iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Dr. Mohebbi

Started by Den Socling, January 17, 2012, 06:31:53 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Den Socling

A couple of you may remember Dr. Mohebby from when I had him at the forum in the drying board. He is from the University of Tehran. We talked about vacuum kilns on  this forum. He now wants to buy a vacuum kiln from me. I don't even know if it's possible. I don't know if I should sell him one. What do you think? Should I send a vacuum kiln to Iran?

Corley5

Can they use it as a base for a nuke ???  I'd sure check with the somebody about the legalities :)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Den Socling

The legalities are a major concern. I would require him to set up an American company and they would have to ship the kiln to Iran.

Ga_Boy

Den,

Before you make a decision, you should check with the Department of State.  They maintain the list of countries and technologies that are banned for international trade.

If you need any help on this let me know.  I worked for the Diplomatic Security Service for 5 years, I still know a few folks over there. 





Mark
10 Acers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

rockman

In light of the current relationship between the USA and Iran, I feel it would be in poor taste to trade with them weather it's legal or not.  >:(

Kevin
kioti ck-20 loader backhoe, box blade, disk, log arch
Husqvarna 455 rancher
Lincoln Ranger 10,000 welder

Den Socling

Mark,
Thanks for the offer. i didn't know you had that experience.

Kevin,
I'll take that as a "no sale". Thank you for your opinion.

Den

Norm

Den I had the unpleasant experience of shipping an ultrasound system to a country with sanctions. Actually I shipped it to a neighboring country and they diverted it to theirs. Let me warn you it was a veryyyyyyy unpleasant experience.

Den Socling

Thanks Norm. I am beginning to think I want to stay away from this deal!

Kansas

I think I would do as stated, talk to the state department. Find out if you can, if you can't don't try it. If you can, with their approval, I would do it. Here are the reasons why. I cannot imagine that being used for subversive purposes. Second, if he was a FF member and was a good guy, I think that should trump over politics. Just my personal opinion. And not wanting to get political, but sooner or later that regime will fall. Their whole economy is based on oil. Unemployment is rampant. They have a yearning for things Western, from music to manufactured goods. I kind of developed this philosophy back when I saw what grain embargos did to the farm economy years ago. The only people that get hurt is us and the little guy over there. It never touches the leaders.


Norm

I'll add that I contacted the state dept, treasury was the one that spanked me. What the state dept and dept of commerce thought was ok was not what the treasury dept thought.

Ignorance of the rules is no excuse, even if you can not find out what the rules are.

Kansas

After Norm's post, if you think you might like to do it, contact the various government agencies for advice. You might get a quick answer that would put it to rest. If any say no, don't do it. And if they all say its okay, use a company that specializes in this kind of stuff, to put you at arms length. There have to be companies that specialize in this kind of stuff. No point in paying them though, if the government gives you a quick no.

Den Socling

Yes, Kansas. I always got the idea that he is a good guy. He emailed pictures of his class in front of conventional kilns. I was surprised to see how "normal" they looked. He also sent pictures of a vacuum kiln that they had built at the university. I posted them here but I can't find the thread. It's been a few years. If it does look like a sale, I'll get each government agency to give me approval in writing.

Den Socling

As I was writing the last post, I realized that I would still have pictures in my gallery. These are pictures of Dr. Mohebby's class and his vacuum kiln. They don't look like a bunch of terrorist, do they.



  



 

 

 

 

Satamax

Hi everybody.

Well, one thing comes to mind. Any metalworking shop can do an airtight tank which can take a bar per square centimeter of presure. I bet that's not too complicated over there, they most certainly have compressors or else which can be reversed. I don't see the regulating system being too complicated to make either.

So, why does he want to buy from you?

Here's my thought.
French CD4 sawmill. Latil TL 73. Self moving hydraulic crane. Iveco daily 4x4 lwb dead as of 06/2020. Replaced by a Brimont TL80 CSA.

ronwood

One thing to remember many of those folks in Iran are no different than us. Its the radicals and politicians that are to a large extent the issue.

Ron
Sawing part time mostly urban logs -St. Louis/Warrenton, Mo.
LT40HG25 Woodmizer Sawmill
LX885 New Holland Skidsteer

Kansas

Looking at those pics, that group nearly could have passed for a group of kids from K-State or KU that occasionally come to the mill for projects. I don't remember this guy; might have been before my time on here. I would be really interested if you pursue this, on the answers you find. Back in the 70's, there was a lot of demand for the white wood of hackberry in the Middle East, so I have been told. I heard loggers tell of getting 35 cents back then for the good logs. Now we give pallet price for it, 22 cents. Exactly where all that lumber went, and why demand dried up, I don't know. Its a shame because it really takes over our forests here.

Had a couple of Iranians as customers that had moved to the K-State area. They were a real pain in the butt in some ways, but you couldn't help but like them. Heard a few stories they told about living there. That is not a place I would want to live.

DanG

I remember Dr. Mohebbi.  I exchanged a few PMs with him when he was here.  He seemed like a very nice man.  I have mixed feelings about this potential deal.  I'd hate to see any of our members get embroiled in unpleasantries with the Government, and I'm not keen on the idea of trading with them while they are making war noises.  However, I strongly favor this kind of grass roots diplomacy, where people develop one-on-one relationships across the boundaries, especially where one of them is in such an influential position with the young people.  We will never develop a peaceful relationship with that part of the world if their young folks only hear about us from those who hate us.

Norm, I'd be interested to know what Treasury's gripe was if State had already approved the sale.  It sounds like they have a surplus of bureaucrats if they have time to plunder in another department's business. ::)
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Den Socling

Well I just sent the Dr. a friendly email. A sale would take months so there is plenty of time to study the legal problems. As ronwood and Kansas said, we have no quarrel with the Iranian people. And as DanG said, grass roots diplomacy is good. I have always liked to do it. I often monitor kilns for weeks or months while operators are trained. Maybe I'll end up being a good influence to Iranian students for years to come.

Ga_Boy

Den and Norm,

I stumbled across an interesting tidbit this morning during a conversation with the General Counsel's office.

The Department of the Tresuary maintains the Excluded Parties List, this is a list of entities that US interests are barred from doing business with.  If you go to http://www.treas.gov/ofac you will find information on how to search this list for barred entities.

I hope this helps.

10 Acers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Den Socling

Yikes. It read "virtually all trade" is prohibited. Also mentions a $1,000,000,000 fine and 20 years in prison. That's enough to worry a fellow. Also listed is a bunch of possible schemes to get around the rules. No go.

Kansas

I did some further research on this. I am not certain you cannot do it. Obviously, you would want everyone signed off on it that could possibly matter. It probably wouldn't be worth all the trouble, but it would be an interesting journey finding out the answers.

As near as I can tell, bras are exported to Iran. Agricultural commodities, along with medical supplies. Odd assortment.

Thank You Sponsors!