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Today's happy customer

Started by Jim_Rogers, January 27, 2019, 02:13:11 PM

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Hilltop366



Advertise both, one 5" and two 2½" and wait to see if you have to recut it.

Jim_Rogers

Today's happy customer called and then came over and got a 2" thick by 15" cookie for her sculpture project.

I cut this cookie from a left over piece of ash log. It has been drying here for over a year. And has all sorts of cracks in it which she liked. This is going to be the base of a sculpture she is making called the "Phoenix".
She likes the color of the wood as it looks like ashes.



 

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

WV Sawmiller

Jim,

   Good on you there buddy. Customers like that are often worth more than the big spenders. 
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Jim_Rogers

She's not so happy today. She put her sculpture on the cookie and it didn't look right to her. Too big in diameter and too thick.
I offered to cut her another one, smaller and thinner, but she's decided to go in a different direction for the base.
I tried.
Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

btulloh

Sometimes there are happy customers. Sometimes there are just customers.  >:(

HM126

WV Sawmiller

   I went to a flea market 25 miles from home today and will go to a different one 20 miles away tomorrow. I call them advertising trips as mostly I meet and talk with people and hand out business cards then 3-12 months later some of them will call for a mobile job. I rarely make enough sales on the trip to pay the mileage and Flea Market set up fee selling odd pieces. Before I finished setting up a lady came over and bought 2 dozen poplar lath/craft strips I make by taking 1/2" drops when edging 2" stock which returns approximately 3/8" thick X 2" X 8' (in this case) pieces. I sticker and air dry them just like normal boards and they air dry really quick. It just another salvage trick. They are great for making crates, lattice, etc. and she was excited to see them.

   Later a couple came up to all smiles when they saw me and broke out their phones to proudly show me a corner table they had made from a 2" live edge walnut slab/crotch they had bought from me a year or so back at such a Flea Market trip. They added wrought iron legs and sanded and finished it and they were really proud of their custom piece. That makes a good day for me.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Jim_Rogers

Today's happy customer came over to pick up a 2 1/2" thick by 16" wide x 5' long eastern white pine natural edge slab to become a desk top for his wife.
thanks Dave:



 

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Dana Stanley

Jim, the Pine you sell, air dried, kiln, or green?
Making Sawdust, boards and signs.
Woodland Mills HM-126
Kabota B-7800 with backhoe and loader
Ford Ranger, Husqvarna 455 20", Mac 610 24", other chainsaws 14", 23 ton log splitter
Matthew 3:10

Jim_Rogers

Mostly green but that one has been cut for a while from an older log.
Jim Rogers
I warn them about letting the dry out more before working with them.
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Dana Stanley

Thanks, that's encouraging. I would like to dabble in selling wood, but don't really want to build a kiln, or wait 6 months for boards to dry.
Making Sawdust, boards and signs.
Woodland Mills HM-126
Kabota B-7800 with backhoe and loader
Ford Ranger, Husqvarna 455 20", Mac 610 24", other chainsaws 14", 23 ton log splitter
Matthew 3:10

Jim_Rogers

Today's happy customer came by with a short piece of a red oak log, and I cut it into 1" thick cookies for center pieces at a upcoming wedding. Thanks Rich.



 
Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

WV Sawmiller

  Looks good. I have an order from my florist for 20 cookies for a 5 October wedding. I told her I'd cut them just before the wedding to reduce the chance of cracking. She pointed to a 5 gallon bucket on my porch and said that was the diameter she wanted and did not care what kind of wood it was. Evidently she plans to place them down both sides of the aisle with flowers on top of them. In the past I have only seen them used at the reception on the individual tables with small flower arrangement on each and sometimes a big cookie with the wedding cake sitting on it.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Jim_Rogers

Today's happy customer came over to pick up some short pieces of pine lumber to make a Stock for a re-enactment.
thanks Jason



 

 

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Old Greenhorn

Well I delivered and set the bar that I built for the neighbors wedding. They seem very pleased. I also took down a couple of small dead trees that were ugly and a hazard to the wedding area, made a bunch of short blocks for them to stand flowers on to mark out the aisle for the ceremony, and two 'pillars' to mark the alter area, then found a white birch hanger that needed to be knocked down, I cut about 30 cookies out of that for other decorative 'stuff' or firewood ;D. The bride is tickled pink and taking back a bunch of stuff she bought at a store that doesn't look as good. :)
 All in all I worked up a good solid sweat and they are pleased. That bar is set solid enough for 3 inebriates to dance on safely. All screwed in place.



 
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

YellowHammer

We had a few happy customers today.  We got pretty busy for most of the day and at one point I snapped a photo of the cars piling up in the parking lot.  

I finally got to break for lunch about 2:30.  The fall rush of lumber sales looks like it's begun.  



  

YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

thecfarm

Looks like a Cumberland Farm parking lot. ;D
Just so others know,I have no idea if there are other stores outside of Maine,they are a chain convenience store,open 24 hours.Everything from ice coffee to gas. They just redid all the stores,bigger and better. In the small town that I go by that store,very common to see 10 cars in the parking lot.
You are doing something right. Good job. If you saw it,they will come. ;D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

YellowHammer

It's pretty amazing to us, we have folks come from all over the country to buy our wood, and yesterday even had a customer from Texas, 12 hours away, one from Atlanta, 4 hours away, one from Florida, 6 hours away, and bunch of others.  Last month, we got nominated and approved for selection into the Better Business Bureau, and have been nominated to be entered into the Best Small Business competition for next year.  We will see how that shakes out.  

It's hard to believe it started with an Alaskan Chain Saw Mill many years ago. And a lot of reading on this Forum.  
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Brad_bb

Robert, How about a video tour on a Saturday?  Have someone video to give us the experience your customers have on a busy Saturday?  Just a thought.  
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

GAB

For Mr. Milton to give you a proper experience of his operation he would need to mount the camera to his body for an entire week.  From acquiring logs, to sawing with both chainsaw and sawmill, to stacking, to air drying, to one of his kilns.  Come to think of it it may take more than a week as some kilns take more than a week after the air drying session.  Once out of the kilns the material that does not go out of house for further processing is done in house.
Further processing involves many steps and can vary from piece to piece depending on many factors.  Then some customers have requests that most times means more handling and time involvement. 
Stocking the shelves in his sales building is no easy task, but I considered it very neat and orderly.
For a small time operator he can make a lot of sawdust.

YH: again thank you for the time you afforded me and my wife and I wish you a very prosperous operation.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

Peter Drouin

Quote from: YellowHammer on September 15, 2019, 08:57:20 AM
 we got nominated and approved for selection into the Better Business Bureau, and have been nominated to be entered into the Best Small Business competition for next year.  
Good one, Hard work will always pay off.

A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

YellowHammer

@GAB I appreciate the compliments, and you are welcome back anytime, and for that matter, so is anyone else.

I'm not real good at video recording anything, seems I never get around to it, but I need to do it.  

We've had several Forumites come to visit, but the last one who showed up on a Saturday to watch the show got put to work pretty quick, put in charge of the tracksawing station, converting live edge slabs into table pieces.  It was fun for all of us, but it does get a little chaotic.  I think our record for slab sales was 22 slabs in a 7 hour period, in addition to all the other wood sold.  

This last weekend, we were averaging a sales ticket every three minutes until early afternoon, when the Alabama game came on and customers thankfully started thinking out.      
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

WDH

Quote from: YellowHammer on September 15, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
This last weekend, we were averaging a sales ticket every three minutes until early afternoon, when the Alabama game came on and customers thankfully started thinking out.      
I did not know that Alabama fans could think :) ;D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

YellowHammer

Autocorrect got me, oops, I meant "thinning" out.   :D :D

Any time there is a big SEC game on TV, there is a significant drop in customers, which is expected because the only thing that will make North Alabama stop in its tracks is a good SEC football game.

Roll Tide!  

Also been watching a little Oklahoma, Go Jalen!



YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

GAB

Quote from: YellowHammer on September 15, 2019, 10:23:12 PM
We've had several Forumites come to visit, but the last one who showed up on a Saturday to watch the show got put to work pretty quick.   
YH:  Sounds like this individual got an up close spot to watch.
GAB
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

Nebraska

I'd like to see that video,  could add a forestry forum "live" section.    popcorn_smiley

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