Wallee's Milling Thread

Wallee · March 31, 2016, 10:09:29 AM

Cherry it may not be but I am 100% it is not RO. My tie buyer is in a great need so yes two ties, same log. Now I need to figure out what species this wood is!

Magicman · March 31, 2016, 11:46:37 AM

Cherrybark Oak, which is the "high dollar" Red Oak.

Wallee · March 31, 2016, 03:28:48 PM

Quote from: Magicman on March 31, 2016, 11:46:37 AM
Cherrybark Oak, which is the "high dollar" Red Oak.

Talked to my forester friend and he thinks the same Magicman! I believe it is pretty nice! Soooo take what others said here (red oak) and me (cherry) and we are all halfway right lol !!!

sandsawmill14 · March 31, 2016, 07:42:55 PM

Quote from: WDH on March 31, 2016, 07:29:55 AM
I believe that to be red oak, not cherry .

wallee that is what we call cherry bark red oak but is red oak for sure

WDH · March 31, 2016, 08:45:24 PM

There is a reason that it is called cherrybark oak

. The very best Southern bottomland red oak. Shumard oak is a close second.

Wallee · March 31, 2016, 10:32:00 PM

Quote from: sandsawmill14 on March 31, 2016, 07:42:55 PM
Quote from: WDH on March 31, 2016, 07:29:55 AM
I believe that to be red oak, not cherry .

wallee that is what we call cherry bark red oak but is red oak for sure

I am learning everyday! I like it a lot better than our regular red oak. Seems like the grain pops out more!

Wallee · March 31, 2016, 10:33:53 PM

Quote from: WDH on March 31, 2016, 08:45:24 PM
There is a reason that it is called cherrybark oak . The very best Southern bottomland red oak. Shumard oak is a close second.

Ha ha it has to take some years of experience to learn all these species! Shumard oak?! Never heard of it till today! This literally is why I have the upmost respect and love for our forestry forum community. It truly is a wealth of knowledge!

Magicman · March 31, 2016, 10:48:45 PM

The Red Oak that you used to seeing is probably Water Oak. Generally smoother bark and leaves that look like duck tracks. It's a Red Oak, but much less quality.

WDH · April 01, 2016, 07:45:40 AM

Cherrybark oak, southern red oak, and shumard oak have a pinkish redish color in the heartwood. Water, willow, and laurel oak, common in the bottomlands, have more of a brown heartwood, and are prone to mineral stain and bacterial stain. Here is some bacterial stained laurel oak.

Upon drying, that red color fades to brown.

Wallee · April 05, 2016, 09:06:41 PM

So, so far this has been a very eventful week! I made some deliveries of ties and lumber. Toured a GIGANTIC hardwood sawmill. I even got carried through the grading process of my lumber I sold them and got to talk to the grader who schooled me on hardwood grading and taught me A LOT! Of course I took pictures of it all! It wouldn't be me if that didn't happen!
Here is the beginning, some logs sitting on my deck.

Here is some pics of some of my side cut lumber being destacked and graded.

From there it was stacked and stickered, then dipped!

Overall it was a very informative/fun process to see! Also opened up some new doors for future business!!!

4x4American · April 05, 2016, 09:59:46 PM

That's awesome...that stickering interests me...did a person do it halfway and then they polished it up mechanically?

Wallee · April 05, 2016, 10:24:01 PM

Quote from: 4x4American on April 05, 2016, 09:59:46 PM
That's awesome...that stickering interests me...did a person do it halfway and then they polished it up mechanically?

Exactly how it was done man! guys set the stickers and the machine did the rest. The mill had several million bf stacked and air drying. They air dry six months then hit the kiln for four days.

paul case · April 06, 2016, 08:47:41 AM

You may have learned a lot touring and getting to see their equipment, but the most important thing you may have done is build a relationship with the grader. I have found that the relationship between people make much more difference than with the big company. I have had people who worked for big companies that bought lumber, cants, and logs from me or sold me logs that helped me sell my lumber even when it wasn't to them.
Relationships are the most important. Even when you have got the grading slip go buy and ask the grader how your lumber was. IMO you want to know what he thinks of it. He can tell you if there is something you need to do different.
Oh and you want them to want to buy your lumber.
PC

Wallee · April 06, 2016, 09:39:04 PM

Quote from: paul case on April 06, 2016, 08:47:41 AM
You may have learned a lot touring and getting to see their equipment, but the most important thing you may have done is build a relationship with the grader. I have found that the relationship between people make much more difference than with the big company. I have had people who worked for big companies that bought lumber, cants, and logs from me or sold me logs that helped me sell my lumber even when it wasn't to them.
Relationships are the most important. Even when you have got the grading slip go buy and ask the grader how your lumber was. IMO you want to know what he thinks of it. He can tell you if there is something you need to do different.
Oh and you want them to want to buy your lumber.
PC

WEll he wants to come out and visit my milling operation! Said he would share with me how to get the most out of my logs! I got a bunch of logs coming in this friday so more milling to come! He said he liked my lumber as well!! MY favorite thing to hear was....... SO when you bringing me a couple thousand more bf??

4x4American · April 06, 2016, 10:11:50 PM

That'll give ya the warm fuzzies!

killamplanes · April 06, 2016, 10:30:10 PM

Sounds to me like you will be signing a contract, well really think about were u want your operation to be in say a year. Thats my advice. Just remember that in ur discussions sometimes people want things that don't work well for the us.. been there down that school of hard nocks

killamplanes · April 06, 2016, 10:32:05 PM

I'm not tryin to be negative..

paul case · April 06, 2016, 11:59:57 PM

Sounds like he/ they are interested enough to take time to spend on you. And they want to buy your lumber. And when are you bringing more.
Good going. That's how you get started.
;D
PC

Wallee · April 07, 2016, 09:28:03 PM

Quote from: paul case on April 06, 2016, 11:59:57 PM
Sounds like he/ they are interested enough to take time to spend on you. And they want to buy your lumber. And when are you bringing more.
Good going. That's how you get started.
;D
PC

Yeah, I felt like the showing me the grading process and the offer of coming next time and visiting the flooring mill as a investment in me. He was showing me how to make my lumber better/explaining how to grade lumber so I would better know what I have! I'm delivering them around 10 tons of hardwood saw logs in the am as well. They gave me a great per ton price that I'm ecstatic about to say the least. Family run sawmill, got my lumber check in 2 days too! Written write on the fold of that envelope was the biggest boldest lettering of god bless you, that meant a lot to this small town southern man.

4x4American · April 07, 2016, 09:33:08 PM

Good stuff Wallee!

paul case · April 08, 2016, 10:03:01 AM

Oh boy! I like that too.

I am selling to a family run flooring outfit near me too and they treat me like family too. I got a call from them one week when I was doing some custom sawing and hadn't taken them any lumber to see if I was OK? Nice to deal with people who care.I have certainly had my fill of those who don't.

It is a real exception to the rule among lumber buyers that you would get a check in a couple days. I think on ties I can get paid within a week as the buyer can come by once a week, and the flooring plant I sell to pay on Friday of the week they grade your lumber, so I get a check in the mail on Monday or Tuesday. Most of the folks I know that sell tractor trailer loads of lumber are on 6 weeks to pay. That would be tough on a small operator. One sawyer told me the only way he may ever make any money is to quit as the checks should keep coming for another 6 weeks.

Many of the sawmills in my area remember when Nor Pac in Springfield, MO was seized by federal marshalls more than a decade ago. Can you imagine why?

PC

Wallee · April 08, 2016, 03:27:44 PM

Quote from: paul case on April 08, 2016, 10:03:01 AM
Oh boy! I like that too.

I am selling to a family run flooring outfit near me too and they treat me like family too. I got a call from them one week when I was doing some custom sawing and hadn't taken them any lumber to see if I was OK? Nice to deal with people who care.I have certainly had my fill of those who don't.

It is a real exception to the rule among lumber buyers that you would get a check in a couple days. I think on ties I can get paid within a week as the buyer can come by once a week, and the flooring plant I sell to pay on Friday of the week they grade your lumber, so I get a check in the mail on Monday or Tuesday. Most of the folks I know that sell tractor trailer loads of lumber are on 6 weeks to pay. That would be tough on a small operator. One sawyer told me the only way he may ever make any money is to quit as the checks should keep coming for another 6 weeks.

Many of the sawmills in my area remember when Nor Pac in Springfield, MO was seized by federal marshalls more than a decade ago. Can you imagine why?

PC

Family run business is the best to support big and small! They told me today when I was dropping logs off that if I wanted to deliver on Saturdays and no loader operator was there, I was welcome to hop on the loader and unload!

Wallee · April 15, 2016, 12:30:42 AM

It has been another very productive week at the sawmill! We sawed ties and grade lumber 5 hours yesterday another 5 today. Headed to drop off these ties in the morning at the tie yard. Starting in the morning on about 1000bf of cedar orders. I logged and brought this load pictured below this past monday.