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Big cypress at Braddock's Farm again.

Started by Tom, December 15, 2004, 01:10:30 PM

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Tom

I've been busier than a one armed paper hanger and just about discombobulated as one can be.  My jobs in Folkston have been hard to schedule and now Dalton's barn has burned to the ground.  He needed boards right away so I dropped what I was doing up there and came back to Jacksonville to make him some lumber.

Dalton is a Friend/customer who makes horse-drawn carriages and wagons.  He spent the day in the shop and went to the house for super only to see the barn in flames an hour later.  It can't be determined what caused it but it was surmised that wiring was at fault.  The barn, actually barn complex, was wood and contained all of his special tools. He had machines for putting rubber tires on carriage wheels, jigs for wheels and tongues for the wagons.   All manner of stuff that a normal woodworker wouldn't use but are particular to someone of this trade.'

The insurance on his property wouldn't cover anything because the barn was over 100 feet from the house and wasn't insured independently.  He was devastated.

Mr. Braddock took down some choice Pines and a big cypress.  The pines were for a new shed for Dalton to start up in again and to store any salvage that might come from the ashes.  We cut about 4000 feet of 1.5x4x 20 in the past 2 days to get him started.  The turnout was great.  Groundhog, the crusty old Marine I've mentioned before, was there and so was Mr. Braddock, Dalton, Mr. Scarouroough and his son.  I don't know what we would have done without his boy.  He was tippy toeing all over the mill getting stuff that none of the rest could reach.  He was handling over half of the off-bearing as well as sawing logs, tending to the tractor hook-ups and not letting any of us older fellows pick up anything that might strain us.  I was impressed.

Here are some pictures I took today of the cypress.  I thought y'all would enjoy seeing 27 inch boards.  

Mr. Scarborough and his son, on the left, Dalton and Mr. Braddock on the right, holding two 27 inch mirror image cypress boards.


Mr. Braddock and Dalton stand beside one of the cypress logs.  This one was the second cut above the one that produced the 27 inch boards. You can see that the base of the tree was composed of several stems that had grown together.  It made for some interesting looking boards.  

I put this log on the mill with the little stem on the top and cut boards down to the main stem.  Then cut the main stem up into 14 inch boards.


Just another picture of the 27 inch boards after they were put on the trailer. There were 5 that I cut just shy of 5/4 and two that cut at 6/4.  .......plus a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff.

Now I have to get my mind settled and start getting back in the grind up in Georgia.  If I can get hold of the Doctor, it looks like the Satilla  Lodge is next.

iain

Nice slicing and good of you to go straight back, :) sounds like you need that grounhog to go alound with you ;)



 iain

cutterboy

Tom, how cold was it there? Everyone is bundled up pretty good. I wouldn't have thought it would get very cold in Florida.

Those wide cypress boards are beautiful.
To underestimate old men and old machines is the folly of youth. Frank C.

Tom

With the exception of a couple of hours in the afternoon, it was in the high 30's.  Water puddles in the road were frozen in the morning and the wind howled all day.

Gilman

Tom,
Nice of you to go to the friend in the most need

Maybe you should come up here to Washington to warm up a bit :)  I assume Groundhog is in the upper left corner in your first picture?

WM LT70, WM 40 Super, WM  '89 40HD
Cat throwing champion 1996, 1997, 1999. (retired)

Tom

Thanks for the invite to Washington. Brrrrrrr-r-r-rr!  It's warming up here already. ;D

Groundhog was there the first day and I didn't have the camera.  He was at Dalton's helping with the shed today when I went by and I didn't have the picture.  What luck!

I'll have to make a point of getting a picture of him to show to you.  

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