Walnut out of a brush pile

Robert R · March 27, 2005, 01:18:41 AM

I had a neighbor offer me a brush pile to cut up for firewood. It has been there at least 5 years (that is when I moved in and it was there then). I have cut a bunch out of it. I started cutting up a limb and realized it was walnut. It seems solid. There are several 8 foot sections from 10 inches up to about 20 inches and these are limbs. If I dig around in there far enough, I know I'll find the trunk too. Is this wood going to be worth hauling to a mill? Like I said, what I cut up seemd very solid but I quit when I realized it was walnut. Any suggestions?

etat · March 27, 2005, 02:13:12 AM

Probably ain't a bit of good. Long as it's been layin and all that!

I would tell ya the best thing to do is dig it out and mail it to me to get it outta yer way but somebody else I know would probably tell me he'd GIVE me some if I'd come and do some roofing fer him! ;D :D :D :D

Seriously, I don't know one thing about sawmilling wood. But I betcha if it was mine I'd mill it!!!!

Gilman · March 27, 2005, 03:54:10 AM

The surprising thing about burn piles is that they dry wood quite nicely. Only the bottom limbs and timbers are on the ground and near moisture. If it twer me I'd get my choker out and see what was in there. After I got the good stuff out, I'd call CK and tell him I just struck gold and ask if he'd pay for halves on the sawing charge ;D

hillbilly · March 27, 2005, 06:18:09 AM

I have to hang my head robert ,Ive been guilty of burning more than one walnut in a brush pile ,when I first went to work for the out fit that I work for now we had to do alot of clearing for an outter road the pile of red oaks /woaks and walnut trees was as big as a house ,boss man siad costs to much money in time to wait for some one to move so BURNEM :

It wasnt to long after that that I bought my first mill ;)
waist not want not ;D
HILLBILLY

KILROY · March 27, 2005, 08:42:20 AM

Robert,
Pull that walnut out of the brush pile and cut it up. Walnut will hardly dry in the log. Even if the sap has fallen off, still get the pieces. When you cut into the log it will be green on the inside. At the very worst you will have nice looking kindling. Nice find.

Daren · March 27, 2005, 08:43:18 AM

I see alot of that. I have finally convinced some guys who like walnut (hedge, ash,hickory...) 'cause it burns good in the stove to bring it to me and a good trailer load will buy alot of propane and they won't have to split it all. The one that still gets me (and it has been ten years- long before I got a mill) My little brother was plumbing a house moonlight for a guy who bought several virgin acres by the river. He went out and bought a Cat bulldozer just to knock down all the walnuts and oaks on 3-4 acres to have a building site. He had them piled 20' high and burned them for 6 months everyday, just to get rid of them. You could see the smoke for miles. Then when the house was near done he went out and bought hardwood plank flooring, miles of window and door casing.. you get the picture.

Kirk_Allen · March 27, 2005, 10:06:56 AM

He CK, I will GIVE you some great looking walnut if youd come and do some roffing for me :D :D

21 footers 7" wide and CLEAR! Would make some beutiful Crown Molding ;D

MemphisLogger · March 27, 2005, 11:48:48 AM

Ck,

I'm closer and have BIGGER Walnuts ;) :D ;D

Kirk_Allen · March 27, 2005, 12:51:53 PM

Now wait just a minute Scott! I got some pretty Big Walnuts and everyone knows you always start dem negotiations small.

I will up the anty CK: 26" wide 8/4 walnut 10 foot long! Didnt want to let my personaly stash go but I think that new roof is worth it. What the heck, I will even through in a weeks worth of milling at your place:)

Minnesota_boy · March 27, 2005, 01:16:55 PM

Kirk,
You're upping the offering too much too quick. That says you're desperate and CK can just wait and let you stew for a bit and see what else you might offer. You need to learn how to play this game. I'd have offered a couple of spruce 2X6's to sweeten the deal and then waited for him to make counter offer. Don't never go to an auction like that or somebody will skin you good!

:D :D :D

Furby · March 27, 2005, 10:42:10 PM

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

etat · March 27, 2005, 11:11:59 PM

Furby, yer laughin too soon.

At least I would LISTEN to Kirks and Urban Loggers offer.

Minnesota_boy's, I just hang up the phone! ;D

8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Furby · March 27, 2005, 11:25:49 PM

Yep, you are right about the offer's, I'd probly do the same!

I was mostly laughing at Kirk not willing to just give ya his DanG mill so he can upgrade! ;) ;)

etat · March 27, 2005, 11:28:37 PM

;D ;D ;D 8) 8) 8)

A couple of weeks ago I was roofing a house for a guy who was from Memphis and building a smaller house down here for a second home. I'd traded with him over the phone. It was a fairly small house to what we usually roof and I told him when I priced it weren't no need for me to waste his and my time by me making a extra trip to come over there. I did give him a few references to check if he wanted to. He said he didn't need to, I'd already been recomended to him.

When I did go to roof the house he was telling me he didn't have the plumbing through the roof yet. He was a older guy in his 70's and I told him if he'd call when they put the pipes through the roof I'd come by and put the boots on for him at no charge. I'd already decided I liked him from talking to him on the phone and in person.

He told me there had been a BUNCH of guys that had stopped by and offered to roof his house. Some of em lots cheaper than my price. Wanted to know if that was usual practice around here. I told him I'd heard of it a lot but I never had knocked doors or soliticed work like that. He said that's why he picked me. I asked him what he meant. He said since I had good references and wasn't scroungeing or desperate for work he figured I'd do a good job.

Sometimes during the course of talking about the stuff that would be coming through the roof I told him what he'd really have to look out for was the heat and air people. Told him most of em didn't have a clue of how to install them pipes through the roof so they wouldn't ever leak.

He told me he knew, and pointed at his truck. I hadn't noticed it before. It said .............Heat and Air. ??? He told me he had a heat and air business in Memphis for almost 30 years and how many people he employed. Lots of em. I quickly recovered and told him I wasn't takling about him, I was talking about some of the yahoo's he'd probably hired over the years. We had a laugh, and I still roofed his house! ;D

Kirk_Allen · March 28, 2005, 10:49:28 AM

Minnesotaboy you will find throughout this forum I have tried EVRERYTHING under the sun to entice CK into a trade for some roofing jobs on our barns. No luck.

Heck, Furby may be the best negotiator of all. He convinced him to do it if I give him my mill. Not ready to go that far yet.

CK, I got some Walnut and Cherry to cut in a few weeks that sure is purty ;D And to show good faith in my offer, I will throw in ALL the spruce I dont use on my building. I have enough now to do all the walls and still have about 30 logs to cut. Thats going to be a lot of wood ;D

tnlogger · March 28, 2005, 12:05:54 PM

Kirk go and buy ck one of them Backer Wood Buddys and trade him for the roofing job

That would fit in his truck to take it home and help a sponsor too. ;D just make sure not to let him use first wont get no roofing done.

Daren · March 28, 2005, 12:29:52 PM

Carefull now cktate, I might take that the wrong way too. If you hadn't said MOST plumbing and heating guys can't get a pipe through the roof without a leaker.

Daren Nelson, Owner
Nelson Company L.L.C.
(a plumbing and heating company, in case you hadn't guessed) 8)

I would as soon let someone else flash 'em now a days anyway, Hieghts didn't bother me when I was young and hungry. I'm not too crazy about the roof part now, so I let the generals think I'm just a dumb plumber, saves dragging out the extension ladder.

Kirk_Allen · March 28, 2005, 12:41:34 PM

Daren,
Where abouts you located in Central IL? I am 12 Miles East of Charelston, IL.

I am going to need to add AC to my central air this spring. Wanted to go with a Train brand. What do you sell?

Daren · March 28, 2005, 07:47:11 PM

Kirk
I'm about 45 miles west of Charleston, I can do Trane. I am mostly into boilers and hydronic heating, but do install some forced air systems, and do alot of service work on forced air. I am buddies with a guy I went to school with that lives and works out of Mattoon. He is a square guy. I keep pretty busy local, I am not trying to blow you off. I will sure help you anyway I can, but that is a pretty good drive for a small job. I am listed in the phone book in Lovington, give me a call.

Daren

Daren · March 28, 2005, 08:21:40 PM

Kirk
After I posted, your name started ringing a bell. I am pretty sure I talked to you a year ago. I had just bought some timber around Lake Shelbyville and was looking to have some logs cut. I think I got your name from a local forester. I called you and you were very helpful and spent a good deal of time talking me through what I should do. I was not ready to start cutting yet, by the time I was I decided to buy my own mill. I was just sure there was BIG MONEY in having a sawmill. I hope you didn't put that idea into my head, so far I have big money in the mill and a big stack of lumber. :D Seriously though, if I can help you out let me know, I do appreciate your advice last year.

Daren

etat · March 28, 2005, 08:50:07 PM

Darren, I absolutely weren' talkin about you!!! I promise.

The one's I was talking about stick the pipe through the roof and don't even try to get all of the upper part of the flange underneath the shingles. They just stick it under one upper shingle and slap screws in the flange and add some silicone. Some of the guys around here don't take the time to take a flat bar, loosen the shingles, and raise the shingles up and slide the flange underneath. Since silicone isn't compatable with making a real good seal between shingles and metal sooner or later it peels off and then rain blows in sideways and the flange leaks.

Yep, I've been known to stick my foot in my mouth more than once!!!!! I do like to rag plumbers and heat and air guys anyways for even getting up there and cutting a hole in a perfectly good roof. : 8) 8) 8) 8)

Kirk_Allen · March 29, 2005, 12:12:49 AM

Glad to hear from you Daren. Glad I was able to help you out. I was wonderin what ever happen to you with all those trees.

We have gone over to the restaraunt in Findly for dinner a few times over the winter. Its about 45 minutes from the farm. I cut across Lake Shelbyville when I go to my Dads place a coulple times a month. We will have to get together some time.

What kind of mill did you get? Isnt it amazing how that sawdust bug bites you? Once bitten you just keep going back for more ;D

Any suggestions you can give me on an AC system would be appreciated. This old farm house has central heat but NO AC and it can get a tad hot in the July sun.

Daren · March 29, 2005, 07:46:45 AM

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