iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

u never know what your getting into...

Started by shelbycharger400, February 06, 2012, 10:17:43 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

shelbycharger400

cold called last night on a craigslist add..   workers wanted :firewood

called him up, he said he has hundreds and hundreds of cords to be cut..
i went today and checked it out.. YEP,,,  IM set for LIFE!
contract is one pickup load to him, one to me.   He knows all the farmers in the area, where the first 2 jobs are i think will take me and 3 buddys many weekends

that dosnt even begin to touch this guys property.     all is on field roads,  i put brush in pile ..   i have already asked about saw logs.. yep, went and looked at a few of those too on another site.   He cant get people to even come out and look let a lone him payin 20 a pickup load using his truck and saw .     best of all its within 7 miles of home.   the guy says HE owns 3 farms and their is tons to be cut their too.   clearing wind rows ,  the overhead sprayers are hitting trees, trees have to go.

thecfarm

Sounds good. I forgot,what have you get for equipment to get the wood out and saw it up. I would enjoy some pictures when you get set up. Sounds like you will be there for a while.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

shelbycharger400

currently, i have about 6 saws.   several chains and cables, chokers, come-a-longs, wedges.  3/4 ton truck . I have 2 case dc tractors.  this summer im putting the loader on the tractor.  i know where a forklift attachment is, havent got a price on that yet.   i will need to purchase a trailer yet.    Hopefully i will be selling a bunch of the firewood off to pay for some equipment i need

big stuff,  i could borrow my parents 3/4 ton diesel and the 16ft trailer with a winch.

lucky that the first 2 sites not much is above 12 in dia.  but on another i looked at their is some in the 20 +  . i will have a camera with this weekend.

shelbycharger400

well... I was their 5 hrs today, just dropping trees.  i didnt use my deere (echo) with a 16 much,   i used the craftsman with a 20 almost all day.  Apparently I didnt look close enough ,  a lot of them the 20 inch bar bairly makes it.   Looks like i need to sell some stuff and buy a bar and chain for the Johnsreds 630 (i aquired this year) It got too dark when i quit for the day, I will take a picture tomorrow before i start.   Im about 1/3 to 1/2 done felling.  treeline im cutting is on the right. Farmer is putting in 2 irrigation sprinklers, the well is already in,  next week they are setting it up.  I have been told  today, that some or all of the left tree line is also going,  and all of the north line is going this fall.  That is just in this field.

  

 

We get the barn/ house too, im glad i asked about it last week as the farmer said that he was going to push it into a pile this spring.  I have into fall to take it down, its in the north tree line,  a swath that is around 50 ft wide,   both sides of this field combined ,he said is 50 acres.  thier is a field behind the house/barn tree line too.
a few hundered oak, then a few hundred pine, then  a few hundred eastern red cedar.    I think BOTH of my mills will be running this fall!

WDH

Thats a whack for sure!  Looks like an alien spaceship landed in front of the old barns in the last pic.  Has Swampdonkey been over for a visit? :)  ;D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

doctorb

I am truly ignorant on the subject, but I think I remember that there's a market for weathered old barn timber like that.  It looks great as paneling.  You could take that stuff down, saving the lengths as much possible, and sell it as is, without condemning it to firewood, and probably get more for it.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

shelbycharger400

yea, im going to be selling the barnwood as is,  the small house is pine,  the barn is cedar siding, and pine stringers i think.

DeerMeadowFarm


JohnW

Hey, shelbycharger400 that's an interesting deal, one load for him, one load for you.  Do you give him a load, cut, split and delivered?  Is this the going rate?

shelbycharger400

load to him is cut to 20-22 inch, delivered, 4 miles from site cutting to his farm, unsplit.   'nother gig he said he has is we need to have atleast 12 pickup loads ready/ split for may 1st,   he has some contract for 200 to 300 campsites in a campground that has no lake with it.  truck had some brake issues, having to put it in neutral to stop, now crossing my fingers,  just finished fixing the brakes in my truck,  new shoes, spring kit,  wheel cylinders, and formed up new lines from master cylinder back to the wheel cylinders... and when it was apart, checked the spindle bearings, lubed them with gear lube and put in new grease seals  (dana 60 full floater)o and if your wondering they are 2 9/16 nuts, i didnt have one,  i made a 2 3/4 socket work, I will be haulin a few loads tomorrow if all works out well. Some of the larger logs i think are going to a pulp mill in northern mn, depending upon $,  they said they take 8 inch up, i think he said they are payin up to 20/cord they haul, with 10 cords to a pulp truck at 100 inches long, limbs cut flush with log. and the stipulation if they load a bad log, they reject the whole load.  (so they keep it up in brainerd? i dont know. ..  200 i think is kinda light.   i might just haul them off, and mill them later..lol . 

Corley5

  Based on my experience it seems to me that the landowner is getting the best deal here.  I pay four dollars a face cord/ 12 dollars a full cord if you prefer  ;) :) for cut split firewood stumpage.  Lot of work to split it 50/50 if the landowner isn't doing anything but supplying the wood to cut.  If he's helping and supplying equipment that's different
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

MDLogging

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the concept, but to me it sounds like alot of work for what your getting as far as the firewood goes.  The barn lumber could be a good deal though.

shelbycharger400

land owner isnt getting any of the wood here, he wants it all gone!  the guy who contracted this is getting a truckload ect..   actually today,  he got one, and i took one,   later filled up again after a buddy came out to help... he said take it to my house, and loaded buddys blazer too. last week,   he bought 2 limbing saws for us to use,  one is mine now,    also have to note, the landowner has been  pulling the trees out into the field with a big tractor so its easier for us to limb them. contracter guy, was out yesterday for 8 hrs limbing,  and was out for 6 hrs today doing same,  and was helping loading today too. land owner and contractor are both in panic mode now... a buddy and i have been the only ones showin up to cut.   several others have been no shows

Corley5

Do have a market for the firewood beyond your own needs or are you stockpiling for yourself for upcoming heating seasons  ???
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

TeaW

u never know what your getting into... is really a true statement when you are talking about fence rows.If you are cutting the trees and pileing the brush you should be getting paid!
TeaW

Buck

I think you will learn over time that halves is a tough way to go. Just not enough meat on the bone. If you can keep him and his equipment active in the process the better off you are. Keep us posted.
Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.

Live....like someone left the gate open

westyswoods

No matter how you cut it and or work it, halves, dollars or what ever making fire wood easy and or inexpensive is not easy. Been doing it on and off for over 25 years. Sold for five, while being very careful to give dry quality and quantity to buyers. 120 per full cord twenty years ago. When it was all said and done maybe made 8 bucks an hour and got my own wood.

Too many of us forget the hidden cost of processing, let alone the time which is spent prepping to cut, maintenance, delivery and more. I never paid for and or split shares of wood.

Presently I am select cutting my neighbors woods. All wood not going to the mill is pulled and will be used as firewood. Man does it add up. In the last ten days took down twelve trees in one section, have thirty six logs for the mill. Oak, cherry, ash, hickory, maple  min being12 inches most around 20 to 28 inchs. Just finished this morning getting all tops cleaned limbed out and to a landing and or cut to firewood stacked in the woods. Brush piles for wildlife habitat and all junk trees down and stumps treated. Looks great and going well so far no equipment breakdowns.

Thursday of this week my felling man is coming ( I am too old and slow to do it )besides will not work alone. We hope to take at least another 12 to 15 down.

I don't know what the market will bring for the logs at the mill. This is first time for me but if it were not for getting the fire wood along with 60 percent of profit doubt it would be worth it.

When this venture started I began a journal with the intent of keeping specific records of time and cost. To this point keeping up very well. Some of the items being logged are: Man hours, including maint time with saws. Fuel consumption for saws. Skid steer hours per day along with fuel consumption.

The good side of this is the property is adjacent to my own land, no travel time involved and landing is on my property at the edge of the woods being cut. I don't have to hire a trucker to get to the mill. Owners have semi and trailer.

The moral of the above is in my humble opinion there is no silver bullet when it comes to doing this. Keep close track of ALL cost and time. I would not do it for 50/50.

Presently looking for a conveyor and may be looking into building a wood processor. Oh yeah another project just what I need. Shop is full right now and I mean full.

Yep you never know do you.

Stay Safe Westy
Stay Safe and Be Healthy
Westy

shelbycharger400

He wasnt out today,  actually he shouldnt be doin anything beings 2 weeks ago he had a major sergery.  Only 2 heavy pickup loads out today, a  buddy of mine was out helping me again, we were workin on just limbin the logs, theirs no way we are goin to have time cutting all the limbs into firewood, so we decided that cutting them into roughly 6 to 8 ft long will let us take all the bigger stuff.  soon as the land owner fixes his skidder, he is going to move the logs out of the field, into another tree line,   One side is officially done!   got the word , he needs it done in 2 weeks,  he is starting the burn piles.   no problem...   we only did one side  in 4 days (2 weekends) and spent a lot of time cutting the truckloads.     

Yes i have an outlet,  last year i sold almost 2 cords, every piece  i had.    the contract guy said he  has a contract with a campground, so  he said , we need about 12 truckloads ready for may ,  what i have here ready,  i get the $  for.

shelbycharger400

well... survived the weekend again!    land owner ran the skid loader for 5 hrs yesterday mostly non stop,  he was kinda supprised how much wood was cut.   he showed up around 8 or so this morning,  ran it almost all day til a tire developed a hole, around 3,  had it fixed,  and was still running when i left at 5.  they were loading it on a hd trailer,  moving the trailer with a tractor, and unloading it up by the barn.    saturday, he was just moving them by skidder and was taking wayyyyy too long he said.

i dropped the last 25 trees today, and limbed them all,  and constantly going up and down the feild as he flipped them over ,  cutting limbs off.
tomorrow  i will take pictures of the log piles,  he said he will be out their all day tomorrow moving logs, i said to him this morning,  he will have a full day  ;)
contractor (kerry) said he will be out their tomorrow, with another helper, cutting tops and polewood that i just left, trying to get all the big logs done .      sofar,  i think i have taken about 6 or 7 full! truckloads of anything 2 inches up to 12 inches.

i was told the land owner is going to be pushing brush and torching it this week,   maybe tomorrow after work, the pine job will be done...  hopefully !  im ready to light a match.  smiley_airfreshener   everything smells like a pine tree now.    clothes, truck,  gloves, ect ect.

side note,  not shure what project is next.... a few hundred cords on another piece of the farmers property,   or another farmers place....  about 40 cords of already limbed white oak. .   all  i know is  a haunting ordeal..   i have a 6 foot.... yes  6 foot diameter cotton wood that i have to drop still at the pine site,  and a few hundred cedars too.     

Clam77

This is the type of fun job that people envy you for....  I envy you...    :D

And you couldnt have picked a better winter to do it either.... mild days (for the most part).. lots of sun.. no bugs.. no weeds..    8)
Andy

Stihl 009, 028, 038, 041, MS362
Mac 1-40, 3-25

MHineman

  I don't know about your winter, but ours has been sloppy.  Way too much rain and almost no frozen ground.
1999 WM LT40, 40 hp 4WD tractor, homemade forks, grapple, Walenstein FX90 skidding winch, Stihl 460 039 saws,  homebuilt kiln, ......

Woodchuck53

Evening Shelby. I wish I was closer to that barn project. I spent a lot of time on a service route in MN. and would see those old barns all over the place. I mentioned to the boss that I would like to find something like that for our paneling in the game room. She didn't forget but found out real quick we couldn't afford any thing down here in LA.

What would you guys get for wall quality boards up there? The old pine or cypress down here was $3.00 and up a BF depending on width.

Needless to say I stipped all the 1x12 pine off the barn and salvaged enough of that to do it. She's happy and that's not bad at the end of the day. It had been stained with pure crude oil 25, or 30 years ago and looks fine on the wall with polyurathane on it.
Case 1030 w/ Ford FEL, NH 3930 w/Ford FEL, Ford 801 backhoe/loader, TMC 4000# forklift, Stihl 090G-60" bar, 039AV, and 038, Corley 52" circle saw, 15" AMT planer Corley edger, F-350 1 ton, Ford 8000, 20' deck for loader and hauling, F-800 40' bucket truck, C60 Chevy 6 yd. dump truck.

Buck

Sounds like it is going well for you. Congrats!
Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.

Live....like someone left the gate open

shelbycharger400

well... final day today on this project ... i was their after work,  from 3:30 to 6,  loaded a buddys buddys truck,  cutting and loading mine, my truck loaded down , getting dark, loaded buddys blazer..  final stick to cut,  saw got really loud and raspy.  It was the poulan  14 inch.   less than 2 weeks old.  maybe 30 hrs run time on it.   i think the wrist pin is out on it, who knows..  best or worse part about it,  kerry was right their too and heard it as well. i shut it down quickly, looked it over,  fired it back up...still their...  aaagh...  just as it started to get broke in and running good.  he asked tonight,  is the gas mixed right,  i said yea,  same as what i have been running in mine..  in the 30 to 35 :1 ratio,  i always run it thick in cold temperature.

as far as the barn,  talking to the farmer/owner ,  i have until spring plant to take the barn down i guess.  he has to wait for frost i think anyway,   he is putting a pivot right where it is.    i told him to doze the house, i dont want any of that.
im not shure what im going to sell that wood for,   its kinda rough most of it.  but id imagine the right buyer wouldnt care ,  and it is oak.    their is a few hand hewn beams in the one side floor too.  i told the farmer i wanted those too.

Thank You Sponsors!