Hardwood Log, Lumber, and Tree Grading Workshop

Once a year, professors, students, and workshop attendees operate our sawmill at the Annual Hardwood Log, Lumber, and Tree Grading Workshop. The course assists those involved in the hardwood lumber industry (mill owners, sawyers, edger operators, inspectors, sales and office personnel), those involved in timber management (forestry technicians, foresters, refuge managers, and private landowners), and other interested persons (attorneys, loggers, etc.). This workshop presents a working knowledge of the NHLA hardwood lumber grading rules and the USDA Forest Service log grading system and its relationship to lumber grades and product utilization. Attendees learn to recognize external defect indicators and their importance in hardwood logs, the basics of grading hardwood lumber, and the application of log grading to standing timber.

The 53rd Annual Workshop is scheduled for March 11-14, 2008. The registration fee is $500 per person. Further information can be obtained from Dr. Mark D. Gibson, Workshop Coordinator, by calling 318-257-3392, sending an email to mgibson@LaTech.edu, or writing to the School of Forestry, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10138, Ruston, LA 71272-0045.

Interested applicants may download the Brochure and Registration Form, in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format. Images from this workshop 

2007 Hardwood Workshop

Article and Captions by Dr. Mark Gibson, Workshop Coordinator

Photos by Mary Anne Sandiford

The 52nd Annual Hardwood Log, Lumber, and Tree Grading Workshop was held at the LA Tech University School of Forestry's Sawmill on the South Campus from March 27-30, 2007.  Fourteen participants learned the basics of hardwood lumber, log and tree grading, as well as recognition of defects that affect these grades.  George Screpetis, Consultant and John Martel of the LA Department of Agriculture and Forestry's Office of Forestry brought their combined years of experience and expertise in the hardwood industry to the classroom sessions and provided ample feedback to participants during the "hands on" field sessions at the sawmill.  Thursday's all-day sawmill operation gave participants a chance to follow the logs they graded the previous afternoon through the sawing process.  Notton Jones, Sawyer and Supervisor of Anderson-Tully Company's Mill K in Vicksburg, MS provided the sawing expertise as the logs were cut into lumber.  Participants were able to grade the lumber from each of their assigned logs and obtained guidance from Charlie Anderson of ACT Kiln Company in Olla, LA, a lumber grader, who spent the day assisting with grading the lumber.  Friday's trek to a hardwood bottom near campus gave all a chance to grade standing trees and discuss and apply everything they had learned during the week. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Lincoln Timber Company in Dubach, LA for unloading the 21 oak logs that Anderson-Tully Company in Vicksburg, MS trucked over to Ruston, Kitchens Brothers Manufacturing Company in Monroe, LA for providing the red oak lumber for the lumber grading exercise on Tuesday afternoon, and the able assistance of Notton Jones, Charlie Anderson, John Martel, and George Screpetis without whom the Workshop would not have been successful.  Dan Taylor and Joey Haley, our two carriage men, put in a full day positioning the logs for sawing.  Several forestry students, Atticus Finger, Brian Reigh, Dustin Johnson, Justin Jacobs, and John Reilley, as well as many paid participants gave up a good part of their day on Thursday to help roll logs on the deck, carry lumber, shovel sawdust, and stack lumber.  A workshop such as this one is a culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.  George Grozdits, my able assistant coordinator, plays a big part in being certain everything is ready and runs smoothly.  Our secretarial staff, Andrea Green, Mary Anne Sandiford, and student workers, Haylee Huebner, Kirby Schutzman and Ammie Watson help with mailings: packet preparation, invoice payment and many other functions.  After the fun was over and all was said and done, the 52nd Workshop was a part of history.  Though everyone involved was glad to see it end, we are looking forward to the 53rd next March 2008...stay tuned for more in the continuing saga of the longest running workshop of it's kind in the U.S.A.

Notton Jones (Sawyer) guides the carriage as a log is sawn.	Dan Taylor (L) advances the set works as another cut is made on the log.	Sawn lumber is transferred down the roller bed to the edger.
Robert Ziegelasch passes lumber down the roller bed.		Stacking sawn lumber for the forklift.
	Brian Reigh (L) and Dustin Johnson (R) wait to roll the next log onto the carriage.