An Appalachicola Trip

[Tom]

One of our members, Rusty, is a framing contractor and is very interested in wood that he can use in some of the million-dollar homes he builds.  

Last Saturday he was looking for company on one of his lumber gathering trips on Sunday.  He was getting some of the last of an order of Deadhead wood for flooring out in the Panhandle of Florida on the Appalachicola and Chipola Rivers.   Here are a few pictures I took when I accompanied him on Sunday.  I was playing "Tom the Tourister". :D



This is a catface that was on one of the deadhead logs that came from the Chipola River.


Rusty wanted the catface for a table base.


Oldgrowth Deadhead Pine has some very tight rings and high counts.  This is one that is very common.  Some require a razor blade to keep track of them so that they can be counted.


Here are some of Rusty's cypress deadhead boards from the Chipola.


Rusty stands behind a deadhead pecky cypress log.  You can see the fungus holes in the end of the log that makes the boards so ornamental and demand the higher dollars.


Rusty stands next to a buttressed cypress tree growing in the shallows of the Appalachicola River.  In the background can be seen some of a houseboat that is anchored beyond the shoreline trees.  It has shore power and phones and all that they need.  The local government has been trying to curtail the use of these houseboats because they can't figure out how to charge taxes on them.


A portable boat shed on the Appalachicola River.  These fellows have camps all up and down the river.  They take their boat shed with them whereever they go. Here are two outboards returning to base with their portable boat shed. :D

[Mike_P.]

Tom:
When I saw Appalachicola, I had to throw in my two cents.

Several years ago, Jeanette and I took a short early spring vacation to that area.  We enjoyed it a lot and have talked about going back.  The folks were friendly and we had a great meal at "Boss Oyster".

Thanks for the photos and reminder.

Mike

[SwampDonkey]

Tom and Rusty

 8) photo layout, enjoyed them greatly. Keep that young feller busy on the buck'n job. Although, I don't think workplace health and safety will ignore those sneakers on the job and no eye and ear protection  hahahaha

 :D  :D  :D  :D  :D  :D

[Tom]

That's S.E. style "workplace health and safety."   We wear the tenni-pumps 'cause we were taught to outrun a chainsaw. ;D  Ya gotta teach the young'uns to  be quick down here or the Gators will get them. :D

[Fla._Deadheader]

  YEP, that's the standard Florida sawing wardrobe. We are Definitely fashion plates in the woods industry ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Tom:

All I can do is...... :D :  ;D

Gonna bust a stitch  ;D


cheers  ;D

[D._Frederick]

Tom,

Have never heard the term "Cat Face" before, why was the log cut this way?

[SwampDonkey]

D_Frederick

Its a common term among log buyers, but I'm not sure what context Tom uses it. Up here a 'cat face' is a swelled, partially healed and not smoothed over defect on yellow birch veneer logs. Can be caused by previous log damage, fire or struck by wind blown tree. When ever we find them we buck for the 4 foot veneer market up here. The bolt might be perfect otherwise

reference to 'catface' defect at this veneer market
http://www.snbwoodcoop.com/markets/SPEC85.html


here's a definition from the BC scaler's manual
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hva/manuals/scaling/Ch4-04.htm#P346_63047

cheers

[Tom]

Catface

Catface in turpentine country is the skinned or slashed portion of a pine tree that allows the sap to run into a cup.  Turpentining was once big business down here in the southeast.  The trees were cut  in that "V" shape  to help guide the sap to the "box" that was cut into the tree at the bottom of the "catface" or, in later years, the "cup" which was hung at the bottom of the most recent slashing.  Acre upon acre of Southern Yellow Pine, specifically Long Leaf and Slash but Loblolly and others as well were cut for their resin (ships stores),  The turpentiner would then move about his route in the woods scooping resin from the "box" and carrying it in a bucket to a barrel, which when filled was sold to a distillery.

The trees were later harvested for lumber after their turpentine days were finished.

Here is an old thread where we talked about catfaces and turpentine.
https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=general;action=display;num=992991750;start=32#29

And another thread where the subject came up while we were talking about metal detectors.
https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=sawmill;action=display;num=1030740030;start=20#20

While turpentining is no longer a viable industry, catfaces are still found in the woods and are prized for their crystallized resin which makes them that Southern gold called "fatlighter" which is used for starting fires.

The paper industry pretty much did in the turpentine industry because the pine chips are cooked and the "turps" are distilled there to be used for anything from turpentine to womens cosmetics.  The development of an artificial turpentine had a lot to do with it too.

Turpentining is an interesting subject and you will find many articles on the "net" as well as many books describing the life of turpentiners.


Tom and a turpentine "catface".  
Tom's the one on the right with the
blonde hair.  The catface is on the
tree. ;D

For those who don't read old posts here are a couple of links contained on them.
http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/history/naval_stores.htm
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/florida/photos/industry/misc/1847.htm

[Haytrader]

Blonde my ash

 :D

[SwampDonkey]

HayTrader

Hard to find a nice piece of ash 'round these parts eh? ;)


 :D  :D  :D  :D
us cheeky folk

[Tom]

carefull fellows

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Mom used to dab turpentine on our cuts and abraisions when we were kids. It took the sting away, formed a barier when it dried and smelled good too.

WS

[Tom]

I guess it used to be a cure-all.  We got it on cuts, abrasions and punctures too.  It also was supposed to be a diuretic and would kill intestinal parasites.

[SwampDonkey]

Grand father used to pour terpentine into the bole of the elm outside his house to ward off the bark beetles, poured it through a 1 inch piece of PVC stuck in a bore. His brother did the same to his elm next door. Seemed to work, then years went buy and he didn't add no more and the tree seccumbed to the dreaded dutch elm disease. The wood made some neet bowls, love the grain of elm. No one burns elm here, too much work splittin it and spoils quick.

[DanG]

 8) 8)Here dey come! Here dey come! 8) 8)

Dere dey went. Dere dey went. DanG, dey didn't even wave when dey went by. :-/

[Tom]

Were your ears burning?  :D

We were talking about you and I was trying to figure out how to find you.  We were hustlin' and bustlin'.  Left early in the mornig and got home at midnite.   I'm still not sure what roads we were on .  270a around Blountstown is one I remember.

Next time I'll make sure I contact you before I leave and we'll meet up.

I saw two Mobile dimensions but nobody around them.

[CHARLIE]

We have a bunch of those boat people up here too that live on the Mississippi. They've been there since the early 1900's and will probably always be there. The DNR doesn't like them and just like in Florida, they can't be taxed.  Most of the houses seem to be built on 50 gallon drums and are little one room affairs. They use a portable toilet set up near by but I don't know how they bath.....especially in the winter when the river is frozen. I just know that I sure wouldn't want to live like that. I don't think the ones up here have electricity either unless they use a generator, but somehow I doubt they could afford one of those. I believe they use kerosene lamps and heaters. :.

[Jeff]

8) 8)Here dey come! Here dey come! 8) 8)

Dere dey went. Dere dey went. DanG, dey didn't even wave when dey went by. :-/

DanG, Thats like when I found out Kevin and his wife went to visit her Mom in Alma Mi.  In order to get there he had to drive within 200 yards of my house.  I sent him an email that said "Hey! you drove right by my house!"  He sent one back that simply said:

"Twice!" :-/ :D

[DanG]

Dat's ok, Tom.   Truth be told, I prolly passed closer than that to your place a couple of times, since we've kindasorta known each other. Seems like it's always "jiggedy-jig" to the northeast or "jiggedy-jig" to the southwest, every DanG time. Besides, I had an appointment on Sunday afternoon to look at some trees. The guy had promised they were an easy take-down, and I could have'em for takin' them down. Turned out, the oak would have taken the front off his house, and the pine was so far gone, I was nervous standing near it. I advised him to make a new plan, and offered to buy the oak log when it was on the ground. He agreed, and said he would call. I'm holding my breath. :D

[Haytrader]

DanG,

Sounds like you are makeing some good decisions for an old "tired" guy.
Oh, guess that is REtired.

 :D  :D  :D

[Furby]

For a moment there I thought you all were talking about the pic on the end of the log when you said "catface". Then I noticed it was either a dog or a wolf ( same difference  ;D).