Hello All,

I am a service connected USCG veteran, '69-'72  got into woodworking around 6yrs old, needed a boat to get into local swamps, with lots of tar, still leaked quite a bit but I learned some lessons along the way, also spent lot of time in local salt ponds learning to row, and sail. around 13 yrs old, got involved with local sea scout ship and sailboat racing as well. I got into carpentry helping my retired grandfather around his shop building small fishing skiffs and then got into fibreglass  boatbuilding around '65 building fiberglass Moth class sailboats as well as racing them on weekends.

After military service went into business finishing out 40-50 ft. fiberglass hulls mostly for fishing but a few pleasure boats as well. Mid '70's started building wood trimarans and multihull sailboats. The 80's got me into home renovation and construction and custom woodworking. I got my 1st sawmill in mid 80's and my 2nd around '98 still going strong. Since '06 my knees finally giving out so that I am no longer able to work full time carpentry competitively I have shifted more effort into milling and selling local hardwood having a younger fellow to do the heavy work and teaching him in the process some of the many things I've learned over the years. I still take on smaller projects when I can and I have lots of wood to work with, just have not worked out the shipping process.

 

Welcome aboard Douglas! looks like you have kept busy over the years, glad to have you aboard sir.

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Charles Nicholls
Site Host
nicholls61@att.net
Proud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRA

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks

Good to hear from you, Doug. That's quite a saw you have there. 

Can't think of a better place to be than Key West!

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

Lewis,

Thank You, It is gonna be a COLD weekend, temp's dropping into the low 50's overnight, had to bring in plants and pets, guess we are spoiled.

 
Lewis Kauffman said:

Good to hear from you, Doug. That's quite a saw you have there. 

Can't think of a better place to be than Key West!

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

Thank You Charles, Still feel uncomfortable being called Sir though, guess I get it from Dad. I still try to keep busy, but I've been thinking of taking my 1st, nice road trip when the weather warms up, while I still can. Don't know where, but everything is North of here by road. Maybe deliver some wood?
 
Charles Nicholls said:

Welcome aboard Douglas! looks like you have kept busy over the years, glad to have you iiaboard sir.

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Charles Nicholls
Site Host
nicholls61@att.net
Proud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRA

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks

I'd love to have some wood but have very limited space to keep it so it really wouldn't be worth a trip unless the main purpose was sight seeing. Ok so no more "Sir" for you gotcha. i get it a lot here too and i keep looking for my stepfather. lol There are a lot of guys and ladies here that I am sure wouldn't mind a wood delivery too.

 

Have a great night

 

 

Douglas Helliesen said:

Thank You Charles, Still feel uncomfortable being called Sir though, guess I get it from Dad. I still try to keep busy, but I've been thinking of taking my 1st, nice road trip when the weather warms up, while I still can. Don't know where, but everything is North of here by road. Maybe deliver some wood?
 
Charles Nicholls said:

Welcome to TPW fellow Coastie! I built a WINDMILL when I was younger and I had a lot of fun building and sailing her. Before I joined the C.G. I worked for New Orleans Marine and Easterly Yachts building 30' to 40' sailboats when I wasn't shipping out in the merchant marines.

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www.thepatriotwoodworker.com Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops

Welcome, Douglas.

You guys that build boats have a skill set unlike and unmatched by most woodworkers. I have yet to meet a shipwright who wasn't an excellent craftsman in whatever area of woodworking he chose.

Looking forward to your future posts here on TPW.   

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Welcome Douglas and thank you for joining up on our community of woodworkers with a cause.

What an interesting work history! Yep, I agree with the others, boat builders are definitely a different lot and skill set. I was a builder for Bayliner Marine out of Kingman AZ back in the mid 80's. I worked on the carpenter portion of the assembly line, installed the interiors and rigging for speed control and power harness's.

As far as shipping your lumber, how about starting out small, and make up lumber packs, pre assembled packs of lumber like a 40 bdft pack, 60, 80, etc. lengths at 72". Pre pack them and band them up, put a price tag on them and how much they weigh. Link up a shipping calculator to each lumber pack, so customers can calculate their shipping costs.

It's a good way to get started, and a great way to get your product out there for folks to use.

I wish you the best of luck!

 

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops and Wounded Warriors Project

welcome aboard fellow sailor(Navy here),great bunch of guys here,an might be interested in buyin some lumber from ya later on

Hello to all of you that I have not spoken to yet. Looking forward to seeing you all on the forums.

Peace.

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Charles Nicholls
Site Host
nicholls61@att.net
Proud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRA

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks

Doug, welcome to The Patriot Woodworker. Great looking saw mill. We look forward to you sharing your woodworking experience here with us.

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John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Welcome Douglas,  I will be starting a 17'  "stitch and glue" bay skiff this winter.