Cost for Vacuum Kiln drying and milling

[D Hagens]

 timerover51 thanks for starting this thread as it's very interesting to hear that this can still be done with all the environmental issues and drama that goes on.
 It would be great if you could post the rules and regs that you have to go through so we could understand better as in the issues that you're up against.
 LOGDOG  thanks for the detail and input of your experience with sinker logs. It's very cool to hear from a guy that's put the time in to it and learn and can share It sounds like you really put the effort in to things and learned from it and it's good to hear that there's some stand up guys out there that stick to their word when it comes to commitment The pics really help with your written words
 timerover51 it's time for some pics
 
 

[timerover51]

i was just bringing my veiw from the few sinker logs(17214b.f)i've sawed but hey what do i know?apperantly not much.

I suspect that everyone is going to have a different experience with sinker logs, based on where they are at.  LOGDOG is used to those that have been recovered from the southern bayous, where they are covered with mud and silt, with a fair amount of current, while Red Oaks Lumber has probably been milling those that have been in coldwater lakes, with little or no current.  The gentleman that I spoke with in Maine, who is recovering yellow birch logs from cold water lakes in Maine reports experience similar to Red Oak Lumber, with no major problems with mud, dirt, or garbage in the logs.  His main problem is that he is limited to recovering 125,000 board feet maximum per year, his recovery is 95% yellow birch, and he has customers wanting oak, not  birch.  He is getting about $6 a board foot and does all of the milling and drying himself.  Cash flow is very good.  The companies that I have been talking to that have been recovering logs from rivers are reporting similar problems to what LOGDOG has mentioned, mainly mud and silt coating the log and having worked into the wood.  I will know more once we start lifting logs.

Again, I will be recovering logs for another company, who will do the processing and marketing, and who has the permits for recovery.  What I am looking for on the forum is some idea as to what the processing costs are going to be, so as to subtract that from the average price per board foot that they are currently getting.  Note, I have executed a Non-Disclosure Agreement with the company, so please do not ask me for information as to what they are getting per board foot.  To that processing cost, I have to add my daily cost for the ship I will be using for the recovery operation, and also factor in Wisconsin taking 30% off of the top for its share under the Abandoned Property Act.  I do not begrudge Wisconsin that as every penny, by law, has to go into the state educational fund. 

When we start recovery, i will see about posting pictures to the forum, once I figure out how to do that as well.  As for additional rules that I have to operate under, as I will be operating a commercial vessel, I have all of the Coast Guard regulations to comply with, which are contained in three volumes. Unfortunately, all the regulations that I have to comply with are scattered among the three volumes, so it is a matter of painstaking going through them, seeing what applies, and also spending a lot of time talking to the Coast Guard Marine Safety people.

As I said, I still need to figure out how to post pictures here, but if you go to the following website, you will see the ship that I am looking to purchase.  Note, I am planning to use the ship for a lot more than log recovery, so I am not putting all of my chestnuts in one fire.  I figure if the log recovery operation is successful, great, but it will give me a chance to work up the ship and crew for operations in 2012, while covering expenses.

http://marcon.com/marcon2s.cfm?SectionGroupsID=20&PageID=8&Action=Detail&File=MC18038

[LOGDOG]

Timerover51,

That's a nice looking ship. Can't believe they're only asking what they are for it. If everything is in good working order that seems like a smoking good deal for a man who's in the market for a boat of that size. That's very interesting that WI takes 30% off the topic for the education fund. I think your statement about "everyone is going to have a different experience with sinker logs based on where they're at" is a fair statement. I think that would be an accurate summation of milling logs in general. It's one big variable depending on size, species, and what that log has been through in it's life.

Have you seen this video clip by chance with Mike Rowe?
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/underwater-logging-mill-work/5c33d6242d37c9262ad95c33d6242d37c9262ad9-590243824526?q=underwater+logging&FORM=VIRE3

You may want to track these fellas down and ask about drying costs etc.

thanks for the compliment D Hagens. Glad you enjoy the pictures.