price per square ft.

[Radar67]

I've done business with Frank. He has some fine lumber and good people working there. I met Doc (his led salesman and sawyer) at the Perkinston, MS WM Anniversary show.

As Frank Lad mentioned, he has some good prices too.

[ljmathias]

So not to be too commercial about it, but just what are "good prices" right now for cypress timbers?  Either of you (Radar or Frank) got an educated guess?  Thanks- just trying to figure out future directions on what to use in TF for houses- my own SYP, or purchased logs of red oak or cypress.

Lj

[pineywoods]

LJ, I sure hate you had to miss the gathering at my place. The other mill we visited, cuts mostly cypress, a lot of it beams.  There's another mill right down the road that does the same thing. Arlcon could fix you up with just about anything you need. Also I wanted to pick your brain about timberframing. My son has in the planning stage a timberframe hunting lodge   to be located just off the natchez trace near kosiuscko. Naturally, dad(me) is cutting all the timbers, likely syp. Son is a mechanical engineer plus has access to some wild talent where he works. Should be an interesting project.

[FrankLad]

I met Doc (his led salesman and sawyer) at the Perkinston, MS WM Anniversary show.

Doc is quite a character.  The first time I met him, I said "yes sir" or something (Way I was raised - I'm 26 and still insist on saying "Mr" and "yes sir" to anyone older than me. )  Anyhow, he replied " 'Sir' was my dad.  I'm just Doc." 

As far as prices, 6x6 to 8x8 are 1.00/BDFT... 10x10 are 1.10/BDFT... and 12x12 are 1.20 /BDFT.
A common size in our frame would be an 8x8x10, which ran 53.33.

I call them "good prices" based on two other quotes I got.   One was from a company called Cajun Cypress.  Their price was close to double Frank's prices.  The second quote was somewhere closer to Frank's, but still higher.  He was more local but he couldn't guarantee that I get the timbers in the timeframe I required.  So in the end it was Frank's Sawmill and we're very happy with everything we got from them.  Anyone interested in a complete price list, let me know via PM or email.

[ljmathias]

Thanks, Frank- exactly what I needed to give me a better picture of price and availability.

Pineywoods- I sure hated to miss it too.  Sounds like you all had a great time and learned a lot.  Did get a major amount of work done on my "big barn:" not a timberframe but will allow me to do the work in a little more comfort plus provide needed shelter for all my livestock (couple of old tractors, a newer tractor with FEL and backhoe, an almost new LT40 that I desperately need to get in out of the weather, plus a bunch of wood working and timberframing tools sitting open under my pole barn shed... not a good place to keep tools but I needed to free up space for my son and his wife to live for a short transition move from Maryland back home to Mississippi and guess what?  My tools were the first to go somewhere else in exchange for a bedroom).

As far as timberframing goes, I'm still in the "learning by doing" stage- read a lot of books, bought the recommended tools and am trying to develop some skill in making various types of joints.  Like anything worth learning, it takes time and lots and lots of practice.

I'm thinking of addressing my own needs by attending a school but time investment is holding me up- a solid week is more than I can spare what with a full time job and part-time sawing, timberframing and just building.  Maybe we could get someone to come down in the spring (after I finish up the big barn so we have some place to work) and give us a couple day intro to timberframing?  I'd be willing to pay a good chunk of the expenses and other costs for a teacher/leader if anybody down here might be interested in attending?  I was thinking a long weekend- maybe get people here on Th evening for organization or early Friday morning with jump-in-and-get-started, then all day Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday.  We've got a couple extra rooms maybe (haven't asked the wife about that yet- she's final arbiter on such). Thoughts?

Anyone else interested in such an opportunity?

Lj

[Jim_Rogers]

I sent you a private message about your idea....

[DWM II]

LJ and Jim, I am very interested in a weekend of instruction and would be willing to help share expenses for an instructor. I was looking into Grandoaks but time is an issue, if I could use that money to do something close to home it would be very good for me. I work 4-10's so the schedule sounds like a winner as well. It also sounds like a good chance for a Southern chapter meeting (I missed the first one  :-\) and there was a few folks interested in a framing get together.

Donnie

[pineywoods]

LJ, I'm interested but with some reservations. Mostly depends on how the wife is doing at the time and that's not very predictable. Makes it difficult to plan much long range. We wouldn't need accomodations, have a motor home that's completely self contained. Most likely my son would be interested he lives in Brandon, fairly close. He's already told me he has no reservations what-so-ever about using more modern methods and techniques where there might be an advantage in doing so. Like his old man, he tends to think outside the box at times.
Like Donnie said, if nothing else, it's a good excuse for another southern chapter get-togather.