Thread: would you suport a milling co-op?

Originally Posted by weisyboy

that would be the dream TS but there are many flaws.

1. most arbourists (no offence) wouldnt know a mill log from a broomstick all the have to know is wheatehr they can cut the tree down or not. they take a lot of teaching to get it right.

2. arbourists dont like dealing with millers as we have been given a bad name. most i speak to say that the did that once and the miller never picked up the logs and they had to go back to a very unhappy customer and remove them for free.

3. people don't want a pile of sawdust in there yard. i am working on ideas on how to collect the sawdust so it can be removed but its not easy.

4. people wont buy timber that is not seasoned as tehy have to store it for long periods before use.

a web site would be great to link millers/customers and suppliers.

keep the ideas flowing.

Sorry I find it highly offensive Arboriculturalists(UK) or Arborists(US) are highly trained professionals (well some have only done apprenticeships) they know a lot more than whether they can cut a tree down or not. I think you maybe confusing aborists with tree loppers (morons who know the correct end of a chainsaw to grab).
Yes many a time I was asked to leave logs and had to come back and cut it up and remove it. So I bought a Lucas Mill in 1995 as the chainsaw mill was too much work well a bit better when I got a double ender.
Your idea is great and I hope you do well
Glenn Knight B.Ap.Sc.Grad.Dip.(Hort) Consulting Arborist

sorry if i afended you but that has been my experiance.

well its looking promasing except we dont have any logs.

there are 4 millers all happy cut logs for the greater good but no logs i can only get enough to keep me going and thats only part time sawing.

so if ya having a tree cut down let us know.

or if ya good mates with an arbourist or tree lopper have a chat to him.

I am in touch with a central Victorian farmer who has some slabs of blackwood been drying for over a year. How much is a fair price? Also he has just lost an ancient oak tree in a storm and intends to slab that. How long will I have to wait for the oak? and also what is a fair price?

Hope you can help

In my job I work with many treeloppers/arborists in the Sunshine Coast - Gold Coast region. Most are small operators who are always looking for ways to increase their revenue stream. Whilst they may not know what is good wood or not, surely there would be a viable use for a fair chunk of it, provided it meet pre specified conditions i.e.

Surely the co-op could put together a small handbook, on how to identify timber species and what dimensions etc are sought. Also in todays age, surely photos could be sent via phone/email from the loppers when quoting the job for a second opinion prior to cutting to ensure is wanted.

I also know that most guys seem to be after high quality furniture grade slabs etc, but there are a lot of other potential avenues out there, including the smaller timber market, as well as "practice timber market". i know when learning to turn, I was limited to pine from the hardware store etc. as the only source of cheap timber, otherwise it was to a specialist supplier for a turning blank. Anything more exotic than pine would have been a god send.

In relation to the above point in regards to loppers leaving logs for pickup by third party, why not set up an escrow/insurance fund. Basically if miller A wants to pick up the logs from a job site (say within 2 days) he would register the "purchase" with the co-op and pay a holding deposti (or have one permenantly set up) where by if the timber is not collected on time a third party will collect and dispose of the logs with the fee paid from the bond via the co-op. Tree lopper has not got to waste time picking up logs and does not get a bad reputation, and hell of an incentive for miller to ensure does not "bid/purchase" logs he can't collect. Perhaps have a 3 strike rule, whereby if miller continually fails to collect logs is banned from the group. Could also work to stop the loggers leaving far greater quantities than negotiated.

i will send a pm to you shortly.

these are all verry good ideas.