One of those jobs...

**Sigidi** · 21st June 2014, 06:47 PM

...when ya turn up to mill a tree, the tree is still vertical and the tree lopper is still up in the top of it...?

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This is my second job where I've been called in and waiting on tree loppers - so not too bad over 10 years. but on top of 1h,15min drive each way it was a bit annoying.

The customer wanted me to mill it in his back yard after the tree was dropped. This is his back yard...

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just no way I was able to get in there and mill in all this bush. After lengthy consultation, I figure I can come back on saturday (now my daughter lives with me, I book mobile jobs for her weekends at her Mums, so I really didn't want to do it, but had already booked up next two 'free' weekends for other jobs) made the difficult decision to get it sorted for the customer - this guy has had the worst run!! He's been ordered to take the tree down after a 10 year battle with his neighbour, but to add insult to injury, the only vehicle access to the tree is via the neighbours driveway so there is a fairly lengthy negotiation period to sort out the tree loppers getting in and also me getting in. The neighbour seems cordial enough with us workers.

After arranging with the customer and neighbour to be back on Saturday morning with bobcat in tow and then take the logs back to the yard to mill them, I go home with nothing done for the day. Once home I get a call from the neighbour, the long and short of it is he won't give me access to get the logs out unless the customer agrees to grind the stump of the tree! The tree is in the customers yard!!and the tree loppers don't believe the court order dictates the customer has to grind the stump, so its just vindictive on the neighbours part - more negotiation.

Finally agreements re-made and Saturday arrives, first load...

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Second load...

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I did two tanks of fuel driving the bobcat and logs back and forth, plus had a very challenging day being mediator between customer and neighbour for 10 hours, I was so drained by the end of the day, I just had to go fishing the next day

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Was a great day for the missus, she scored 1 silver perch, 1 spangled perch, 2 bass, 3 fork tailed catfish and 7 Tilapia. Myself just two of those Tilapia on the string and 3 catfish, but it was just what the doctor ordered before getting back into it Monday.

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My boss and number 1 helper did the slabbing while I sharpened chains, took slabs and stacked them, but also had to spray each slab with an anti-fungal spray as the timber (Queensland Kauri Pine) is prone to blue stain - very time consuming and tedious.

Customer also wanted some biscuits from two of the logs I had to dock to fit them up the neighbours driveway, So I chucked them on top of an opened log and went nice and steady....

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Checkout the difference in sawdust when crosscutting using the slabber rather than ripping with it...

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Finally we had everything cut, sprayed, stickered, stacked and strapped...

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Husqvarna 395xp with 24" bar for scale - couple of nice big logs.

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Hopefully you guys have had better jobs than this lately

**dai sensei** · 21st June 2014, 08:58 PM

What a pain of a job

, but looks like it all got sorted at the end of the day(s)

. Hope you were well paid for the efforts

, all that time wasting would have really been frustrating

.

**Sigidi** · 21st June 2014, 09:16 PM

Nope not paid well - still waiting on payment. Made a lot of discounts on the bill too....

**Karl Robbers** · 22nd June 2014, 12:03 AM

I guess the best pay off is that you got to drive away and don't have to live next door to his neighbour. He sounds a right pain in the backside.
The fact you are waiting for payment got me thinking. What do you do if somebody doesn't pay? Generally they will have the timber and you the costs. You can't exactly unmill it and repossession of the timber would be troublesome at best.
Probably doesn't happen all that often, but I'm guessing that cash flow is as important to you as most small businesses.

**Sigidi** · 22nd June 2014, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

I guess the best pay off is that you got to drive away and don't have to live next door to his neighbour. He sounds a right pain in the backside.
The fact you are waiting for payment got me thinking. What do you do if somebody doesn't pay? Generally they will have the timber and you the costs. You can't exactly unmill it and repossession of the timber would be troublesome at best.
Probably doesn't happen all that often, but I'm guessing that cash flow is as important to you as most small businesses.

Karl, you are pretty much left up the creek without a paddle...the 'goods' are on their property and you have to trespass to 'take product in lieu of payment' and you'll get chargerd for trespass....

on the other hand now the logs are in our yard......that is different

**Sigidi** · 26th June 2014, 08:17 PM

Well, customer paid bill in full - much happier not stressing about if/when getting paid, especially after doing so much messing around on this one and giving discounts all over the place...

**FenceFurniture** · 26th June 2014, 09:42 PM

50% deposit before contributing to climate change and $100 an hour waiting time. I've never been scared to ask for it (in a variety of industries), and anyone who objects might just save me the hassle. The vast majority don't object. My projects were usually conducted over weeks, so sometimes it was 1/3 deposit, 1/3 after a certain point was reached, and then the balance on completion. I guess my point is possession and 9/10 of the law - you've got their deposit..."Now bugger off and let me get on with it or I'm outta here"

On the bright side Al, it was only the second in a decade. Acting as a mediator would be very draining. Definitely worth a 20% surcharge.

**artme** · 30th June 2014, 12:23 PM

Great job well done Al!!

If you are still sane after all that then well and good

**redmower** · 30th June 2014, 09:21 PM

Sigidi,

is that Kauri pine? I didn't see a name mentioned, maybe I missed it
Cam

**dai sensei** · 30th June 2014, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by redmower

Sigidi,

is that Kauri pine? I didn't see a name mentioned, maybe I missed it
Cam

Originally Posted by Sigidi

....My boss and number 1 helper did the slabbing while I sharpened chains, took slabs and stacked them, but also had to spray each slab with an anti-fungal spray as the timber (Queensland Kauri Pine) is prone to blue stain - very time consuming and tedious....

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