New guy around here

Grampa_Joe · May 13, 2003, 01:37:02 PM

Hi I have been reading and studying these pages for awhile. Finally broke down and spent the money for a TimberKing 1220 and its been raining ever since. As a lineman its hard to get me to work in the rain unless it's an emergancy. But with a new toy I've been wet most every day. Looks like MarkM and I had the same idea at about the same time. We are working out of the same log yard anyway. About that thing of sawing the dogs and stops, I must get started pretty fast! I got a stop the second day!

Bibbyman · May 13, 2003, 01:40:46 PM

Welcome Grampa_Joe!

Is there going to be enough trees for you MarkM to keep busy?

Let's be seeing some pictures of that TK in action!

Jeff · May 13, 2003, 01:44:28 PM

North Dakota will be barren.

Welcome there G.P.J

Grampa_Joe · May 13, 2003, 01:56:13 PM

There aren't many trees in our area, but the builders and such keep tearing them out and hauling them to the dump. I don't know about MarkM but there are way more than I'll ever get to. There are other fellas working the pile also. I saw a guy with a chainsaw mill last fall. I have a quite a bit of untreated cedar poles to cut that a friend and i bought from a line construction contractor, 20 to 30 inches at the butt and 8 inch tops, 50 to 75 feet long. No pictures . I can barely run the computer and don't have a digital camera.

Bibbyman · May 13, 2003, 02:00:11 PM

I''ll be looking in the Missouri River for sawdust and slabs to come flooting down.

You know, one time Mary and I were on a drive-about up along the Missouri river and drove through this little river town. There on the bank edge was a Wood-Mizer mill set up. I sware they were discarding their slabs and dust right into the river. Guess it would make no difference as there are probably millions of tons of wood fiber in it at any one time anyway. If a person could saw through the grit, you could probably snag some good logs out of the river. Just set up on a barge and wait for something to come by. :D

Grampa_Joe · May 13, 2003, 02:09:44 PM

The Oahe Dam on the river is a couple hundred miles south of here. Quite a few years ago the dam was at an extremley high level. This drowned out a lot of trees and the next year or two when the ice got thick enough most of them became firewood.

Bibbyman · May 13, 2003, 03:19:27 PM

Grandpa, You need to afix your tree to the Members map. That way ND will have two trees and SD will have none. ;)

OneWithWood · May 13, 2003, 03:25:56 PM

Welcome Grandpa Joe! Please do as Bibby suggests and plant another tree in ND. While you are at it take the time to fill out the bio and tell us a bit about yourself.

Mark M · May 13, 2003, 04:36:02 PM

Hi Grandpa

I can't it - believe another Nodak on here! that's great. 8) When I was at the dump yesterday the attendant said there was another guy checking the log pile but that nothing new coming in. I've been getting a few trees from the tree service but now my driveway is about full so I have to get busy and do some sawing. I live at the corner of East Divide and 15th street, (if you are coming from the east it's the first sawmill on the right). I usually saw on Saturday but you can stop by anytime. Lets get together.

Mark

PS - I might be interested in buying a few of those poles if you have a couple you want to get rid of.

Jeff · May 13, 2003, 07:03:43 PM

Forum members should all remember where you were at this point in History. In years to come you will read about the Great North Dakota Timber Acquisitions and you were here...

Mark M · May 13, 2003, 08:11:42 PM

Gosh Jeff - ya know I never worried about the logs down in my driveway but now that there is another guy in town with a sawmill I might have to rig up a security device to make sure they are safe. Maybe I could tie up a few of the my cat clones down there? - that would scare 'em off :D :D

ohsoloco · May 13, 2003, 09:30:08 PM

Mark, ya got anything besides cottonwood sitting in the driveway ;)

SAWYER_SLIM · May 13, 2003, 09:46:11 PM

Welcome to the forum joe. I am also a transmission lineman. Are you an I.B.E.W. brother ?

DanG · May 13, 2003, 10:00:44 PM

Welcome Grampa! Glad ya decided to come in outta the rain. :D I thought that was the only time you guys actually WORKED.
I'm glad to see we have another TimberKing owner on the forum. How do you like it, so far?

Hey Slim! I ain't a lineman, but I've been a IBEW bro for 33 years. Local 1496.

Mark M · May 13, 2003, 10:17:09 PM

Hi Ohso

U-betcha - I've got a couple of big spruce trees and some small red cedar (plus my mystery tree that I think is elm). I sawed a piece of the cedar last weekend and boy is it ever nice. The piece I sawed was all twisted and gnarly but it really looks nice and would be nice for mounting a fish or sumptin. I've never seen freshly sawed red cedar and this stuff was purple! I found that if it sets in the sun it turns red in a few hours but the stuff in the garage is still purple.

I've had more company in the last couple weeks than in all the years I've lived here. Lots of older gentlemen with suspenders

. Had 2 stop by on Saturday who will be bringing me some little logs to saw up, mainly stuff they cut down in their yards. I still have to get a metal detector for these DanG city trees.

I gave my neighbor (an retired fellow) across the street a 3" slab of mystery wood about 16" wide and 4 feet long so he could make a bench. Also gave him some red cedar. It took both of us to carry the slab as it was DanG heavy. I cut myself a 10 footer of the same stuff to make a bench but I can't lift it by myself. He comes over every time I saw and seems to enjoy watching. Since he is the one who has to look at my mess I want to take good care of him. He does some woodworking so I think we will get along ok. It's hard having a sawmill and log pile in your driveway when you live in town. ;)

Mark

DanG · May 13, 2003, 10:21:08 PM

It ain't all that easy when you live in the country, either, Mark. :-/

biziedizie · May 13, 2003, 10:49:11 PM

Mark it sounds like you're giving the older folk in the hood a good reason to get up in the morning

I hope I can do the same thing when I get older.
  I was sawing today and I turned around to pull the saw back and there was this older guy standing there watching me. I had no idea who he was but he just stood and watched. I cut the last board and shut the mill down and introduced myself and asked him if he knew my dad but he didn't. He told me that he heard about me and what I do and he just wanted to come and see what the saw can do.
   I think I will be installing a coffee pot soon as this isn't the first time that the old timers have come by.
  The stories that these guys tell me sure make for a nice break in the day.

   Steve

J_T · May 13, 2003, 11:35:42 PM

Was working on the old corley one day had so many cars lined up and down the road if anyone else had came they would had to brought their oun parking space . :D

Bibbyman · May 14, 2003, 06:28:30 AM

Just last evening I got a flyer from Wood-Mizer on their price rollback sale. It finally listed the LT15 with 10hp electric motor on it. And it had the information I've asked about since I heard they were going to offer it with a motor - it's available in single phase or three phase.

The reason I mention this is, looks to me like it would make a perfect "urban" sawmill. It could be set up under the back patio or back of an outbuilding or even in a large basement. Only your trash man may get suspicious if you keep leaving slabs and sawdust at the curb.

I've not heard a price of the electric LT15 but most every other mill is cheaper with electric motor. And cheaper to run and maintain.

Grampa_Joe · May 14, 2003, 07:19:20 PM

To answer afew questions:

Bibbyman - I mentioned I'm not to good with computers , well I've been planting trees for the last half hour and can,t get em to grow. Did one the first night too.

One with Wood - Did the bio too it must be lost in the forest.

MarkM - I'll probably stop by Saturday. As for your logs you'll just have to come to Carlin Dr. in Lincoln and steal them from a driveway there. By the way your a topic of conversation for several people in Bis. I heard about the guy sawing in his driveway before I ever figured it out on here.

Sawyer Slim - Took a withdrawal card after about 35 years. I'm retiring in October.

DanG - Love the TK. As for the rain I usually can't more than 4 drops on a brick.

Bibbyman · May 14, 2003, 08:04:03 PM

Granpa_Joe, there is some trick to planting your tree but I can't remember just what it is. There is a note posted here some place that tells just what you have to do. If you do it at the wrong time, it won't work.

Maybe Jeff for Tom can point out where the trick is.

Mark M · May 14, 2003, 09:16:39 PM

Hi Joe

I've been getting lots of looks from people as they drive by. So far no one has complained but I am keeping my fingers crossed. Tonight my boys and I were sawing and the fellow from channel 12 stopped by and asked if he could do a story. He came by about a hour later and set up a camera and shot about 20 minutes of tape. He wanted to know all about the sawmill and where I got the trees and all that stuff. We had a lot of fun and I sawed up a spruce and made some really ugly 2x4's. The tree was so full of branches that there are knots on knots but he said most people wouldn't know the difference. I almost hit the crank on the dogs two different times but saw it early enough to stop.

I also got a call from the Bismarck Tribune today and they are doing a story on a fellow with a sawmill across the river in Mandan. I don't know him but it sounds like he must have a Woodmizer from the way the newspaper fellow talked. He asked if he could mention my name and I said sure. I also told him about you but I didn't know your last name. He did know about you and mentioned that he found us on the ND business site on the web. I can't wait to see the paper and tv story. It's pretty cool 8)

Mark

I'll probably saw tomorrow night and the rest of the week if it is nice. Stop by anytime.

Jeff · May 15, 2003, 03:10:22 AM

Mark, Call the T.V. station and get a copy of the story they do, or tape it when it runs on TV. Send me a copy on VHS so I can digitize it and run it on the forum for everyone to see.