First load from the kiln for the new year

Brought the first load home today from the kiln.  It was all thick curly [tiger] maple. Most soft red maple. 16/4 [4" thick], 12/4[3" thick] and some 10/4[2.5" thick]. I do believe this will be the only 16/4 and maybe 12/4 for the year. I only have small amounts and its really well figured. It take so long to dry I just can't afford to have it sitting around. If you are looking for some spectacular stock for slab tops or something else, let me know soon. I can't say how long this will last as its only a few hundred feet of each.  It does  contain some color. Moving this stuff lets me know how old I am. Some planks are over 200# each. It was worse when we got them green though. I will be getting a big load of 8/4 material of flame birch, curly [tiger] maple and birdseye maple out on this load as well.

Bowl turners, this has some real nice width to it. Some are nice and wide. Not much isn't under 10". The price on this batch of 16/4 is 20$ board foot. You have to take the whole piece. They are 8 feet long. The 12/4 is 15$ foot for the wide stock and 12$ foot for bed post stock.

 16/4 tiger maple

 16/4 tiger maple

 16/4 tiger maple

10/4 and 12/4 tiger maple

I know I have 1 piece of 16/4 hard maple. Tight curl. Its beautiful. Email me off my web site.Or call. The info is all on the web site.
www.bobkloes.com

New load from the kiln

Its been very nice so far in Wisconsin this spring. Wet and warm at times, but no complaining from the peanut gallery.

Just got several new loads from the kiln. Some stunning material. Flame birch in 5/4 , 6/4 and 8/4 and the same in birdseye maple and tiger maple. Even got a few pieces of 12/4 birdseye and curl mix. Those will make someone a stunning pencil post bed or turned bowls.

The wood business has been doing ok. I have had several new customers and they all seem to be happy with the material. I seem to be sending out more pallets lately as well. Had to buy more new pallets. Longer so it was easier for Fastenal and other trucking companies to haul them.

Its getting full in the shop. I am fortunate to have my grandson come help me a couple days a week.
Lots of unloading , stacking, measuring and checking figure. I wish at times it was easier, but I have to lift each and every board several times from when it starts air drying to when its finally put away. I probably touch each piece 6 or 8 times in the process. I guess I am not into "lean" processes.
I will be offering a veneer slicing service. I have contacted a company that slices veneer from boards. They steam it and slice it, anywhere from 1/42" to 1/16". If this is something you are looking for, let me know. Its not inexpensive, but if you want to work a lot of surface, it can be done. This is not something for 1 or 2 boards though.

These are a log set of wide 6/4 flame birch. All natural edges, just some stunning material. Some of these will be used in a class by Charles Neil this fall. I have some really sweet 8/4 material as well.

Let me know what you are looking for. I only sell figured lumber from Wisconsin, the UP , Iowa and Indiana. Best stuff in the world as far as I know.

Birdseye heaven

Just got back from a trip to the mill to get a trailer load of green stock. I had asked for some 12/4 birdseye and flame birch for bed post material. I know this is super scarce. Drying takes forever and finding big logs is never easy. Plus you are going against the veneer companies to purchase those. Well, I hit the motherload. My son in law picked me up and we stated out about 6:30 am. It was a wonderful drive. Sunny and pleasant. We made good time and even stopped for breakfast. When I got to the mill, it was real quite. They work 4 10 hour days and Friday was an off day. The loader guy was working thankfully. I was told I didn't have much to pickup. I was told wrong....

The loader guy was picking up bundles and bringing them to the truck. He came with 3 bundles and told us there were more. Not on this load...The wood was all frozen together. Took some pounding with sledge hammers to get it apart. I was speechless. There were planks, 3" and 17" wide. Beautiful white birdseye. The whole trailer got filled quick. We had to hand load some to get the most on without being overloaded. We had almost 6000# on the trailer. The roads were a bit lumpy to say the least, so we strapped it down and headed out.

Unloading was no fun. Had to beat it more with sledges. Stacking and stickering was a chore. Heavy wet and icy. Some of the big planks weighed several hundred pounds. Made for some exciting stacking to say the least. No smashed fingers thankfully. Wet cold hands, but those are fixable. Hope you enjoy the pics. It was a great day to say the least. Hope to be going back in the next month for some flame birch. I hope to have this dried and ready to sell by the end of this year. Thick stock is always a slow process. This will make some great turning stock, bedposts or tables. I have never in my life seen this thick and wide of birdseye. All great figure too.