Roll Out
If you ever have the chance to attend a log roll out, I would suggest that you jump on the offer. Every time I attend a session I learn new things and come away from the gathering stymied at the knowledge, common sense, errors, and issues that surround the logging industry.
This log roll out was at the Stimpson Mill in Clastskanie. Before we got to examine the logs, we had a brief safety lesson. Less than 24 hours before the tour, the mill was shut down due to the saws hitting metal in-bedded in the log they were cutting through. The saw itself was irreparably damaged and it was only by very quick action on the part of the operator that the mill was able to mitigate damages only to the saw itself and the broken saw did not become bits of hot, flying shards of sharp metal. If metal of any kind is found in a log, the whole log is taken out of the mill instantly and no part of it can be milled. One small piece of metal could be dangerous and the mill will not take the chance that there may be other bits of metal in the log. The demonstration showed lag screws, wire, electrical insulators, nails and bullets in-bedded in wood and stressed the danger.
Sixteen large logs were set out in formation in the yard. Each log was marked as to length ranging from 26 to 40 feet and diameters from 22 to 30 inches.
The group was able to examine each log closely for the defects on each log from timber bound, to crook, to white speck, spangle, rot and heart check. We got to see first hand what log scalers are looking for and what is acceptable and what is not. The defects take off a percentage of the logs total scale (how many board feet are in the log), and deductions can also be taken in length and diameter.
Most logs make some kind of grade even if there are many defects and deductions. It is heartbreaking to see a log that has been grown for nearly 100 years, felled by a logger and cut to mill specifications, shipped many miles at an expense to the owner and the hauler and end up in the unacceptable pile with no value.