Thread: Shrink wrapped firewood

Originally Posted by Kapriel

Matt, that kiln you see is actually a "reefer" trailer with the wheels and axle off. It was a refrigerated cargo container and there's nothing special about it. Basically you drive your fork truck inside it and stack your wood or your pallets for heat treating.

But you can make your own it doesn't have to be this size or shape. This is just what one company decided to do a number of years back and it works. But there are many ways to do this but I have to tell you I've been around these heat treating containers for almost 10 years and they can be tricky if you custom make your own.

I'm not going to build one at least not right now but I've been around enough of them that I know what works and what doesn't.

There are off shoots of this heat treating idea that are big money makers too. They replace chemical treatments to kill bugs and pests.

I might design something along those lines. I'm still looking for what I want to do.

I have enough licenses in the mechanical / electrical fields that it's difficult to figure which way to go in.

Here's a thought though, it's not always about money, you have to love what you do !

o i do love what i do thats how I've made it this far to be able to buy all this craziness. i spend my free time after I'm done with trees reading and calling people on how i can do better.
if your interested in making one for me I'm sure i could fund it if the price isn't to outrageous if you can build something like you say you can. i eat Breath and live trees.

its provided me with a lifestyle that i wouldn't change for the world am my own boss make good money get to play with cool toys my wife can stay home and take care of my kids its been a god sent for me.

Originally Posted by mattfr12

its all for the better good man take a product that is a bi product of what you do like cutting down a tree and turning it into another profit margin. I'm always hungry for more.

Yeah, i do that too and I am sorry to hear you are such a pig. Again, you said it, I didn't. Ah, maybe one day...

Anyway, one of the bigger guys ( not too big) around here is selling his 40k firewood processor cause it to much of a pain in the ass. He would rather make mulch so it can be heaped on the trees. More money in that I guess. He is probably like me, full of crap about selling it. Firewoodin is a #####, you find a guy gonna do it 40 hours I will be impressed.

Originally Posted by treemandan

Yeah, i do that too and I am sorry to hear you are such a pig. Again, you said it, I didn't. Ah, maybe one day...

Anyway, one of the bigger guys ( not too big) around here is selling his 40k firewood processor cause it to much of a pain in the ass. He would rather make mulch so it can be heaped on the trees. More money in that I guess. He is probably like me, full of crap about selling it. Firewoodin is a #####, you find a guy gonna do it 40 hours I will be impressed.

the idea he who does the least and gets paid the most is in the lead in the game of work. the whole idea is to build a business in many aspects so that in the end solution you have something you can either sell or something someone wants to buy out so you can retire. in the process tho you also have to bank up enough capital to support this.

being a pig in the money end is a good thing if your not your just cutting yourself short and not taking advantage of everything you can. if your capable and have the funds to do thies things why wouldn't you. only is logical make more money right?

the tub grinder for us is about two years away we have been going back and forth with rotochopper and morbark the big holdup is the property to put it on. if we had the property that bad boy would be grinding right now.

Matt, the company I used to work for does not make these anymore. It was not worth the headaches. By the way they were inovators in the field of heat treating.

The problem was the customer would try to modify or alter their needs to fit the container and then the problems started.

There was some design issues at first which have now been worked out. I lost some of my hair over that !

My job was to go to each site and start these units up and make adjustments and go over the entire procedure including logging certification for the inspectors.

For instance any pallet going overseas has to be heat treated and stamped as such to prevent insects and eggs from traveling from one country to another.

I just thought I would put my 2 cents in this thread as there is a lot of money at stake not to mention the unit has to work right all the time not just when it wants too.

Originally Posted by Kapriel

Matt, the company I used to work for does not make these anymore. It was not worth the headaches. By the way they were inovators in the field of heat treating.

The problem was the customer would try to modify or alter their needs to fit the container and then the problems started.

There was some design issues at first which have now been worked out. I lost some of my hair over that !

My job was to go to each site and start these units up and make adjustments and go over the entire procedure including logging certification for the inspectors.

For instance any pallet going overseas has to be heat treated and stamped as such to prevent insects and eggs from traveling from one country to another.

I just thought I would put my 2 cents in this thread as there is a lot of money at stake not to mention the unit has to work right all the time not just when it wants too.

ya i understand and appreciate it if you ever have some free time PM me your number i still do have some questions maybe you could help me with so i get what I'm looking for out of this.

thanks again.

Firewood is all about the quantity and efficiency, same with mulch. I did 50 cords with my buddy this year. It didn't take that long really and we were able to wholesale it all. A good sidejob money maker, but definitely would be struggling if I had to make a living. My boss' son does land clearing and chipping. They are currently clearing out the chip pile at work for mulch. Probably have close to 1.5/2 million in equipment over there, grinder, loaders, excavators, semis, dozers. The chipper uses 32 gallons an hour when full throttle!

Bundles are a good market if you set up right, it maximizes your gross no doubt, so profit should follow if done correctly. The setup is what separates the big boys from the little guys. Very few kilns across the country, as the upfront cost is large and you need a place to store the stuff because you will want to do mass quantity to max profit. Kiln dry stuff opens you up to be able to sell to national companies/chains, like supermarkets and convenient stores as it is "certified" because of the kiln process. I think you could do it Matt, you have the wood supply and are no doubt a go getter.

Originally Posted by fashion master

The rural exodus means large numbers of people moving out of rural areas (where farming used to be done) into the urban areas, or cities, where they hoped to find industrial jobs or any work other than farming. Because the farm land that they left behind remained "fallow" -- uncultivated, or unused for growing crops -- the forest grew back ("advanced"). So "land laying fallow" means "farm land left uncultivated."

what kind of name is fashion master for a tree care forum.

I guess a wood fired boiler is one of the main ways to run these things. How much wood does it take to dry out a load of 6-8 cords?
Should be able to burn up your used oil too if not doing it already, sounds like you'd have alot of it with all the eqpt. you run.

Originally Posted by Toddppm

I guess a wood fired boiler is one of the main ways to run these things. How much wood does it take to dry out a load of 6-8 cords?
Should be able to burn up your used oil too if not doing it already, sounds like you'd have alot of it with all the eqpt. you run.

ya as far as loaders and bobcats stuff like that we have more of them than people during the winter so we got a lot of machinery to make the firewood deal easier the processor is coming with a conveyor to fill the steel cages then you carry them in with a skid loader and forks.

I am thinking if you want to sell shrink wrapped firewood you don't go to the store that sells it retail, you go to the wholesale distributor.
Everything that comes to a conveinience store comes on one truck... usually.

Originally Posted by treemandan

I am thinking if you want to sell shrink wrapped firewood you don't go to the store that sells it retail, you go to the wholesale distributor.
Everything that comes to a conveinience store comes on one truck... usually.

ya it all depends most of the ones we have on board are not a chain of stores mom and pop stores.

Originally Posted by mattfr12

what kind of name is fashion master for a tree care forum.

Its about time. We need it. I don't think any of us are following the fashion trends.

Originally Posted by treemandan

Its about time. We need it. I don't think any of us are following the fashion trends.

Click on the link at the bottom of there post

Originally Posted by mattfr12

ya it all depends most of the ones we have on board are not a chain of stores mom and pop stores.

Interesting, around here mom and pop was run off long ago.

You should get the name off one of those shrink wraps and investigate. You might find it comes from another state alltogether.

Originally Posted by 2treeornot2tree

Click on the link at the bottom of there post

You first.