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Author Topic: Log pile getting smaller  (Read 5946 times)

Offline Kirk Allen

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Log pile getting smaller
« on: August 26, 2017, 08:11:52 AM »
I will work on getting some pics up this week, I hope, as I know it didn't happen if you dont have pics. 

Over the last several months I have been banging out about 3-400 BF a day on the mill, as time permits, and getting the log piles cleaned up. 

I had some piles that had sat for years as they were of no real value to me.  Turns out, one of those piles was filled with several walnuts I forgot about and a couple whopper white oaks.  The Walnut was dry as could be.  I have never seen sawdust so dry, and dusty!  LOL

I got some nice 20ft white oak boards that I now have to figure out where to stack them.  See what happens when you clean up a log pile?  Fix one mess and create another! 

Anyway, the goal is to get the telephone pole pile relocated and onto railroad rails that sit on concrete supports I got from the utility company.  Now that one main area is clear of logs, I can set up the rails and move the pole pile and get it organized.  Have to do this before the next ice storm buries me in poles again. 
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching!

Offline furu

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Re: Log pile getting smaller
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2017, 01:31:17 AM »
I, as well, have no pictures to document my sawing but after over a year and a half I finally got to sawing out some modified ship-lap for my kiln structure from a wind storm downed large diameter fir.  My log pile was probably not near as large as yours but the Douglas fir pile has been reduced by several thousand board feet. 

Of course I was given the opportunity to pickup some maple that had been removed for a home site so now I have several Mbf of maple that needs to be sawn.  I was planning on letting it sit until the kiln is finished so that I can throw it in for drying as soon as I saw it.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline Tom the Sawyer

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Re: Log pile getting smaller
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2017, 03:44:10 PM »
I, too, have a bunch of logs waiting to be milled.  I try to keep a selection on hand for clients who have a creative idea, but don't have a log to mill.  Most of my logs come from tree services who are interested in preserving urban logs (or perhaps it is because they can maximize their profits by avoiding a tipping fee at the landfill and getting paid for the log by me).  After a couple of years, they start to go down hill, some species faster than others.  :(  I always have more than I sell, plus there are logs here that belong to clients who delivered them but have not yet had them milled. 

I am in the process of finishing up a DH kiln which should allow me to go through my stockpile.  I can mill older logs, culling heavily, and what yield I get will be air dried and then go into the kiln.  I currently market my milling services, the whole point of having logs available is to promote my milling.  Selling kiln dried lumber will be a new venture for me, and offer a second income stream.  As a custom sawyer; if I'm not making sawdust, I'm not making money.  The kiln will be making money when I am milling, working on the computer, or even when I am sleeping.   ;D

I have a designated area where I store my logs.  I don't really want to expand that area so I have to use up older logs, and push clients to get their logs milled.  This year I instituted a storage fee of $1 per log/per month for client's logs.  Hopefully I'll have time to mill my logs, business has been very good - my milling volume is up 29% over last year at this time, and a busy time of the year is coming up.  ;)
Timberking B-20, log arch, F350 flatbed dump,
20' Trailer w/ log loading arch, Princeton forklift, Bobcat S250 w/ Frostbite grapple.  Nyle L200M kiln.

Offline Tom the Sawyer

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Re: Log pile getting smaller
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2017, 10:01:09 PM »
Oops, forgot to mention that my log storage fee for client logs starts after 90 days.
Timberking B-20, log arch, F350 flatbed dump,
20' Trailer w/ log loading arch, Princeton forklift, Bobcat S250 w/ Frostbite grapple.  Nyle L200M kiln.

Offline Ox

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Re: Log pile getting smaller
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2017, 06:36:02 PM »
I hope you don't get in a tough spot and have to increase the log storage fees for any reason.  That's a spot I wouldn't want to be in - wanting to prod the customers gently but not so much as to chase them away!
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline Tom the Sawyer

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Re: Log pile getting smaller
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2017, 08:21:40 PM »
Don't recall that I have ever actually collected on the storage fee.  It is more of a stimulant.  One guy has half a dozen logs that have been here 14 months and he still wants them, just says he can't afford to mill them yet.  There have been cases where I have milled logs and agreed to wait until they could pay me, but that may not be a good idea in this particular case.
Timberking B-20, log arch, F350 flatbed dump,
20' Trailer w/ log loading arch, Princeton forklift, Bobcat S250 w/ Frostbite grapple.  Nyle L200M kiln.

Offline Ox

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Re: Log pile getting smaller
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2017, 08:49:00 PM »
Oh, man.  Can't say as I envy you for either of those positions.  It's hard to help folks all the time, that's for sure.  Usually in the end you're the only one getting hurt somehow.  At least this is what I've experienced - hopefully you're smarter with people than me.  It sounds like you have a system that's working and hopefully it continues!
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools