Demonstration for Arborists

[Tom the Sawyer]

Yesterday I gave a couple of demonstrations of my TK B-20 bandsaw mill for those attending the Kansas Arborists Association Field Day.  The event was held in a city park - the city where I used to work as a police officer and where I have milled for the city.  One of the parks guys told me about the event and I signed up as a vendor.  Attendance was 255 arborists, both for private companies and for municipalities.  Afternoon heat index was just over 100°.

All of the vendors were introduced just before lunch and I had a chance to tell the group how milling offered an alternative to mulch, firewood, or the landfill.  Especially for their clients who had lost a special, or sentimental tree.

I made a number of contacts during the demonstrations and learned that not every piece of wood gets chipped, split or dumped.  There were several who told me that they had saved nice logs in their equipment yards.  Some had piles of logs of various species and didn't know what to do with them.

A couple of them said that they had sawmills, either bandsaws or swing mills.  One told me he bought a Lucas mill - the largest one- last winter and it had never had fuel in it.  Just sitting there unused.  I am going to visit his facility, he says he has more than 50 logs -perhaps we can work something out.  Of those who said they had mills and weren't using them, a common excuse was that tree work pays much better than sawing.  From what I have seen around here, that is probably true.
 

  

 
 

 

[thecfarm]

Your name should of been larger than TK.    Buy a sawmill and not use it.    Oh the horrors upon horrors.   

[Ianab]

Of those who said they had mills and weren't using them, a common excuse was that tree work pays much better than sawing.  From what I have seen around here, that is probably true.

Sounds like a business opportunity to me 

If they can earn $120 / hr swinging in a tree, they should be able to pay you $60 for standing on solid ground and running a sawmill 

[dboyt]

Tom, looks like you had a good day.  Glad you had shade and, I hope, plenty of water.  There was probably more talking than milling, but that can be a good thing, too.  How much metal did you hit?  I can understand the sentiment about making more money from the tree service, but there is still an opportunity to work with local sawyers and save the cost of chipping or dumping.  And you're exactly right about the sentimental value of the trees.  Having the ability to mill those trees can be a big selling point for the service.  Sounds like a day well spent.

Thanks for helping to get the word out.  I look forward to meeting with you again!

[Tom the Sawyer]

I had shade because I took it with me.  I can't do the 100+ heat index days while working in the sun.   
The popup really helps.  I also have a Ryobi compact fan that'll run all day on an 18v battery - strapped to the console.  Lots of liquids - alternate bottles of water with an electrolyte replacement like Propel.  I prefer milling at home in this weather.  There I'm under cover with a big fan and support equipment.

Didn't hit any metal during the demo and doesn't appear to be any in the other logs.  I only milled one log during the demos.  It was a very nice walnut and those boards were handled, or petted, a lot.  When a group came up I would mill a couple of boards, stop and answer questions while my wife passed out brochures and cards.  Take a little break then another group, a few more boards and more questions.  This fall I'll be milling up the city's current stock of logs at their facility.

I've watched those tree services take trees down and they are welcome to the money for the work they do.  You won't ever see me in rigging, up a tree or feeding a chipper.  After a homeowner pays them $1000-1500 for taking down the tree, a couple of hundred to me for converting that big ol' log into beautiful lumber seems like a great deal. 

[m wood]

Tom, I like your way of thinking.    

[Stephen1]

A very nice looking set up and truck.
I am getting more calls for urban sawing sawing now, as everyone realizes what is being put in landfills. Slowly the cities are starting to see the costs and what is filling their landfill sites.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Urban milling is certainly a niche market.  If you need volume to be successful urban milling may not work for you.  Many of my 'urban' jobs are small - from 1-5 logs, things like storm damaged trees or those removed due to disease or construction. 

I have what, for me, is a large urban job coming up.  Right in the middle of KCMO, 20 logs totaling around 2000 board feet.  A more typical job is scheduled for tomorrow, inner-city, narrow drive and lot but three gorgeous walnut logs from a single tree.  No sign of metal, 20-23" diameter, probably veneer quality logs, straight and round with no branches.

If you extend the definition of 'urban' out to "within the city limits" then it probably covers about 35% of my jobs, but a much smaller percentage of my volume.  A significant bonus is when you get municipalities involved.  So far, I've had 5 municipalities salvage logs for milling and others are considering it.  Not only do they have a continuous source of logs, people in their communities take notice, appreciate the conservation of resources, and may even call when they have a log.

Spread the meme (new word, 'meem') of optimizing our urban forests.   

[Stephen1]

Hi Tom, How are you involving the municipalities, at the works level, or are you at the council level. What are saying to start the ball rolling
The latest WM magazine talks about urban wood as coming from a community that has a population of over 2500 people.
The most interesting fact from the article is that in the 2001 the US forestry service figured that 3.8 billion bd. ft. of potential lumber ended in landfill or chipped.
That is a lot of lumber.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Stephen1,

I haven't tried the council approach, as of yet.  Council members tend to deal with constituents and staff members and I have worked with homeowners and city staff.  My first one was the city where I worked as a police officer.  For many years, they knew me as the guy looking for logs (I was hiring portable sawmills for 25 years before I bought mine).  After I retired and bought my mill I promoted it to people in the parks department.  They salvaged some walnut and red oak logs from different projects and decided to see how custom milling could benefit other city projects - it did.  This is the same city that hosted the arborists field day.

Most of the others came through contacts with the Kansas Forest Service.  Municipal employees responsible for trees (public works, parks, foresters, etc.) would contact the KFS about a need and, in some cases, I was referred to them.  I did send a brochure and business card, along with a cover letter promoting urban lumber to the foresters of the various cities around me.  I also have displays of brochures and cards in the local extension offices.  Those people are frequently in contact with landowners and urban milling is another resource in their toolbox.

I do a lot of networking by attending events that might be related to milling.  Things like Walnut Council meetings, forestry field days, webinars, demonstrations, etc.  It is important to make those first contacts work.  Yeah, you might get offered something that doesn't really appeal to you, something you may feel is a waste of time, but if you want to promote the idea of urban lumber you have to show that it can be done.  Many times inspiration is thwarted by apathy.

A meme is an idea or practice that spreads through a culture by exposure and awareness.  A primary source of work for services such as mine are woodworkers.  I may mill on-site for someone in a residential neighborhood or along a roadway and people notice.  A few may be woodworkers, some are just curious (nosy?) and pause to take a look.  Most of them will never have a log milled - but the experience sticks in their minds. 

Years later a friend or relative has a tree down and, ding, that memory pops up and they say, "there's this guy..."  Then they have to be able to find you - that's why it is important to have an easy to remember name, a website, a presence in the community.  When they see a tree service taking out a tree, or see a storm-damaged tree laying in someone's yard, they'll think lumber - not landfill.  Or furniture - not firewood.
The idea of salvaging lumber from those urban trees will spread. 

Due to my website and Facebook page, I'll get calls a couple of times per month from people hoping to salvage their trees.  Many times they don't live anywhere near me but they haven't been able to find someone close to them.  If I can find a sawyer for them, the idea will spread and we will all benefit (there is some truth to the old saying that a rising tide lifts all ships).  

 

[Ron Scott]

Rare Earth Hardwoods, a specialty wood manufacturer www.rare-earth-hardwoods.com and www.bigwoodslabs.com salvaged this large maple tree from the neighbors back yard after a Tree Service Company took it down. The neighbor lucked out here and didn't have to deal with the large log sections that Rare Earth Hardwoods will now remove and mill into specialty products for sale.

  

  

  
(Some more pictures to follow)

[Ron Scott]

 

  

  

  

 

[Stephen1]

That is a logging arch!

[Ron Scott]

Yes, very heavy duty. Great to see this old maple tree put to some great custom wood products. Also a lot of firewood which the landowner's son will utilize in an outdoor wood burner.

  

  

  

  

  

 

[thecfarm]

There,got some tires under that thing!!

[5quarter]

That arch looks like something Ironwood would build...