Whatcha Sawin' 2025 ??

[jpassardi]

Not to worry Tim - we have more than enough to share these days...

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah, you hang onto it Tim, we have plenty. Don't worry, it will grow on you.

[TimW]

I think it is more that Y'all are mismanaging Y'alls possessions.
But then again, we are more than willing to share our heat and humidity.
I was in South Dakota in July 2023.  They were having a heat wave in the 80s.  I was walking into a hotel in Rapid City and a lady asked me about the heat.  I said what heat?   I'm from Texas.
That summer we had 54 over 100 degree days here.

[TimW]

It's been 27 degrees all day here.  I think my thermometer is broken.
I'll find out next week as the temps suppose to go back into the 70s with
Today sure is a great day to do Taxes.

[Magicman]

I know that this Glaciated Crap is causing me to loose 3 good sawing days. 

[TimW]

Yeah, you hang onto it Tim, we have plenty. Don't worry, it will grow on you.

Heck no Tom.  It is so bad, it is headed south and even Trump can't  stop it.  It's headed for Mexico. 

[TimW]

Lynn,
      Tell you neighbors way to the East to bring in their peaches.

[Magicman]

Hopefully this thing is early enough that fruit crops will not be affected.  Time will tell.

[TimW]

Agreed.  Hopefully it is too early. Last freeze, some news folks, down here, made a fuss about the spring crawfish harvest would be affected by the freeze.  La. farmers said nope....them mudbugs are burrowed down in the mud and won't feel it.

[jb616]

I think it is more that Y'all are mismanaging Y'alls possessions.
But then again, we are more than willing to share our heat and humidity.
I was in South Dakota in July 2023.  They were having a heat wave in the 80s.  I was walking into a hotel in Rapid City and a lady asked me about the heat.  I said what heat?   I'm from Texas.
That summer we had 54 over 100 degree days here.

I've been in South Dakota at the rest area next to the Missouri River and it was 114 degrees. The Plain States are a land of extremes also dipping far into the negatives during winter.  Here in Michigan,  I live 4 miles from Lake Michigan which moderates our temperature. 

[WV Sawmiller]

I know that this Glaciated Crap is causing me to loose 3 good sawing days. 

I haven't fired my mill up in 2 months because of it.

[Old Greenhorn]

How much snow is covering your mill Howard? Our LT50 in under cover and ready to run anytime, but my manual Hudson is under 10" of ice and frozen snow and would take a half day to dig out and fire up.
 Either way, this cold weather is rough on equipment.

[WV Sawmiller]

Tom,

   The only snow on my mill rights now is what came yesterday and today. All the earlier snow had melted. It is out on the lot with a nylon WM cover over the head unit.

    A neighbor followed me home after I cut the tree off the road 2 days ago. He had a buddy with him and they talked about me sawing some small walnut logs for him. I told him bring them up and I'd saw them in the lot where the mill is parked. It sounded like a couple hour job and not worth moving the mill to them. The neighbor said he'd bring them in his truck/trailer. We will see if this happens or not.

    I have one or two several day jobs waiting but we have to wait for the snow to melt and mud to dry out and the first is a weekend job. The other is 75 miles away.

   I've thought about building a shed to keep the mill in but I don't have space I am willing to sacrifice for such a permanent loss of real estate and it would be in the way most of the time for my log and lumber handling. Most of my sawing is off site and what little I do here is split between the front lot and pasture area.

[Magicman]

Looks like someone has a contract to screen in lots of porches.

Nope, and not tongue depressors either.

But I did get a picture of those 1/4" X 1 1/2" slats this morning.


I sawed them for a fencing company that used them to close the gap between 1X6 fence boards.  Made it sorta look like board & batten.  Well actually I reckon that it is B&B, just a fence and not on a building.

[Magicman]

You definitely work for some great projects. 
The building codes are so strict in NYS you do not see many sawmill/home projects.

Yes, and my opinion is that most of those 'building codes' are instigated and enforced by folks that have jobs instigating and enforcing building codes.

I quit counting @ 25 but I know without question that I have sawed the framing lumber for well over 100 homes.  Not graded nor stamped, and guess what??  Not the first one of those homes have fallen down.  I sawed a whole house framing lumber job this month and will saw another beginning March 17th.

• E

[barbender]

Yes even the northern plains can get sweltering hot. And still enjoy -40° in the winter.

Magic, the only possible problem I can see with rough sawn lumber is people not letting it dry completely before enclosing the walls. You almost can't saw as poor of quality of boards as what ends up in stud grade lumber piles at the big home centers.

[jpassardi]

Yeah, the graded lumber requirement is unfortunate. As a Licensed Engineer I can say that it's driven primarily by liability. There are unfortunately some who could get in over their heads using under sized or under grade members without black and white codes.
The codes are understandably written and enforced to shift liability from the Inspectors and ultimately their employers (Towns/taxpayers).
For a conventionally framed house though, most framing members are redundant and less critical.
I understand both sides of it but unfortunately, I'm not sure there's an easy resolution.

[Magicman]

Absolutely.  Six months stickered here in the 'tropics' and moisture is not an issue so my recommendation is always 'at least 6 months'. 

Box store framing lumber is dried to 18%.

My sawn lumber will exceed SPIB #2 specifications in all instances.

[SawyerTed]

Building codes are driven by the last disaster (liability) and subsequently the insurance industry and fire protection industry (NFPA).

There are some minimal earthquake codes in NC. The coast has more hurricane related requirements.  Florida has more codes related to hurricane risks well.

California has earthquake requirements and likely will have more fire related codes after the recent fires.

I'm convinced that insurance loss reduction is a key factor behind building codes.  Somebody has to pay/lose when buildings are lost to disaster. 

Several years ago, 2015 I think, there was a beach house (Emerald Isle) that had a deck collapse and people were critically injured.  For the next several years, contractors were remediating decks on the NC coast.  The insurance industry pushed for every deck to be inspected, especially in Emerald Isle, and brought up to code.  Our beach house reservations in October were moved to other houses while our usual house received deck updates. 

Risk management/ loss prevention drives the codes.  Follow the $$$$$!

[Magicman]

My only building code objection is that, in some areas, it's requirement that only graded/stamped lumber can be used in home building.

On the back of my Sawing Contract there are 5 items listed that I read and verify with each customer before sawing framing lumber:

1.  County and City building permit requirements?
2.  Lending Institution requirements?
3.  Does the blueprint specify/allow rough sawn lumber?
4.  Will your homeowner insurance cover a dwelling built with rough sawn lumber?
5.  Will your builder/carpenter build with rough sawn lumber?

Yes, there are specific counties & cities that do not allow and that I can and will not saw framing lumber for a home.  Some will allow a non-inhabited building such as a shop or barn but not allow for a home.  I have told many potential customers to get their permits in order and then give me a call.

 
 

[jpassardi]

I hear you Lynn and I'm confident yours all exceeds #2. On the flipside, unfortunately that may not be said for all sawyers.

If Inspectors were trained/capable and willing to grade lumber, it would be a non issue. Of course there would be a time (cost) impact on their part to do so and in fairness they can't do it properly once the material is up. A good example is studs for a conventionally framed building, a low quality piece of lumber can easily meet stud grade. There is the moisture content/mold potential issue but that could also be addressed by the Inspector with a moisture meter. Some would argue that it must be KD to kill off bugs as well.

It would be good if there were an exception at least for someone building their own house. There is more potential for misuse with a developer looking to put up and sell a place ASAP for least cost.

[Magicman]

I hear you Lynn and I'm confident yours all exceeds #2. On the flipside, unfortunately that may not be said for all sawyers.

When I bought my sawmill 23 years ago, no building contractor in this area would use 'Mizer lumber'.  That bad reputation had been created by folks using dull blades, etc. and sawing wavy and thick & thin lumber.  Now, there is not any builders that have not built with my lumber.  Most if not all of those 'peckerwood sawyers' have fallen by the wayside.

[trimguy]

I thought they called pecan the devil wood because it is hard and doesn't act right , not because it's loaded with nails.

[Magicman]

That too !! 

[Dave Shepard]

We have native lumber laws in Massachusetts, but it's unusual to stud frame with rough sawn. I did saw all the lumber, including siding for a garage in '22 from logs cut down to clear the lot. Might be the only one I ever do.   Interestingly, if was for the grandson of the man you talked me into getting a mill in the first place. The building inspector was all for it.