My slab pile is out of hand!

Tree Feller · July 28, 2012, 06:51:16 PM

Quote from: ellmoe on July 28, 2012, 03:02:05 PM
Dang, I woke up this morning feeling fine and now I'm an "old codger"! I think I'll shuffle over to my rocker, grab my shawl, and take a nap! That is, if I can find my walker to help get me over there. You young "whipper- snappers" hold down the fort while I'm dozing.....I ain't talking to you Danny! ;D
Mark

Ellmoe, it is what it is! I also remember watching the original "Have Gun Will Travel" shows. Paladin was the classic anti-hero.

Not only did I watch it but all my schoolmates watched it, too, since we only got channel 7...the abc affiliate in Tyler. Occassionally, if the weather was right we could get a fuzzy channel 11 out of Dallas. Now, that's something the whipper-snappers would not comprehend...only one TV channel. We were also on a telephone party line with about 10 other houses.

I may be a relic but I'm not ready for the rocking chair yet. ;D

Tree Feller · July 28, 2012, 06:52:58 PM

Quote from: Magicman on July 28, 2012, 05:00:58 PM
I feel more like I do now than I did when I didn't.

That's what Microsoft Excel would call a "circular reference." :D

WDH · July 28, 2012, 08:22:32 PM

I figured that the "old codger" reference would ruffle a few shawls

.

Yes, one channel. Ours was CBS. When the second channel came along, I thought I was in heaven :D. Now I have 200, and there is nothing good to watch (other than the Olympic games ;D).

POSTON WIDEHEAD · July 28, 2012, 09:45:58 PM

Quote from: WDH on July 28, 2012, 08:22:32 PM
I figured that the "old codger" reference would ruffle a few shawls .

That "DEPENDS".

hackberry jake · July 29, 2012, 06:19:09 AM

Poston, you're a character!

delvis · July 29, 2012, 11:07:37 AM

We used to throw all the slabs in two giant piles and they sat there for years. I decided it would be worth it to me at almost not cost to tie them up in large bundles and park them beside the road at $15 per. These bundles are about 36" in diameter and 8-9' long so it's a good buy for thr money. This year I went to $20 each and they still sell out faster than I can put them together.

sandhills · July 29, 2012, 01:35:17 PM

My wife and I went to a concert last weekend, Def Leopard/Poison/Lita Ford, and I thought that dated us. Now you're talking one tv channel and party lines, guess I never really knew how old I've become! Beats the alternative though

. Oh, any of you ever start a rumor just to see which neighbors were listening in? ;D

Lookin4lunkers · July 30, 2012, 11:42:47 AM

My local sawer heats his house and kiln with a large OWB. He also sells bundles to anyone wanting them, $10 you load or $20 and he'll load them for you with the tractor. Sorry I don't know the specifics on the kiln just that it works well and he built it himself. There are a lot of campsites in the area so quite a few guys buy bundles, buck up the slabs and sell little teny tiny bundles (maybe 8 pieces) for 5 bucks a piece.

Chuck White · July 30, 2012, 12:35:22 PM

It's really surprising what a little bundle of fire wood (we call it kindling) will sell for as you get close to a campground.

Around here, lots of people have "pigeon hole" bins made up, they are about 18" square and they fill them up with split slab wood and sell them for $5.00 a pop. The worse thing is people will buy them and never bat an eye!

When my wife's Aunt & Uncle need wood for their fire pit at their camp on the lake, I just park my 6X12 near the mill at the customers site (with their permission, of course) and when it gets full enough, I strap it down and take it to camp the next time we go.

At our leasure, we will buck it up and stack it!

WDH · July 30, 2012, 05:01:58 PM

Buying a pick-up truck load of hardwood slabs for $10 is a very good deal for the Buyer. However, it gets them gone and there are less places for the possums and snakes to hide. That is a good thing.

Down here, snakiness is an important factor to manage

.

Bibbyman · July 31, 2012, 03:21:27 AM

We sale our slabs for $10/PU load – customer loads. We also have a number of customers that have trailers they leave parked and we fill as we clear off the mill. We charge $10 to $20 depending on size of trailer and what we can load into it.

The season runs from fall and kicks into high gear in late fall when temperatures fall. By late winter, it dies off.

We build up some inventory during the summer months. Some customers bring their trailer over all year round but less often in the summer months.

A few years back we ran out of slabs early and couldn't make enough. But the government has helped us out with that problem. One winter we started getting people asking for receipts and we'd give them one. Come to find out the local social services office had some heating subsidy program and were reimbursing them for their firewood purchases. Next year, these customers didn't show up. The social services had switched to giving vouchers. Firewood cutters in the area would sign up for the program. When someone came in to pick up vouchers, they were given a list of firewood cutters that would cut and deliver firewood. When the delivery was made, the cutter would collect the voucher. At the end of the season, he'd turn them in for his pay. So... Instead of coming out and loading a pickup load of slabs by hand and paying $10 and then having to cut them up, they were able to just crack the door and hand the firewood cutter a voucher.

Also, last winter was very mild and the propane prices were reasonable. So people with both wood and propane heat just didn't mess with the firewood.

weisyboy · July 31, 2012, 04:47:17 AM

do you have a box of mateches? problem solved.

that is how i get rid of mine

Bibbyman · July 31, 2012, 07:01:42 AM

Way to dry for that now! Even the weeds are suffering.

WDH · July 31, 2012, 07:40:49 AM

My County is on a permanent burn ban until October.

sandhills · July 31, 2012, 12:08:33 PM

I'd be scared to light a cigarette right now.

Bibbyman · July 31, 2012, 01:22:39 PM

Our pond is real low. The farmer neighbors have 18 open heffers almost a year old on pasture here.

They ask if they could set a stock waterer up near the house and hook on to our deep well. They came over with a backhoe and dug down about five feet in one place and it was bone dry.

beenthere · July 31, 2012, 01:42:13 PM

Has the creek nearby dried up too?

weisyboy · July 31, 2012, 05:23:12 PM

i have a pit to burn in and about an acre of bare dirt arround the mill, the fire pit is in the middle.

in australia sawmills are legaly allowed to burn waste any time without a permit, even if there is a fire ban.

i also have a 4wd fire truck and fire trailer handy.

i keep my bottom flitches (some call them half backs) the round bit with 1 flat side. that are over 1.5" thick and people use them for all sorts of things.

$100/ ute load

oakiemac · July 31, 2012, 08:41:20 PM

Weisyboy, I like your quote at the bottom of your posts "god bless america god save the queen god defend new zealand and thank christ for Australia
;D

laffs · August 01, 2012, 08:12:24 PM

I sell all of mine as firewood probably 40 cord a year so far. I also put a wood boiler in my house and burn slabs in spring summer and fall, still have all the heating oil i bought last fall and dont intend to buy any for the next 3 years.