Kirk
If you went to Findlay for dinner, you were within 5 miles of all those trees. The timber I bought for my cabin is 1/2 way between Bethany and Findlay, right on the north end of the lake. I never did even cut any of my own trees into lumber.
I got an inexpensive mill to see if I would like it ( had never even seen a mill work, I just bought one)
It's a T.A. Schmid bandmill with a 13h.p. Honda. I just bought the head, Tom Schmid when he brought it to me brought it on one of his portable tracks, so I could look it over. He knew I was building my own stationary set up (I have a welding shop too) so he kinda steered me in the right direction. So far I am real pleased with it, but it is all manual. I was just going to cut a few logs, your right about the sawdust bug. I have 30 walnuts in the yard right now and 200 locust trees on the way (trees, most are 3 logs each). I never know from day to day what will show up. I am thinking about getting a little more serious about sawing. I just bought a Bobcat with a grapple bucket, I guess I could have spent a little more on a mill, the Bobcat cost 2x what I have in my mill.
Let me tell you a dirty little secret about my house a.c.. When I decided to start my own business I was living in a completely restored victorian, it had 2 new furnaces and a.c.. It had 2 fireplaces, a hot tub in the bedroom... It was way to big for just my wife and I, 3 baths inside and a pool house with a bath in the back yard. Any way I quit my job and we decided to downsize, so we bought an old house with a big yard that was zoned commercial for my shop. When we were looking at the house the first thing I saw was it had an old coal furnace converted to gas and no a.c., I beat them down on the price 'cause I was going to have to replace it and thought I couldn't live without central air. Well that was 3 years ago and the old furnace wasn't very costly to run and I have window units for cooling, we are building in the timber when as can afford it so I never went to the trouble of replacing it. To make that long story short, as a hvac contractor I don't even have central a.c.. We have taken several out I could have put in my place(nothing wrong with the unit, someone adds on and needs a bigger unit) I always sell or swap with buddies who have rentals or houses they buy for resale. If you want I can keep my eyes open for a used unit that will last for many years CHEAP, or I can help you find a new one and maybe we can slip over there sometime and throw it in. How many ft2 are you trying to cool? I gotta go, I'm getting a little later start than I had planned. I am quitting early and going fishing.
Daren
