# Thinking about selling Cuban mahogany from Florida



## Beauallen (Nov 30, 2018)

Hey? guys, I'm looking for some advice from those who have much experience in the lumber/woodworking world then I do since I am ju?st a hobbyist. I live in south Florida and have been collecting and milling exotic woods that grow as planted yard trees. Mostly Cuban mahogany (actually native to Florida), rosewood, mango, and monkey pod. All of these trees are "urban salvaged" from storms and normal removals.

I have started to ask around and sell s?ome large mahogany slabs that I have. I would hope to think there would be somewhat of a demand for these exotic woods that are sourced domestically and sustainably but I'm not sure.? ??Do you guys think I could ever develop a market for this?


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I would think it depends on what your material looks like. How are you handling it ,do you have the ends sealed so the slabs don't have long splits. Are they stickered and clean etc.
Let's see some pics we like pics.


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## Beauallen (Nov 30, 2018)

Yea the quality of the slabs are pretty good, no real cracking. Most of them have been kiln dried as well.

Here are some pictures


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

I can't speak for Florida specifically, but wide live edge wood seems to be a huge thing right now. I live in Ohio, and all of my local wood haunts are pushing live edge slabs, even of domestic woods.

Like any other high end lumber it will live and die by it's price point, versus the quality, and scarcity, of the wood.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

Beau - what part of "South Florida" are you in ?
have you done any research into importing/exporting
exotic woods into and out of certain parts of the country ?

.

.


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## Peteybadboy (Jan 23, 2013)

Beau, I live in Ft. Myers I also had a Mahogany slabbed, thanks to Irma. (also a large Oak). Where are you? I might be interested.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

This can be like selling a 1929 Hupmobile "barn find." The buyer has to have a vision for what he/she would do with the Cuban Mahogany, and is willing to pay - how to get it home, the equipment for working it. The value will be whatever the buyer & seller agree on. I have seen slab tables for $40,000 in Seattle.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Nice looking stuff. If you could connect a woodworker with someone that's lusting for a slab table but doesn't have the skills or tools. 
You could do well.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> I have seen slab tables for $40,000 in Seattle.
> 
> - Phil32


A lot depends on your local market. Yes We *love* our live edge slab stuff here, especially if the piece has some provenance that it was grown locally in the Pacific NW but we also have the other part of the equation…. thousands of Microsoft, Amazon and other wealthy tree huggers with lots of disposable income that will pay top dollar for it without a second thought. And we can also get an 8' maple or walnut slab that is flat, dry and epoxy filled for $300.

Beauallen - Welcome to ljs. Hold your camera horizontally and your pictures will post in the right orientation.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Andybb - That was my point - there are too many variables to define what the slabs might sell for, or where they can be marketed. My stepson in the Seattle area has had two large trees slabbed (in the process of building a home on forested land). They are stacked, stickered, and protected from the weather, but he has no plans for what to do with them. It may be months or years before they are ready.


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## Jeff28078 (Aug 27, 2009)

If it was my wood I'd cut it into turning blocks instead. Most of the species you mentioned make terrific bowls with great grain patterns. I love monkey pod and rosewood. Search the internet. There are others in your area who do just that.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

I'd be careful not to run afoul of CITES with any of the rosewood. It's obviously not being imported, and not being slashed out of a rain forest for quick profit, but it is a point that I would be checking out before I sold any of it.


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## Nowater (Feb 1, 2013)

Advantage Lumber in Sarasota may be interested. There is a woodworking club in Tampa that has a bandsaw mill but I don't remember which one. The club will probably be at the Tampa Wood show this January.


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## SubVette (Mar 3, 2014)

where are you from in S Florida? I am in Wellington. I would be interested in getting some wood.


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

I think I could just about run across the atlantic to get my hands on some mango. The slab thing is all the rage here in Spain too. When I first moved here, my local lumber supplier stocked very few slabs, mostly olivewood. Now, theyve got slabs for days, even walnut from the States, which is absurdly, prohibitively expensive.

Anyway, cant hurt to open a side business, with some effort and sweat you could likely do well.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

the O/P is in Ft. Myers and has not been heard from since Dec-2018.
with Covid-19, I need some mahogany shipped to me bc I won't be able
to go out and about for some time yet.
will probably get it from Etsy or Ebay.

.


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

ahh, darn, I hate that when an old thread gets revived and I dont notice until John points it out!


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## Beauallen (Nov 30, 2018)

Hey guys, for some reason I just now started getting notifications for this thread.

I am in the West Palm area and have a bunch I would like to get rid of.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

wow - and Lazarus arises !!

Beau - please describe what you have to sell.
kiln or air dried, how old, how stored, rough or S2S, yada yada yada
minimum/maximum size you will ship, etc.

.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

If you are still watching, also beware of regulations about transportation of wood across state lines, even county lines. This is due to insect s spreading. Ash borers came from China, and have destroyed much of the ash in the midwest. There are or were laws about moving wood or logs across county lines. That is why Florida has agricultural inspection station traveling into Florida.


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## Beauallen (Nov 30, 2018)

Everything I have has been cut into slabs and air dried in a covered shed for about 1.5-2 years. Right now in April (pre south Florida rainy season) the wood is all reading about 12-13% MC. I do also have a decent amount of mahogany turning blanks.

Species I have available:
1. Mahogany
2. Mango (some spalted too)
3. Rosewood

I plan on photographing and uploading all the pieces to my etsy site https://www.etsy.com/shop/DomesticExoticWoods

Shipping is not too bad on slabs under the 48" length range. Larger slabs usually have to be sent via freight


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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)

Hi, I'm new and I know nothing about wood but I live in South Florida, Broward - Palm Beach line and I have a massive nuisance Cuban Mahogany tree in my front yard that has to come down. It has crushed a car with a falling branch and damaged the roof in a storm. The tree is probably 70 years old, probably about 4 to 5 feet in diameter at the base and very tall, maybe 80 - 100 feet. My question is how do I go about cutting down the tree and dividing up the wood to get the most for the sale of the wood. Should It be made into slabs like the OP or something else? Also, who would I contact to handle something like this? Thanks!!


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

> Also, who would I contact to handle something like this? Thanks!!
> 
> - DagnyTaggart


welcome to the forum, Dagny.
are you a woodworker or hobbyist ?? 
(I don't know much about wood either, but I like to make stuff).
there are several of us Floridians here. (I am near Disney South).
to answer your question - contact a licensed and insured ARBORIST
to come to you for an on-site consultation. he/she can probably recommend 
a qualified tree surgeon that can cut it up and stack it to your specifications
and remove all the excess debris. and maybe someone with a sawmill.
you can also contact your local county agriculture agent for free guidance.
I would love to have some slabs - but, unfortunately, it would be 5 years before they are ready.
I had two Mimosa trees that size removed from my back yard for ten grand.
it won't be cheap !!!!

.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Can it really be called Cuban Mahogany if the tree isn't in Cuba.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

A Ford is a Ford, built in the USA or Canada. If Cuban Mahogany is a species, I don't think it matters. If it is a name attached to trees growing in Cuba, it might. I am sure there might be some color variation due to growing in a different soil type


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

> A Ford is a Ford, built in the USA or Canada. If Cuban Mahogany is a species, I don t think it matters.
> 
> - ibewjon


Maybe maybe not. 
A ford truck built by its designer and a truck built by a Canadian wouldn't it only be a copy? 
A tree that grows in soil in Cuba is going to have significant differences then a tree growing in Florida.
We know this to b true with Teak the tress growing in Burma have the minerals that make it king. And difficult on machinery.
I do understand your logic.

Good Luck


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Ford has factories in both countries, and probably engineers in both. And I did mention that a tree growing in Florida could be different because of different soils. But, can you tell if the oak you buy was growing in Illinois, indiana, Missouri, or any other state? It is like saying Italian cheese or Italian style cheese.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Cuban mahogany is a mahogany tree grown in Cuba. I don't see why your pushing this point so far. 
Maybe some think it's going have more value giving it a location with its title.
Maybe a mahogany tree grown in Florida is actually better looking wood. It could certainly earn it name as Fl Mahogany.
Oak is oak I've had the pleasure of using oak from Oregon and found it much harder and darker then most oak I've seen. So I called it Oregon black oak.


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## PBWilson1970 (Jan 23, 2020)

If you're not going the slab route, you might maximize your yield by resawing it into acoustic guitar backs and sides (quartersawn perferred) or into electric guitar body blanks.

Take a look at some of the sites that sell lutherie wood and see what kind of prices they get for the small pieces they sell.


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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)

Swietenia Mahagoni is the actual name of the tree. It has many common names such as American Mahogany, West Indian Mahogany and Cuban Mahogany, though Cuban Mahogany is probably the most recognized common name. Whatever common name you call it, it is still Swietenia Mahagoni. Where a plant is grown, doesn't change what plant it is, except when a plant evolves over hundreds of thousands of years and then we give it a different botanical name. 
I described it as a Cuban Mahogany simply for the sake of using the common name that most people would understand. 
To answer your question John Smith, no, I'm not a woodworker or hobbyist, I just thought that this would be a good place to get some advise about my tree. 
It sounds like, from most of the responses that it might not be worth it to try to sell the wood from the tree.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

You may be better off looking for a buyer of logs that supplies a sawmill. At least get some money back to pay for the removal. That would be a terrible waste grinding it for mulch. Old Florida Lumber came up on a search. Maybe they can help you.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

Dagny, the Cuban Mahogany is very common in South Florida,
so much so that it is considered a nuisance plant in some areas
and it is cut down and taken to the landfill.
(and in Florida, Cuban Mahogany is the locally common name).
if it were properly salvaged and sent Up Nawth, it would get a better reception.
even for myself, I would use it, if it were available in "ready to use" S2S lumber.
the guy that I used to buy all of my rough lumber from in Lakeland, FL
closed up shop when the Covid nightmare hit.
so I am going back to WoodCraft in Orlando for the time being.
wishing you all the best,

John


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## xedos (Apr 25, 2020)

Pictures ? I may have an avenue for you.

What you describe doesn't come along everyday and could yield some great and profitable boards. But don't think someone is gonna come along and give you sacks of money cause you got a big mahogany tree. If you're not willing to invest the time & effort to realize the maximum yield , then the best you can hope for is to have it removed no charge in exchange for the wood.


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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)




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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)

I just measured the circumference of the base of the tree and it is 163 inches so that means that at the narrowest point it is roughly 5 feet across. I think that you could get some nice dining room table sized slabs from the base and there are some branches that are 18", 20" and more across. I tried to upload more photos but it said I couldn't. I'll try again.


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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)




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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

> - DagnyTaggart


Just another highly valuable yard tree. 



Could have nail or anything metal form it's past owners.
Calling it genuine Mahogany is more realistic.


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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)

I don't really understand the logic AJ. I had a quote to take the tree down for $1,500 because the tree is in the front yard and there aren't any power lines or anything else in the way. I understand that the wood would have to be milled and dried before it would be worth anything but I see web sites selling slabs for $1,000 to $9,000 per slab. How much does the milling and drying process cost that would eat up all the potential profit from slabs that sell in that price range plus boards and everything else. Can you please explain so that I can have a better understanding? Why are people paying thousands of dollars for slabs but a tree that could make many slabs is worth nothing, as your video suggests.


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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)




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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

> I don t really understand the logic AJ. I had a quote to take the tree down for $1,500 because the tree is in the front yard and there aren t any power lines or anything else in the way. I understand that the wood would have to be milled and dried before it would be worth anything but I see web sites selling slabs for $1,000 to $9,000 per slab. How much does the milling and drying process cost that would eat up all the potential profit from slabs that sell in that price range plus boards and everything else. Can you please explain so that I can have a better understanding? Why are people paying thousands of dollars for slabs but a tree that could make many slabs is worth nothing, as your video suggests.
> 
> - DagnyTaggart


Yard trees can be full of junk from its previous owners . You really won't know till it cut down and start slabbing.
It could have off center pith it could have voids. 
Then there's the storing and care. 
The wood would have to be spectacular to get those number you mentioned. I don't see mahogany out here.Walnut is much more common. It's always negotiable because they don't sell like hot cakes.
Big wood takes bigger machines 
Good Luck


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

My sawmill guy is an old retired farmer in northern I'll. He charges me $50 per hour, and doe not charge me if we hit a nail. And his wife likes to fix lunch. But a mill with a saw that can handle that log will charge a lot more per hour I would think. Nothing to support that. I hope you can save the log and get it sawn. I sure hate to see a log like ke that chipped. It is true the inside is an unknown, as are the included metal.


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## DagnyTaggart (Nov 1, 2020)

Thanks ibewjon, that is very helpful information. Do you have any idea about the number of hours that we are talking about for a tree like mine? Let's say I had to pay $100 per hour, do you think it could be done if 40 hours? 
If that's the case, I've got $1,500 to take the tree down, $4,000 to mill it, anyone know drying cost? Thanks


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## PBWilson1970 (Jan 23, 2020)

No tree will take 40 hours to mill with a bandsaw mill.

I've had a few trees sawn up (three 10' sections, about 30"-34" in diameter) and it took under 3 hours total. If the log is in an easily accessible space and the sawyer has room to work and you help stack the slabs, you can get a lot done in a short amount of time. If you're not quartersawing white oak, it's pretty straightforward. The log gets positioned for the best boards, is leveled out on the mill and the sawyer often just saws down until they think another face might yield better boards.

Some charge by the hour with a minimum for setup time while some work by board feet. Talk to the sawyers and they can give you an idea about how long it might take. Also, ask what they charge for hitting metal. Some just charge for resharpening or replacing a blade if it's too far gone.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

No idea. That sounds like a big job, more than I have ever had sawn. You need someone with the equipment first, they can give a reliable estimate.


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

woodmizer has a web site with a link to sawyers by location.

https://woodmizer.com/us/Find-a-Local-Sawyer


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## Scap (Aug 7, 2018)

> Also, who would I contact to handle something like this? Thanks!!
> 
> - DagnyTaggart


John Galt would be who you're looking for.

Sorry, couldn't resist.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

I helped my buddy quarter a 40" x 10' Sitka log. Maybe an hour and a half without sweating but I wasn't timing it. There was a bobcat involved for a small amount of time.


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