New Home for Midtown Logging and Lumber Co.

[MemphisLogger]

This past June, jackbooted COUNTY Commercial Code Enforcement officers descended on my home to inform me that I could not have ANYTHING that made my family money stored on my residentially zoned property.

CITY Residential Code Enforcement officers had previously let me get away with it in light of the presence of an abandoned house across the deadend from me and the fact that my property was the original farmhouse site before the area was developed.

The commercial code officer tricked me by calling me at 9:30PM (after I had already fallen asleep reading my kids a story) and asking if I had any wood for sale. "What kind?", I asked. "I dunno, something good to make somethin outta," he replied.  :

I shoulda been tipped off by his lack o' wood knowledge, but bein' the nice guy I am I told him to stop by the next morning and we'd see if I had anything he was interested in. He showed up prompt in the morn' with his badge on his shirt and his citation book in his hand.  >:(

Go see the judge and he gives me 'til August 17 (next Tuesday) to get ALL my wood and woodworking tools off my property or else be held in contempt.  :-[  

Anyhow, we scrambled all summer to get up enough money to get us a piece of suitable INDUSTRIAL property and finally came up with this . . .



Them wires coming into the building carry 110v at regular rates and 240v single and three phase ant industrial rates.



The building is cinderblock with steel beams and a flat "roll roof". It's 4500 sqft (30' wide with no posts) and has a double door on the front and 2 bays on the side.

Best thing is it came with this . . .



Which took $15 and a quart of oil to start in 10 turns even though it hadn't been run since 2001. We've already used it to pick up and and stack a 9' 38" dia red oak log, so we figure it's rated for at least 4000lbs.

The building also came with this . . .



Which the previous owner says was in the same working condition as the Towmotor but I haven't run it yet as I have to be inspected before the power company will turn my 240v back on (the motor syas 440v on it so I assume it has 2 220v legs running to it).

Here's the best part . . .



This is the view from the back of our shop--one of the cleanest lakes left in the Memphis area!

 8) ;D              
    

[Buzz-sawyer]

Congrats 8) 8)
You can ship outaa that place produce and store really nice 8)

[Fla._Deadheader]

  WOW, nice score. That's eggzactly what we need.

   >:(I already know what them DanG gestapo dudes need. >:( ;D

[Frank_Pender]

That is a nice site for the relocated lumber company, and tools to-boot.  8)  The last and only time a code fella came here it cost him his job.  ;D He got to messing with the wrong fella. ???  Before he came the one time he thought it wise to bring along 4 county deputies.    It still cost him his job. 8)

[MemphisLogger]

You'd love it Deadhead, there's actually a barge cut from the lake to the Wolf River, which had much timber moving on it at the turn of the century, and it's only a few miles upstream from the Mississippi.

We're thinkin' 'bout fishin' for some logs  ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

 8) 8) Take a line and tie on a long cylinder weight, like a sash weight, broke in half. Just get at the mouth of that creek, and slowly go upstream, criss-crossing the stream. Let the weight just touch bottom, and hold it in yer hand. If there's any amount of logs, you will know it. Otherwise, ya gotta probe with a long skinny pole of some sort.  8) 8)  

  I say "Go for it". 8) 8)

[MemphisLogger]

Frank, I almost had the guy that got me too--I've run my hound with his boss's. Unfortunately, the officer was a new hire in "by the book" mode and his boss was already taking heat from the media on someother worthy cases he'd been lettin' slide.  

I did manage to get the officer reassigned to another part of town though, since several neighbors called to complain about his attitude--they all got a kick outta what I was doing and appreciated the fact that our presence I kept the crackheads outta the abandoned house.  ;D

[Gilman]

Urban,
Nice new building, and accessories.

That towmotor, is it hydrostatic drive?  

[MemphisLogger]

Thanks Deadhead, I was wonderin' if I'd need a donar or sumptin like it.

I've already resawn some big timbers (14"x20") that got exposed in a headcut upstream and the structure they came from was a old circle mill--the Wolf is known for it's "Ghost River" section where the current disappears into a HUGE swamp o' Gum (Tupelo) and Cypress. The rest of the river bottoms were historically covered in the Ash, Walnut, White Oak and Sweet Gum that made Memphis the once "Hardwood Capitol of the World".

Best yet is I'm buddy-buddy with the folks that run the river conservancy group, state fish & wildlife and Nature Conservancy taht own most of the shoreline up to the headwaters.  

Check it out at http://www.wolfriver.org/index.html

  

[Larry]

Wow – 4,500 SF of space with 3 phase.  I dunno it sorta sounds like a blessing in disguise.  Great chance to grow your business.  Hardwood lumber yard and cabinet shop all together – how could a guy go wrong.

Keep us posted as you fill the place up.

[MemphisLogger]

That's what I'm thinkin', Larry.

God moves in mysterious ways--maybe even through code enforcement  ;D

[MemphisLogger]

Gilman,

I know nothin' about forklifts--just learned myself how to drive one  ;D

What I do know is that it's got a Continental 4 that appears to be a flathead, 2 speeds forward, 2 speeds back and reeaal bald tires  :D

What is "hydrostatic" anyway?

[Tom]

You mostly need to be concerned about the load tipping and about someone standing behind the machine.  It's easy to become so absorbed in your job that you don't look when backing up.  It only takes a few inches and a split second to crush someone between the back of the machine and a wall.

I know you mean to be carefull but don't beome complacent.  It's so easy to do.

[MemphisLogger]

Thanks Tom,

We still have and hope to maintain a healthy fear of the thing  

[J_T]

Get even with that code man send him pictures an a thank you note . ;D Need to build Fd a port to land his boat at  ??? That is one nice place  8) Much as I don't like Memphis if I come that way I would like a tour.I just don't do good driving in any city old and blind JT

[MemphisLogger]

JT,

Come on down, we're only a mile off I-40 and/or 51.  ;D

I figure I'll wait 'til I have my Use and Occupancy Permit in hand before I get too sassy with my buddies at Code  :D
    

[Gilman]

What is "hydrostatic" anyway?

Hydrostatic is a hydraulic drive.  Just like the newer lawnmowers.  Put the throttle on and then adjust your speed by allowing more or less fluid through.

I have a Towmotor just like yours but with a 17' boom. If it is the same model it is a 4,000 truck.  I thought when I bought it, "Great!!! A hydrostatic drive, this sucker will last forever."

Alway famous last words aren't they.  Well, ignorance was bliss until my forklift repairman exclaimed, "Oh crap a hyrdrostatic drive."  Apparently stick shifts like yours will last forever if you take care of them.  Hydrostatics start to get "squishy" and cost about $4,000.00 to repair.  Not much point in repairing a $2,000.00 forklift for $4000.00. I was going to warn you if it ever starts to get "squishy" to sell it off to someone who will only need it on a limited bases.  It will last fine for them, not so however in a production shop like you're going to have.

One request.  Can we get a picture of the front of you building when you get your new sign hung?  It's exciting to see a business blossom.

[woodhaven]

Don't get your hopes up on the 3 phase. After looking back at the first picture I only see 240 volts single phase coming in. Unless you have another power drop thats probably all it has.

[MemphisLogger]

Woodhaven,

Does this help . . . (one of the weatherheads is missing)



My electrician hasn't been out yet, but I assumed that it was 3 phase since we have a seperate meter for it.

The guy I got the shop from was running a pallet factory--I'd sure think 3 phase was in order for his resaws, notchers, etc.

Can you tell from the picture?    

[Fla._Deadheader]

  It does look like 2 single phase services. One for the commercial rate ?? 240 Volts and one for the regular rate ??120-240 service ??? We never had split rates like that when I climbed them poles  ;D ;D

  Could have just been a higher amp service added at a later time, for the larger wire size service. ???

  Are there any 3 transformer groups in the immediate area on a pole??? Have to have 3 transformers to get 3 phase service. 1 transformer will only give single phase service.

[D._Frederick]

Its a good chance that you have 3 phase, the one service has 3 wires that are insulated, this one would be 3 phase. It takes only 2 transformers for a 200 amp service.

[MemphisLogger]

Thanks guys!

I been readin' 'bout "wyes" and "deltas" and all kinda stuff that I never thought I'd need to know about electricity--fascinating if not confusing stuff.

I'll count the transformers on the pole when I head over this morning--it's conveniently (NOT) located right in front of the center of my front bay door (we've been thinkin' about using it to straighten the blade on a friend's Bobcat and talking the utility company into relocating it a few feet when they put it back up   :D).