Serendipity from Lucas HQ

[sigidi]

A fella rang me saying he was given my number from Lucas HQ, when he rang them asking who had a 10" as he was a Lucas mill owner, but had taken an order for timber among which was a bunch of 10" beams... that had to be cut and delivered by end of week. He assured me the logs would be ready onsite in the morning when I got there.

So I worked a big day and delivered late in the afternoon to clear a day so I could free a day up to cut his beams. I was set to get there nice and early to make sure I got his stuff cut... when I get a txt as I'm walking out the door at 0530 "can you bring your bobcat?" DanG!!!! not much of a problem, except Bob was spending the day at the dump and its gates are opened at 0700.

I roll up to the dump, wait for the gates to open, load bob then head off up the coast an hours drive. I get onsite unload everything and luckily am greeted by this...

.

so something was going right. First log loaded up and shaking in its boots




After slicing off the first 10x2 beam, its not the only thing that is going right for the day, these logs are great, hardly any tension at all



And slicing a thin bit of sapwood proves it - virtually no movement, loving it



Days end, all the beams cut and a bit of waste shifted...





Packed up and headed off home, happy customer and happy sawmiller, this brings my total of other Lucas owners I've cut for to 6 and another Peterson owner - thanks for the name drop Lucas

[thecfarm]

Thats a good ending. Are those logs all peeled? Why would he do that? Most would not know to do that. I peel mine when they can be peeled easy.

[Chuck White]

After the preliminary runaround, the rest looked like a "gravy-job" Sigidi.

[dboyt]

Good days like that are all too rare.  That will be a good day to remember when it is 5^o and raining, the engine won't start, and you're bogged down in the mud.

[sigidi]

Thats a good ending. Are those logs all peeled? Why would he do that? Most would not know to do that. I peel mine when they can be peeled easy.

He owns a Lucas, so if needed he would have done it, but having said that they where not 'peeled' its just how the bark on the species is, you might notice toward the base of these trees you can see the bark gets a bit rough, but above that it is smooth as  ;)

After the preliminary runaround, the rest looked like a "gravy-job" Sigidi.

It was, other than not being paid yet  apparently he will have the money once the timber was delivered, so as it came from a Lucas referral....I'm waiting for a call from him tomorrow... Not to tempt fate, but, its been my experience when you bend over for people and go to extra lengths, drop what you are doing, shuffle stuff around to fit them in, it tends not to work out, but...shhhhhhhh..... ;)

Good days like that are all too rare.  That will be a good day to remember when it is 5^o and raining, the engine won't start, and you're bogged down in the mud.

Yep, one of my favorite lines is, ya gotta have bad days so you know when the good ones show up  ;D

[JohnM]

Wow, what kind of tree is that, Sig?  Can't believe the bark grows that smooth, I thought they were older logs and the bark had sloughed off.  I'm (unfortunately  :() getting used to our Eastern White Pine with it's 1.5" thick gnarly, pitted bark that picks up mud/rocks like a vacuum. :

Oh...and stop making me want a 10" machine all the time!! >:( ;) :D

JM

[thecfarm]

John,Most trees do that and some I have seen on here even pick up nails and other metal,like a magnet.  ;D

[JohnM]

John,Most trees do that and some I have seen on here even pick up nails and other metal,like a magnet.  ;D

Unfortunately I've found that out as well, Ray. :( >:(

[sigidi]

John its a species down here called flooded gum - personally I wouldn't have gone about this job in the same way as this fella, but that is what he wanted so I gently said something to him about how things could/should have been done, but he didn't want to take it on board.

Flooded gum is prone to end checking, badly - up to a foot of end check is common place, but the logs where cut less than 2" over ordered size.....

John,Most trees do that and some I have seen on here even pick up nails and other metal,like a magnet.  ;D

too funny! ;D :D

[sigidi]

After the preliminary runaround, the rest looked like a "gravy-job" Sigidi.

It was, other than not being paid yet  apparently he will have the money once the timber was delivered, so as it came from a Lucas referral....I'm waiting for a call from him tomorrow... Not to tempt fate, but, its been my experience when you bend over for people and go to extra lengths, drop what you are doing, shuffle stuff around to fit them in, it tends not to work out, but...shhhhhhhh..... ;)

Well 'tomorrow' came and almost went, I was driving home from helping my parents out at 1930hrs ( I tend to use my phone while I'm on the road a lot - nothing else to do) and I'm about to call him to ask about getting paid, he rings me at 1934 to tell me they didn't deliver the order so he hasn't got paid and along with that can't pay me. Apparently a log damaged his tractor, so he couldn't load the order.
He'll see what he can do about it today, maybe hand load it, and give me a call later today.....

I HATE having to chase being paid, I explained to him I pushed stuff aside so I could help him out, gave him discount on my cutting and when he wanted me to bring Bob, gave him discount on that too, he said yeah I know and I appreciate that (obviously not enough to pay me)

Personally I would have hand loaded the order yesterday.....

Well I'll see what occurs today....

[Nomad]

     Alan, that sounds all too familiar to me.  I sure hope you don't get stuffed like I did on that job last month!!! >:(

[sigidi]

Well, text messages, phone calls, answer machine messages today and no contact with him until past 2020hrs and.... no delivery of the timber today, so yep still no pay.
Turns out, the order that HAD to be done for Friday, (so I dropped everything and shuffled stuff around) and he still hasn't finished cutting his part of it.
Apparently he has "a fella coming in tomorrow" (sunday) to help get the order out..... So I'm waiting for a call again tomorrow.

I think I will ring him in the morning and offer to deliver my part of the order so there is no further excuses, if I get any other excuses, I'll arrive at the timber with a freshly fueled and sharpened 395XP, I cut an extra length above the order requirements and I'll start slicing it into bits....

I just    ing hate not getting paid >:(

[Solomon]

A man is only as good as his word.   I wouldn't take a chain saw over there a cut on anything.  That will just make a bad situation worse. And it could land you in a  holding cell.
Let it go and chalk it up to expierence.  Just don't do buisness with him anymore.
God has a way of making things right.   He s smiley_swinging_board smiley_swinging_board smiley_swinging_board smiley_swinging_board smiley_swinging_boardure looks out for me if I do things his way. 8)

[WildDog]

I think I will ring him in the morning and offer to deliver my part of the order so there is no further excuses,

It sure came of the mill looking sweet, shame the jobs going down this track now. Sounds to me like your man is looking out for number "1". I also feel for the customer as they may not get their required lengths due to checking. By delivering the order your good name may get dragged down as well if the clients not pleased. :(

[Nomad]

I think I will ring him in the morning and offer to deliver my part of the order so there is no further excuses,

It sure came of the mill looking sweet, shame the jobs going down this track now. Sounds to me like your man is looking out for number "1". I also feel for the customer as they may not get their required lengths due to checking. By delivering the order your good name may get dragged down as well if the clients not pleased. :(

     I might bring the lumber, but I wouldn't drop it off unless he's got cash in hand.  Let him see it maybe.  Let him have it?  NO!  He needs the lumber you have possession of.  He can rectify that by paying you.  If you think he's a bad guy, and you let him hold the money and the goods, you've made a big mistake.
     If he doesn't like that tell him to have his customer on site when you deliver and he can pay you.  (I bet your customer won't like that 'cuz I figure he's charging a markup.)

[GDinMaine]

That guy should have given you your money before you left the job site and chase after his own pay.  It is a terrible way to treat others who are in the same shoes as him.

I have cut for another sawyer before and he paid me out of his pocket several days before the customer picked up the lumber.  Actually I know there was a few hundred feet that never got picked up but he payed me no matter what.

[sigidi]

Well, contacted him this morning, I can deliver the timber toady (Sunday >:()but customers husband wont be home until later this afternoon (and I am not free this afternoon, picking my daughter up) and also there was no mention of being paid. So I said to him, I'm not going fetching my trailer, driving an hour to get to his place, hand load 34 x4.6m 10x2" beams to then go another half hour drive, to unload them all by hand and drive an hour and half home - without payment.
He replies "If you can deliver them, i can get you your money tomorrow"
Me " I'm not doing more work and still not getting paid, this is 3 tomorrow's you have already fed me. I did everything I could, to do the right thing by you, I've cut the timber - is there any problem with it"
him " No, no problem with the timber, can you deliver it monday"
"I've got timber to cut Monday, I don't work weekends, but I'd deliver this stuff for you this morning"
"you can deliver it, she said you can deliver it"
" but I won't get paid? so there isn't any point in delivering it is there? When am I going to get paid Dave?
"As soon as I can get the money, we still have to cut more timber for the order"

So I decide, he organises with the customer, I will finish a days cutting Monday. Knock off at 1700, drive up there, load it all, deliver it and get paid - (then I'll probably get home around 2030hrs)

And now I wait to hear from him again tomorrow.

I just hate how people get someone in to do a job and know full well they don't have the money to pay for it :( >:(


Soloman - letting it go and chalking it up to experience, doesn't get my family fed or put fuel in my gear or make payments on my gear either. I cut an extra board than the order called for, my invoices are clearly marked goods remain property of Reall Milling until paid in full and my payment terms are payment is due on receipt of invoice. I never normally leave a job without being paid, but he was in a bind and Lucas had referred him to me.

Wilddog, you are right, now I'm felling bad for the customer. As he has left the boards where I cut them, so now they have been exposed for 5 days, they are bound to have started splitting on the ends  :'( :(

Nomad, the lumber is on his property, it was a mobile job. Realistically, I can only bluff my way around this >:(

GD, that is the way I operate too, but IF I get someone in to do something, or supply me something and I don't have the cash for it, I either get a deposit from the customer large enough to cover their costs, or I talk with them before any work gets done about paying once the job is paid for.

[Nomad]

     Nomad, the lumber is on his property, it was a mobile job. Realistically, I can only bluff my way around this

     That really leaves you behind the 8 ball.  Bluff away!!  But once you load that lumber up, if the money isn't waiting for you he won't have it any more and you will no longer be bluffing.
     I don't think this guy is really that big a dirt ball.  Sounds to me like he's broke and really ought to be a used car salesman.  I hope the money is waiting for you but if it isn't, take the lumber home.

[sigidi]

FOR SURE!!!

[sigidi]

Another day of phone calls and another day of "tomorrow" assurances.

Apparently he delivered the order this afternoon, but didn't get paid, so hence I didn't get paid. Supposedly when he got there, there had been a mix up with the customer "He thought she was sorting out payment and she thought he was sorting it out." But yesterday I was told I couldn't do the delivery in the morning as I was informed by the guy who contracted me "the husband wasn't home and had hold of the purse strings, so the wife couldn't pay"

This isn't the first time I've been fed contradicting stories but supposedly I will get a phone call tomorrow lunch time to get paid....

[sigidi]

After 15 phone calls, 6 voice messages, 4 txt messages and 5 days later than I was originally promised payment, I just got paid what I was owed 8)

[beenthere]

That is good to hear.  8)

[Nomad]

     About time.  I'd put that customer near the bottom of my list if at all possible.  But I'm glad to hear you finally got paid!

[sigidi]

Thanks fella's, certainly not on my list of "drop everything" customers.....but yup, got paid, so can make payments on stuff now  ;)

[nk14zp]

Glad you got your money!