[dirtclod]

Thanks for the input Darren,
We've sold all the lumber we've milled so far with the exceptions of logs we milled for others and what we use ourselves. But now things are changing as we're trying to limit the amount we mill for others and get around to all the logs and trees we've been given. We have ample storage and some local buyers. But that doesn't mean we want to keep it indefinately. We've probably got somewhere between 20-45000 bf available for milling. Most of that is best suited to uses other than construction lumber. If sales don't keep up then we'll cut back.

""Does this price look right" kinda sounds bad, even if the price is good." Was partially tounge-in-cheek/partially serious. I'll take reasonable customer input to adjust for the market. I can usually tell the difference between a snow job and good advice.

mike,
I'll discuss this with my brother. Many promising pieces get turned into firewood or are milled into deminsion limber. As we speak, I've got several walnut blocks that'll be firewood if I don't stop my brother in time. We also have a small walnut stump that has the sapwood rotted off of it. I was thinking about milling it but it's available. I also have a small yellowwood log that may still be good.

 

[IowaWoodcrafter]

I am intrigued. Do you offer shipping to Iowa? Where is E-town? Is that Elizabethtown, over near Fort Knox?

 

[bbrooks]

I like the prices on your wood DC. Too bad you are not closer to me, as shipping to California would be a killer. Otherwise, I could use some of that Oak and Poplar.

 

[herbert]

I would like to make a fireplace mantle out of quartersawn Oak white or red. What would the cost be and is there a minimum bf to purchase.

 

[TreeBones]

I love cutting wood and experience has shown me that you develop a marketet by pursuing your dream with a passion. Don't be afraide to cut cut cut and stockpile the sizes of material that people are asking for. Never stop asking questions and looking for customers. I am just now getting better at shipping. I like to mill from a cut list and have it picked up at the mill site but don't wait for the customers, just save your best logs for the ones who really want to be there or have the ability to make a pick up. Sounds like you will do good. http://westcoastlands.net/GreenSale.html

 

[dirtclod]

I'm trying my hand (and patience) at posting pictures on this forum.

Spalted black gum (tupelo) and sycamore:

Another spalted black gum

14-16'+ walnut logs


White oak w/nice crotch


Big cherry w/crotch

 

[dirtclod]

I apoligize to all who have sent me private messages and didn't get a timely response. I'm still trying to get use to this board and seem to be experiencing a major delay in it telling me that new messages have been received.

Scott - as yet I haven't cut any mantels. The big issues are checking and movement during drying. Checking can be minimized by cutting and drying methods. Movement is dealt with by cutting methods (Free-of-heart-center and quartersawing) and by resawing once it has had a chance to dry. This is a long-term project and I don't have any dry and ready. Some people like to have some defects to add character. We have some candidate trees. What's your preference?

Treebones - we've already started cutting but have been pressed for time on another project. Hopefully it will be out of the way soon and we'll be able to turn up the volume in the next few weeks.

 

[bbrooks]

Some nice looking trees there. I bet there will be some nice lumber for someone soon.

 

[herbert]

I am going to make the Mantle out of 4/4 lumber. What I would like to get is quartersawn red oak or white oak. I would buy 200 to 300 bd ft.

 

[dirtclod]

We've milled a little bit. All is sickered on the trailer and due to be restacked or sold.

Bastard-sawn 1×6 hickory…bookmatching possible but will crook some during drying.


Some red oak 1×8s w/ low-grade white oak on top. Sorry - too lazy to tear the stack apart.

 

[bbrooks]

Tell Obi about the hickory!

 

[JoeLyddon]

Yep, I'm another Californian…

Individually, it's almost impossible to get some good lumber out our way…

If we grouped together, do you other Californians (Left Coasters), think, if we consolidated our orders into one large order… with shipping, somehow, out to us drop-shipped, or drop-shipped a chunk to certain spots where locals could then converge and get what they ordered… something like that…

Do you think it would work?

It would take a lot of work coordinating & grouping the orders to their destinations… it would seem that orders would have to be prepaid… I could volunteer to help out… Would take a lot of cooperation. Everyone would have to be willing to drive a few miles to pickup their orders.

Comments?

DirtClod, if you received orders to the Left Coast could you mark or rope-up the orders to form Drop Ship groups? Could you load a truck with said orders (paying attention to the Order Sequence of loading, for unloading)?

Do we have anyone with shipping background, trucks, etc. that could coordinate the pickup and delivery to the various Drop points? How would the Cost per order be calculated?

Anyone want to try it… if anyone is interested?

 

[bbrooks]

All good questions Joe. You are right, it is tough for the individual to get the really good prices here. The local hardwood dealers have decent prices, but I have to pick and choose my own wood. I am sure the bigger accounts get theirs pre-selected and better quality. It would be nice to order say 200 BdFt of Red Oak, and know I will get nice straight grain, 4/4 clear stock without paying an arm and a leg for it.

Any other thoughts on shipping from anyone?

 

[dirtclod]

Sorry about the delayedc reply. There has been a couple of injuries (not mill related), one illness and bad weather keeping us from the mill. But we've made some progress the last few weekends. Hope to be milling tomorrow.

Joe, I don't know if such a setup would work. But it sounds good provided 1- you can get enough buyers togather in your area and, 2- they have a supplier with enough selection that your buyers can get a large enough order from that single source to make it worth everone's trouble. If the demand is high enough the vacuum created will be fillled by someone. It isn't impossible that we could get one togather. Let's see what happens…

We've gotten busy ithe last couple of weekends and milled some logs. Some of it was pretty unusual:

That's a 8' 6×6 spalted sassafras. A short section was wetted in the 3rd picture. We're thinking about giving this away to the 1st customer that picks up a $100.00 worth of lumber.

Next up is what I like to call "spalted wormy maple". 5 boards, 1×6", 9'11" long. 2 bookmatches?:

5 more boards, 1×6, 8'6" long, 2 bookmatches:

Unwetted:

Some wetting:

Next is some unusual hickory. (You'll find a picture of a stack of 1×6 boards from the same tree elsewhere in this thread.) My brother made some 1×6 boards a couple months back from 2 logs out of this tree. It had some interesting figure. I opened the 3rd log two weeks ago. I was stunned. Beautiful stuff. I cut two 5/4 flitches to use as an example and rolled the rest of the log off the mill until we determine how to cut it. I think flitches are the way to go but I need customer input. How thick? In addition to the remainder of this log, we've got two more unmilled logs from the same tree. They're all about 14"(?) diameter and 8' long. The pictures don't look as stunning because it has been drying for a few weeks. But maybe a good finish will bring it back:

Wetted about 2':

We cut a small cherry tree also. I'll call it "pecky cherry". A few boards are 6', but most are 8'. They're random widths and most boards have some sapwood. This hasn't been drying long enough to take on cherry's traditional darker color. I've wetted a section to show what it looked like when milled:

There may be 300bf of cherry buried in this stack:

Also Buried in this stack is 12(?) 8' bookmatched sets of 5/4 spalted tupelo, and some 5/4 and 1" sasafras. I was too lazy to tear the stack apart to get pictures.

We have more lumber and pictures, but that's enough for now.

 

[bbrooks]

Beautiful looking wood. I bet someone will be picking that up soon.

 

[Chiefk]

Dirtcold, I am always looking for a new wood supply. I am fairly familiar with E-town. How far are you from Campbellsville? I would love to take a look at what you have the next time I visit my mother. chiefk

 

[dirtclod]

ChiefK - It's about a 1 hour drive from Camblesville.

We've been milling walnut. Going to be doing some more 8' tomorrow. May also flitch some for turning blanks.

We've done 12 and 8' lenghts of 1" in random widths (~4"-9") and some wide 8' 5/4 (~10-12"). Bear in mind this stuff is fresh off the mill and hasn't taken on its rich dark color that's typical of black walnut. Matter !of fact some of the boards in the shots still show wetness on their surfaces.Here's what we've got so far:

 

[Gofor]

Don't have any idea where E'Town is, but you may want to vist the following forums. There are some guys there in Kentucky and western NC that might be interested in your wood. Sorry, but I'm too far east.

http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/index.php?mforum=wwwtoolinfoforu
http://ncwoodworker.net/

Good luck. Nice looking lumber

Go

 

[Chiefk]

Dirtclot, how do I contact you? Where exactly in Kentucky are you located? I live in Crossville, TN, but visit my mother In campbellsville fairly often. I would like to take a look at the operation. Currently I am getting my wood from a mill in Monticello. chiefk

 

[BlueStingrayBoots]

That stack of walnut looks tasty!
What a erge I have for a cubberd/ one of those cabinets in the kitchen for bread and some dishis, I think.

A finished project is just a hop,skip,jump away.