The Forestry Forum

Tom and I went to the Expo in Moultrie, Ga today. Only problem wuz, we didn't find each other. Now, you wouldn't think that Tom is all that hard to pick out of a crowd, but, I'm here to tell you that there wuz an evermore WHACK of folks up there. The place covers literally hundreds of acres, and people were as thick as fleas on a stray dog.
Highlights included a fine array of sawmills in action. Of course Woodmizer presented their impressive line of mills and very competent team of reps. Others on hand included, Baker, Hud-Son, Kasko, Schmid, Lucas, and Southern Saws. I watched the Lucas whittling away at a large oak log, and making some pretty boards. It looked a bit slow, and labor-intensive, but definitely has a place in the industry.  I enjoyed chatting with Mr. Pickle, the owner of Southern Saws. I mentioned him on this Forum, last year, and I was pleased to see him doing well and making great progress in the development of his machines. He was displaying a fully hydraulic bandmill, with the operator's station at the end. While not as slick and polished as some of the big names, it looked strong and efficient, and the price was excellent. He is obviously proud of his accomplishments, and rightly so!
Another highlight was the chance to see the Logosol planer-moulder in action. In short, I was impressed. I don't know a whole lot about planers, but, at under 10 grand, and with a 2 year warranty, the only way to not make money with it is to be too DanG lazy to run it.
I've been looking all over the area for a cant hook, and have been unable to find one, except for one with no handle. I bought a cant hook made by Peavy, of Maine, for 49 bucks, as well as a handle for the other one. I tried out the new one on logs from 8" to 24", and it works well with all of them.
It was a great day, but I'm still disappointed at not seeing Tom. :'(

WHAT??  Did you where your hats?  Did you post pictures on milk cartons??  You are both in the same DanG state. MEET HALF WAY SOMEWHERE! :D

I have heard the Toms get a bit scarce as this time of year continues.  Sd the third Thursday of November gets closer they get even more difficult to locate. ;D ;D ;D ;D 8) 8)

Yep, we wore the hats. Do you have any idea how many Camo hats there are at a farm show of that size? Musta been a hunnerd thousand of'em, at least.
I've already komoonikated with Tom about meeting up in a less populated locale. :)

I just do not see how you could miss Tom he's 6 feet tall 240 with a smile a mile wide.

OH COME ON GUYS !!!

Ya both wore cameo caps and wonder why you couldn't see each other???

Noble

Good thought, Noble. Mebbe that wuz the problem. ::)

Woodman, I wuz thankin' the same thang. I kepp lookin' for this big jolly character with a green face.   You just can't believe how many big guys with white beards there are in a S. Ga. crowd of that size. I could hardly check out the show, fur scanning the crowd.

G'day DanG,

Geez, I hope Toms ok.  Last I heard he was sitting in front of his computer, with a tube of Vegemite in one hand, and a box of saltines in the other!  :o ;D  He mentioned going to the ag show the next day, and now hes not posted for 3 days........???
Cheers
Charlie.

I noticed the other day that Tom is on top with number of postings.  

Maybe he's giving Jeff a chance to catch up?(https://forestryforum.com/smile/newbluesweatdrop.gif)

 I had one of those camo hats once, put it in the closet... never saw it again. :'(

Dan i hop you di'nt stare to long some may get the wrong idea

Moultrie was fun!  I missed DanG, as you have read, it was disappointing but we are to meet another day.

Wednesday was cool and windy.  I walked until my legs would carry me no more.  My feet still hurt.

The sawmill exhibits were the same as they always are.  There was a shaving mill and chippers, planer, bandmills, circle mill and chainsaw mills.

There were tractors everywhere.  Tractors that I've never seen before from places from where I've never known.  

There were race cars, dragsters, combines, plows, box blades, cultivators, wood burning furnaces and all manner of agricultural equipment.

The dog trials ran all day and the cows became obnoxious as the day grew old and would charge the dogs. I think the dogs enjoyed it even more.

It was cool enough that I was able to wear my Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club jacket.  I seldom get the opportunity to put it on.  Much to my chagrine nobody acknowledged it. :D

Here are some pictures of the Husqvarna site and their carving. Also a picture of a safety vest that was cut with a saw and the saw that cut it.  It shows how the material works as it jams the saw.

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Here is a picture of the Meadows portable circle mill.  It costs about 31 thousand, without blade or power.  The salesman said it takes about a half of a day to set up.Once you got it going, I'll bet it would put some lumber on the ground.

That white thing sittin on top is a grist mill.
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Jonsenred had a neat little track vehicle to move logs.

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And they showed off their bandsaw mill too.

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The Oscar 36 and a big poplar board.  

Nice pics, Tom. Looks like you really enjoyed the show. Wish I could have been there.

  Got the river assessment survey done with the govt. boys and should have our new permit in a couple of weeks. Can't wait. Going to do some drift diving next week and mark where some good logs are laying. Only saw about 25 gators on the trip. None bigger than 8-9 feet. ::) ;D  Harold

Hey Harold! Be sure to take some pictures. What you are doing really interests me and everyone else I'm sure. I'd love to see some photos as you work.

Here's a couple that I may have already posted. We get Virgin Heartpine and Virgin Heart Cypress (Bald)???
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This was our 1st log we got in the St. John's River

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This is my partner from Ga.    Harold

Harold,

Do you use a Kelvar wet suit to plug up those crocagator's teeth?

Seriously,  how much of a problem are they?  I suppose you have cottonmouths too.  You probably have a different idea of a widow-maker now.

Noble

NAAHHH. Gators won't hurtcha :D Could always start me a "Dundee Hat":D

  Don't know about Cottonmouth's. Never had one try to get close. Chased one out of a log pile in 10 feet of water and didn't even know it till I surfaced. :D Hear tell they are bad to lay on bushes over the water and gitcha when ya brush against them??

   Maybe Tom or DanG or some other Fla. native could enlighten us? No horror stories--only the true stuff, please. ::)

I used to have a friend when I was in my early teens that ran a fish camp on the North Fork of the st. Lucie River.  It was a primitive florida river that would remind you of Tarzan movies.

He rented a boat to a tourist fisherman one day.  At the end of the day the fisherman didn't return.  Mr. Pruitt got a boat and went looking for him as he had done many times in the past.

Mr. Pruitt found the tourist sitting in the submerged boat which was still tied to the overhanging limbs at the side of the river.  He was waist deep and frightened beyond belief.

A Cotton Mouth had dropped into his boat as he was fishing under the trees and in his panic, he emptied his 38 at it as it lay in the bottom of the boat.  the boats then were wood and would not generally go to the bottom but float gunwale deep.  The bow remained tied to the tree and the tourist just waited for help.  Florida was full of vermin and he didn't know what else to do. :D

In a past post describing Raft trips, is a picture of the river in those days.

Ok, I got a story for ya.  Once upon a t......er..Now, this is no sh....Well, I was canoeing down on of our pristine rivers, the Wakulla, with this ol' gal I was runnin' with at the time. We'd been havin' a good time, watching the fish and birds, and spooking the occasional 'gator. As we approached a sharp bend in the river, we heard a couple of heavy gunshots, real close by. When we got further into the bend, we saw a little 15 or 16 foot bass boat, up under the overhanging branches at the edge of the stream. In the boat, were two women, and a man.  The man was standing in the middle of the boat, with a dumb  look on his face, and a smokin' .44 in his hand. The women were bailing and bitching, about as hard as a couple of redneck gals can go. Seems a Cottonmouth had dropped off of a limb into the boat, and the ol' boy jest couldn't help hisself. :o :o :o :D :D :D

Tom, it looks like we had about the same snake story on hand, at the same time. I promise that mine is absolutely true, and is not all that uncommon, around here. Moccasins are notorious for dropping into the boats of unwary fishermen when they go into the bushes to retrieve a tangled lure, or just let themselves drift into a cumbersome spot.
Speakin' of the "Tarzan" movies, several of them, starring Johnny Weismuller, were filmed at Wakulla Springs, and along the Wakulla River, just south of Tallahassee. One of the camera towers, about 40 feet tall, is still in use at the spring, as a diving platform.  I've jumped off it a few times, but that was back when I was more stoopid than I am now(and a lot younger, too).

Thanks, guys. At least the pontoon barge has flat tops. That way, I can boot 'em off. We aren't allowed??? to get near the banks. MIGHT damage something and lose our permit. If a log has washed up on the edge of the bank, we can't harvest it!!!! We have to stay away from the bank, and, god forbid, DON'T HARM them Lillian Pads !!!!!! :o  Told the EPA guy that you could set off C-4 under them pads and not hurt 'em. He asked, you guessed it, how do you know ???? :D :D :D :D
  Gotta luv them govt. boys  ::) ::) ::)  Harold

That brings to mind the story of the cajun who asked the game warden "You going to talk or fish"?

(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/moultrieauburnquartet.jpg)
This band from Auburn, along with the singers who are seated at the left rear of the photo entertained us for a long time.

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                           Kasko's mill

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Baker Products

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Logosol shows off their chainsaw mill

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The Logosol 4 sided planer/moulder

(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/moultiewoodmizermill.jpg)
Woodmizer demos the LT40

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Meadows displayed their edger

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TA Schimdt's mill looks better every year.

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Here is a Hit and Miss engine from 1912

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An old Oliver and my current customer

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A McCormick-Deering

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A 1932 Farmall

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A small model of John Deere built in 2001 and a puppet of a Blacksmith

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An old Co-op tractor

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A 1950 John Deere Dozer

Lots of other stuff too and I have some more pictures but will save them for another time. ;D

Yee Hi-i.....I'm having fun! 8) :D

That must be a cool show.  Sawmills, tractors, planers you can't go wrong!!  That portable Meadows is a good looking machine.  Wouldn't mind having one of em

Great pics, Tom. Wish I coulda made it to the show.  Harold

There's all kinds of stuff over several hundred acres, different venues each year.  Last year there were cutting horses and sheep herding dogs and cow dogs and an belgian 8 horse team with hardware wagon.  Fields are planted and equipment is harvesting etc.  You can sign up for busses to take you to the fields to see the "new" equipment work. There are 6 or more large buildings full of hawkers. Agricultural parts companies, pump manufacturers, boots, Bibbeys, Dungarees, knives, kitchen stuff, guys selling cookware, wood burning furnaces, cotton candy, boiled peanuts, sign-ups for drawings for 4 wheelers, ATV's, trucks, cars, mowers, and all kinds of stuff.  It's noisy and packed with people and lots of smiles.  Lots of old folks and lots of young farmers and some high school kids are all over the grounds.  The airport is next door, right over the fence.  It is a grass strip and may have one asphalt runway.  Lots of planes, helicopters and sometimes a corporate jet will take off or land.  

What a party!

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