FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
-Do you saw other people’s logs, or kiln dry other people’s lumber or slabs?
Yes, if you bring us your logs, lumber or slabs, we will saw, dry, mill and/or finish them for you.
-Where are you located? What are your hours?
We are located 45 minutes north of Albany, NY, in the quaint little town of Charlton, NY. Our facility is only about 8 miles from exit 12 off I-87 or about 15 miles from I-90 either exit 26 (Schenectady) or exit 27 (Amsterdam).
-Where do your logs come from? Are you cutting old growth trees out of forests?
All of our logs either come from a properly harvested wood lot, a dredging company, from storm damage or from a tree service company that is either clearing a lot for new construction or removed from someone’s yard for varies reasons, mostly commonly, because they had died or were dying or presented a safety hazard. By recuing these falling giants, they can be turned into a useable product that can be enjoyed for decades after they died.
– Are your slabs kiln dried?
Each slab is labeled as to when it was sawn, if it’s been air dried or Kiln dried, and the surface that is on it. We always have volume of slabs that are in all different stages from fresh cut to ready for finish. Prior to going in the kiln all slabs are air dried for months to years depending on their species and thickness, some slabs might need 1-2 years to bring the moisture content down to a more reasonable level. Slabs need to be dried slowly. Customers are welcome to purchase green slabs if they have drying experience or access to a kiln.
– Will you warranty your slabs against cracking or warping or other forms of degradation?
No. Wood slabs are a natural product and may contain certain characteristics including but not limited to: Color variation, graining variations, knots, cracks, splits, checks, insect holes, rot, shake, decay, pitch pockets, and staining. Because lumber is a natural product, it may have internal stresses that cause the boards to bow, cup, crook, twist, check and/or split. Wood will shrink and swell to changing moisture. I will however give you plenty of advice to help set you up for success with a slab. Care must be taken when using a slab to account for the sheer size and seasonal movement.
– You have a slab on your website that I really like. Will you hold it for me?
Under no circumstances will I hold any inventory. If you want it then you must purchase it or put a non-refundable deposit on it until you pick it up or arrange shipping.
– What methods of payment do you accept?
I accept cash, check, credit card, and bank transfers. If a check is used for an order being shipped, then the order will be held 7-10 days until the check clears. All orders must be paid in full prior to pickup. No exceptions.
– Do you ship slabs/lumber across the country?
Yes. I use a shipping broker to find the best shipping company to fit your budget or other special needs. However, we more than welcome anyone with a truck and trailer or semi, and will be happy to load it for you. All orders must be paid in full before shipping or pickup.
– What is my yard tree worth?
Values range all over the place for a variety of reasons, but typically they are not as valuable as a tree that was grown in the forest. No commercial mill is going to touch a yard tree. Why? Over 95% of the yard trees have metal or other foreign objects in them that destroy our wood working machinery. The purchase price must be low to offset the cost of damaged equipment from the process of sawing into nails, lag screws, screw hooks, spikes, rocks, horseshoes, and other foreign objects that homeowners have placed into their yard trees over the years. I am always on the lookout for large trees to keep them from being cut into firewood or hauled to the dump. If you have a log at least 36″ in diameter please contact me. If you have a cherished tree that you would like to have made into a piece of furniture I can help with that as well.
– I have a highly valuable 12″ diameter Walnut tree growing in my yard. What will you pay me for it?
Unfortunately there is a myth that just because a tree is Walnut that it is worth a lot of money. It’s not! Larger trees can be, but usually nothing smaller than a 24″ in diameter (not circumference) that is free of metal, limbs, etc. Over 95% of the yard trees have metal in them. And no, your yard tree is not a highly valuable old growth Walnut veneer tree worth thousands of dollars. You will not be able to repave your driveway or pay off your car with the value of any walnut tree that you can wrap your arms around.
– I have a couple large trees in my yard next to my house/garage. If you cut them down you can have the wood.
If you want to hire a tree service to take them down I may be interested in buying them from you. In almost every case though the value of such yard trees is far less than the cost of having them removed. If you are interested I can refer you to one of the various tree services I work with. If the tree is sound and a current species and size I’m looking for then I could give you something to offset the cost of having it removed.
– Why does it take so long to dry your slabs? Why can’t you dry them in 30 days like the other guys?
My family has owned and operated a sawmill since the 1770’s. In recent years it seems like everyone wants to jump on the latest fade, large wood slabs. It is not possible to dry a freshly sawn thick hardwood slab in under 30 days in a normal kiln. Worse yet, there are claims that this can be accomplished in a solar kiln, a drying chamber entirely dependent on the weather, that only operates during daylight hours, on days without clouds, REALLY??. It is not possible to quickly dry thick, fresh sawn, hardwood slabs in a solar kiln, or in a dehumidification kiln. It takes months for the moisture inside of a hardwood slab to migrate to the surface where it can evaporate off. The only way to quickly dry a hardwood slab without significant degrade is in a vacuum kiln. They start at roughly $125,000, putting them beyond the reach of most businesses.