Large Eastern White Pine Project

[Stephen1]

I receive a phone call this week asking if I can help this gentlmen out in slavaging hi large EWP. Of course I can! Now how large is it , I ask. 48" across. Thats big, but ussually people tell the flared butt size. Well he didn't lie. It's almost 48" for 16' drops down to the 30" at 16. He would like it sawn into 2-3 table tops @3". A3rd of the log is to be put on the wall so he can mount his Tropheys. I als picked up the top of this log, 13' long a good 35" up to the crotch, he would like this sawn in half and mounted on either side of his fireplace. oh yeah, can I have a mantle also. He wants it all KD as it has bugs in it, as it was dropped last spring. 
I had to leave the butt log as it weighed in at 9700lbs, with the construction company who is going to float it down to a buddy who has a widened WM to 54" to saw it and I will probabilly take the crotch log and have him saw it also. 
We will cut some rounds off the bottoms to make bases, as I can only handle 13' in the kiln. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[samandothers]

That is a biggun!  I look forward to seeing the slabs you and your buddy saw from these logs.

[thecfarm]

Not the best log,but I had a bunch like that. Sold them for pallet grade and made out good. Now that grade is half that much. :(  But I had some nice looking logs too that was 4 feet across. Had to cut a "road" for the tree to fall into. Took more than a tank full of gas to limb them out too.

[Stephen1]

Nope, not  the best if you want lumber, but for what this customer wants its perfect, knarly, and will look good in his great room. 
The table tops will be beautiful.
I will get some pictures of us slabbing it. It won't be untill the New Year. I am heading south next week for some R&R in florida.

[Bruno of NH]

Let  us know how it all comes out

[Peter Drouin]

I get customers to want me to cut junk like that too. I tell them no. But, If there a pest, It's $150.00 an hr. That time starts when I start to unload the junk off the trailer.
I really don't like fooling with it.

[Magicman]

Looks like money to me.  I'll saw anything that the customer wants sawn and the hourly sawing rate is the same.  When it takes longer than normal to get it done, more $$$ in my pocket.  ;D

[richhiway]

Looks like money to me.  I'll saw anything that the customer wants sawn and the hourly sawing rate is the same.  When it takes longer than normal to get it done, more $$$ in my pocket.  ;D

How is your knee healing up?

[Magicman]

It's healing and bending quite well I think.  Kinda like da monkey said when he got his tail chopped off.....won't be very long now!

[SawyerTed]

Good to hear the knee is healing @Magicman 

I have a customer that I saw all sorts of ugly logs for.  It is just another job.  Some of it turns out beautiful. Some is junk.  All gets sawn at my regular rates.  He gets ridiculous money for what I consider rotten mantels.

[Stephen1]

I like to do these projects, and they pay me Well!
I see the crotch log sawn in half and then the chain saw carver, who has a log scratcher, cleaning all bark off,  and then taking the torch to it. It will end up looking like bark again. 
It all gets done at my hourly rate. I will also get a bunch of time in the kiln also...So a win for me. 
I like to help the customer with lots of money spend it 8) 

[Magicman]

Yup, the fact is all jobs are not pretty, perfectly staged, nor what I may or may not agree should be sawn.  When you are in the portable sawing business, and want to stay in that business you look at what the customer has, explain to the customer what has to happen to saw the logs, sign a sawing contract, and go to work.

It is very rare that I make a pre-saw visit but I do ask for pictures when available.  In 17 years of portable sawing, I do not recall not being able to saw the customer's logs.  On rare occasions I am sure that I came out not making what a good job would have paid, but I always leave a satisfied customer.  Satisfied customers are repeat customers.

[mike_belben]

I am looking for the thread of the guy who cut his woodmizer and built an alumimum insert for the tube so he could widen then head out and bolt it.   @Stephen1  mentioned his friend, this thread turned up when i searched with "widen"

[chet]

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=113481.msg1783889#msg1783889

[mike_belben]

Thats the one, thanks chet.

[trimguy]

Mikes has something up his sleeve 😁

[mike_belben]

No no not at all.  A friend of mine had a 4ft maple slabbed up by a widened woodmizer and i just wanted to see if it was the same guy but it wasnt. A clone of the same mod. 

[Stephen1]

That mill I used was just sold for 55k Canadian 3 monthes ago. It was a 1998 LT40HD widened and a new 30 horse Kohler installed. Prices are insane.