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Couple of Small Orders (long)

Started by Steve, April 18, 2002, 06:59:22 PM

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Steve

When I checked my email this morning I found a couple with with titles that indicated they were wanting to place an order for wood. I thought, what a nice way to start the morning. The following are the two "orders" cut and pasted. Tell me what you think :D :D 8) 8)

"I am an amateur woodworker (scrollsawer) who loves making gifts for others.  I am currently working on a set of 5 crosses for a priest friend of mine who will be celebrating 50 years of service this June.

My goal is to use woods mentioned in the bible.  Koa fits this category.  I'd really like to make one the crosses in my project out of Koa.

I am in need of a piece of Koa approximately  0.75" x 3.5" x 5".

I am very interested in talking to you purchasing such a piece of wood from you.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Here is #2

"Regarding dimensions - I am looking for the most economical way to get into this knife business, so it is worth my while to try to obtain what some companies would consider scrap sizes if they are at least the min. dimensions I have mentioned.  I would also like to look into what portion of the price of wood cut to a certain spec, is actually labor to DO the cutting...thus then is it more economical for me to purchase your standard stocking size, and just cut it down myself?  I would think this would be the least time consuming for you, and the cheapest for me.  IF I was going to have specific dimensions cut 'for' me, they would be 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 by and length..ideally a multiple of 5..but doesn't have to be.  Lastly,you mentioned the Mango isn't quite dry yet.  Can your woods be shipped at this stage without getting a bad warp/curve to them?  If so, do you sell woods at this stage a little cheaper?  Assuming yes, can we talk about pricing for woods at this stage as a comparison to the fully dry stage...and give me a run down on if I'd need to do anything special to allow them the finish drying time once I received them?  I have a large dry barn...and have dried fresh cut hemlock board and batten in it with good results.  Or do I need to set up some kind of a heated condition such as a lamp box?  Or maybe even just obtaining/cutting the pieces small enough to fit in our oven.  It is a gas oven and the pilot light keeps it pretty toasty in there.  Of course I'd have to take it out of the oven at least one day a week for up to 3 hours...would this be bad for the wood?

What are your thoughts on all this?

Thanks for your time!  


I am still laughing over this :D :D :D
Steve
Hawaiian Hardwoods Direct
www.curlykoa.com

Tom

Steve,
That is funny.........but................

Around here both of those markets are popular niche markets.  The knife makers will pay good money for rare woods or figured woods.  

We have several "cross" makers locally that are always looking for oak.  They want scrap wood of course, but are very particular and end up buying oak for  pretty good coin.
The Crosses are made into key chains, auto mirror hangings, large ones go on shelves and tables and these guys turn out several thousand a year.  Most are given to church members but many are sold at church fund raisers and given out at hospitals.  

Actually it could be the start of a lucrative market if you became know.

Paul_H

Steve,I checked my concordance,and Koa  mentioned in the bible (Ezekiel 23,23)is actually Ko'a.They were a tribe,not a tree.Might be hard to find a piece of one. :D
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Bud Man

Steve, They both seem a little fuzzy to me.  They fall into what I would call an OWB category ( OH Why Bother ) On the other hand I don't know the value of this Koa wood, but I might arrange to make available to this fellow an amount of wood suitable to make this cross for say maybe $75 or $100, ( prepaid of course) to cover shipping, handling, and a mininum order.  Take his pulse and see if he is serious or just a pest.  I vividly remember a fellow who wanted 21' of gutter one time across the front of his garage, and then proceded to ask 101 questions of little or no significance, I listened and answered patiently for about 30 minutes at which time I told him I had another appointment to make and that my minimum was $250, and simply asked him did he want my services. He didn't say a word for about 60 seconds and then said OK -when can you do It.        So You Never Know
The groves were God's first temples.. " A Forest Hymn"  by.. William Cullen Bryant

Paul_H

Maybe i'm getting cynical,but the first request seemed to be a indirect request for a donation.He seemed to ramble on a little too much about what it was to be used for.And it falls under what Bud Man calls OWB.That's why I checked concordance.It seemed to be bogus,that a species native to Hawaii would be biblical.For a piece that small,he is probably counting on a freebie.

Or it could be a well meaning person trying to do a nice thing for somebody.I hope that's what it is.I really do.
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

timberbeast

I always answer every request I get courteously,  I've had everything from a guy who wanted 100,000 bf/mo.  (wish I could!!!)  to a guy who wanted to DRIVE 500 MILES to my house to pick up about ten bucks (to me) worth of maple for knife handles.  Hell,  I just sent the stuff to him UPS,  gratis.
Also sent some burls up to Canada to our missing young friend,  marc.  He was very appreciative.
Like I've always said,  I'm not a very good businessman,  but I do sleep well.
And I also agree that small niches could make or break you at times.  How often have you seen a reindeer or a small shelf made out of little twigs in some department store selling for 35 bucks?  We WALK on the twigs this stuff is made of!  With the right marketing............................
Where the heck is my axe???

woodmills1

about 2 years ago I got a response on the wo__web from someone who said he was a priest in NYC and could he come to see some of my lumber.  three phone calls and about 10 months later he shows up during one particularly bad snowstorm and buys like 20 board feet of each of the species I have.  Turns out he was a retired priest who now works at an old priests home in NYC and he wanted new tables for the dining room, with each to be made of different wood.  It was snowun so hard that when he left I went in front of him with the plow down till he got out to the state road on his way to the motel.
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

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