mbf- 1000 board feet

[mink]

for us people that dont sell logs , what amount of logs does it take to get a 1000 board feet. and what lengths are the logs generally cut. i cut firewood for myself but thats just block wood.

[Ethan Tapper]

From the forestry classroom…

A board foot is a board 1 ft x 1 ft x 1in. There are 12 board ft in a cubic ft. Most people that sell logs that I’ve talked to account for about 2 cords in 1 mbf (to be exact a cord is 128 cubic ft and a thousand is about 85 cubic ft, so it’s more like 2.5). If you’re interested there’s between 2.1 – 2.6 tons per cord, too.

As far as log lengths, I’ll let the guys who know more about scaling logs talk about that.

[PhilG]

mink, logs out here are cut for however you are hauling them and/or using them. as a general rule as long as posible. 33′ are the most common in Lodgepole pine, and between 44 and 50′ for nice spruce or fir. If you have a short log truck it can be 18-25′, we like 25′ on the truck and pup with a few 30’s and 20’s too. if your logging for a portable sawmill , most can only cut 20’6″ or so with out extensions so 8′ to 20′ plus 6″ trim in two foot increments can all work well. google log scaling for that info, Scribner or Doyle.

[mink]

the doyle scale if i read it properly says a 14 inch diameter x 8 foot has 50 board feet. funny thing is a log 4 inches bigger , say 18 inch diameter doubles the board feet to 98 board feet. what a difference 4 inches makes. guess it makes sense then to think a 1000 board feet is 10 logs 8 foot long and at least 18 inches diameter on the small end , correct?

[Tim Harrigan]

Yes, the volume increases with the radius squared. Like round bales, a 4×4 weighs about 550 lbs, a 6×4 weighs about 1250 lbs.

[Gabe Ayers]

Mink-
Log length all depends on the market for which you are cutting. If you are milling the logs onsite with a portable mill, you can cut whatever lengths you need for the finished boards, assuming the carriage on the mill can handle the length and weight. Also, if you are dealing with long lengths (>16 feet) you should make sure the mill operator has some method to lift the logs onto the mill (ask your sawyer). If you are cutting logs to sell, then it is another ballgame completely. Usually, mills that produce dimensional lumber want two foot increments, from 8′ to 16′ with 6″ trim on each log. Sometimes they will do one foot increments, particularly with high grade hardwood. The best thing to do is identify where you want to send the wood (a local trucker can help with this) and then get their log spec sheet. The mills are quite picky, so it is best to know exactly what they want before you start up your saw (in my opinion anyways). Also, the log lengths you cut affect how much wood the trucker can load, depending on the size and type of bed on the truck. It is never a bad idea to have the mill’s log buyer out to look at the trees on the stump and get a sense of what they want from those sticks. If you want more info, there are others on the site who have more experience that I do in this area (Carl Russell, Mitch Mitchell, etc.). Good luck!
-Brad

[Baystatetom]

The log scales are all a little different. I forget what is what but doyle and scribner are better for big or small logs respectively. Here in New England we almost always use international 1/4″. I think those Mainiacs have there own version. When I tally standing timber I figure it based on 16 footers.

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