Hardwood Tree Log and Lumber Quality Workshop

This workshop is aimed at private forest landowners, consulting, and district foresters. It is important to recognize the quality when managing forests. While the pricing premium related to higher grade logs and lumber can be realized for some species, others don’t provide such opportunities. The objective of the workshop is to discuss hardwood quality in a systematic way, including tree grading, log grading and lumber grading.

Coffee breaks, snacks and lunch is included. Attendees will receive: 1) a Biltmore Tree scaling stick, 2) a board sampler of Indiana major tree species.

There is a $79 registration cost.

Speakers:
Rado Gazo is a professor of wood processing and industrial engineering at Purdue University. His recent work focuses on evaluating tree, log and lumber quality using CT, laser and image scanning research and development. Over past 30 years, Rado has worked with over 150 companies, often in consulting capacity.

Don Carlson Is working as a forester. Don is in charge of forest management and monitoring, timber sales, marking trees and logging activities on more than a dozen of Purdue University forest properties in state of Indiana.

Charlie Warner is a Wood Research Laboratory manager at Purdue University. His recent work focuses on dendrology and evaluating tree, log and lumber quality.

Lenny Farlee has Bachelor's and Master’s Degrees in forest management from Purdue University. he worked as a seedling nursery forester and private lands forester for the Indiana Division of Forestry and has been an extension forester for the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center at Purdue University since 2007.

Damon McGuckin is a firefighter and equipment operator with the DNR Division of Forestry. He runs the divisions logging and sawmilling operations which utilize dead and decaying trees to supply hardwood lumber to multiple DNR properties for projects and improvements.

Registration form

Agenda:
9:00 –   9:15              Registration and program introduction

9:15 – 10:30              Introduction to lumber quality and National Hardwood Lumber Association grading rules overview. Practice sample board grading. (Rado Gazo)

10:30 – 10:45              Coffee break

10:45 – 12:00              Log measurement and quality. Overview of USDA Forest Service log grading rules. Practice sample log grading. (Rado Gazo and Don Carlson)

12:00 – 12:30              Lunch (provided)

12:30 –    1:15             Discuss hardwood tree and bark features/defects. (Charlie Warner)

1:15 –    2:00               Woodmizer sawmill demonstration of “grade sawing” hardwood logs. (Damon McGuckin)

2:00 –    2:45              Standing tree measurement and scaling. Tools for measurement. (Lenny Farlee)

2:45 –    3:00              Coffee break

3:00 –    4:00              Standing tree grading. Observe tree features and quality, practice sample tree grading. (Phil Jones)

4:00                             Conclusion

To learn more about this event, please visit Indiana Hardwood Lumber Association.