Sawmills and Old Fords

[Gary Max]

Well I thought you folks might enjoy this. The work truck around here is a 1970 Ford 3/4 camper special and it still does a good day's work. So this morning the truck and I headed for the sawmill---truely on of the things in life I really enjoy doing. Here is what I brought home today the rest is getting sawed and it will be Thrusday before I pick it up. Betsy-(old Ford) likes the gas stations but is not affraid of hauling a good load. It's about a 100 trip to the mill and back.

[Dick Parr]

Gary what kind of wood is that, cedar?

Nice load by the way.

[Michael Stafford]

Gary, I love your posts. You do woodworking on a grand scale and fine woodworking at that. I'm pretty sure that you will be sawing up that cedar for some of your projects. But after that Kentucky Coffeewood turning a week or two ago, I have to ask, you're not going to turn those big mamas on the lathe are you?

[Terry Quiram]

Whoa Garry, nice Cedar! Those are some of the largest Cedar I have seen. I cut one last year that went about 20" diameter. They don't get a whole lot bigger here in central Illinois. I did get some nice turning stock from them.

Terry

[Gary Max]

Sure wish I could afford a lathe that could handle something that size. I use logs this size for several of the things I build ---from tables to benches. Most of the stuff I build is big and soild. Mike there will be some of this that will end up on the lathe but it will cut-offs. Cedar this size are getting very hard to come by. Heck think of how many pen blanks I could make.

[Clint deal]

Nice wood hauler Gary. Those Camper Specials will really carry a load and pull a house off the foundation. Does it have a 390 in it?
Here's my wood hauler/daily driver. I've had here for about 22 years and my pop bought her new.
Clint

[Gary Max]

Clint I am the second owner of Betsy---she is just getting broke in good with only 55,000 miles. When she became a family member we took her off the frame and stripped her to bare steel. Epoxy primer and 2 gallons of grabber blue later she was looking good.
Of course the last 10 years she sat around most of the time waiting for work. In the second pic I posted you can see a 20 foot box trailer---until last year Betsy pulled that to shows. It finally got to the point that I felt it was unsafe for her to handle that much weight so the trailer is now used for storage.
She is running a 360 with a C6 behind that.
She ain't as sharp as yours but she is always ready to work. They salt the roads down here since there is only one snow plow in the county. Until we moved down here 5 years ago she was rust free.

[Clint deal]

55,000 miles, wow. Not even broke in yet. You got a nice one there. I did'nt take mine down quite as far. Bed and front clip came off. plus the interior was gutted. I did all the body work and paint under a tarp.
Mine has a warmed up 351 windsor with an automatic overdrive. I added power-disc brakes and power-steering. I'd like to add AC next year.
They atarted salting the raods here last year. I really hate to see them start using it here.
Clint

[Dennis Peacock]

Gary what kind of wood is that, cedar?

Nice load by the way.

Dick,

That is Red Aeromatic Cedar.

[Gary Max]

I really do not drive her in the winter but sometimes Betsy is the only way to get out of here. Plus there is the firewood thing--I try and get that done before the snow flys.
Thursday I am going to pick up a load of 8/4---if it doesn't rain--the sawmill doesn't break down --and all that other stuff doesn't go wrong. This is a custom order of grade lumber---yah right---I still will have to inspect the whole thing. Just really can not deal with much sap wood.