The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: DanG on March 08, 2007, 09:04:06 PM

Title: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DanG on March 08, 2007, 09:04:06 PM
Got a call from a fella today wanting me to saw up some logs for him.  "How much do you charge?"  "Well, 20¢ a board foot for most stuff," sez I.  He wanted me to come to the logs, but I told him I can't do that.  He said he didn't have a way to transport them, so I asked him where, and he told me and I said well shucks I gotta go to the drug store right up the street so I'll stop by and take a look.  This here is what I found:

This big ol' sinker(deadhead) log, species unknown.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10074/sinkers04.jpg)

That puppy is 17 feet long and 28 inches on the small end.  It is some kind of hardwood, maybe red oak or sweetgum, or could be poplar.  There appears to still be some fragments of bark on it.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10074/sinkers03.jpg)


He also has this sinker that I think is pine.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10074/sinkers05.jpg)


And this big fat cypress.  This one is fresh, and is about 30"x12'.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10074/sinkers06.jpg)


He said he has a couple more sinker logs at a buddy's place, and his buddy is supposed to bring them next week.  We're talking about loading all of them on his buddy's trailer with my winch and sawing the whole bunch up.  We're gonna take a couple of cookies from each end of the big log for table tops before we transport them.  That oughta tell us what we got there. ;D

I wish I'da knowed what he had before I told him 20 cents! :-\
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: metalspinner on March 08, 2007, 09:28:42 PM
Can't wait to see what's in them log's! smiley_roller

Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: oakiemac on March 08, 2007, 10:04:21 PM
I love sawing them big boys. 8)
I got a 40" soft maple log-snow white to saw up next week. I'm so excited that I can hardly wait.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: Bibbyman on March 08, 2007, 10:09:33 PM
I'm happy for you....   8)  And even happier that I don't have them to saw!   :D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DR Buck on March 08, 2007, 10:19:42 PM
Quote"Well, 20¢ a board foot for most stuff," sez I.

Dang!   :o   For that price, I could charge my customers my regular rate, hire DanG to saw it at his price, pocket the difference, making a profit and never have to do a thing.      ;D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DanG on March 08, 2007, 10:25:34 PM
At the rate I saw, we could both starve together! :D :D :D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: WDH on March 08, 2007, 11:04:10 PM
That first log sure looks like sycamore, DanG.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: woodbowl on March 08, 2007, 11:13:51 PM
I'm thinking about going up on my prices DanG. I've been at .20 for about 6 years now. Times have changed and I'm feeling the pinch again.  :-\

I can't tell what kind of log that big one is. It sort of reminds me of a black gum I sawed  one time.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: WDH on March 08, 2007, 11:16:32 PM
If it ain't sycamore, DanG, I will buy you supper 8).
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: brdmkr on March 08, 2007, 11:21:32 PM
DanG,

Give me yell if you need some help.  I'd like to see what's on the inside first-hand.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: woodbowl on March 08, 2007, 11:37:44 PM
DanG,

Give me yell if you need some help.  I'd like to be there if WDH is buying supper.  ::)
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: customsawyer on March 09, 2007, 04:54:35 AM
Count me in. ;D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: SwampDonkey on March 09, 2007, 06:08:49 AM
Looks like some good drift wood Dang. ;D But, seriously ain't had no experience with deadheads before, cept'n maybe the odd empty head. ;)

Sure looks like your gonna come out just about broke. That's the way I'm told some like to live.  ;) :D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DWM II on March 09, 2007, 06:24:49 AM
I aint sawed any sinkers, what is the difference, and why would you like to charge more? And yeah your right it is an interesting job and I cant wait t wee some boards. ;D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DanG on March 09, 2007, 07:30:11 AM
Yall come on over!  Of course, if it turns out to be a sycamore, WDH prolly won't spring for supper.  In that case, you're on yer own! :D :D :D

Woodbowl, you interested in doing these?  The guy really would like to have wider boards than I can make.   I could transport them to my place, since there ain't room to set up where they're sitting now.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: Cedarman on March 09, 2007, 07:54:41 AM
DanG, don't be afraid to change your price.  Remember, you said most of the time. Well, this is one of those times.  Time to crawfish.  Have that honest talk with the log owner.  Tell him the facts as you see them.  You will be a whole lot happier.  Let your customer know that this ain't the normal situation for custom sawing.  Take a box of donuts and have that chat.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: woodbowl on March 09, 2007, 08:38:57 AM
QuoteWoodbowl, you interested in doing these?  The guy really would like to have wider boards than I can make.   I could transport them to my place

The low pay makes me shy away from that job DanG. Times have changed for me these days. It's now a matter of economics. The only way I would be able to do it is,  if we get an early start and still have enough time left to run over to the river and catch a mess of catfish.  ::)
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DanG on March 09, 2007, 09:33:19 AM
If you do the sawing, it's your job and you can set the price.  I'll get my little chip from the transport.  That won't be cheap, as they are sandwiched in between a house and a deep ravine....no room to work.  I can milk that cow for the better part of a day. :D :D

The really good news is, they are located on River Landing Road, 'bout a half mile from the river. ;D

The way this fellow came by the logs is sorta interestin'.  They were apparently dislodged by an upstream flood and floated down either the Flint or Chattahoochee River, then came over the dam at Lake Seminole.  They washed ashore at the City Park at Chattahoochee and the city folks were gonna take'em to the dump. ::)  They were happy to offload them at this guy's house.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: WDH on March 09, 2007, 12:44:52 PM
Yep, it will turn out to by sycamore and I won't have to buy supper.  Heck, I will buy supper anyway ;D.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: crtreedude on March 09, 2007, 04:41:16 PM
You know DanG - ole Harold is back in Florida for a bit - Since he IS Florida Dead Header, he should be drafted into helping doncha think?  8)
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on March 09, 2007, 05:45:21 PM
 Just so's y'all know, consider them logs stolen from the State. Without a permit, there is NO legal way for ANYONE to give them away, OR have them in their possession.

  We were informed of this when we first started applying for log recovery, in 2001.

  Besides, hard to be sure from here, but, that 1st one sure looks like a Palm log, from where I'm settin.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: tcsmpsi on March 09, 2007, 06:01:45 PM
Well, that's odd.  That was the first thing crossed my mind when I saw it.  But, I don't know enough  to know such things. 

I did get hit in the head with a coconut once, though.

                                                          :D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: Robert Long on March 09, 2007, 06:30:43 PM
tcsmpsi

Yeup, It sure looks like palm....at least it looks like the palm we grow up here! :D :D :D

Robert (in Canada)

;D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: tcsmpsi on March 09, 2007, 07:07:01 PM
I was actually trying to remember where that might have come from, of course the coconut on the head gave me a focal point, but a fuzzy one.   :D

In Houston, there are a lot of palms in some neighborhoods, and many different types/stages of living/decomposition.  And, I spent quite a bit of time in these neighborhoods, once upon a time.

And, in Phoenix.

But then, after sitting in water/minerals for umpteen parsecs, who knows, it might would even make me good looking.

                                                         :D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: customsawyer on March 10, 2007, 04:57:51 AM
I was just reading the title to this thread and got to thinking that any job Dang did would be interesting. :D :D :D

(Sorry Pop I couldn't help myself.) ;D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DanG on March 10, 2007, 12:08:28 PM
Jis' what are you trying to incinerate there, Whippersnapper? ???  I guess you think it's innerstin that I'm actually thinkin' about doing a job at all? :D :D :D

FDH, these logs were floaters that washed ashore at a public park.  They were removed by the Goobermint as a potential hazard to navigation, and were enroute to the county dump in a City trash truck.  DNR shouldn't have much griping room there, I would think.

I thought about Palm, too.  We whittled on it with a pocket knife in a couple of places and found hard, dense, dark wood, resembling Walnut. Would Palm be that way?  If it is, would it be worth sawing?  I'm supposed to go up there and cut a couple of cookies from it for table tops, so I guess we'll find out then, eh?
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: woodbowl on March 10, 2007, 01:36:51 PM
QuoteWe whittled on it with a pocket knife in a couple of places and found hard, dense, dark wood, resembling Walnut.

It's starting to sound like aged black gum now.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on March 10, 2007, 05:11:26 PM

I fully understand the situation, DanG. DEP still wants ownership of ALL logs found in water in Fl.  ::) ::)  You KNOW I'm all for sawin them up, just thought a word to watch yer back might be in order ??

  I'm not at all familiar with Black Gum. It's just that the outer ring, of sapwood or whatever, looks like several Palms we thought were Dandy logs when we spotted 'em. That stuff growin on the outside is consistant with submerged Palms, also. That heart check looks identical to the Palms we found.  Could it be a Bald Cypress ?? They have lousy Sapwood, and are dark inside ??  That outer ring looks very suspicious.  ::) ::)

  TAKE yer Camera, and USE IT  ::) ;D :D :D
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: metalspinner on March 10, 2007, 05:19:38 PM
Does the responsibilities of any legal ramifications fall on the owner of the log?  I wouldn't think DanG has any resposibility there.  he is just milling someone's wood.  For all he knows, that tree was cut from someone's yard.  It's not like there is a paper trail to follow.
Title: Re: Interesting job coming up.
Post by: DanG on March 10, 2007, 10:07:11 PM
Well, these weren't found in the water.  They had floated ashore in a City park during a flood.  The City removed them from their park to prevent them from causing problems in future floods.  I may saw them up, or I may help the guy find somebody with more suitable equipment.  The one thing I ain't gonna do is worry about it.  The State of Florida also lays claim to all oyster shells and other seashells. ::)  Looks to me like DEP and DNR have way too much money in their budgets.