# Urban logging



## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

*A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*

I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.

I have nothing against traditional logging (if done properly, selective harvest), don't get me wrong. I would never chain myself to a tree like what most people think of when they hear "tree hugger". But somehow I feel if I mill these trees that were going to waste I am filling a little piece of the market and maybe one tree in the woods can stand. If I mill and sell an oak tree from a local town to a local woodworker, that guy will not buy wood from a tree that was harvested from nature some place else. Maybe an odd way to go about saving a tree, but it is the best I can do.

For another example of my love of trees I have access to log family timber full of mighty oaks. I see those trees and remember the time my cousin and I climbed up in the limbs and had a picnic. The nap I took under the tree on a beautiful fall afternoon. The first time I showed my wife the tree and explained that tree was most likely 500 years old. I live in an area that was heavily populated by native Americans (I have dozens of artifacts from the same acreage, arrow heads and such) To think that a man living off the land 400 years ago might have also rested in the shade of the same tree, hunted the squirrels that fed from the fruit of that tree…No amount of money in the world would make me think about cutting that tree down.

I am not going to shove this urban logging thing down your throat. But millions of dollars of lumber is being wasted every day by our cities (your tax money) The whole time the Fed is subsidizing logging companies, yea they are. I will not go into tariffs here on imported wood that is another subject. The flip side of government funding is "Tree Cities USA" in Illinois alone we have $82.4 million dollars on the books for planting trees in urban settings…care to guess how much they have set back for what to do with the 2 trees they cut down for every 1 they plant ? Or for the ones our grandfathers planted ? I will give you a hint *$0*. The plan is cut them down and burn them.

Finally I am going to get to my point. If you have read this far, thanks. After 5 years of beating my head against the wall I made contact with the right person. The webmaster has some tweaking to do with links and there will be more information soon. But right smack on the DNR page http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/forestry/urban/ is an attention grabbing "Urban Forest Utilization" NEW.
The link takes you to a listing page that is also a work in progress. That page will provide information to people/municipalities on how and why to further utilize urban logs and has listings for sawmills like mine that will process them.

Basically this is state endorsement of what I do, and promotion through their site .They are working on pamphlets to educate local municipalities on why they should look into further utilization of their urban forests. I am not going to be able to mill every tree that gets removed in the state obviously…but maybe someone can. Now that "urban logging" is recognized and validated on a state governmental level it will bring more guys like myself out of the shadows. I would love to see a coop of sorts, a network of sawyers working together with communities to put these tree to good use. (and get them in the hands of woodworkers instead of piled and burned/ground for mulch/split for firewood)

I have sited this statistic before from The University of Illinois Forestry Dept. on timber acreage.


Forestland prior to European settlement - 13.8 million acres (40 percent)
Forestland today - 4.4 million acres (12 percent)
Illinois ranks 49th among states in percent of land remaining in original vegetation

We have cut alot of trees down in this state. There is real money being spent through "Tree City USA" to replant them in our cities and towns. It would be a shame to see them meet the same fate as the 9.4 million acres from the stats above. If you live in Illinois and care anything about this there is contact information on the link I provided. I don't see anything but good coming from a note of support for this. If you are a sawyer in Illinois who will help me saw these logs you can be added to the list of sawmills on that page as well.

I know we have jocks from all over the country/world. If any of this blog strikes a cord with you, check with your state see what they are doing. If they are not doing anything…maybe you should. After many efforts (and I am going to throw a pun in here) and walking away feeling I was barking up the wrong tree, one little email paid off. One lady listened. Not only listened to my spiel, but asked questions. That opened a line of communication between us and the result was the pages on the Dept. of Natural Resources I linked and some people in the state capitol scratching their heads on how much more they can do in the way of putting our urban forests to a good use.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and of course I am available to help in any way I can if you have questions. I would love to see something like this in every state. Some are ahead of Illinois, Michigan is one of them http://urbanwood.org/ . Do some checking maybe your state has something like this in place.


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## trifern (Feb 1, 2008)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the informative post Daren. Congratulations on your efforts. I too think trees are majestic. I am somewhere in the middle though. I have toured many paper mills and have seen their conservation efforts first hand. They tend to be good stewards. This is not always the case overseas. I am all for utilizing urban trees to their full potential and I applaud you on your efforts.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Don't get me wrong in my standpoint. I am not "anti logging" proper forest management is vital to the health of the forest. Selective logging and proper stewardship make better forests, no doubt about it. I am *"anti-waste"*, that is why I am personally an urban logger. The millions of BFT of usable wood products that are being wasted in this country through improper management of our urban forests is my concern. Here in this country there are strict laws to protect trees in nature and logging companies are highly regulated…but the same guy keeping on eye on those trees/parties involved in their harvest is letting the tree out side his office building get hauled to the burn pile when it gets removed . That was metaphorical of course, but trust me from my years of experience not too far from real life situations when dealing with governing bodies.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Daren,
I'm pretty new to woodworking, but have just recently started to try to find local materials that are being collected in a responsible manor. Old finds in barns, or trees that needed to be removed anyway for safety of other similar reasons. Fortunately, I'm a slow worker so I don't need much in the way of supply, but I would love it if I could find a guy like you in the Richmond, VA area. I've been looking, but haven't found him/her yet.

I may still buy the occasional small boards or veneers from a store to try exotic woods in small quantities, but I do feel that it is important to stretch these, and any other resources as far as possible. I appreciate your work and congratulate you on the results. Keep fighting the good fight!


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## ChicoWoodnut (Dec 15, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Nice read. Thanks for taking the time to lay this out in black and white. My town is full of big street trees. the city has an arborist, but I still see trees piled up on the side of the road.


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## JohnGray (Oct 6, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Excellent post keep up the good work! Where are you from in Illinois, I live in Effingham County?


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Daren,

Thanks for the post. I enjoyed reading this. I am on your side. It hurt when I had to have a cherry and two ash trees taken out 6 or 7 years ago and they went into firewood. The cherry had died the previously year was at least 80 years old and I am not sure about the ashes. I tried in vain to find someone to mill it up but couldn't find anyone to do it. I think that there is (1) a lack of businesses such as yours available and (2) a general lack of visibility from those that are in the region.

I am all for converting these trees into usable lumber rather than seeing them go into firewood or burned or simply left to rot.


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## johnjoiner (Sep 28, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


That's very cool Daren.

I've wondered about some of those same issues here in the Minneapolis -St. Paul area. The sawyering thing isn't for me as I'd rather spend the time on woodworking, and don't have room to store much lumber. But I've found a couple of local sawyers and plan to support them.

Best of luck


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## SteveKorz (Mar 25, 2008)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Daren, I think what you're doing is awesome. I've worked construction before, and I've seen so much waste. There were times that they would throw better stuff away than I would buy in Lowes. No one cared to take the time to plan for their materials. They made more money by simply being faster. The waste that was generated was apalling. I think what you are doing is fantastic. It's time we step up to the plate and respect out resources.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Here is a quote from "Utilizing municipal trees from around the country" Stephen M. Bratkovich

"In the United States over 200 million cubic yards of urban tree and landscape residue are generated every year. Of this amount, 15 percent is classified as "unchipped logs." To put this figure in perspective, consider that if these logs were sawn into boards, they theoretically would produce 3.8 billion board feet of lumber, or nearly 30 percent of the hardwood lumber produced annually in the United States.

The staggering number of tree removals in cities and towns across the country becomes necessary for a host of reasons. Storm blowdowns, natural mortality, severe insect and disease damage, construction activities, and many other circumstances can change an urban tree from an asset into a liability. Municipalities are faced not only with the volume of tree removals but with the associated financial costs as well. Rising labor and transportation costs, increased landfill or tipping fees, and lost opportunity costs (money that cannot be spent elsewhere in the community) create a financial burden for managers of municipal tree programs. Even if disposal costs were not an issue, landfill space is dwindling, and tree disposal in landfills has been either outlawed or reduced by regulations in many States.

Meanwhile, the American appetite for wood continues to grow. Although net growth on commercial U.S. forestlands exceeds harvest by about one-third, our nation is still a net importer of forest products. The utilization (recycling) of municipal trees can contribute to the conservation of forestland resources by generating wood products from trees that need to be removed anyway."

The whole thing is an interesting read in my opinion. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/misc/utilizingmunitrees/index.htm


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## Radish (Apr 11, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Great blog and a very worthy concern. Thanks, Daren!


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


The CBC today had an interesting piece on the damages of the powder post beetle up here.
The devastation in British Columbia alone would take *14 million logging trucks *just to haul away the damaged trees.

Bob


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


I wish that I could afford the equipment to mill my own lumber and use up the trees that I see getting hauled to the landfill in my city…..such a waste : ( Great article you have posted here : )


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## Dorje (Jun 17, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


You've got my support - as you know…

That's great that you were able to communicate with the DNR folks and get them started thinking more about urban logging…and ways to connect others to urban loggers…


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## lightweightladylefty (Mar 27, 2008)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Daren,

I think it's great what you are doing. We live in the country and have a sawyer with portable mill come in and saw our dead oaks and aspen, but it isn't possible to get anyone to saw a tree that was in close proximity to the homestead. Unfortunately, over the years people often drive nails into trees to hang things, attach fences to trees, or any number of other practices which are a great risk to saw blades. In urban areas, there is an increased chance of imbedded metal in the tree. We hope you have a very good metal detector to save yourself money in the long-run for blade replacement. What you are doing is a huge encouragement to all of us woodworkers.


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## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Daren, this is a great story.

Fortunately, it only took 5 years to get your elected officials to recognize the truth when it hit them.
Most of the elected folks where I live wouldn't even get around to thinking about this for 10 years, then 10 more before they acted on it.

Why do we elect such stupid people?

My $.03

Lee


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


lightweight, yea I hit my fair share of things. It is just part of the business. I am not terribly happy when I do, but I just "deal with it" 
A nail in some cedar









But I still managed to salvage a little wood from that tree.









Here are some nails in a walnut









*BUT* this is what was below the nails…200 bft of curly walnut !









More metal










*BUT* that tree had 1000 bft of stuff like this.









You have to take the good with the bad as an urban logger. I hit some nails…but who else has access to piles of free lumber like this ?


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Sawdust2 (and everyone else) This one small victory is quite the exception to the rule when dealing with government agencies. I found this out very early on, "going to the top" gets you nowhere. I will tell how it works in this town.

As a quick side note before I give my example, this latest piece of good news from the DNR was not even triggered by a thoughtful plea on my part or an attempt to explain myself. I am ashamed to say it came from a sort of hateful and somewhat sarcastic email to a lady I did not even know (now I do and she is a very nice and intelligent lady). I sent an almost rhetorical letter (most of them have been for the last 3-4 years because even if I expected a response I never got one) after reading the new plan to plant all these trees asking what the plan was for the millions that will be cut down this year. She replied simply "I would like to speak with you"...she read between the lines and got it. The result was more conversation and the page I linked. A total surprise to me. I have written volumes to people I thought should care, just to have them ignored. A short 2 paragraph note to the right person got this one ball rolling.

I have to explain my set up. My house is right next to the city tractor shed, we share the block. Those are the only structures on the block my stuff and the cities stuff. Before I got my mill I saw all the trees the city was hauling out to the country and burning, driving right past my house with them. When I got my mill I approached a few city council members, like the street dept. chairman, and asked about just dropping the good logs at my place…nothing. So I went to the village board meeting and thoughtfully explained my proposition…nothing. I went to the mayors house and continued to explain that city employees where actually incurring less labor by dropping them here than hauling them all the way out to the burning place. And as a taxpayer I felt those trees were city property and I thought that was a terrible waste of my tax money just to burn them. There is a story on my website on the "urban logging" page about city workers burning an oak tree from the park then buying lumber to make repairs at the park…that was a direct shot at this city because it is a true story. The mayors response to my desire for the logs was "Personally I don't have a problem with it, but I'm afraid it would look like if we are using city equipment to help you then other businesses/individuals in this town would expect the same" (was his excuse) Well, firstly there is no business in this town. It is a little speck on the map a "bedroom community" they have done nothing to court/support business therefore no businesses.

I saw that was getting me nowhere. I tried the proper channels and was shot down. So I went to plan B. I went to where the city street guy was working and told him I had talked to the mayor and city council about getting logs he was removing and they did not support it. He said "Well that is just stupid I have to haul these all the way out into the country and since they are wet I pour 5 gallons of diesel on them to even get them started burning" and "I have to babysit the fire and push the piles up and start them again usually, the whole mess is a bunch of work" followed by "Forget what they say. I will mark the trees that are coming down and tell you where they are, you mark the ones you want and I will bring them to you"

That was over 3 years ago. He brings me logs. He has never gotten reprimanded (or even had anyone say a word). That ship has sailed already, it's really to late to stop it now the towns people support what I do. Here is a funny picture just because of the circumstances. This is the city guy, with the city tractor posing on a curly redbud burl log he was dropping off. The mayor drove by while I was taking the picture and just looked the other way !


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## lightweightladylefty (Mar 27, 2008)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Wow! That's some sensational lumber. I'm trying very hard not to envy. (1 Timothy 6:6)


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## fred4999 (Nov 10, 2008)

Daren said:


> *A small victory in urban logging (part 1)*
> 
> I am an "Urban Logger". I only mill trees from town. There is a reason for this. I am a tree hugger (yea really) Not the stereotype, insert your own mental picture here, that have given that title a negative connotation. BUT, I do love trees. I think they are magnificent. I know this sounds weird from a guy that runs a sawmill, you would think I just feel they are for me to chop down and mill and make money from. It's not like that at all . I started sawmilling just to keep the ones that were already being killed from dying a pointless death. Working construction I saw huge piles of hardwoods on jobs burned/left to rot, it made me sad. The same with the great specimens I have seen in the towns I have lived in cut down and hauled off as waste. I felt that was almost a crime against nature to cut a tree that was 300 years old in a town and burn it, like my town for example that is only 175 years old…that tree was here before we were . We "grew up" around it, then cut it down.
> 
> ...


Great read, I need to do something similar here in my area. Too much waste of trees going to the landfill. I'll keep you posted.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

*The start of some rustic cedar end tables*

I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.

You can see I don't stand the log straight up. I have cut many smaller pieces like this for game/fish mounts for a local taxidermist. I found if I cut them on a angle they do not check and bust open, they dry intact. It does make for a weird edge that needs softened/rounded over, but the plus side they are larger cut on a bias.

Cut 1 3/4" thick. You can see the 24" framing square in a couple of the pics. They are pretty decent size. I will let them dry awhile and make a base for a couple and sell a couple of the slabs to someone else to make whatever they want with theirs.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Beautiful wood. They should make great table tops.


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## lclashley (Feb 19, 2007)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Very cool! Looks fun.


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## trifern (Feb 1, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Cool stuff like always, Daren.


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## SteveKorz (Mar 25, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Drool…


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## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


thats awesome wood! i would love to make a bowl out of that!


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


tww, wow dude you just gave me an idea. I have smaller logs (this one was 20"+) that would make great turning rounds like you mentioned but too small for milling red heartwood wide lumber from. Cut in a straight end section, just a chunk off the log, they always crack while drying. But cut on an angle they should hold together ? I could cut some short sections 3"-4" and let them dry for turning. They may wobble on the lathe at first since they are oblong…but the grain would be killer turned. Eastern red cedar is a little tricky to turn because of the hard knots, but it just takes very sharp tools and no problem.

If it does not rain all day tomorrow like they are calling for you just gave me something to work on. Making some 10"-12" x 3" cedar bowl blanks !


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Daren: Great looking wood. I just picked up some cedar boards today at a friends home.

The log ends are great looking.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Nice looking stack you got there Karson. I love cedar. I cut lumber when I can. Here is a little I have laying around.


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## matt1970 (Mar 28, 2007)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


wow…amazing…just truly beautiful…


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## Radish (Apr 11, 2007)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Cedar days at LJ. Thanks for the post - those rounds are almost psychedelic.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


oh my goodness , those look so awesome : ) I like the boards you are standing with as well…do you sell lumber , or just use what you saw ?


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## Bigbuck (May 15, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Beautiful wood, that will certainly make a fine table top.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


I sell a little Dusty.


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## woodworkersguide (Mar 7, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!


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## fred4999 (Nov 10, 2008)

Daren said:


> *The start of some rustic cedar end tables*
> 
> I had a short piece of cedar log laying around I had saved for "something", just not quite sure what at the time. It dawned on me today (between pouring rainstorms) to cut some small rustic table top slabs.
> 
> ...


Great, something new learned today for me. I have sawed using a Wood-Mizer for over ten years now and have not tried sawing at an angle. Thanks for the revelation! Sometimes you cannot see the obvious. I will try that this weekend and will post a picture or two! I've got a couple of short aromatic cedar and pecan logs laying around.


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