Update:
I spoke with someone just now who does portable milling, and who would be willing to do it. (I left messages for 2 others, 1 of whom wants to be paid in lumber instead of cash, I'm told.)
This is what he said:
1. Yes, (like Paul Downes said) this is the kind of maple that can have unusual quilted or birdseye figure if I get lucky.
2. Yes, it would be better to wait a little to cut them, although if I wait too long, it's the rainy season here, and then I will have a host of other problems like working in a mud bath, equipment getting stuck etc. He recommends waiting until late sept or early oct. to get the best of both worlds.
3. He charges $100 to set up (because I'm a 2 hour drive from him) and then $300/1000 bf which is probably what he can do in one day depending on the log size and shape etc.
4. He said the logs need to be arranged a certain way in a pile near the road (driveway)....not sure how I'm going to do that......
5. What amazed me was he said that the rule of thumb for a 2' diameter tree is 25 bf /foot of 2' diameter log, so 250 bf for each 10' log that diameter. I was figuring that I'd be lucky to get 300 bf per tree, but he said that 500-1000 per tree was a better estimate. That's a lot of wood. Anybody need some maple?
I left messages with 4 places to find out the cost of milling rough lumber to S4S and the cost of kiln drying. So far I've found one place that would mill it for $0.30/bf (sounds high to me). I'd be happy to air dry it, but if I cut it in the fall, then it will be raining steadily for months........
Then I was thinking that for $0.30/bf of say, 5000 bf, I could just about buy a decent jointer and planer no? and do it myself? Maybe I can find someone cheaper for the milling......
One question I have is is it possible to send the whole logs to a mill to 1. rough cut them 2. kiln dry them and then 3. S4S them in one fell swoop, and what would that cost?
I welcome all comments and discussion.
THANKS
cynthia