Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: northern hewer]
#22968
03/07/10 03:15 AM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 167
toivo
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england gets our woodchips. we keep the timbers and exploit seedlings sheltered away as seeds in ships full of sawdust, warming and ready to sprout in the spring times of somewhere overseas. no offense but the trees stay at home.
there are a bunch of good red pines up the road on an MTO powerline right of way, though contested by the adjacent property owner. apparently he's a taxidermist, and if i can convince him, the trees are mine to cut. it's that time of the year when it's nice again to work in the bush.
spring is coming!
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: toivo]
#22991
03/10/10 02:14 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,199
northern hewer
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Hello everyone tonight:
Thanks for coming on board Tovio I thought that everyone had deserted me it has been a while since anyone came on board with a comment,
I was just wondering if any of you still think that it pays to get out your own logs and have them milled over just going out and buying the lumber. Around here the going cost of band mills is $60 Hr., and adding that to your time and fuel costs is there anything left to fight over?
I would really like to hear your comments, I think that this subject needs some discussion
NH
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: northern hewer]
#22994
03/10/10 08:20 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 965
Ken Hume
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Hi NH,
Like Toivo I have spent this last week in the woodland cutting a half kilometer's worth of 10 years regrowth on a pollarded hazel hedge. This has yielded hundreds of beatifully straight and clear stems that would be ideal for making thatching spars, liggers etc but I fear that most of this will simply be left in the woodland to rot down due to the difficulties of marketing same. This is a big problem for woodlot owners in England and has come about due to the gradual fragmentation in the woodland management and produce useage chain. Instead of the primary use of woodland being for timber production this now seems to be very much more perceived to be a visual amenity and nature conservation areas for bobble hatted hikers to tramp through to satisfy their wanderlust.
Whilst cutting my hedge I have been eyeing up a block of 50 year old Douglas Fir, underplanted western red cedar, and have been toying with clear felling this block. It would be so much better if I could fell and convert on the spot but then we are back to the same dilemma as the hazel - without a predetermined use or buyer for same agreed then this would potentially just rot away as well. Having cut and converted logs then these would need to be moved to a stack to allow for replanting the cut over block. Every operation in the woodland requires investment of either time or money and generally both so it can be cheaper just to do nothing and allow the timber to keep growing.
What I really need is a local Jack Sobon type who would be happy to come and cut / hew or mobile mill convert wood for free, which he or she could keep thereby allowing me to pursue my woodlot management objectives of returning this back to the growth of native deciduous trees (oak, ash, cherry, etc.)
This would therefore be a win win scenario for both of us but I doubt that it will ever happen.
Ideas please ?
Regards
Ken Hume
Looking back to see the way ahead !
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: Ken Hume]
#22997
03/10/10 02:25 PM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Jim Rogers
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My first idea would be to ask Jack if he'd be interested......:)
But you could call Woodmizer sawmill company and ask them for a list of all sawyers in your country and then ask them (the sawyers from the list) if they have anyone interested in your logs for timber.... you may just find someone who will do what you want.....Woodmizer does have a "find a sawyer" option on their phone system, but I'm not sure if it applies to other countries....I could call them and ask for you....
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: Jim Rogers]
#22998
03/10/10 05:26 PM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 965
Ken Hume
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Hi Jim,
Good idea. I will follow up on that suggestion.
Regards
Ken Hume
Looking back to see the way ahead !
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: Ken Hume]
#23021
03/12/10 01:28 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,199
northern hewer
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Hello everyone tonight:
Thanks to everyone for coming on line and the interesting line of the thread, I suppose it is similar to the line that I put forward about whether it still is feasible to cut your own logs and mill versus just going and buying the dimension lumber at the store.
Cutting a thousand feet of logs will take an average day for two people along with a tractor, wagons,saw, fuel, time, and then another day to truck it to the mill, your time, fuel, and cost of milling at $60 Hr. I should add in there the repairs to the saw, files, fuel,, and unexpected breakdowns, and wear and tear on the old body.
Like Ken what do you do with the woodlot that you are paying taxes on, just to see it grow?--The tax man likes to charge you for this luxurious product that really is costing you money.
This woodlot is housing the wild animals like deer, coyotes, moose bear, birds, and many other of the government's so called wild inhabitants, and also \mr gov't will tell you that it is wet land, and you shouldn't disturb it by cutting, draining, or otherwise.
The way I see it maybe we should be paid to take care of it rather than pay taxes, and maybe we should be able to have access to a certain amount of lumber in lieu of cutting and managing the acreage that we can't disturb in any way for fear of offending those that make their home there.
Around here we have these hordes of wild geese that drop in twice each year to fill their bellies on our crops , as well as the deer that freely tramp through and eat the crops as they try and grow each season.
I really feel that things are alittle out of whack and not getting any better, but maybe I shouldn't complain, hydro is going up, gas is $1.00 litre, the cost of getting a good education is about $50,000, and there is no good permanent jobs for our youg people after they are educated.
Oh yes I should say they are making the cars more efficient, but they are getting bigger with bigger motors and in the end you get about the same mileage,
funny world isn't it but i promise not to stray so far away from hewing , but then I can't get in the bush without disturbing those that live there and may have to do it at night so no one sees me cut a tree down, working in the dark without lights is dangerous,and anyone that hears that I am cutting trees at night might think that I am just alittle crazy.
I used to think that I own my home because I made payments for 25 years-- but only if I pay the taxes--in reality I don't own anything, just manage it
Doggone it though I still love hewing, and creating things from that old bushlot eventhough I have to be careful not to offend anyone or anything
NH
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: northern hewer]
#23022
03/12/10 08:31 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 965
Ken Hume
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Posts: 965 |
Hi Richard,
One benefit that I do enjoy here in England is that I do not have to pay any taxes on ownership of my woodlot. I do however need to pay a hefty chunk of money each year in public liability insurance just incase a ton of beech tree comes down on a trespasser.
Sometimes trees do need to be cut. Its a use it or loose situation and so providing this is done in a thoughtful and sustainable fashion then one should be prepared to take the long term view. My woodlot was last cut over in any serious kind of way by Canadian Lumber Jills towards the end of the last war and the evidence for this can still be read in the woodland archeaology. Time for another cut. I have been investigating the possibility of buying a Lucas mill so that I can take this right to the felled tree. Anybody ever used one of these ?
Regards
Ken Hume
Looking back to see the way ahead !
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: Ken Hume]
#23024
03/12/10 11:54 AM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,882
TIMBEAL
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For what it is worth, Allodial Title. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allodial_titleJust don't die. And it probably can't be purchased with debt notes. Ken, how about hiring some youths to hew? It would keep them busy and out of trouble. Pit saw? Sell it as historic material/fabric. Possible marketing ploy. I had to look "ploy" up, I think it fits well. Tim
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: TIMBEAL]
#23032
03/12/10 10:13 PM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 965
Ken Hume
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Hi Tim,
I spent today in the woodland getting wet but came away very satisfied after completing my 10 year hedge cut.
I wish that I could find some young (or old) hewers, but how to do that ?
Regards
Ken Hume
Looking back to see the way ahead !
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire
[Re: northern hewer]
#23035
03/12/10 11:45 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,124
Mark Davidson
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It's hard to make it pay even when you own the bandsaw NH. Forget it at $60/hr. my 2cents...
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