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On the Road Sawing

Started by Magicman, September 16, 2012, 03:56:32 PM

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Magicman

This job ended up being two different locations for two different previous customers.  The first was 166 miles and was sawing Black Willow.  Wow, that is some pretty stuff.  The setup was on a relatively level spot between the main lakefront and the water.


 
Nice setup.  The logs are in the background.


 
A look from some of the logs.


 
A 35" Black Willow log being brought to the sawmill.  ;D


 
The customer on the right and my helper, Ben, who plays professional football for the Utah Blaze.


 
A closeup look at the Black Willow.


 
One of the lumber whacks.  This lumber will become wall paneling in the customer's new home.


 

The second customer had a small Cypress log and no way to haul it.  We were 27 more miles from the second customer's saw location making me 193 miles from home.



 
The scene of the second sawjob.  A 46" blowdown Pecan.   :-\   In the far background the butt cut is seen being butchered down to sawmill size.



 

Rolling another log to the sawmill.



 
That same log being sawn mostly live edge.  The crotch wood  was spectacular.


 
Butchered down, this thing was still 38" when I loaded it.


 
No way could a sawmill will less hydraulics have handled this log.  It took the log turner and the clamp working together to turn that heavy baby.  I have no Pecan pictures, but the 6/4 lumber from that log was awesome.

This trip was very profitable to both me and the two customers.   I was provided with meals and lodging, they got some very nice lumber, and I also got two nice tips.   smiley_thumbsup
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

Ga Mtn Man

Thanks for sharing the pics MM.  You seem to have that road-tripping thing down to a fine art.
"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.

Chuck White

Looks like it was a nice trip Lynn.

It really says something when the customer throws in a tip!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

pineywoods

Wow !!!!  Move over Jake, you've got some serious competition on the big ones.....
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Magicman

Yup Chuck, 15% tips are nice.

Piney, customsawyer should not even be allowed to see that log.  The saw hands were working on it while I was sawing the other logs.  It took the third saw for them to whittle it down.  I thought that they were going to split it, but they did what they did.   :D

It still took me over 2 hours to reduce it to 6/4 slabs with as much live edge as possible.
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

drobertson

What a life! food, fun and sawdust. and happy custormers.  We all know that those big ones raise a few hairs! so, the humble act can cease.   Happy for you and the folks that benifited from you 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,

Delawhere Jack

That black willow really looks nice, does it grows in the walnut belt? :D

Peter Drouin

Nice job MM, thats a long way to go for 2 trees but when you work for the wealthy anything is possible . and did you hall that log  to the next job?   :o :D :D
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Magicman

It was only one Pecan tree, but probably 3-4 Willow trees.  I was sawing "hourly rate" but the total bf was very close to 4-5Mbf.  Total saw time was 16 hours.

Neither of these customers were wealthy in any monetarily way.  Each are young folks in their late 20's trying to scrap things together and build themselves a home.  They are using whatever resources are available, even these logs that the landowners were going to burn.  I guess that lakefront home in one picture was deceiving, but it did not belong to either customer.

Yup Peter, I hauled that Cypress log 27 miles to the second saw site.  Wonder which log I sawed first  ???
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

clww

I've messed around with a few large pecan trees. HEAVY stuff, for sure! Great looking lumber, Lynn. :)
Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

fat olde elf

Hey Magic !! When are you going to start working with big logs ? Say your prayers....
Cook's MP-32 saw, MF-35, Several Husky Saws, Too Many Woodworking Tools, 4 PU's, Kind Wife.

Chuck White

We have quite a few Black Willows in this area along the waterways!

One of these days, I'll have one of them on my mill.   ;)
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

grweldon

Years ago, when owning a sawmill was a pipedream for me, I had a black willow on my property that was blown down by hurricane Opal.  I have been a woodworker for years and I was having difficulty having to haul away the wood to be burned.  I actually sliced a few pieces with my chainsaw and then resawed them on my small bandsaw (6" max height).  I haven't used any of that lumber, but I still have it and it was really pretty.  It's still in my storage unit.  I wonder if it's dry after about 15 years?
My three favorite documents: The Holy Bible, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.

Magicman

This Black Willow will be used as inside wall paneling and installed horizontally.  He will leave spaces between the boards and then chink.  The inside walls will then look like the outside of a log house.
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

Bogue Chitto

Good job MM.  I like to read about your jobs and pictures.

Magicman

I have gotten PM's voicing concerns about making long road trips.  The possibility of a breakdown does push my "comfort zone", but I have "shook the bush, got my mind right, and decided to eat the eggs". (Cool Hand Luke)

I had debarker troubles on a previous trip, and had a mechanical failure on this trip which I will detail on another thread.   There are generally "work arounds" and ways to keep sawing, but there is always a possibility that something could shut you down.   :-\   That is just a risk that goes with the territory.

Internet generated jobs will always be road trips because the locals already know about my sawing service.  My next scheduled road trip saw job is in Covington, La. which is 202 miles away.
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

downsouth

MM good looking black willow

I actually live very close to Covington I grew up here and still work here, does black willow grow around here?

Meadows Miller

Gday

Lynn Another Top Job and thats some pretty timber  Mate  :) ;) ;D ;D 8) 8)

Regards Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

rmack

Quote from: Magicman on September 18, 2012, 08:22:05 AM
I have gotten PM's voicing concerns about making long road trips.  The possibility of a breakdown does push my "comfort zone", but I have "shook the bush, got my mind right, and decided to eat the eggs". (Cool Hand Luke)

I had debarker troubles on a previous trip, and had a mechanical failure on this trip which I will detail on another thread.   There are generally "work arounds" and ways to keep sawing, but there is always a possibility that something could shut you down.   :-\   That is just a risk that goes with the territory.

Internet generated jobs will always be road trips because the locals already know about my sawing service.  My next scheduled road trip saw job is in Covington, La. which is 202 miles away.

sounds like you are honing the 'working vacation' to a sharp edge.  ;)
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

I picked up an email this morning for sawing: (quote) "I have around 60 trees that are over 20"  in diameter around my house that I would like to turn into building materials. most of the trees are pine (40+) some are oak."

I have not talked with the potential customer yet, because I need to think on it first.  The location would be a bit over 200 miles away from home.   :o  Ouch !!!
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

clww

That sounds like a few days worth of sawing, MM?
Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

Bogue Chitto

I have  people bringing me some of their yard trees that storm Issac laid down MM.  NAILS, NAILS, NAILS!!!  >:( :-[ ::)

Bogue Chitto

Quote from: Bogue Chitto on September 18, 2012, 12:59:51 PM
I have  people bringing me some of their yard trees that storm Issac laid down MM.  NAILS, NAILS, NAILS!!!  >:( :-[ ::)

Magicman

Quote from: Magicman on September 18, 2012, 12:24:21 PM
I picked up an email this morning for sawing: (quote) "I have around 60 trees that are over 20"  in diameter around my house that I would like to turn into building materials. most of the trees are pine (40+) some are oak." 

OK, I have talked with the potential customer and have agreed to saw the job.  It will be December or probably January when he gets the logs ready for sawing.  Looks like I had better be getting my sawing britches dusted off.  The saw job is over 200 miles away from home.
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

Dodgy Loner

At least it will have cooled off by then. Though the weather the past week hasn't been bad :)
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

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