Replies

1. 
   Lataxe | Nov 20, 2009 01:00pm | #1

   Mr Fingers,

   I get a lot of free wood albeit in the form of planks, old furniture parts or stuff out of refurbished or demolished houses.  There are a number of factors that drive these transfers of timber.  Usually someone wants rid of an excess that is of no practical use to them and I am the fellow that can provide that practical use.

   There are so many aspects to such acquisitions that each one tends to be different.  Also, it becomes impossible to put objectively-measured values on all the benefits gained by both the giver and the receiver. 

   For example, timber from a demolished house or factory is usually in already extant shapes (door frames, skirtings, counter-tops etc) with random holes, screws, nails and so forth.   The demolisher would need to spend money and time on sending this stuff to a landfill or other disposal.  I will spend a lot of time getting good parts out of those collections of wood, holes and hardware.  One could translate all this to monetary equivalents but there would be wild guesses involved.

   So, it often comes down to that simple transaction of: "Here is some stuff that is an inconvenience to me but possibly of value to you.  You save me the bother of disposal in exchange for whatever you can make of it".

   Your case is somewhat different but not too different.  In the final analysis it comes down to what the parties involved are happy to agree concerning the donation.  Some folk are very happy with only the glow of satisfaction got in arranging for an otherwise useless resource to become useful.  Perhaps your dentist's mother is like this? In any case, such gestures of goodwill have an excellent secondary effect that induces a sense of duty or obligation to reciprocate that goodwill to others.

   Ah ha!  The Randians will  already be curling their lips at thoughts of altruistic behaviour!  Nevertheless, these transactions between people of goodwill are what builds a good society and all the benefits that go with a co-operative rather than an exclusively competitive approach (which is also useful in some circumstances).

   So, whatever explicit agreement you come to with your benefactor, it always seems a good idea to give them a little more than they expect; perhaps one of those jewellery boxes you mention or even a larger piece of furniture (given that you're getting whole trees).  What goes around comes around.

   Finally, should you find yourself making half a zillion dollars (after expenses and your work costs) from processing and selling those trees (you wish!) it would hopefully allay any after-the-fact regrets by your benefactor should you send her a wodge of banknotes from your profit.  After all, you would still have your own wodge.

   Lataxe

2. 
   spotcheck | Nov 20, 2009 05:36pm | #2

   "... I told the dentist that I would make her 3 month old son a rocking horse for the wood....."

   Now, if you were to make it out of the wood that came from that source, you could have something with family history in it that could be passed down the generations.  I think that would be really nice, even though she said no.

3. 
   Shoemaker1 | Nov 21, 2009 12:10am | #3

   Nice to get such a rare offer.

   Perhaps make something very traditional for the area and donate it to a charity auction. Mention where the wood came from if that is OK.

4. 
   KeithNewton | Nov 22, 2009 04:35am | #4

   I have had offers like that. I was offered an old 80 acre pecan orchard free. The airport was expanding, I could take the wood, but had to take the stumps as well. Pecan is very cheap compared to most hardwoods, and most orchard trees branch too early to make a good saw-log no mater what diameter. I passed up on that "deal".

   Be careful what you agree to. Check the price of dry lumber. I have my own woodmizer, a 16" car-hauler trailer to haul logs back here on, and a tractor to take them off and move lumber around with. But by the time I have done all the work of moving stacking etc. it may be cheaper to just go buy lumber, so don't think it is free if your time is worth anything.

5. 
   Tinkerer3 | Nov 22, 2009 05:15am | #5

   There are folks in timbered areas who specialize in estimating the value of timber on the stump.  I sold some timber here that had been cut some thirty years earlier for a little less that $1,000.00 per acre.  Had it been virgin timber, it could have been worth several times that amount.  In fact, one good walnut tree could be worth thousands of dollars.  A sawyer on a band saw could spend months or years sawing up a thousand acre forest.

      Being in North Texas, I assume the value of the timber is not worth that much.  In lieu of getting a professional to cruise the lumber, it will boil down to how much it is worth to you and how much the land owner wants.  Not a big help, is it?

   Are you in the panhandle?  I used to combine milo in the panhandle and wheat down around Chilicothe

1. 
   10fingers | Nov 23, 2009 12:33am | #6

        Thanks to all that replied.  I will get to look at the property in a week or so after turkey day.  I am looking for some large mesquite trees or something else that would be worth having sawn up.  I am pretty picky as what I want to pay to have cut up.  The offer may not tury out to be worth doing or it could be an incredible find.

        My dentist's father told me a few years ago before he passed that there was a large walnut tree almost washed out by a creek.  If I could find that tree, it could prove to be worth having it sawn up.

        The sawyer that I found has built a kiln on his place.  I haven't seen his place yet, just talked to him on the phone.  I hope to maybe work out a barter system of wood for cutting/drying.  I have much more time on my hands than I do of money.  I am on disability and currently the doc said don't lift more than 10 lbs since my last surgery.  I have a couple of friends that will work for wood or having me build them something for their wives.  They build/remodel houses and such.  I make jewelry boxes, chests, and rocking horses and smaller things.  They don't see how I make things that don't have any gaps or cracks in them.  Gaps and cracks are acceptable in framing and add on construction.  I have usually given their daughters a jewelry box when they turn into a teen ager.

        I have days that I can't do anything in the shop but there are days that I can put in 3 or 4 hours in everyday.  The hours add up and I get things done.  The lady that owns the 1000 acres is dating a buddy of mine from high school.  We are all 50 something.  I may have finally been in the right place at the right time and have everything fall in place.  Even my brother is going to help me get some equipment that I could use in the shop.  Most of my stuff has come from garage sales excepy my laguna lt16.  I hope to get stuff made for valentines day and then mother's day.  It is too late for Christmas this year.  I just had my shop reroofed after a hail storm.  I was very lucky.  It had leaked a lot after it was built and I couldn't get the builders to fix it.  My friends reroofed the tin roof for what the insurance paid.  Itd doesn't leak now.  I am finally getting it set up properly.  My wife is ready for the 10K expense of the shop to start producing some return.

   Thanks for your suggestions and putting up with this wordy response.  Have a good thanksgiving.

   10fingers

6. 
   WillGeorge | Nov 23, 2009 05:55am | #7

   Lived in TEXAS a few years, Watch out for the Diamond backs...

   I for one would not rush into anything. Savor the Pecans gathered and rost and relax..

   Pictures of the trees for them that want? 

1. 
   HWG | Nov 24, 2009 10:05pm | #8

   Unless you are good at identifying trees from their bark you should get on up there pretty quickly, if not already too late for this season. The mesquite you can likely spot, but not easily the walnut if it is in a hardwood forest.  This is a great opportunity to look for crotch grain, stump, and other highly figured grain patterns, so do take advantage of it if you can.Woody

1. 
   10fingers | Nov 27, 2009 03:54am | #9

   Hello,

   thanks for the advice on tree identification.  I couldn't tell the difference between pecan and walnut unless there is some fruit on the tree or ground.  The county I live in in Texax used to have so many pecan trees that they were cut down to harvest the pecans.  Obviously that was a time before now.  I will report what type of land it is when I see it.  I hope there is enough trees that it would be worth my while to buy a chain saw mill to cut up the wood.  I am rather worried that if I told a sawyer of the deal I have, he might talk his way into it and me out of it.  I am willing to make some furniture or what ever it would require to get the lumber.  I am hoping to get a lifetime supply of timeber.  I am mid 50's so that isn't too much.  There may not be too much useful timber when I see it.  Who knows.  I have to wait and see in a couple of weeks.

   Have a good turkey day,

   10fingers