Short logs better than long ones??

[SawyerBrown]

Didn't see this one coming ...

Just heard back and got pix from a job coming up on Saturday, guy has (had) one nice 32"-ish hard maple log, as well as some smaller ones that will yield some nice lumber but not like the big one.  There apparently was one big limb coming off an end that I earlier told him he needed to trim down to at least a 32" diameter ... but for some reason, he also decided to cut it in half.  The only reason I can think of is he had to move it from a church to his house for sawing ...  So now he's got 2 logs, judging from the pix they're about 4' long, and I have to explain that short logs are very difficult to deal with, and in fact I charge for an 8' minimum as a result.   

When I get calls, I try to give the best advice I know on how to get the most good lumber out of logs, and many times we'll talk about end-use and minimum lengths and locations of knots/bends/defects and such, but in this case I knew the logs were already on the ground and none too long to begin with, so I didn't even think about telling the guy not to cut the best log in half ...  I guess I need to add that to every conversation in the future.  I feel bad for him ...

[Magicman]

I sawed one ~18" long a couple of weeks ago.  Since I was already sawing "hourly rate", it just went in with the rest.

When I am sawing bf rate, anything less than 8' is scaled 8'.  Sometimes we deal with some strange stuff.   :

[WDH]

I hate the the little short ones.  Especially the little short pecan ones. 

[beenthere]

and in fact I charge for an 8' minimum as a result. 

That fact in your check sheet that you give to your customers should handle the problem. At least it won't be a surprise to him. 

I try to give the best advice I know on how to get the most good lumber out of logs, and many times we'll talk about end-use and minimum lengths and locations of knots/bends/defects and such,

Be careful not to try to cover all the bases in a phone conversation, as the customers eyes may glaze over and he may not remember a thing.
A fact sheet would help you keep conversations short and help you not having to remember every little, but important, detail.