Well, it has been a bit a struggle but I am FINALLY working on the new Lutz Spruce logs. I split out the first billets today. I was trying to have them hauled to my place but they are just too large and too heavy for the self loading logging truck and even if we had it loaded up on site I don't have large enough equipment here to help the truck unload and the self loader could not even get these off the ground (they tried!).
Anyway, the wood is beautiful, nice colour, good grain spacing and huge medullary rays but the tree does have some twist so master sets will be minimal but lots of something near 3A. Here are a couple of pictures:
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3 logs 1.jpg
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It was snowing a bit today
![[xx(]](./images/smilies/smiley11.gif "Dead")
. My dog got so cold that I had to put him back in the truck while I finished off!In this picture you can see the mild twist. The top billet was the best one of the bunch and could actually make some fairly high grade sets. It will be interesting to see how things progress through the tree.
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3 logs 3.jpg
Now for the real news. After the past couple of years of family medical issues and some other distractions our family has decided it is time for a change. As a result we will be moving out of Lutz country and I will be leaving High Mountain Tonewood Company (and my day job). I have a couple of people interested in taking over HMTC and I am really trying to get someone to carry on this business as more of a business than I have been able to attend to it over the past couple of years. I am also working on an exciting project that will hopefully see a new Sitka supplier on the market and I will posting more on that as they get closer to opening their doors. I am working as their technical consultant and we will be doing a small sample run from some of their mid grade logs over the next couple of weeks. We need to do this to support the business plan. So stay tuned to this exciting venture which I hope will see them up and running by Spring or early summer of next year.
Back to this current lutz spruce log. I am thinking of selling most of these as a mixed box of set (all better than 2A up to 3A) for $500 for a box of 12 sets (just under $42 USD per set). If there is interest in this I will get some shipping quotes together for various regions. I plan on a strong few weeks of processing over the next couple of months as I will be starting the new day job in mid to late January and that will see me on the road a lot more. I will also be able to sell single sets at the following prices: 2A - $30, 3A - $65. I will also see if I can get some harp and wiess sets but no promises because of the twist but if I find a "calm" spot in the tree I will do some.
The future for me and this community is as a guitar maker, which is what I started all of this for in the first place. I am really looking forward to that! I have one acoustic box ready for binding and it has been that way for at least 3 years so it will be great to finally be back at it later next year. I will only be building for family and friends but have enough wood for more guitars than I will likely ever build. I will be keeping one of my three resaws and of course the CNC machine stays as well so every once in a while I will be offering a few things in the classifieds section but I will either be taking the HMTC website down or hopefully transferring it over to some other operator.
Anyway, more to come once I start sawing these sets up.
Thanks for all of the support over the years and sorry that I couldn't keep up the service and product availability as well as it was a few a years ago. I just out grew my ability to stay on top of things, especially with all of the family things going on.
Shane