Awesome Wood Find

[bartlett7516]

I live in a small community about 9500 people and we recently had about 25 amish families migrate from Penn. because cost of land is so much cheaper here well anyway they have their own saw mills and mill their own lumber mostly oak and cottonwood. I seen the slabs cut in 18" pieces about 4" thick with bark in a huge mound and stopped and asked if they would sell some and they said as much as you want $10 a truckload and out came 4 boys and loaded a heapeing load of only oak in my truck at least a ricks worth because they stacked it. I arranged buy 15 more loads best find I have found yet.

 

[mtarbert]

great find. I sure hope you remembered to tip the boys......even if they refuse money take them some pepermint sticks next time you re-fuel

 

[DavidV]

it might be hard to stack it so it dries well but at $10 a load I'd do it just for the time and work savings. I would cross stack it so air got in there. might take up more space but I'm sure it would be worth it for the time I would save cutting and splitting.

 

[Marty]

These days that's the price of the chainsaw gas to make those cuts... and it's oak!

 

[cogger]

I respect the Amish folks. I had a experiance with Amish boys unloading a 48 ft flatbed of bailed hay, excellent workers and no where near compared to the few dopes and rejects you find in modern public schools.

 

[bartlett7516]

I will definitely bring them something to sweeten the pot they have bakeries and general stores and sell produce and mums so I use them alot for my everyday needs they are really good folks and I appreciate and respect their work ethic. I couldnt cut a load of wood for 10 bucks let alone 20 bucks for fuel for the saws and truck and Ibuprofen.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

It's probably cheapest to just hire a couple of 'em to hold the wood up while it dries.

Dang- that's a deal. A buddy in MN told me about mixed hardwood slabs for $25 per 4x4x 8-10' rack, plus $100 for delivery off a triaxel or something. We just don't have deals like that here. At those rates- who would ever cut their own wood 'cept for exercise? You can't do it cheaper for gas and tool wear (not to mention back aches).

 

[Dill]

I burn sawmill slabs in my evaporator. Just pine though, that is an awesome price, I'm paying 30 for a dakota load.
The issue with them is handling and cutting. One guy around here puts metal bands on them which make cutting them up easier. Since these aren't banded I've found just putting them in a big stack and sawing down through the stack the simplest way. But I'm not really concerned with length for the evaporator.

 

[deadon]

There is an Amish saw mill about 14 miles from my home here in Pa. They also sell their slabs and scrap cutoffs for $10 a pickup load. Although the boys do not help. You can load as much as your truck can handle. Only problem in my area the Amish cut and mill mostly Hemlock and it is always green. The price for rough cut lumber is very reasonable also. Maybe your Amish are from this area and kept the price the same when they relocated to your area. We have a large Amish community in Pa.

 

[Creek-Chub]

I burn sawmill slabs in my evaporator. Just pine though, that is an awesome price, I'm paying 30 for a dakota load.
The issue with them is handling and cutting. One guy around here puts metal bands on them which make cutting them up easier. Since these aren't banded I've found just putting them in a big stack and sawing down through the stack the simplest way. But I'm not really concerned with length for the evaporator.

I've been through about 6 cords of slab wood this winter, and feel like I've got a pretty good system. We paid $10 a bundle (roughly 3-4' by 4-5' by 8-10') about a cord or so in each bundle. I made a sort of "crib" from old 2x6's I had laying around. About waist height. I load up 5 or 6 slabs, and zip though with the saw at 18' increments that's I've marked. The pieces either fall through the bottom of the crib, or I toss them into the pile. I spent 2 months trying to cut the bundles on the ground, did alot of cussing, and went through two saw bars. It's a little more handling to put the slabs up on the crib, but I find that things go way faster. Just a thought.

And yeah, if you can find a mill nearby, slab wood is the way to go. I'll stick with big oak splits for those -15 or -20 degree days, but slab wood is cheap and pretty easy.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

great find. I sure hope you remembered to tip the boys......even if they refuse money take them some pepermint sticks next time you re-fuel

I agree. Give them something they usually don't get. Even get something for the entire family and you have friends for life.

I've never met an amish person I did not like!

 

[ohio woodburner]

great find. I sure hope you remembered to tip the boys......even if they refuse money take them some pepermint sticks next time you re-fuel

I agree. Give them something they usually don't get. Even get something for the entire family and you have friends for life.

I've never met an amish person I did not like!

+1 Dennis Soon as i read the OP i said to my self make friends with them. The will help you out in a heart beat. I go to the sales in Hillsdale Dennis and you'll never find nicer people.

 

[smokinj]

It's probably cheapest to just hire a couple of 'em to hold the wood up while it dries.

Dang- that's a deal. A buddy in MN told me about mixed hardwood slabs for $25 per 4x4x 8-10' rack, plus $100 for delivery off a triaxel or something. We just don't have deals like that here. At those rates- who would ever cut their own wood 'cept for exercise? You can't do it cheaper for gas and tool wear (not to mention back aches).

lol

 

[PapaDave]

great find. I sure hope you remembered to tip the boys......even if they refuse money take them some pepermint sticks next time you re-fuel

I agree. Give them something they usually don't get. Even get something for the entire family and you have friends for life.

I've never met an amish person I did not like!

+1 Dennis Soon as i read the OP i said to my self make friends with them. The will help you out in a heart beat. I go to the sales in Hillsdale Dennis and you'll never find nicer people.

Pretty good sized Amish presence in Hillsdale. I got some oak, sassafras, and maple, from a sawmill down that way QUITE a few years ago. Still have it.
There's an Amish community down around MIO also. Mennonites as well. Good people. Whenever we get down that way, we like to hit the bakery on one of the farms. LOTS of sawmills, and they all sell slabwood pretty cheap if you have a way to transport.

 

[ohio woodburner]

Pretty good sized Amish presence in Hillsdale. I got some oak, sassafras, and maple, from a sawmill down that way QUITE a few years ago. Still have it.
There's an Amish community down around MIO also. Mennonites as well. Good people. Whenever we get down that way, we like to hit the bakery on one of the farms. LOTS of sawmills, and they all sell slabwood pretty cheap if you have a way to transport.

Thats funny Dave, thats the first thing we do when we go up to Mio and Rose City is hit the bakery.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

great find. I sure hope you remembered to tip the boys......even if they refuse money take them some pepermint sticks next time you re-fuel

+1 Dennis Soon as i read the OP i said to my self make friends with them. The will help you out in a heart beat. I go to the sales in Hillsdale Dennis and you'll never find nicer people.

I have heard there was Amish around Hillsdale but we don't get down that way very often. I've worked around Amish and Mennonite people a lot and you won't find finer folks. I've never met a bad one but I'm sure there has to be a few ornery ones around. lol

Dave, I agree about the Mio and Fairview area. There are some good ones there. Same thing around Clare.

 

[PapaDave]

Pretty good sized Amish presence in Hillsdale. I got some oak, sassafras, and maple, from a sawmill down that way QUITE a few years ago. Still have it.
There's an Amish community down around MIO also. Mennonites as well. Good people. Whenever we get down that way, we like to hit the bakery on one of the farms. LOTS of sawmills, and they all sell slabwood pretty cheap if you have a way to transport.

Thats funny Dave, thats the first thing we do when we go up to Mio and Rose City is hit the bakery.

You come all the way up to Mio for the baked goods? That's pretty hardcore. :lol:

 

[ohio woodburner]

Pretty good sized Amish presence in Hillsdale. I got some oak, sassafras, and maple, from a sawmill down that way QUITE a few years ago. Still have it.
There's an Amish community down around MIO also. Mennonites as well. Good people. Whenever we get down that way, we like to hit the bakery on one of the farms. LOTS of sawmills, and they all sell slabwood pretty cheap if you have a way to transport.

Thats funny Dave, thats the first thing we do when we go up to Mio and Rose City is hit the bakery.

You come all the way up to Mio for the baked goods? That's pretty hardcore. :lol:

Ya that and Ma Deeters :lol:

 

[PapaDave]

Pretty good sized Amish presence in Hillsdale. I got some oak, sassafras, and maple, from a sawmill down that way QUITE a few years ago. Still have it.
There's an Amish community down around MIO also. Mennonites as well. Good people. Whenever we get down that way, we like to hit the bakery on one of the farms. LOTS of sawmills, and they all sell slabwood pretty cheap if you have a way to transport.

Thats funny Dave, thats the first thing we do when we go up to Mio and Rose City is hit the bakery.

You come all the way up to Mio for the baked goods? That's pretty hardcore. :lol:

Ya that and Ma Deeters :lol:

Lost me on the Ma Deeters. WTH?

 

[scotsman]

As a courtesy I've found that it's a good idea to clear with the menfolk anything you want to bring INTO the community. We have several versions of Amish, Mennonite, etc. around here and they immensly appreciate the respect you show by asking if something is okay before doing it.

Once I had one of 'em hand me a copy of their Bible, written in the low German they speak, and just because I had studied voice and sung German opera and lieder in college, I could read it. He gave me that Bible and invited me to one of their social occasions. I quietly asked this man to be my "tutor" so as to learn to "fit in" and be mindful of their sensitivities. He got a little emotional, which kinda scared me for a moment, but then he turned away from the others and we had a conversation until he recovered himself. He later explained how much acceptance by an "outsider" meant to them. I've been back to their community many times and we communicate frequently. We are as much brothers as any biological brothers could be. Very humbling experience, but I would trust these people with my life, wife or any of my children.

And as many of you have mentioned, the women do know their way around the kitchen, as my lack of trim will attest. I have learned not to mention anything in the food category (or any other category for that matter!) that I like or I will go home with loads of it or be sent tons of it by anyone of their community passing within 50 miles of our place.

They are the only "group" of people that I would encourage to move in and settle around me, if such was to occur.

Oh, and GREAT wood find, too!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Great story Terry and I do not doubt any of it. Come to think of it, I can't recall ever hearing a bad word about any Amish or Mennonites.

 

[firefighterjake]

As a courtesy I've found that it's a good idea to clear with the menfolk anything you want to bring INTO the community. We have several versions of Amish, Mennonite, etc. around here and they immensly appreciate the respect you show by asking if something is okay before doing it.

Once I had one of 'em hand me a copy of their Bible, written in the low German they speak, and just because I had studied voice and sung German opera and lieder in college, I could read it. He gave me that Bible and invited me to one of their social occasions. I quietly asked this man to be my "tutor" so as to learn to "fit in" and be mindful of their sensitivities. He got a little emotional, which kinda scared me for a moment, but then he turned away from the others and we had a conversation until he recovered himself. He later explained how much acceptance by an "outsider" meant to them. I've been back to their community many times and we communicate frequently. We are as much brothers as any biological brothers could be. Very humbling experience, but I would trust these people with my life, wife or any of my children.

And as many of you have mentioned, the women do know their way around the kitchen, as my lack of trim will attest. I have learned not to mention anything in the food category (or any other category for that matter!) that I like or I will go home with loads of it or be sent tons of it by anyone of their community passing within 50 miles of our place.

They are the only "group" of people that I would encourage to move in and settle around me, if such was to occur.

Oh, and GREAT wood find, too!

We have had a group of Amish move in to our town within the past two or three years . . . and quite honestly many of us look at them as really helping to save our rural life as they have bought up several failing or struggling dairy farms and are retaining the land for pastures . . . while at the same time honoring local traditions such as allowing the snowmobile trails to stay in place (or being rerouted.)

As mentioned, Amish make great neighbors . . .