Thread: Sydney-Hunter-Blue Mntns...... Who wants timber from MAPLEMAN brought down?

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

haw do I get my mits on it?

Weeeellll, I know that we all have an abhorence of posting unless absolutely necessary, so maybe Adam and I can PU, but that won't be until around BBQ time (and send it back with Ross, or maybe to Melbourne), or if Tony comes to that he could bring those with him (and send it back with Ross, or maybe to Darwin).

The other option is, of course, that you go and pick everything up and deliver it to the various recipients. I've only got a couple of matchsticks.

Just to be clear - the timber is at Singleton - not my place - Tony emailed me the pics.

There's a cold spoon if ever I've heard of one.

Big thank you to Paul(Bushmiller)...he helped me load the ute in what were very humid and hot conditions,without complaint..really is one of the ol'school,an absolute gentleman...cheers to all concerned,really glad the goods and driver arrived safely...good stuff..MM

And a huge thanks to you Brett,after all,it was your initiative that got the wheels turning..Cheers to you mate

Crowie is spot on indeed good to see a great plan come together Now where can I hijack it along the Putty Rd .


I reckon its going to be fun sorting that lot out and the financial side of transporting it I reckon Nick should cover the whole lot.

Of course big thank you's to all the shakers and movers. You have mainly been thanked already, but there is one person and and one group that remain unheralded.

Firstly, NC Archer: Tony has devoted a large part of his garage to the storage of the timber. He says it's ok and it probably is. He pointed out that the cars have never quite made it inside anyway, but it will be there for about a month and Tony has no actual interest in the pile (except the commission he plans to take out of Brett's pile ) so it really is a very benevelent gesture on his part.

The second group is actually yourselves; Those of you who participated in purchasing some timber, because without you the economy of the venture became less and less attractive. So Fence Furniture, Chambezio, Sawdust Maker, SkewChidamn and Crowie all take a bow .

Today I finally made it back to the State where it is beautiful one day, perfect the next (so long as you're not in drought or washed away in the floods ).

As to the trip itself the drive from Millmerran to Cedarton and then down to Tamworth was a good endurance test. One of my uncles told me that my father had been an exceptional long distance driver. During the 2WW when he drove trucks he would apparantly drive for 36hrs in one direction, have a break and drive back for 24hrs. I had always considered this was a trait not carried through to me in the genes. I spent nearly 12hrs in the vehicle that day so a long way short of his achievements, not that they would be well regarded today by OH&S.

Perhaps we should have asked IanW to take the timber down as he is something of a long distance expert, but he wasn't going that way .

Very little went smoothly with the whole operation and it started the night before I set out for the Sunny Coast. On the way home from work I called into the fuel station in Millmerran to fuel up ready for the trip. When I saw all the pumps were out of fuel I should have read it as an omen .

I left the next morning at 0605hrs only five minutes off schedule. I had anticipated arriving at Mapleman's place by 0930hrs, but the roadwoks were diabolical (probably ten or twelve sets at least and the legacy of all the flooding Queensland has suffered in recent times) and it was after 1030hrs when I drove in his gate.

Of course I had done my usual trick of underestimating how quickly we could load and secure the timber. Instead of the 30mins I had allocated, it took 2hrs and, Chris was right, it was hot and humid.

Anyhow I headed back to Toowoomba to travel the New England Highway, but, and this is the embarrassing bit so I'd appreciate it if you blokes keep this to yourselves, I took a wrong turn after Esk. All I had to do was retrace the road I had come along and I stuffed up !

I ended up back near Ipswich. I had no map with me and I have not embraced the Sat Nav technology so I had to wear travelling about 60Kms or more out of my way (it's probably more but I can't bring myself to look up how far astray I went.)

Then it was down the New England where the good people of NSW took another hour off me as I sped though the border. It was after 2100 when I lobbed up at Chambezio's at the foot of the Moonbi's. I really wanted to stay and talk, but it was late and I still had another half hour to travel into Tamworth where I was staying with my son overnight.

I left the next morning in good time and when I finally arrived at NC Archer's house in Singleton it seemed like it was the first time I had been on time for yonks! We unloaded the ute, had a drink and a very pleasant chinwag and I was on my way again.

It was good to meet Rod and Tony and I hope that the buyers will be able to make good use of the timber. We might see it on the forum again, I hope, in finished form.

All the best for Easter.

Regards
Paul

Well, we are all indebted to you Paul. Thank you again.

May I add my THANKs too!!!

I feeling a bit of guilt because I should have put this thread in this here main one.

I was concerned about the arrival of Paul, Bushmiller, when he didn't show at the time he originally estimated. I thought of all sorts of scenarios but also never had any relevant phone numbers to track him. He did arrive around 9.30pm some what warn out from the day's drive.
The tonny was well loaded and probably made a big sigh when my stuff was pulled off.
Paul had an adventure! But he made it OK and got back on schedule the next day. It was great to meet him face to face. A nicer bloke you would have to go a long way to meet. I briefly showed him my 3 Phase Converter as he is doing a project at his place to do something similar. He bought with him a calico roll of turning tools he had made car springs. This guy is talented. I showed him my version of an American Slick chisel that I had made from a new piece of spring steel
70 X 10mm and 250mm long. (stay tuned as he has encouraged me to do a write up of how I made it. I will try and find some time in the next few days)

The main and underlying fact is that the Members of this Forum have tapped into a spirit that make blokes go out of their way to help others for no other reason than to "help some body out". In this day and age when people are so busy with their own lives and don't appear to have much regard to others, this spirit is certainly alive and well

PS. Chris supplied me with some Mango bowl blanks. I got interested when he was showing us his progress with the Mango stump. Anyway I cut one of these blanks into a disc and commenced to turn it into a bowl. Even though it felt dry on the surface it is really green. Boy the curleys that came off made out to be a real expert (not) and the smell was of......good red wine. I kid you not. I got my wife to verify it. (And who is going to argue with her???) There was plenty of colourrs but I think some will go as it drys. This will be a subject of another thread in the next week or so

Originally Posted by chambezio

The main and underlying fact is that the Members of this Forum have tapped into a spirit that make blokes go out of their way to help others for no other reason than to "help some body out". In this day and age when people are so busy with their own lives and don't appear to have much regard to others, this spirit is certainly alive and well

Indeed Rod! It occurred to me the other night that the spirit of this forum is not dissimilar to that of the Cricket world.

Originally Posted by chambezio

. Even though it felt dry on the surface it is really green.

Those Blanks were in fact the last pieces to be milled from the stump...you will find that they will season out rapidly,even more so it you turn them green...the 25mm thick boards lost their moisture in about a month or so..i think you'll find that the colours will in fact remain as the pieces dry...Cheers MM

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Indeed Rod! It occurred to me the other night that the spirit of this forum is not dissimilar to that of the Cricket world.

Except that we are having a few more wins .

Regards
Paul