Peeling Logs

[Am Arch]

I have noticed that many strongly suggest that logs be peeled soon after trees are cut down. What is the downside of buying logs that were cut down months ago, and have not yet been peeled?

The logs I intend to buy are beetlekill logs. The supplier has laid them out to help them dry. He just hasn't peeled them.

Am I taking a big risk by purchasing these logs and then peeling them myself? What should I look for in these logs to make sure I minimize my risk? Any advice would be appreciated.

[StressMan79]

is kind of like an apartment for bugs. wet bark is almost paradise. If you can get it off ASAP, it is better. Don't buy the logs without peeling a good sample to see what the wood is like. you might have some wood borers or the like that would make using these logs foolhardy. skin em and borate them ASAP for best results. There is different opinions on beetle kill. some say that they wouldn't build with them at all, some say OK if milled, and others have no qualms about them. We learned about them in the class, so I don't think that it is a definite no no.

How long have the logs been sitting? 1 season is probably OK, a year is pushing it, and multiple years I'd be very fearful.

My 2 cents.

What do you think, 2 cents (Angela?)

-Peter

[Basil]

Part of the reason people won't build with beetlekill is that the tree dies, so you have a standing tree with the bark on it. Then the tree is cut and lays for a while, with the bark on it. By the time the builder gets to the log, it will have been dead two years with the bark on. Bark harbors pests, and not just insects like borers. It can trap moisture once parts start to peel away, which leads to fungus and other types of "rot". Also, a dead tree getting cut is more likely to weaken in the fall, because in death it loses some of the flexibility that wood has when alive. Think of limbs on a tree. A dead limb snaps off, but a living one will hold on forever, bending instead of breaking. So by the time a dead tree (if it's been dead long) hits the ground, it has gone through a serious strain on the wood fibers just to get it to the ground, which can result in cracks, weakness, and checks.

Having said all that, if the tree was cut as it was in the process of dying or soon after it died, most of these problems are minimized.

[whynotnow]

I plan on cutting trees in january and peeling them in march or april . Any problems with this paln ??

thanks in advance for input :)

bob

[JohnnyCoho]

First off, One the beetle kill logs... Like Stressman said, check out the majority of logs first by peeling a good chunk of bark off before taking delivery!!

whynotnow,... Trees down in January and peeled in the Spring is just what the Doc (Skip) ordered when I took the class in the 90's... Did the exact same on our place and then seasoned our logs for over a year before stacking. Now, even with heat in our log home and cold outside, I have very, very little to any checking in our logs. (Peeled logs 2001, seasoned for well over a year on racks before stacking and now...close to completion.)

[2 cents]

hey there,
i think it's always best to get the bark off asap, but if you can't, then you can spray it with borates until you can peel it. i've heard that some types of wood hold up better than others, and of course the climate can play a role as well. i've heard that doug fir can be ok for up to a year with the bark on, but if it's over 2, that might be too much. i think rocklock stored his doug fir for about a year with the bark on, but i can't recall if he treated them during that time or not.
i thought that beetle kill logs could be good for up to 2 years, reason being the beetle ruins the tree's ability to get nurients up to the cambium layer, and that takes away what the bugs would be eating. i'm not sure though.

btw peter, i'm just getting back from a weeks vacation, & i sent you an email earlier today.

[ragdump]

Ragdump
I've tried most of the ways of peeling logs ,one of the best is a floor scraper called a "mutt" but I have some large logs with very thick bark that were very hard to get the bark off. I bought a Bosch Demolition hammer on ebay and with a 2" chisel bit it takes the bark right off.