micky wrote:
OT I probably can't do that

Today I bought some 4" 10-foot treated posts, and then took them to a
sawmill to be split down the middle.

The owner took one look at them and said, I'm not sure they're big
enough to be held [in the machine].

This despite the fact that on the phone he'd told me twice that he
could do it. The first time 8 or 10 weeks ago when I gave him all
the details and the second time yesterday, when he didn't ask so I
figured he remembered me or it didn't matter what I had, that he
could still do it.

And the words brought back vague memories that iirc, people say this a
lot. It's often the opening words from someone I want to hire to do
something, and maybe from friends too. Memories are still too vague
to give examples.

Has anyone noticed this? Do you have any ideas why people would
start off this way. I'm still trying to remember if I do this.

I don't have any idea exactly what "this way" or what "people say this a lot"
really means in this case, but do wonder about why you are splitting treated
posts. Once split, the treatment is rendered relatively useless, since the
center of the post contains relatively little of the treatment from what I've
seen.