled hardwood fetches a good price, but I'd have thought you'd already know that, being in a recycling business???

To begin with the piles can be looked at like any other 'log' for milling, if they are all around 600mm then you have a good deal of log to turn into any order for recycled timber. I figure from your question you don't have facility to mill this stuff and normally what you recycle is the boards and beams you take out of old/existing buildings?

My two cents would be, if you have a yard large enough, store the log and sell it as recycled hardwood getting it sawn to order as and when you have orders.

Off the top of my head, Turpentine is durability class 1, min 25 years in ground untreated (one of very few timbers resistant to marine borer, hence where it was used) resistant to termites, grades to F27 seasoned or F17 unseasoned and rated 'very hard' in the hardness department. Was used years ago for dance hall flooring and for timber bearings.

Jarrah is something I haven't got to cut so will have to look that up, but I'd suspect it to be very similar to the above...

Durability rating 2 - only 15-25 years in ground untreated, resistant to termites, but susceptible to Lytus borer (but that's only the sapwood, and after awhile in the ocean the sapwood would have gone anyway), grades to F22 seasoned, F14 unseasoned, rated 'hard'

but either will still cut up well for any kind of hardwood timber

good luck

Thanks for the info sigidi.

Defiantly understand that recycled hardwood commands a decent price. We mainly only get lengths and scrap from our existing sites that we recieve timber off, so never had logs this size to deal with before.

We do have space for these logs, but we haven't got the setup to process them, nor do we want to advertise out there to try and sell a little at a time because this is not our core business. Is there a market for these logs whole?

I have been trying to work out what price we could move them at but can't seem to find anything similar out there, well not with listed prices anyway.

In Vic (and presumable elsewhere) there are various companies that buy this stuff and mill it. eg. Urban Salvage, spotswood, Timberzoo in geelong, and others. Those type of places will be interested as a job lot, I should think.
TM

Thanks for that, Im ringing around seeing what our options are.

Also i just got the guys to cut off a few pieces for me and it looks like the core is black and dead. are these still good?

ive attached some pics.

thanks

IMG_20131212_120929.jpgIMG_20131212_120939.jpgIMG_20131212_121003.jpg

Originally Posted by jayekaye

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core is black and dead.





IMG_20131212_120929.jpgIMG_20131212_120939.jpgIMG_20131212_121003.jpg

70 years dead... MM

so it looks like i have a whole lot of useless timber??

Mulch / Firewood maybe?

I'd ring around, if I were you.
TM

I'm not telling you how to run your business, but I think you're going to have to spend a dime to make a dollar. It would be easier to sell milled timber than logs.

The logs look like they are still sweet ,i certainly would recommend milling them up,and B.T.W,i applaud what you guys are doing..not many folk have access to such a large volume of logs,whether it be hardwood or softwood,and the fact that it is salvaged makes it even more appealing ...wishing you every success with your venture...MM

It's a real pity you can't get them to SE Qld, I'd take 'em in a heartbeat

Don't friggin firewood them!!!!!! Ring lucas, see if they know of someone down there "like Sigidi" and you may find a home for them. Addmittedly I wouldn't be able to take a few thousand tonne in one go on my Lucas, but what Carl and I are cooking up may mean we could take the lot.

From what i have cut from wharf piles ,it can be a real disappointment .The star cracks on the end of log give a good indication of what any timber cut out of the logs will do.They are usually very wet in side and dry very quickly causing the cracking .You have a product that can be sold as is and reused and some can be resawn with a bit of careful selection .

Hello Gents

I have been watching this thread for a little while and I tend to disagree with the experienced millers. The logs look like they are bland with excess cracks in them. They may be suitable for future structural uses, but I doubt if they will end up as tables etc.

Years ago was involved with the processing of similar piles. They damaged an awful lot of equipment, blunted blades etc, but a couple of magnificent coffee tables were produced.

Lastly, I guess these piles have been in the water for a long time, and I guess a lot of hard shelled critters (mussels etc) have made their homes attached to the piles. Further, I reckon a Lucas wouldn't enjoy eating them.

My Two Cents
Sincerely
WIlly

Jarrahland

Originally Posted by Willy Nelson

Hello Gents

I have been watching this thread for a little while and I tend to disagree with the experienced millers. The logs look like they are bland with excess cracks in them. They may be suitable for future structural uses, but I doubt if they will end up as tables etc.

Years ago was involved with the processing of similar piles. They damaged an awful lot of equipment, blunted blades etc, but a couple of magnificent coffee tables were produced.

Lastly, I guess these piles have been in the water for a long time, and I guess a lot of hard shelled critters (mussels etc) have made their homes attached to the piles. Further, I reckon a Lucas wouldn't enjoy eating them.

My Two Cents
Sincerely
WIlly

Jarrahland

Never even considered the critters and sea life that may be attached to the piles..good point Willy!..i did wonder just how penetrating some of those cracks, on the end grain of the logs,would have been ...MM

It's unlikely they will be Jarrah and far more likely that if they are marine pylons they will be W.A. Karri.

The karri tends to crack the way depicted.

Its used mostly in preference to Jarrah for marine Pylons due to its long grain structure giving it superior mechanical strength - when bumped into by big ships etc.

Because of its long grain structure and engineering strength its favored for use as roof beams & timbers in long spans. It's NOT well suited to use in contact with the ground because white ants termites LOVE it - they will walk barefoot over glowing coals to get a feed of WA Karri.

If you re-sawed it into big rectangular structural beams, it might be highly sought after for outdoor patio beams and purlin's up off the ground.

Its not a great furniture timber - the checking is a PIA and long grain structure difficult to finish.

I could be wrong - wouldn't be the first time.