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#1
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Exciting times ahead.
A new client of mine was telling me about her son-in-law who has been
in the process of rebuilding an old sawmill, not far from where my parents used to live. I had noticed the activity there, with the log buildings being worked on and workers all over the place. As pure coincidence would have it, I ran into one of the partners on this project when I was buying myself a new SAK (Swiss Army Knife...he was all out of Swiss Navy Knives). He told me that they have well over 50,000 BF of miscellaneous wooden beams from old barns and salvaged 200-year old maple and other logs from the depths of Georgian Bay. They will be using modern technology in terms of drying the lumber and fancy metal detectors before sawing the stuff "with substantial, new equipment" Some of the stuff will be cut into veneers. This is right in my area, and I am chomping at the bit to get my nose in there. Solid surface fabrication is doing well for me... but wood is in my blood. I even had a dream that I bought some exotic hand plane which produced a curl that floated to the ceiling. I need help! r |
#2
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Exciting times ahead.
On Apr 29, 9:21 am, Robatoy wrote:
SNIP Solid surface fabrication is doing well for me... but wood is in my blood. I even had a dream that I bought some exotic hand plane which produced a curl that floated to the ceiling. I need help! r Sigh. I have similar dreams. I am sick of remodeling and repair. If I had something else on the table that would pay the various expenses one seems to incur by osmosis, I would seriously consider shutting down the company, or reducing it to "intersting projects only". If I had a sawmill open up anywhere near to me... just within 50 miles, I would probably be thinking waaay too much about what I could be doing instead of what I should be doing. I spend too much time thinking about a roomy furniture/cabinet shop at the edge of some small town around here. But before that when I was at the Texas Furniture Maker's Guild contest, I saw a lot of really good work. Some of it was OK, some of it just wasn't my taste (but the workmanship was great), and some was clever and inventive. But the guys that placed, WOW. A couple of the pieces would challenge anyone. It was inspiring to me, but also pointed out new wood working skill sets I haven't even touched. Skills that could take years to master. Sounds good to me. I often wonder why I never took up fishing or something along those lines. At least you could blame poor performance on bad luck, weather, equipment failure, etc. Kinda hard to do with woodwork. Yet I think for some of us woodworkers/carpenters, like your dream of a long wispy curl from a well tuned plane, it is the climb as much as the summit. But a woodmill? I have a friend of mine that made a trip up to Ohio last year and went to veneering mill near a town he was visiting. He wanted to get me some bowl blanks for the lathe, so he stopped in to see how much they wanted for them. They had ends that were deemed unusable for veneers with some cracking, branches and knots. These were piled high outside the main machinery. Price? Take all you want, in the off season they can't give these stumps away fast enough. In the fall, they give them away for firewood so they don't have to haul them off. What a haul I would make for the lathe and my woodturning club with a nearby sawmill. I would have more new best friends than I could count. Robert |
#3
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Exciting times ahead.
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#4
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Exciting times ahead.
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#5
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Exciting times ahead.
Swingman wrote:
Yabbut ... in San Antone where Robert is, you can see any tree within 50 miles. Many years ago, flew in a single engine plane from Dallas to San Angelo. During the flight, if you looked in a northerly direction, you could see miles and miles of miles and miles that contained an occasional building. If you looked in a southerly direction, you could see miles and miles of miles and miles. Trying to run over rattlesnakes and tarantulas on the highway at 6:00AM before things got too hot was something to relieve the boredom while driving. Lew |
#6
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Exciting times ahead.
"J T" wrote in message Sun, Apr 29, 2007, 1:47pm (EDT-3) whimpers: snip If I had a sawmill open up anywhere near to me... just within 50 miles, snip There are about 7 (seven) sawmlls within 10 miles of where I live. THAT I KNOW OF. And that's only in ONE drecton. There's maybe 2-3 a little further out; again, that I know of. I found all of them by just driving by them, didn't hunt down a single one. No telling how many there are within 50 miles, or how many of them I could find if I really wanted to. You need to start taking some weekend drives, and asking around. By the way, a number of those sawmills are within the city limits of our county seat, and about 20-25 miles from Raleigh, the NC capitol, so we're not exactly talking a low population area here. Yabbut ... in San Antone where Robert is, you can see any tree within 50 miles. -- www.e-woodshop.net Last update: 2/20/07 KarlC@ (the obvious) |
#7
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Exciting times ahead.
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#8
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Exciting times ahead.
On Apr 29, 5:20 pm, jeremy wrote:
Robert Roughly where do you live? JJ In San Antonio, which is in South Central Texas, about 90 miles south from the capital, Austin. We are a couple of hundred miles east of the Gulf of Mexico. Robert |
#9
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Exciting times ahead.
On Apr 29, 4:40 pm, (J T) wrote:
Sun, Apr 29, 2007, 1:47pm (EDT-3) whimpers: Whimpers? Are you kidding me? Isn't it about time for your annual "I'm leaving the group" farewell tour? A comment about a fact isn't a whimper, bitch. You watch too much Oprah. There are about 7 (seven) sawmlls within 10 miles of where I live. THAT I KNOW OF. And that's only in ONE drecton. Good reason for caps, no doubt. I am that you feel if someone of your intelligence could find them, everyone should be able to. There's maybe 2-3 a little further out; again, that I know of. I found all of them by just driving by them, didn't hunt down a single one. No telling how many there are within 50 miles, or how many of them I could find if I really wanted to. Good for you! You live in a state with an abundance of hardwood. Hurray! So much native hardwood they have sawmill signs out on the highways. So? Did I comment on NC? No, unlike you, I don't comment on things I don't know anything about. I specifically mentioned my location, not yours. You need to start taking some weekend drives, and asking around. By the way, a number of those sawmills are within the city limits of our county seat, and about 20-25 miles from Raleigh, the NC capitol, so we're not exactly talking a low population area here. Looking at that statement, you must be assuming that more people means more sawmills, or more wood to cut, or both. Maybe even a connection to the proximity of sawmills and state capitols. Let me help you out. Raleigh, NC has a population of about 375,000 people (don't bother with Raleigh-Durham-Cary). San Antonio is right at 1.3 million, not including the metropolitan area. Where is the wood? I live in a county that covers over 400 square miles, and on one edge it is about 75 miles from the capitol. Granted, that's more than 20-25, but where are the sawmills? It is arrogant and profoundly stupid of you to think I haven't looked for a close sawmill of any sort. And it almost borders some kind of retardation for you to think you know more about this area than I do. JOAT If you don't ask the right questions, the answers don't matter. - W.S. Lind Don't you have a plan to post? Robert |
#10
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Exciting times ahead.
On Apr 29, 6:17 pm, Lew Hodgett wrote:
If you looked in a southerly direction, you could see miles and miles of miles and miles. Trying to run over rattlesnakes and tarantulas on the highway at 6:00AM before things got too hot was something to relieve the boredom while driving. Lew It hasn't changed a bit. Maybe a few less spiders, but the same amount of snakes. Robert |
#11
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Exciting times ahead.
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#12
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Exciting times ahead.
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#13
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Exciting times ahead.
On Apr 30, 11:46 am, "Michael Faurot"
wrote: was mentioning there's a sawyer somewhere out around Huebner road. He couldn't remember any of the details though--unfortunately. If you find out some details about where there's local San Antonio saw mills, I'd definitely be interested in knowing more about these places. I keep thinking that someone at sometime will buy or make one of those band saw mills around here. I know several of the custom furniture makers here in town, and they can't find anything either, even through their guild. There was a small bandsaw mill in Seguin a while back, but I think he is selling his stuff to the mesquite lumber retailer there. The only sawyer I know sells select mesquite (that is all he sells) to a few older customers that are furniture makers. He isn't getting rich, and he doesn't want more customers. He wouldn't sell anything to me because I wouldn't commit to his 400 bf minimum. Depending on the grade, he gets $7.50 to almost $15 a bf. On the flip side though, he sells mesquite with no windshake, no sap wood, and no hollows. It looks like it came out of a perfect mesquite manufacturing machine. And since it is so rarely that perfect, the furniture guys buy it with just a phone call from him. Apparently most of the serious furniture makers around here get in their truck and take a trailer out to the different places they like. I know there are a few mills around Austin, a big one in Smithville, and several in Bryan that specialize in mesquite. At $2.75 a gallon, with a 16 ft trailer and a minimum hour drive... I don't want to calculate what that would add to the bf price. I'll certainly post back here if I find someone in the vicinity. BTW, where are you? Robert |
#14
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Exciting times ahead.
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#15
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Exciting times ahead.
"Michael Faurot" wrote in message ... After the big storm last week, I was talking to an arborist, and he was mentioning there's a sawyer somewhere out around Huebner road. He couldn't remember any of the details though--unfortunately. If you find out some details about where there's local San Antonio saw mills, I'd definitely be interested in knowing more about these places. Ditto here! My next door neighbor in Floresville lost some big mesquites on the family ranch in Wilson County. I hope to see them this weekend. -- NuWave Dave in Houston |
#16
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Exciting times ahead.
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#17
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Exciting times ahead.
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#18
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Exciting times ahead.
On Apr 30, 8:20 pm, jeremy wrote:
You have at least six sawmills within one hundred miles that I know of, and if you check the woodmiser list, probably a lot more. Excellent!! Although I wouldn't really call a two hundred mile trip a short one (my truck gets about 12-14 on the hwy and being in business I always figure in gas), maybe I could find some of the ones you know about within that radius. Now if I found one that worked with my original comment (see first reply to OP) of 50 miles, that would be sweet. Where are they? Like I said earlier, I know about many that are a few hours away, but none near. I hope you aren't counting those two stoners out at limecreek mill near Uvalde in your mix. Truthfully, I haven't checked Woodmizer for about 1 1/2 years, and the last ones they gave me had them for personal use or sold all their product to private customers. The old links I have don't work, and the two portable mill guys I bought from before have disconnected phones. But I am not looking for a portable mill, either, and if you got that from my original post, I am not sure how. I was thinking in context of my post that I was looking at the mill ends given away as firewood being good turning blanks, etc. I do not need wood sawn, so I am not sure about the value of contacting Woodmizer. But a full fledged mill that ran all day would indeed be of interest. So if you will give me some names and numbers of the six you know off the top of your head I would certainly appreciate it. Don't let me down.. I have already talked to a couple of my buddies that are looking forward to a road trip if something turns up here. One has an old one ton p/u, so the fifty mile radius would be great, but close to that would be OK, too. Robert |
#19
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Exciting times ahead.
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#20
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Exciting times ahead.
On May 1, 12:04 pm, jeremy wrote:
Star with Texas Woods, Inc. Rural Route 1 Box 66 Bastrop, TX 78502 (800) 687-1779 I was actually hoping you would send me the six mills you referenced when you jumped in with On Apr 29, 5:20 pm, jeremy wrote: You have at least six sawmills within one hundred miles that I know of, SNIP to newer posting He will talk your ear off and tell you who is in business and where. Apparently ten years is enough for people to change their numbers on me :-) Apparently, sadly, you aren't having any better luck with this than I am. I was encouraged by the surety of your words. I personally have people I can call and talk to about mills in Texas. I was hoping that since you volunteered that so readily you were on your game, not thinking about ten year old info. One more time to help with the confusion, the fifty mile mark mentioned was the desired limit of distance, with some flexibility. And once more, I know where there are mills a couple to three hours drive away. My associates and me all know the same guys, we all know the same mills, we all know where they are. We know how to contact the mesquite guild, we know how to use the yellow pages, some of us are members of the local chamber, and all of us know how to ask. And again, see above for the fifty mile reference point and its origins. Dittmar runs a mill in your area. Nope. Accoding to local legend (the memories of the 72+ years old club of contractors I know), they shut down their mill operation sometime in the 50's, and have been selling lumber as a commodity ever since. They have sold some rough sawn in the past but I don't think they do now unless it is ordered. I *think*still offer planing services, but in no way are they a mill. One of the smaller lumber vendors here, they now concentrate mainly on wholesale materials, and small custom orders. However, you have to start think about buying wood as the profit margins mean that most of us no longer give anything away. JJ Hmm... odd remark. While I noted that it was ironic that mill ends were given away as firewood in Ohio, I never indicated I wanted you to feel the bite of being taken advantage of when you posted that most of us no longer give anything away. Assuming "us" is your group of some sort, (obviously not a lumber mill association ;^) ) what is did you give away for free that made you express that? In context of telling me I need to think about buying wood However, you have to start think about buying wood as the profit margins mean that most of us no longer give anything away. stop a minute and take a breath before you run away with yourself. I buy anywhere from $1000 to $12,000 of material a month as a contractor. No one gives me anything free, not material, not delivery, not handling, nothing... not a cent. I never ask, then I don't owe. Looking mainly for service, I don't ever want some vendor to tell me, "it won't be there until tomorrow (instead of today), but it does have that free stuff on there we promised to give you for nothing". Back to your last sentence or two. In context of your message asking for consideration of "us" (the ones that no longer give anything away), who is the "us" that you represent when you talk about the profit margins of wood? Are you a lumber/hardwood supplier or commodities broker? Robert |
#21
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Exciting times ahead.
On May 1, 2:12 pm, "
wrote: On May 1, 12:04 pm, jeremy wrote: Star with Texas Woods, Inc. Rural Route 1 Box 66 Bastrop, TX 78502 (800) 687-1779 I was actually hoping you would send me the six mills you referenced when you jumped in with On Apr 29, 5:20 pm, jeremy wrote: You have at least six sawmills within one hundred miles that I know of, SNIP to newer posting He will talk your ear off and tell you who is in business and where. Apparently ten years is enough for people to change their numbers on me :-) Apparently, sadly, you aren't having any better luck with this than I am. I was encouraged by the surety of your words. I personally have people I can call and talk to about mills in Texas. I was hoping that since you volunteered that so readily you were on your game, not thinking about ten year old info. One more time to help with the confusion, the fifty mile mark mentioned was the desired limit of distance, with some flexibility. And once more, I know where there are mills a couple to three hours drive away. My associates and me all know the same guys, we all know the same mills, we all know where they are. We know how to contact the mesquite guild, we know how to use the yellow pages, some of us are members of the local chamber, and all of us know how to ask. And again, see above for the fifty mile reference point and its origins. Dittmar runs a mill in your area. Nope. Accoding to local legend (the memories of the 72+ years old club of contractors I know), they shut down their mill operation sometime in the 50's, and have been selling lumber as a commodity ever since. They have sold some rough sawn in the past but I don't think they do now unless it is ordered. I *think*still offer planing services, but in no way are they a mill. One of the smaller lumber vendors here, they now concentrate mainly on wholesale materials, and small custom orders. However, you have to start think about buying wood as the profit margins mean that most of us no longer give anything away. JJ Hmm... odd remark. While I noted that it was ironic that mill ends were given away as firewood in Ohio, I never indicated I wanted you to feel the bite of being taken advantage of when you posted that most of us no longer give anything away. Assuming "us" is your group of some sort, (obviously not a lumber mill association ;^) ) what is did you give away for free that made you express that? In context of telling me I need to think about buying wood However, you have to start think about buying wood as the profit margins mean that most of us no longer give anything away. stop a minute and take a breath before you run away with yourself. I buy anywhere from $1000 to $12,000 of material a month as a contractor. No one gives me anything free, not material, not delivery, not handling, nothing... not a cent. I never ask, then I don't owe. Looking mainly for service, I don't ever want some vendor to tell me, "it won't be there until tomorrow (instead of today), but it does have that free stuff on there we promised to give you for nothing". Back to your last sentence or two. In context of your message asking for consideration of "us" (the ones that no longer give anything away), who is the "us" that you represent when you talk about the profit margins of wood? Are you a lumber/hardwood supplier or commodities broker? Robert The 'No Bull****' approach is sooo refreshing. Just the other day, I received an e-mail and a fax of the drawings to quote on a job. Just an L-shaped counter with an island. A nice mid-sized gig for me. The e-mail specifically asked me for my "best price." I quote the gig and e-mailed my proposal. The reply asked if that was indeed my best price. I e-mailed back, and added $ 500.00 and said: "you were right, that wasn't my best price...this is." I mean, who's got time for bull****? I haven't heard back yet. G The West side of the property where I live, has a row of cedars and it is jam-packed with all kinds of excitable birds. Before dawn, the little suckers start their day early with a sound some would call a racket. To me it is music. The other morning, for fun, I decided to do a Fonzy and yelled: "COOL IT!!" out of the window. For a few seconds, it was dead silence..then a little muttering, then a full-fledged crescendo which sounded a lot like "ahhh go screw yourself" I then turned toward Angela and said: "you know they're heckling me??" Poor thing had to be resuscitated, she almost passed out from laughter... it took her a good 10 minutes before she could tell me that I had looked quite serious when I said that. When you start off a day like that, there just isn't time for hagglers. Fukkum. I have NO idea what just made write this.. but it is time for a bourbon and a cigar.... skip the cigar.. too dangerous. r |
#22
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Exciting times ahead.
"Robatoy" wrote in message ups.com... I have NO idea what just made write this.. but it is time for a bourbon and a cigar.... skip the cigar.. too dangerous. I'll have a Negra Modela if you got some chips and queso to go with it. -- NuWave Dave in Houston |
#23
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Exciting times ahead.
On May 1, 9:36 pm, "NuWaveDave" wrote:
"Robatoy" wrote in message ups.com... I have NO idea what just made write this.. but it is time for a bourbon and a cigar.... skip the cigar.. too dangerous. I'll have a Negra Modela if you got some chips and queso to go with it. -- I have never had one (or six) of those, I have heard some really good things about it. NO idea if I can even get that here. Off to Google I go...*S* |
#24
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Exciting times ahead.
On May 1, 8:04 pm, Robatoy wrote:
SNIP Just the other day, I received an e-mail and a fax of the drawings to quote on a job. Just an L-shaped counter with an island. A nice mid-sized gig for me. The e-mail specifically asked me for my "best price." Why do the do that? Obviously you don't know these folks, or they would shoot you over a drawing and ask you how much it will run. So some nitwit puts on their schoolmarm dress and half glasses and says, "now Bobby, I want your best work here. Don't bother to turn in something that isn't your best." What is worse to me is that most of those using that approach simply do not have the gonads to use language I understand: "hey, this thing is completely price driven. Gimme your lowest shot upfront because that's the one I will most likely take". But to be talked down to by having some idiot tell you they want your best price, it grinds on me. Just say it.... I want it as cheap as possible! It isn't that hard. Why do they think you would give them a crappy price? Do they think you have that much time to waste? It is galling to get those, especially from someone that doesn't have anymore interest of investment in you doing the work than just faxing over a drawing. I quote the gig and e-mailed my proposal. The reply asked if that was indeed my best price. Thinking what... that you intentionally gave them a bad price (knowing that client speak of questioning "best price" means they think you are too high) and wasted your time to do it? I e-mailed back, and added $ 500.00 and said: "you were right, that wasn't my best price...this is." I mean, who's got time for bull****? I haven't heard back yet. G Alright, you got me there. No coffee on the monitor, but almost. I have done a lot of things, when negotiating, but never that. As Daffy says, "It is to laugh". ALTHOUGH..... Don't you be one bit surprised if you DO hear from them, because having made *sure* that you gave them your best price, they will be moved at your additional efforts. Ya think? .. but it is time for a bourbon and a cigar.... skip the cigar.. too dangerous. r Why you would seperate two old friends like that, I don't know. I don't get to it too much anymore, but I do love the combination. I don't know how strong I can be though, as this opened up less than two miles from my house: http://www.finckcigar.com/default2.asp Talk about reasonable prices.... and on the way home, too. And a smoking parlour with leather chairs and great smoke eaters.... BYOB (bring your own bourbon!). I'm not made of stone... Robert |
#26
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Exciting times ahead.
wrote in message What is worse to me is that most of those using that approach simply do not have the gonads to use language I understand: "hey, this thing is completely price driven. Gimme your lowest shot upfront because that's the one I will most likely take". A buyer of one of my houses called me last night and wanted some "built-in bookshelves with the quality of work I have in my kitchen" (which Leon and I did). My response: "Are you sure?" Ha! Upshot was that I told him I would send my trim carpenter over there this morning, but if he was really serious about what he originally said, to get a bid from him, add a zero before the decimal point, and we'd possibly take it from there. That's be the end of that. -- www.e-woodshop.net Last update: 2/20/07 KarlC@ (the obvious) |
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