What do I do now

inspectorwoody · July 09, 2003, 02:59:26 PM

Went into the mill this morning and before we do our excercises, we are informed of what we are cutting etc. Well we also got informed that effective this week, we won't be cutting on Fridays no more, for at least a month. >:( Log yard is getting empty I guess but from what I have been told, the buyers have 3 million feet sitting in southern Iowa ??? Once it starts, it seems it don't pick back up until late fall, early winter. So now its back to 40 hours in by Thursday and a three day weekend. Prob sounds good to some of you guys but to me, I hate it. I want to work 50 hours a week but I haven't seen that in the two years I have been there and I bet I don't see it anytime in the future.

So now good ol Gadget has Fridays off and nothing to do :( So if any of you guys have any ideas, let me hear um ;D

Furby · July 09, 2003, 03:45:10 PM

Gadget, do you just like to work, or is it the money thing?
If you just want to keep busy, we'll find things for you to do! ;D :D :D :D

Tom · July 09, 2003, 03:52:33 PM

You like to grade and there is probably a lot of independent work you could do as a grader. What if you started your own grading company and made yourself available to other mills outside of your mills area (?) to do contract work?

Maybe you could look into a small band mill and cut specialty wood. It doesn't take near the time to cut it as it does to dry and market it. Drying and marketing can be done during your work week and sawing can be done on your weekend.

How about a small woodworking craft shop?

How about a trip to the "Y" or other youngster oriented operation (Boy Scouts) and see if you can direct some of America's youth to valiant ends? The money may not be the best but the satisfaction would be good.

inspectorwoody · July 09, 2003, 04:04:38 PM

Furby

Its both...I like to keep busy and the money. More or less, it is just to keep busy as long as I'm doing something I enjoy. Money is the root of all evil as they say and I hope I never get to the point where I can't do something for somebody with out getting a dollar. I'll work for free as long as I enjoy doing it and I am meeting and working with some really great people. ;)

Tom

I have been thinking about grading and sawing. Still doing some checking in regards to purchasing a mill etc. I also still have to talk to some other inspectors that have free lanced and get some figures. Also better clear it with the boss. I don't forsee a problem as I haven't run into any yet but just about the time I started doing it, the ol' foot would come down. ;)

I also like your idea bout talking to younger teens etc. Hmm...

beenthere · July 09, 2003, 05:29:00 PM

Inspectorwoody
With your grading skills, and interest in working (maybe even making money ;D), I am reminded of a grader I knew in the 60's who would "buy" carloads (that's trains, for the young) of graded lumber (in transit) and have them at a siding somewhere. He would unload a rail car, inspect the lumber, and upgrade it simply by cross-cutting an end off. He would load it back in another car and sell it at the higher grade. Claimed he made very good money. Not sure what the mechanics would be today, but suspect if what I have been told, there is a lot of upgrade potential in graded lumber as it is sold today. You probably would know best if the lumber you grade has any potential to be crosscut (maybe even ripped) to improve its grade and thus its value.

Your mention of the "walnut" question on WWW, makes one wonder if the gentleman wants to sell "log run" when he already has pulled the high grade out for his own use. Its no longer the "log run" when that happens.

Furby · July 09, 2003, 05:49:41 PM

I wonder how much it costs to install a side track along the railway? :P :P :P

;D :D :D :D :D :D

inspectorwoody · July 09, 2003, 06:04:29 PM

There is money to be made in re-man but you have to make sure you are buying a spices that the market allows you enough margin to work with when your talking about cutting off one or two foot or ripping etc. Also sometimes there just isn't anything you can do with a board except call it as. I think this would come down to buying from someone who doesn't have a good reputation so to speak but I don't know. I will have to check into that...maybe the bossman will let me use our facilities :D

Side track....Well just build us a re-man plant equiped with trim saw, rip saw etc. :D

Furby · July 09, 2003, 06:06:49 PM

With THAT kind of money, I'd just get my own mill! Then worry about grade! ;D :D :D :D

dewwood · July 09, 2003, 08:15:36 PM

Gadget,
I think the potential for independent grading would be very good. You would have to clear it with your boss but if you were not competing so to speak it should not be a problem.

I know I would be delighted if I could find someone in this area to come like one day a week or even less often. I have had the short (one week) grading course but it would still be worth it to me to have a grader come in occasionally. I sell some wholesale and I would know before rather than after what grade I would be sellling.

It would not take too many clients to keep pretty busy. They could have enough sawn when you got there to make it worth your time. Some sort of footage charge or straight hourly would probably work.

Good luck!

Dewey

inspectorwoody · July 09, 2003, 08:51:19 PM

Dewy

Where ya located? ;) I'm sure you could have plenty by the time I got there ;D

Still looking at the mill idea Furby ;D Kinda thinking priorities right now....wish my dad would win that dang ol' powerball :D

Furby · July 10, 2003, 04:45:30 PM

Well ya don't think he's gonna give it to you if he does, do ya?

Maybe you could inherit it, soon! ;D

Mark M · July 10, 2003, 08:34:36 PM

Quote...I am a NHLA Ceritifed Inspector. Graduated in the 136th class back in Dec of 2001...

Hey Woody, maybe you should use this time to do some studying and then retake you tests. I'm sure you could improve your scores and then you wouldn't have to go around telling people you graduated 136th in your class.

:D :D :D :D

inspectorwoody · July 10, 2003, 09:04:28 PM

:D :D :D :D Smart Ash :D :D :D

I will have to check into that...I never heard anything about retaking the test etc. while I was down there.

Mark M · July 10, 2003, 09:34:37 PM

You're a good sport Woody 8)

ohsoloco · July 11, 2003, 08:17:29 AM

Ever since the kiddies were done with school, I'm on the four day work week....I love it, but then again, I'm never offered 50 hours a week :( that would be great since I get OT for it ;)

It's quarter after ten in the morning, and I get to sit here on my butt checking out the forestry forum ;D Oh, shoot, I have a bunch of work to do around the house....but it's in the woodshop

inspectorwoody · July 11, 2003, 09:35:28 AM

I would love it if we went to 50 hours a week....our 40 in by Thursday and 10 in on Friday at time and a half ;D ;D But the more ya make the more Uncle Sam thinks he needs for this that or the other :

I went in this morning for a couple of hours and I think I spent more time chatting with the guys about doing this or what if we did this etc. than I did actually work :-/ Spent some time in the headrig getting our feed works set to where we felt they should be and than got to bsing with our electrician ;)

I did get word and its for sure we are getting a Ring Debarker come September ;D Those things are awesome! Saw one in operation down in Vicksburg, Mississippi at the Anderson Tully Plant. It is said the company (no idea on who that is) will have it on display up in Escanaba,MI at the Logging Congress. So if any of you get up that way, you can see what were getting ;)

Now, Here I sit....BORED :D But I do have the Forestry Forum ;D

dewwood · July 11, 2003, 02:04:46 PM

Gadget,

Sorry about not anwering you, I have been busy and out of town for a couple of days.

I am in the extreme northeast corner of Indiana, about two miles from the Ohio line and about seven miles from the Michigan line. Interstate 80 runs right through our property, mile marker 155 on the Indiana Toll Road(I-80). Look for all of the little trees we have planted in the last few years. They sure have grown this year with all of the rain. Stop by if you are ever out this way.

Dewey

inspectorwoody · July 11, 2003, 07:53:20 PM

Dewey

Will do! I have a best friend that is as far as I know going to be based out of Indianapolis as he is into racing etc. so I am sure at some point I will be out that way.

Fla._Deadheader · July 12, 2003, 05:29:27 AM

NOTHING TO DO ??? ??? ???
I'M BORED ??? ??? ???
If I live 2 complete lifetimes, I STILL won't get all the projects finished that I have already started.!!! :

:

I've been to Tom's place. I've been to Dang's place. If you put all 3 of our projects on the same to-do list. We will have to hire a 20 man-person team of eager beavers to help us, and STILL probably won't get caught up !!!

BORED ??? ??? ??? That's what ya get from a Sawmill :

;D ;D

P.S. We get to work all 785 days a year down here, too. No hard rain for us, AND, we STILL ain't catchin up :

:

;) ;)

Sawyerfortyish · July 12, 2003, 06:16:14 AM

IW you need to put up a small mill and in your spare time take up farming. You will find that you will never be bored again. We work 12 to 14 hrs a day 9 days a week and i can say I have never not had somthing to do.Besides you will make almost as much farming as sawmilling :

:D :D

inspectorwoody · July 12, 2003, 06:27:05 AM

:D I would go broke farming around here. The big boys have everything bought up and are putting up hundred thousand plus hog confinements.

Norm · July 13, 2003, 06:38:22 AM

One thing about owning a farm is you never get bored, even if it is a small acreage. We sat out on our back deck this morning watching the barn swallows teach their new babies how to catch bugs. They are like the fighter jets of birds.

btw Dustin, some of the most profitable ag is done on farms that don't grow corn and soybeans. Most are under 40 acres.

Haytrader · July 13, 2003, 06:51:56 AM

I agree Norm, on the small farm thing. Right across the street from my place are 15 of those plastic greenhouses. Takes up maybe 3 acres. This guy makes a lot of $$. He has 3 Harley's now and another new P U showed this week.
Oh, he starts bedding plants from seed and sells a lot whole sale but sells mostly flowers and vegetable plants at Walmart stores and bigger grocery stores. He has 4 delivery trucks and in the spring things are really happening over there. He started out with a 5 acre melon/tomato patch and an old van.
Out here, if you are a wheat farmer, you need at least 1000 acres and a job.

Fla._Deadheader · July 13, 2003, 07:09:29 AM

Absitively correct. There's the ole "Niche Market" thingy, again :

:D :D :D

Sawyerfortyish · July 13, 2003, 07:40:40 AM

IW with that many hogs maybe you should start inspecting meat.!

Fla._Deadheader · July 13, 2003, 09:58:40 AM

Yeah. I wouldn't mind gettin some FAS Bacon. :D :D :D :D

biziedizie · July 13, 2003, 10:06:57 AM

   I went away for 9 days and forgot about the pork chops that were in the fridge and when I came back I thought that there was a dead body in the house. :-[ OMFG did it ever stink! I had to throw the fridge and everything in it out the door. :D
  Now when I go shopping I will not even get near the pig section as it will make me puke just thinking about that day. :D
  I also avoid the section that has all that green stuff in it. Btw what is all that green stuff???


   Steve

Norm · July 13, 2003, 05:51:51 PM

There's a farmer here that raises about 60 acres of sweet corn, he has about 15 carts he pulls behind cars that sit on every street corner within 50 miles. It's all cash and I don't think he lets the IRS in on what he makes. ;D

Friend of mine rents 1500 acres of land to put into corn and soybeans. His wife works full time and he raises 2000 head of piggers (sorry biz, grab a trash can). They work their a##es off and aren't getting any richer than the sweet corn guy.

Haytrader · July 14, 2003, 04:40:11 AM

But Norm, the 1500 acre guy is helping support the machinery dealer, the fertilizer place, and the seed man, and probably pays the wages of one or two employees at the bank.
:(

Norm · July 14, 2003, 05:09:44 AM

Both of these guys run huge operations, the sweet corn guy farms a couple of thousand acres also. My friend custom bales and sells a bunch of hay to the horse people here, he also has a FFL. Now his wife drives a suburban and he has an older corvette in the garage. I guess when I said he wasn't doing any better than the other guy I should have said their both doing pretty good.

Now me I'm the one supporting the bankers. I told my son I'm going to die owing as much debt as I could, he got this worried look until I told him he wouldn't inherit it. :D

I owe I owe so off to work I go.