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Vancouver Island, BC. Logging at its Best!

John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
I've never seen spruce used as lumber. That's why I asked the question. Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose was made out of that material because it was the only material that wasn't being used for the war effort.

I've seen plenty of those monster trees dropped and shipped off to Asia for who knows what. Trim would be a good use and maybe furniture. I just hate to think a monster tree like in the photo got sent to be ground up for pulp.
 

JPV

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
756
Location
S.W. Washington
My wife's cousin is a home builder in South Carolina. I was just visiting with him last weekend and he said they really like spruce for framing because it is straight unlike whatever else they use down there. I was surprised to hear that, never heard of it being used for that before.
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
What I want to know is what ponderosa pine is used for. It grows like a weed around here, logs moving down the road all day but I wouldn't know where to buy it anywhere. All the lumber in the lumberyard is DF.
 

075

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Messages
518
Location
Port McNeill
Occupation
Running Supersnorkel
I've never seen spruce used as lumber. That's why I asked the question. Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose was made out of that material because it was the only material that wasn't being used for the war effort.

I've seen plenty of those monster trees dropped and shipped off to Asia for who knows what. Trim would be a good use and maybe furniture. I just hate to think a monster tree like in the photo got sent to be ground up for pulp.
Old growth Spruce is used for musical instruments lumber and plywood
 

John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
I've seen some pine used for indoor paneling. The rest I've seen was for fire wood.

I can understand plywood but all those mills in the northwest are gone now. Everything is engineered fiber board now. OSB and such. There are a couple of veneer mills left but the stuff gets shipped out of state. We have people stealing maple at times but so far I haven't heard of anyone interested in spruce for instruments.
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
We often see SPF on studs here , must be spruce pine fir. Although i think the spruce is the smaller stuff from the interior.
I did a couple of shifts in Cleagh Creek when it was first started in the mid 70 s ,Some of the crew there had a hard time keeping out of trouble at night because you could drive from Cleagh to the pub at Mahatta
 

Hallback

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
2,306
Location
Aberdeen Wa.
Occupation
Gyppo tower logger
Old growth Spruce, Yellow for, Maple & Cedar have long been used as instrument wood.

I've seen some pine used for indoor paneling. The rest I've seen was for fire wood.

I can understand plywood but all those mills in the northwest are gone now. Everything is engineered fiber board now. OSB and such. There are a couple of veneer mills left but the stuff gets shipped out of state. We have people stealing maple at times but so far I haven't heard of anyone interested in spruce for instruments.
 

Doug1966

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
130
Location
Victoria BC
Occupation
Woodworker
Hi, putting this out there for a retired friend. To keep himself busy he cuts and sells firewood and his sort yard source has dried up. He is looking for truck loads of mainly fir delivered to his property in Langford. He is selling 60+ cords a year so you know he is serious. PM me if you have any information. Thanks. Doug.
 

Bumpsteer

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
1,333
Location
Front seat on the Struggle Bus
Occupation
Mechanical designer
So did I for being the Supervisor

rec-map1-jpg.57986
 

HD Mech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
218
Location
Campbell River, BC
Occupation
Heavy duty mechanic
I remember a similar load on H149. I took the truck from the parking area up to the shop to change a leaking brake pot. While I was there the chargehand noticed the rear axle on the trailer was actually bent! So after it was dumped the next day, the trailer went in the shop where we straightened the axle and fixed a few other things.
 

petepilot

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2018
Messages
2,167
Location
central shenandoah valley va,
I remember a similar load on H149. I took the truck from the parking area up to the shop to change a leaking brake pot. While I was there the chargehand noticed the rear axle on the trailer was actually bent! So after it was dumped the next day, the trailer went in the shop where we straightened the axle and fixed a few other things.
after a few loads like that i`m not surprised ;)
 

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
641
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
How do you unload such a high one back at the sort?!

Knocking the pins out would be "exhilarating", pushing the top off surely would bust something, and it's out of reach for a wheeled loader?
 

075

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Messages
518
Location
Port McNeill
Occupation
Running Supersnorkel
They use one of the juicers to unload if at a dry land or just dump it at the log dump
 

Betelgeuse

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
83
Location
San Juan Island
So having lunch and looking out over Haro Strait looking at Victoria watching a big barge loaded with equipment heading south down the strait. Looks like two grapple yarders, maybe a snorkel, and probably some trucks and other equipment.
Anybody have the scoop on who and where their going?
 

Betelgeuse

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
83
Location
San Juan Island
If there were 3 grapple yarders
3 logging trucks
3-4Madill 3800’s and a bunch of misc equipment
Then you saw Dyer Logging from Kelsey Bay. Heading to visit Steve in Sarita for the winter

Sweet thanks for the response. These were the first grapple yarders I’ve seen even though it was through the bino’s. Pretty cool. I assumed sarita shutdown when IPL shutdown or is sarita separate? I would love come over to the island with my boys and check out the logging world of BC. To bad the days of not needing a passport to cross the border is over none of us have them ☹️. Oh well I enjoy vicariously living it through the stories and picture everyone here post. Thanks to everyone.
 
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