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Just When You Thought You'd Seen Everything !

Started by DR_Buck, August 04, 2012, 01:34:06 PM

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DR_Buck

Had a customer call the other day.  Said he had 3 cherry logs he wanted to bring out to be milled.  I told him OK, come Saturday morning and I'll do them while you wait.   .....   ...........  .......     9:30 AM, here comes a Toyota Prius up the driveway.   smiley_headscratch   Turns out it's the customer with the cherry logs.   I ask, "So, when are you logs arriving?"   He answers, "They're in the back".    smiley_speechless

His 3 cherry logs were 8" diameter, and 31", 32" and 34" lengths. lol lol lol     Now I'm hoping he don't want them cut into 12 ft 2 by 8s.  :D :D   

I spent 25 minutes cutting them into 6/4 pieces and charged him $25.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

levans

I'm thinking the next one to call you will be ask "and how big are these "logs" you want cut" :D ???

kelLOGg

You just never know. I had a friend email me that she had a "very large" poplar log in her yard left over from a lightening damaged tree. The top had been removed this this was all that was left. I went to take a look: it was only about 5 feet long but 52" diameter! :o. I had to leave it :(. Out of my league.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

jcbrotz

I had a older gentleman call about me cutting 3 logs for him, I told him for me to drive to saw them it would be hardly worth it. Well low and behold I get a call from a guy a mile away about cutting up 1000'ish BDFT we set up times best for all and I go and do the 1000 ft job first the thinking 3 logs no problem I would be home before dinner well 2200 foot later I had sawed the most beautiful cheastnut oak I had ever seen and maybe will ever see!( I was late for dinner but worth it) Hope not but prolly my luck I should have asked for a piece but didn't, it looked like a tiger head within the quatersawn grain all the way down the 10 foot log! :o
2004 woodmizer lt40hd 33hp kubota, Cat 262B skidsteer and way to many tractors to list. www.Brotzmanswoodworks.com and www.Brotzmanscenturyfarm.com

mikeb1079

had a similar thing happen to me a few months back.  i rarely saw for others but this guy stopped by and asked if i'd mill some apple "logs" for him.  he was a really nice fella so i said sure bring em by.  just like your guy he showed up with the "logs" in a tiny hatchback.  ah well that's how it goes sometimes.    ::)  only problem is that clamping small logs is a total pita.  however, apple sure is pretty lumber!   8)

that's why you must play di drum...to blow the big guys mind!
homebuilt 16hp mill
99 wm superhydraulic w/42hp kubota

POSTON WIDEHEAD

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

rmack

Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on August 04, 2012, 08:36:49 PM
I have a $50.00 minimum. I stick to it!  :)

"I am stuck on band-aid, cuz band- aids stuck to me"
:D
the foundation for a successful life is being able to recognize what to least expect the most... (anonymous)

Welder Bob
2012 LT40HDSD35 Yanmar Diesel Triple
1972 Patrick AR-5
Massey Ferguson GC2410TLB Diesel Triple
Belsaw Boat Anchor

Magicman

Those little jobs are really funny if for no reason just to make you laugh.   :D :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

dgdrls

Little Jobs/logs are just the ones I'm trying to get and build on.

Best DGDrls



drobertson

Quote from: DR_Buck on August 04, 2012, 01:34:06 PM
Had a customer call the other day.  Said he had 3 cherry logs he wanted to bring out to be milled.  I told him OK, come Saturday morning and I'll do them while you wait.   .....   ...........  .......     9:30 AM, here comes a Toyota Prius up the driveway.   smiley_headscratch   Turns out it's the customer with the cherry logs.   I ask, "So, when are you logs arriving?"   He answers, "They're in the back".    smiley_speechless

His 3 cherry logs were 8" diameter, and 31", 32" and 34" lengths. lol lol lol     Now I'm hoping he don't want them cut into 12 ft 2 by 8s.  :D :D   

I spent 25 minutes cutting them into 6/4 pieces and charged him $25.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

drobertson

Sounds like you did the right thing. I once had a phone call from fellow coming back from WV. He had two large cherry logs. Yes I can cut, no I did not ask how long they were. They were 5 footers, made nearly 300 ft of 4 inch slabs of the prettiest cherry I have seen. The butt was too big to keep live edges so we had to cut one side down. He was still very happy. I think the 50 buck min. is not a bad Idea on the small short jobs. but this one paid 100 bucks. Keep up the good work.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

WDH

I don't custom cut much, but I did this for an old friend.  Amazing how little most people know about what we do  :).  The log in the back has spiral grain  :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

Ga Mtn Man

I'm guessing you had to get customsawyer to help with that whack o' cedar. :D :D :D
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

Jim_Rogers

I had a fellow email me last week. He wanted me to haul my mill to his site some 30 miles away to saw up two 4' x 24" walnut logs.

I explained to him that he should load them into his truck or trailer and bring them over here. and I'd saw them for him here for $140 as I had a $500 minimum to bring my mill to him.

He said that they weren't worth $140 of milling.....

I don't know what he was thinking I was going to charge.

These people have no idea what I have to go through to load up the mill and haul it out to their site.

I have to load my truck with all the tools, I might need, and use. That can take an hour.
I have to disconnect my six foot bed extension from the mill so I can fold it up to roll it out.
That takes an hour. I have to re-hook it back up again later when I come back, that takes an hour. I have to drive to his site, that could take an hour. Drive back takes an hour, un-load truck again, an hour. So for $140 I've spent 6 hours of not sawing just to got there an saw two 4' pieces of 24" walnut.

Rant done.......

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

DR_Buck

Quote from: WDH on August 06, 2012, 08:47:27 AM
I don't custom cut much, but I did this for an old friend.  Amazing how little most people know about what we do  :).  The log in the back has spiral grain  :D.


You could also say .....   Amazing most people know how little we do     ;D :D ;D  :D ;D  :D  ;D  :D ;D



Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Solomon

I'd say you're in the ball park Jim.  I have a 500.00 minimum as well.  My logmaster sets up in about 30 min.  But  I still have to load all my tools, saws ,fuel and burn my fuel and time just getting to the site.
  I just can't travel  25 miles or more to saw two logs.   If a customer has  a lot of logs/ plenty of work, I can saw hard woods for about  .60 cents per bf.   Assuming the logs have been yarded , their clean, and accessable where I can pull the mill up beside a nice neat pile of logs and go right to work.   I've turned away a lot of jobs because the customer didn't have their ducks in a row, and expected way to much for what they wanted to pay.  Several of them have call me back a couple of weeks later after they did some shoping around and got good education.  That's when I increase my price a little.  I don't gouge anyone but I feel like it's worth an extra hundred for having to come back a second time.
And there's only two of us in my area willing to come to you and saw.
The average person had no clue what we are up against.     Pete   Chasapeake, Virginia
Time and Money,  If you have the one, you rarely have the other.

The Path to Salvation is narrow, and the path to damnnation is wide.

Al_Smith

 :D Peoples perception of things can vary .What some might consider as "logs " many of us consider firewood fodder .

Several years ago my wife and I visted her cousin who lived then in Birmingham Ala .She was worried to death about what she termed was a "huge " dead oak she feared might hit the house .

So I packed my climbing gear ,ropes ,saws ,spurs and belt in the truck of the Caddy and off we went .It turned out to be about an 18" diameter oak 50 feet tall 100 feet from the house .I put it on ground and was done in less than an hour .Just depends on how you look on things I suppose . ;)

Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry Forum,  Solomon.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Todd

took my mill about 90 miles south for a demo with the Ohio State Extension once...asked where the logs I was to mill were..told that they were in the back of one of the guys pickups...6' long 9" dia sassafrass!  As I start to mill he asks me "Slapping those a little heavy, aren't ya?"  I said "I'm not use to milling firewood!"

Slabbing I meant..I hardly ever slap wood! ;D
Making somthing idiot-proof only leads to the creation of bigger idiots!

sigidi

Wow 25 mile!! even 90 Mile sheesh - I have a range of around 350k (210mile) with me somewhere in between and have gone 330k (198mile) each way for a cut job. I'm currently driving about 70k (42mile) in the morning, trying to have the mill running at 0730, milling the day, driving the 70k home, then doing it all again the next day. But I'm hungry for work and will go where the logs are. Most I'll go is 100k (60 mile) each way for a days cutting
Always willing to help - Allan

Todd

Well, my 90 mile one-way was a volunteer thing for the demo.
Making somthing idiot-proof only leads to the creation of bigger idiots!

redbeard

Well this thread might be a good spot for this post or the wood shed. I got a call from a customer to pick up some doug fir logs to be milled, being a stationary mill I haul the logs to my mill then mill them for a bf price plus charge a little for hauling. Customers usually pick up there lumber. Anyway back to the story, So I got to talking with the customer and he assured me there was pleanty of room for my truck to pic the logs so I just went ahead  and drove truck there. Usually I will check out site and see if all is good before I drive boom truck. He also gave me a gate code, I said cant you just open it when I get there he said he was busy and to just use code. When we arrived at gate my helper larry and I just kind of turned and looked at eachother and said this will be interesting. All n all they were great people and I asked permisson to photo the entrance. The metal gate had some amusing characters cut out of metal plate and welded to gate.

  

  

  

 
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

clww

Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

POSTON WIDEHEAD

DanG REDBEARD....if that gate was in S.C. , the Baptist would be out there bright and early filing down them points! :D


What's that in the tree in your last photo? Bigfoot?
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

redbeard

yes that owl stayed close by waiting for dinner he wouldnt fly away. Think it was a wood owl or great horn.
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

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