Saw Mill Visit to the flea market

WV Sawmiller · April 14, 2025, 11:11:38 AM

Oops- I forgot my camera so no pictures.

I got up yesterday, hooked up the mill and drove 19 miles over to our big local flea market and set up in the little niche on the side of the road through the market. I took Sampson, my little Rat Terrier, and we first perused the market, bought a big chocolate brownie and some no-bake cookies from the Chocolate Lady, visited with several old friends and bought a 5' X 1/4" chain with a hook on one end for $1.

The rest of the day I sat on the tailgate and talked with people walking by and handed out business cards. It was about 30 degrees when I got there but warmed up to mid 60's before I left. The cool weather kept a lot of people at bay and there was not a big crowd. Sampson also spent most of the day sleeping on my truck seat as it was warmer and more comfortable in there for him.

I have lots of customers at and from that flea market and never know what the results will be. It may be months or even years before yesterday's visit pays off. I had one guy said he'd been telling others about me but did not remember my name so I gave him a dozen or so cards. Several other mill owners came by to talk and compare features and techniques. That is always interesting and I pick up good advice at times.

I like to take the mill out as it is very eye-catching and gets people interested and talking and thinking.

I also leave business cards and sometimes half sheet hand printed flyers at local community store bulletin boards and such. One must-have place to leave cards is every local small engine sales and repair shop as people come in there to buy or repair their chains saws and when they see the card or flyer they realize they may be able to salvage some lumber from trees that fall or have to be removed. Feed stores and such are another hot spot for such advertising.

doc henderson · April 14, 2025, 11:18:41 AM

sounds like Samson kinda runs the show. He should meet Chip sometime.

WV Sawmiller · April 14, 2025, 12:15:26 PM

Doc,

I will check his busy social calendar and see when he is available.

doc henderson · April 14, 2025, 02:03:52 PM

any more work to your shed complex? are the sleepers and the floor doing OK?

WV Sawmiller · April 14, 2025, 04:28:45 PM

Doc,

Thanks for helping keep us on track here

.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=121129.150

I just checked the thread about my vertical storage in my shed build project above and it looks like I finished that on Valentines Day last year.

All 4 bays have floors and they seem to be working well attached as a floating floor nailed to the 2" live edge Locust sleepers under a sheet of plastic on top of a bed of gravel. All rough construction but I am well pleased with the results and the improved amount of storage and much, much easier access to the individual slabs/boards and items stored there.

If your underlying question is do I need more storage space - the answer is yes.

doc henderson · April 14, 2025, 05:29:27 PM

As usual but not always apparent, I am impressed.

WV Sawmiller · April 14, 2025, 06:19:25 PM

Now we just need to shift over and start talking about food.

doc henderson · April 14, 2025, 06:24:57 PM

Howard, I bet when you retire, you will take all the siding and framing from your barn/shed and go to a sale and sell it all and not waste anything. You will tell everyone the nail/screw holes are character marks. ffcheesy

steak!

aigheadish · April 15, 2025, 07:06:21 AM

I assume the mill is just a showpiece and that you don't fire it up while there? I think that'd be cool but the show organizers may find it a bit noisy.

WV Sawmiller · April 15, 2025, 08:45:25 AM

This is a weekly flea market that is open every Sunday from March through the end of October. They basically just rent spaces to the vendors. Many are regulars and come almost every week while other like me come once in a while or are folks just cleaning out their garages or such. As long as what the customer is doing is not unsafe or a problem for other vendors or customers the owner is very tolerant of what the vendors do there. Test firing weapons for sale would not be allowed but cranking a mower, chainsaw or weedeater you brought to sell is expected.

The market layout has all of the spots on the right side of the entrance road except for one little nook on the left that is about 125' long and from about 20-40 feet wide. They don't even use that side except when there is a very full house or for specialty needs like when the chainsaw carvers come to town or somebody like me needs it. It was roped off Sunday and the owner told me to just take the rope down and set up in there.

I have set up there with logs and actually sawed them as a demo to show the attendees how the mill works. The last time I did that a customer wanted my last log sawed into 1X6's and he bought all the boards. He backed his truck in and we loaded them right on as I sawed them. There were no other venders close enough to be bothered by the noise or sawdust. Many, if not most, of the vendors there know me and I consider them my friends. The spot I set up once had 2 big hickory logs I sawed right there for the flea market owner so he is one of my customers too. He has sent me business many times and the same is true with the other vendors and we help each other when we can.

In this case I did not crank the mill but I would have if anyone had asked. I prefer to actually saw logs to show but the logistics kills me as it is 19 miles away and I have to make a trip over with a trailer and several logs, leave them and go home then come back with the mill and saw the logs, return the mill to my home and come back and get the lumber. The owner had told me before to just throw the sawdust and such out in the weeds but I made sure to remove the slabs and such. In some cases, if I am lucky, someone will want and take the slabs for firewood, bonfire or kindling. So I am looking at a minimum of 3 trips. I have offered others free sawing if they want to bring a log or two but no luck yet.

I once set up and did a demo at another flea market and sawed some logs my son brought over for his use and it was a windy day and the noise and especially the sawdust caused a problem and I had to delay most sawing till the end of the day when the other nearby vendors packed up to go.

An actual sawing demo is the best advertising if you can saw then stop and talk and answer questions and such. Even better if I can bring some items to sell that I have made to get people thinking about uses for their lumber. Maybe I will even build a bench or two while the people watch.. Just showing off the mill is the next best.

doc henderson · April 15, 2025, 02:21:02 PM

How does Samson feel about going to a place that sells fleas?

NewYankeeSawmill · April 16, 2025, 06:25:23 AM

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on April 14, 2025, 11:11:38 AMI got up yesterday, hooked up the mill and drove 19 miles over to our big local flea market and set up in the little niche on the side of the road through the market....

I really need to get off my duff and do this. Maybe stick a small cant in the bed of the pickup? Lotsa farmer's markets in gravel lots around these parts.

WV Sawmiller · April 16, 2025, 10:21:46 AM

Quote from: doc henderson on April 15, 2025, 02:21:02 PMHow does Samson feel about going to a place that sells fleas?

Doc,

You really need to get better ventilation as I think you are spending too much time in enclosed spaces with the leaky Happy Gas containers.

Actually the highlight of Sampson's week is the flea market. He has a calendar and checks off the days and knows when it is time to go back. He loves to ride over and back and go investigate the different smells and maybe con some kid out of a treat to eat. He has several doggy buddies there he likes to visit and socialize with.