Abandoned Sawjobs

[Magicman]

Nearly all of my sawing is portable and at the customer's location.  Occasionally, a customer will bring logs and we will saw at my location, but I discourage this.  Here are two whacks of logs that were dropped off for sawing and the customer lost interest in having them sawed.


 
These SYP logs were delivered in August of 2011, and have long since rotted.  We agreed on a sawing price and I was to deliver the lumber to his location but he never called back with his cut list.


 
These in the foreground are Cherry and SYP that rotted while waiting for the customer to make up his mind.  Or maybe he just lost his mind.   :-\

[OneWithWood]

I have a couple piles like that.  Havens for bugs!  If they are good hardwoods and I cannot get in touch with the owner after 1 year they become firewood.  Softwoods, aspen and tulip poplar just rot away.

[Magicman]

Yes, I even saw a couple of your piles like that.   ;D

[OneWithWood]

Have fewer now.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Logs lay at my place for 30 days......after that, they get a phone call. The decision must be made during that phone call. 

He gets lumber
I get logs
or it goes on the fire pile.

 

[LaneC]

Thanks for sharing that. That is something else to think about, if someone has never done any sawing(like me). Many things to consider and a very dynamic business. After seeing a lot of things that a person would never think about, unless they were doing it for a business, I have just about decided that if I ever become able to run a mill, I would not do it for a business interest. It just seems that there are too many variables involved and if I enjoyed the milling, I would not want to taint it with the way some people treat business owners who provide a service. I am sure they never even thought about the termites, bugs, fire hazards and disposal of that timber. That would be a big job to clean up and would take a couple of years at least for the grass, and land to repair itself. I really appreciate the input you contribute, because people can elect to listen and benefit, or not and find out for themselves.

[Dave Shepard]

Logs lay at my place for 30 days......after that, they get a phone call. The decision must be made during that phone call. 

He gets lumber
I get logs
or it goes on the fire pile.

 

More than reasonable. I don't have a fire pile, so if I can't use it, then there would be a disposal fee involved.

LaneC, there are a lot of issues with owning a mill. I was well aware of many of them, which is why I tried to keep it a secret that I even owned one, but that didn't last long. I think my father is the biggest culprit, but it was too hard to hide the mill when it is parked next to his grain building. :D I never bought the mill with the intention of offering custom sawing, but I've had several custom jobs so far. Most of them have taken too much time that I can't bill for. I do figure in a certain amount of time in my hourly rate for the clean up and time it takes to talk to the customer about the job, load timbers/lumber etc., but it really doesn't add up in the end. The best jobs were for other timber framers who could select good logs and have a quick conversation about the job and knew what to expect. Then there was the guy that wanted all 1"x12" out of his 12" diameter logs, and didn't really understand why that wasn't going to work. I think with good ground rules, and a fair bit of patience, also known as "plays well with others", whatever that means,  : custom sawing can be a good way to go. You certainly don't have the log procurement and marketing issues that you do if you are offering a product.

[Corley5]

 

I've had my own logs end up like this at my mill  :( :

[Dave Shepard]

Well, if they were red pine, that's only a week or two of decay. ;D

[yukon cornelius]

lane is right! that is something I never thought about. I have toyed with the idea of sawing for others but it always comes back to the same thing. I don't really like providing service for others anymore. people walk all over easy going guys like me. I have done several different services it has always ended the same.  im not happy and I move on to something else. if I would just put my foot down and establish policies it would probably work out better. I much rather providing a product. with the product if they don't like it they don't buy it.

[luvmexfood]

I would have sometype of simple contract/agreement that they sign saying that they have x amount of days to pick-up the lumber they have sawn or start charging a token fee and explain that the lumber is exposed to the elements and will detereote. Then send them a certified letter with sawbill, storage bill and copy of agreement.

If they did not pickup you could have in your agreement that you had the option to sell with them being responsible for the remainder not recovered by sell.

Then take them to small claims court. Each state has a different name for these. Yes they may not have money to pay but you have judgement against them. It shows up and hey. If they hit a winfall you get your money. If not it is always hanging over their head.

[sprucebunny]

I abandoned the only paying saw job I've been to. The oak logs were knotty and half frozen and half not frozen. Tried 3 different styles of blade and could not get a straight cut, then told the guy that I give up.

[jmouton]

 hey magicman ,  we had  a similar situation  happen to us ,   about a year ago  a guy came buy and payed for 2 trailer decks  worth of  1 and a half  oak ,  we cut the wood and called and called ,  he never came to pickup  ,  so eventually  after  10 months or so we sold it at auction ,  so we thought  he was in jail or dead ,  so low and behold he called  and was wondering where he wood is , and i said it is gone , he understood after a year ,  so i had some  stacked up  , luckily enough to give him , and we also got  a small storage fee out of him at his rerquest,  it all worked out in the end,,,,


                                                                                                       jim

[Magicman]

I have no heartburn about mine pictured above since I so seldom have logs brought to me.  A logger was hired with a loader to bring the 16' SYP logs to me.

I saws um and leaves um, but in these cases, they brung um and left um.  I'll just push um off down the hill.  It's sad that such very good logs went to waste.   :-\

[thecfarm]

One more thing,if cutting YOUR trees for a customer,I would get $100 deposit,depends on the amount of lumber if less. Most mean well but things do happen for whatever reason. Just like the logs that was dropped off for Magicman to saw. If you can sell the lumber than it don't matter about the deposit.

[Dave Shepard]

I have been doing a 35% deposit on custom timber orders.

[yukon cornelius]

mm, your a great man! a lot of people might be bent over it but you are always positive. I hope to be more like you.

[woodmills1]

I have a few dead end stories, but none more than a small order or a one time few log pick up

However, cut some of that old stuff, the maple and other white wood spalts and the oak will be nearly fine for years

[drobertson]

A few times getting the cut list has posed issues, seems like they don't want to waste the logs only to waste the logs, go figure that one,

[goose63]

You leave them here past 90 days there mine