Cutting per customers request

[Evanrude]

Last two weekends have been pretty busy with selling wood. I dropped off a full cord to a customer today that requested their next load in 24" lengths. I've been cutting all mine in standard 16" length. He said in two weeks he'll take it. Which is fine, I've got a bunch of dead stands I'm cutting right now, so I can fill his order no problem. For future requests, how do I handle them. I dont want to make a special size cut and then have the customer decide they dont want it anymore. Then I have to find a buyer that'll take that wood. I really didnt want to ask this guy for some type of deposit, but, I really dont know what else to do. For now, I'm going to take his word. This is the first time I've delivered to this customer. Just wondering what the rest of you sellers are doing with this type of situation. Thanks!

Evan

 

[Nailsbeats]

Take him at his word and cut the length he wants. Give him a chance to prove you wrong. I do it for one guy I have, chances are you won't have to many requests for it. If he screws you, then don't do business with him in the future and try to find another home for the wood, anyone with a outside boiler would take it, even if you had to discount it to move it. Give it a shot, it's only wood.

 

[Ole Farmerbuck]

Last two weekends have been pretty busy with selling wood. I dropped off a full cord to a customer today that requested their next load in 24" lengths. I've been cutting all mine in standard 16" length. He said in two weeks he'll take it. Which is fine, I've got a bunch of dead stands I'm cutting right now, so I can fill his order no problem. For future requests, how do I handle them. I dont want to make a special size cut and then have the customer decide they dont want it anymore. Then I have to find a buyer that'll take that wood. I really didnt want to ask this guy for some type of deposit, but, I really dont know what else to do. For now, I'm going to take his word. This is the first time I've delivered to this customer. Just wondering what the rest of you sellers are doing with this type of situation. Thanks!

Evan

I convince them that 16" is the way to go. Doesnt take much convincing really.

 

[jeeptj19992001]

ask for payment before you start to cut
at least 1/2 down.......

 

[wdchuck]

Why is he requesting such an increase in size?

Different woodburner?
less handling?
more stable stack?
Realized the firebox will handle that size, so a longer burn at night?
You are willing to provide it?

Getting it for someone else?

You can always get it in writing, simple contract on your receipt.
Find out what quantity he is looking for, for the season and/or future, and set something up with them, and set it up at your location. Plan for it.

Nailsbeat certainly has a good approach as well.


The guy who's processor I operate, accepts custom lengths from new accounts, I just have to put a different stop block on the rod so its consistent for the customer, eyeballing it from the cab doesn't work out to well since its dark out when I can work the machine.
You really don't have much to lose here, unless he changes his mind after you deliver, then its more of an inconvenience than anything.

For my fledgling setup, its a crapshoot on what size to store as inventory, so its all seasoned 1yr.

 

[Evanrude]

For 24" length, it's probably not that big of a deal. I'm sure there are a bunch of stoves that can handle it. Say someone requests something shorter than 16, I'm afraid I wont be able to dump it off so easily. I guess I'm going to have a few 'rules'. I dont want to have to split anything longer than 24" so thats my max. Custom sizes in 6" increments. Of course, I guess I'll have to charge more for something less than 16" because thats more wood to handle during splitting. How hard is splitting 24" rounds? Keep in mind, I split by hand with my trusty Fiskars axe. I do have limited availability to a splitter for the gnarly stuff though. I dunno, maybe I'm over-analyzing this whole thing...

 

[Nailsbeats]

If a piece splits easy with a maul at 16" it won't take much more at 24". For the guy who wants less than 16", you need to get more money per cord because there is more labor. I sell by the facecord so I keep my price the same and he gets less wood, works for both of us.

 

[Evanrude]

If a piece splits easy with a mall at 16" it won't take much more at 24". For the guy who wants less than 16", you need to get more money per cord because there is more labor. I sell by the facecord so I keep my price the same and he gets less wood, works for both of us.

I agree, more labor = more moola.

 

[Mike Van]

All my stoves use 24", Harman boiler, Leader syrup evaporator & moms All Nighter - If I use 16 or 18 inch wood in the Harman, I've lost 25% of my burn time. No big deal now, but dead of winter it is. My splitter takes a 25" piece, so it works great, there's no 'dead time' running the ram across 6 or 8 inches of space.

 

[forestryworks]

i found out delivering 24" wood customers get more wood horizontally than they do vertically...

 

[CharlieG]

I cut to 16" so the "little people" in the house can help out with the wood . As for the 24" wood,, I 'd ask for 1/2 up front.

 

[mga]

i usually cut mine 18" for personal use, but next year i'm going with 24" since my fireplace can easily handle that size.

so.......some people can use 24" logs.

 

[ADAMH]

Tried being nice this year doing some custom cutting

we cut 16" as standard..however an old lady this year asked me to do a specific cord for her cut to 12"..took more time and had to hand load it

so we did it.... and you know what I got for my pain...she called me up after and said the wood was to wide now? and reamed me and my wife out how we ripped her off..said that some of the wood had bark ripped off, and that she did not believe that we custom cut it for her...she went on and on...and on...

She said she was going to have her friend cut her wood next year by hand and not buy from us....I said good luck

only complaint so far in the 2 years I have been selling wood..

figures I try to be nice to an old lady..and get nothing but grief

 

[mga]

Tried being nice this year doing some custom cutting

we cut 16" as standard..however an old lady this year asked me to do a specific cord for her cut to 12"..took more time and had to hand load it

so we did it.... and you know what I got for my pain...she called me up after and said the wood was to wide now? and reamed me and my wife out how we ripped her off..said that some of the wood had bark ripped off, and that she did not believe that we custom cut it for her...she went on and on...and on...

She said she was going to have her friend cut her wood next year by hand and not buy from us....I said good luck

only complaint so far in the 2 years I have been selling wood..

figures I try to be nice to an old lady..and get nothing but grief

wow. unbelievable!!

 

[woodbooga]

I agree, more labor = more moola.

Smaller pieces also means more wasted boimass in the form of woodchips, too.

My FIL, not a dealer per se, sometimes has some extra and sells. He took a specialty order - 12" pieces. The guy renegged and the FIL was left with a pile of stubs and an aching back.

 

[LumberjkChamp]

Tried being nice this year doing some custom cutting

we cut 16" as standard..however an old lady this year asked me to do a specific cord for her cut to 12"..took more time and had to hand load it

so we did it.... and you know what I got for my pain...she called me up after and said the wood was to wide now? and reamed me and my wife out how we ripped her off..said that some of the wood had bark ripped off, and that she did not believe that we custom cut it for her...she went on and on...and on...

She said she was going to have her friend cut her wood next year by hand and not buy from us....I said good luck

only complaint so far in the 2 years I have been selling wood..

figures I try to be nice to an old lady..and get nothing but grief

WOW! That sounds crazy but you can't be making that up. I cut all my wood to about 21" and that seems to work well. My stove takes up to 25" pieces but a few inches smaller allows me to fit more in for overnight burns.
I have never cut to 12" and hope I never have to. If you were able to keep your cool with that lady then I'll bet you never get upset. "some bark ripped off" -COME ON- Did she say anything about some wood ripping off the bark? LOL. Something else must have been bothering her, people just don't do that for no reason. I hope you're still selling wood though. Good luck with any future "custom cut" orders.

 

[Patrick62]

Every once in awhile....

... you find a customer that would prefer some custom size.

I have cut 24" stuff. I had to make a measuring stick 23 1/2 long as it was easier to get into the splitter. I have also cut stuff 12" long. The length of my boot. My way of thinkin' is that if it can fit a 12" then a 14" would also fit....

Recently I filled a "special order" of 12" aspen. Somehow the stuff grew to 14" with a few hitting up towards 16" (oops). I delivered it, and the customer wasn't happy. Gazing upon the pile of stuff there they were really, really cute.
Nothing over 9" long. I expected to see brightly colored letters and numbers on them!!!

I will say that if I ever cut wood for them again, it will be 9" and split small.
It will also cost about $100 a cord more than regular wood.

-Pat

 

[bigjake]

The longer the wood the less you cut .Think about it my fireplace can hold
22" but i dont cut it that long it would just be hard on the old lady i mean
with the splitting and mowing cooking cleaning shoping wash and all i have
to spoil her someway.LOL

 

[KsWoodsMan]

:crazy1: 9" wood :crazy1:

I save the shorts to burn in my stove and advertise "chimenea chunks" but I have yet to sell more than 4-5 cubic feet at a time.

I really have to ask what it was they were burning that in. I could see burning it in a wood cookstove. Most, that use one, already have the wood on hand to fuel it.

 

[Patrick62]

:crazy1: 9" wood :crazy1:

I save the shorts to burn in my stove and advertise "chimenea chunks" but I have yet to sell more than 4-5 cubic feet at a time.

I really have to ask what it was they were burning that in. I could see burning it in a wood cookstove. Most, that use one, already have the wood on hand to fuel it.

A pristine 1900 era railroad potbelly.
When I went inside to get my check (he did accept the load ) I asked if that was the stove the wood was for... then I said that everything out there would fit nicely. They were designed to burn the wood vertical. he "prefers" to build the fire horizontal, that is why the short wood. :monkey:

-Pat