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Stakes!! What are the differences??

Started by Kevin_H., October 18, 2007, 12:54:08 PM

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Kevin_H.

Captain, hope ya dont mind but I went ahead and moved this tread to the new, i mean old....Restored, yep thats it, Restored FF



The Forestry Forum CRASH OF 2007 ARCHIVES
General Forestry => Drying and Processing => Topic started by: Captain on October 10, 2007, 09:51:57 AM


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Title: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: Captain on October 10, 2007, 09:51:57 AM
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I know that some of you are making stakes for various markets.  Here in New England, the largest markets that I am aware of are SNOWPLOW stakes, TREE stakes and GRADE stakes.

What are YOU making for stakes and for what markets?  What sizes and wood species are you using?  How many are you bundling together and what price are you charging?

The motive to my question is that we recently aquired a stake pointer and Mrs Captian is a bit revved up to get started.... :)

Thanks in advance

Captain


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: kevin_h. on October 10, 2007, 10:07:50 AM
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We are doing mostly lathe stakes, 1/2" by 1 1/2" by 36 or 48 long, these sell mainly to survey crews and some construction companies. We have been using ash wood mainly.

the lathe stakes go in bundles of 50.

the hub stakes are 1 1/8" by 1 1/2" by 12, 18, and 24" long.

the hubs go in bundles of 25.

As far as the priceing goes, it seems regional, I would call around and see what others are charging.

What kind of pointer did ya get your wife. ;D


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: IL Bull on October 10, 2007, 11:51:27 AM
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Your spelling is off. :P  It is spelled steaks.   I like the beef ones. 8)



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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: BBK on October 10, 2007, 01:18:14 PM
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Most of the contractors around here use 30" and 36" hardwood 1 x 2. Some ask for the two broad sides planed so they can read the markings they put on them better but most just take the rough sawn. Hubs are usually 2" x 2"x 6" or 12" long.
They aren't too picky on the dimensions as long as you are reasonably consistent.
50 stakes or 25 hubs per bundle.

Rough cut stakes 30" $25
Rough Cut Stakes 36" $30

I don't sell the planed stakes so I don't know what they're worth.

Hubs 6"    $15
Hubs 12"   $20

I've been told thay pay more per bundle than that up near Washington DC and Baltimore but this is what we're getting here in the boonies.


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: Greg on October 10, 2007, 01:25:03 PM
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Quote from: Captain on October 10, 2007, 09:51:57 AM
I know that some of you are making stakes for various markets.  Here in New England, the largest markets that I am aware of are SNOWPLOW stakes, TREE stakes and GRADE stakes.

What are YOU making for stakes and for what markets?  What sizes and wood species are you using?  How many are you bundling together and what price are you charging?

The motive to my question is that we recently aquired a stake pointer and Mrs Captian is a bit revved up to get started.... :)

Thanks in advance

Captain


Whats a stake pointer, I am guessing its kinda like a pencil sharpener for big sticks ;-) Are these manual gizmos or powered machinery? Sorry for my noob questions.

Greg


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: Captain on October 10, 2007, 08:54:52 PM
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Kevin, its a Hudson.  Used very little.  The price was right...

I'll try to post a pic this weekend for you Greg.

Captain


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: kevin_h. on October 12, 2007, 09:25:09 PM
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lets see if we can get this to work

Nope, gotta go do some reading


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: kevin_h. on October 12, 2007, 09:35:40 PM
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http://www.youtube.com/v/COok6_7ALkw

http://www.youtube.com/v/UwuApNbNjCY


lets try this instead
Sorry about the quality and length, but the cell phone will only send videos 9 sec. or less.



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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: Furby on October 12, 2007, 09:53:18 PM
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Unless I'm mistaken, you pointed both ends in the first video.
How come?


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: kevin_h. on October 12, 2007, 10:24:26 PM
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That way it doesn't make any difference which end they put in the ground.   :D

No really, it was a 24" blank that will get cut in half to make 2 12's...

The 12" is our best sell hub stake.

We cannot feed 12 inch stakes through the gang, they are too short, so we send 24's point bolth ends and then cut them in half.


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: Dave Shepard on October 12, 2007, 10:29:36 PM
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kevin_h, could you elaborate on you stake cutting operation? (as long as you don't have any trade secrets) I would like to find a better way to automate our sticker prduction, and in doing so, make it feasible to make stakes for sale as well. Especially interested in the gang saw. What is a hub stake? Thanks.


Dave


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: kevin_h. on October 13, 2007, 09:27:51 AM
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Dave,

We break logs down to 5" wide cants and then saw these at 1/2" so that we end up with boards 5" wide, 1/2" thick and 8 10 or 12' long.

From there we cut the boards into 36" or 48" length's. The boards then get planed on oneside and go into the gang saw, which is just a old timberking edger with an extra blade, so that 3 stakes come out the outfeed side of the gang. the 3 stakes get pointed at the same time on a chopsaw using a jig we make to get a consistant angle.

the lathe then get place right on to the wrapping machine and get bundled 50 to a bunch.

The hubs get done pretty much the same way, and go into bundles of 25.

A hub stake is a thicker stake, our are 1 1/8" x 1 1/2" by 12,18,or 24"
these get a pencil point using the machine in the video.

I have had a lot of people ask why we dont just rip multiple boards on the WM and it really comes down to quality control. All of the lathes that we sell are completely clear, by doing it this way it gives us the chance to see every stake and to reject anything that will not make the grade.


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: Sprucegum on October 13, 2007, 10:05:32 AM
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No drying time mentioned, you just bundle them up green?


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: kevin_h. on October 13, 2007, 01:13:44 PM
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We do bundle them green, the stakes get used so fast the mold is typically not a problem, most of the time what ever we cut this week will be in the ground with in the next two weeks or so.

I had started another thread about stacking and air drying some stakes this winter hoping to stay ahead of the game come spring.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=217.0


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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: karl on October 16, 2007, 08:05:48 PM
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We make 4 and 5' stakes for contractors and plowing.
I like ash the best as it is lighter in color and seems to stay straighter. If we are pressed we can bundle them green and not get as much mold too
Sugar makers here are happy to sell ash cheap to get it out of their orchards too ;)
Stakes are 1" square, 25 to a bundle. I'm selling between $9-10.50 depending on quantity for the 4' and 12-15 for the 5'.

By order only I have made 1.5" sq. and 2" sq. tree stakes- 3', 5' long
Ash, I charge $1.- 1.50 a board foot. Usually those orders are in the hundreds and are sometimes s4s.





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Title: Re: Stakes!! What are the differences??
Post by: Engineer on October 17, 2007, 07:26:49 PM
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I don't make 'em but I've often thought about doing so, especially since I use anywhere from 400-1000 per year on my survey and engineering jobs.   What I buy is what is available locally, which is a full 1" square stake, 4' long, sells for 99 cents per stake at the local lumberyard/ripoff home center.  A place further up the road sells that same stake for $1.20 each.  The mill I used to buy the stakes at, before they closed up, was selling at 25 cents each in quantities of a thousand, 30 cents for 500-1000, and 40 cents for 500 or less. 

As far as species, I find birch and ash 95% of the time, although the latest five or six bundles I bought locally were cherry.  Maybe that's why the price was so stupid.  Anyway, they were totally covered and saturated in white mold, so bad that the bundle had to be beaten apart to separate the stakes.  Plus they were wet so we couldn't write on them.   :( >:(

I did find a bundle somewhere, I forgot where, that was 1" by 1-1/4" by 4' long, and the wider sides were planed.  I would have paid a buck or more per stake, happily, if I could find them again.  Perfect size and condition to write on and they were dry.

They way my grade stakes get used, as long as they're DRY, even pine works.  For hubs, which are 2x2x18" long, I use white oak.  I get heart cants from a local mill since I don't have white oak readily available, and I resaw the cants into 2x2 and point them.   The hubs tend to stay in the ground a long time so they get a hard, rot resistant wood. 
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

Captain

Not at all Kevin, in fact I appreciate the effort, thanks!! I also appreciate the input on the thread from all.

Captain

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