selecting teakwood log

[dev13]

I am planning to visit timber yard soon for selecting Burma Teak Log (Thimmi).

My need is around 100 cubic feet. I heard from various posts that logs rates can vary from 2200 and go upto Rs 3000 per cft.

anyone purchased recently (september/October) can comment on latest rates.
Considering rupee appreciation, there sould be mild drop in rates ??

I would like to hear tips from experienced members on this board on selecting the right log and getting good cut peices.
I am currently planning on buying for frames (door+window), two main door shutters and pooja door shutters.

I heard that one has to stay throughout the process of cutting log to be present in the saw mill, so no pilferage can happen.
and it can take couple of days from start. Is it true?

[msn1270]

There are variety of teak wood(Starting from Hunsur,....... Burma, Bhutan...etc) available and price also varies in the same way. seller always looks for an opportunity to misguide the buyer. Only an experienced & reliable carpenter can help you at the time of buying.

[m3_07]

Considering rupee appreciation, there sould be mild drop in rates ??
I heard that one has to stay throughout the process of cutting log to be present in the saw mill, so no pilferage can happen.
and it can take couple of days from start.

1. Yes, the rupee has appreciated, but the cost has gone up overseas. Quite unfortunate.
2. 100 CFT can be made ready in 6 hours flat, but, this again depends on the capacity of the sawmill. It took 12 hrs for me to get my 230 CFT cut & edges trimmed & designed.
3. No carpenter will vouch for the quality of the log. there are numerous stories on the Teak logs getting hollow in the middle. There are few sawmill owners who will compensate you untill 50% for the same & some, who do not. Hence, LUCK plays a major role in this.
4. Most importantly, visit a sawmill who is more reilable & is in a position to take ownership on such cases.

[ddn]

@dev13 - we bought teak wood logs in June, so the prices may not be useful. You also need to note the diameter of the log, as the price depends on the diameter, which in turn is a measure of the age of the tree.

From my experience, I felt that it is very important to go to a reliable sawmill. My engineer referred me to a sawmill from whom they have been purchasing wood. The sawmill guys helped us select the good logs due to the reference and luckily none of them had hollow sections. As mentioned by other members, nobody will take responsibility for the log, it's finally your call. The cutting and planing was done over two days and our carpenter was present all the time to ensure that the wood was not misappropriated and also cut to the sizes that we needed.

Couple of things I noted while selecting the log are,
- select the widest logs that your budget permits
- try and avoid logs that have lots of knots
- some logs have the outer skin peeling off, making them look unattractive, but this does not mean that the log is not good.

Of course I am no expert, these are just points that I heard and noticed the day we selected our logs.

[dev13]

thanks m3_07 & ddn for valuable inputs.