We first came across Hicksville Planing Mill in March while looking for an alternative to overpriced scarps available at Woodcraft and this place looked like the most interesting option by a long shot. The first trip up there was so much fun that frankly, we forgot to snap a photo so we vowed to correct that mistake.
I’m working on a little project for the Mutts and needed some Black Walnut; no better place then Hicksville to get it.
OK, so back to the photos; I was not going to miss out on an opportunity to snap pictures of all the 4 story high stacks of lumber, no sir. I bought a camera phone, a camera, and a video camera.
There was only one problem, I kind of got excited again and forgot to take pictures. Ya, I can’t believe it either. but it gets better, much better!
See I was so excited that I forgot to take the car keys with me, yep left them in the ignition, I locked the car and went shopping. No lie, we were shopping for two hours before I realized that I didn’t have the keys.
Feeling like a fool, having locked my keys, phone, etc in the car I headed back to the office to beg for help. The Mennonites being the most helpful people on the planet offered to let me use their “car kit” to break in. Unfortunately, car thief is not on my list of expertise and I hacked away at it making little progress until the owners’ son, probably the most polite twenty-something you’ve ever met came to help.
Unfortunately, the Mennonites are not known for “grand theft auto” so he too made little progress.
Finally, we got the idea to try and push the window buttons. Is it down to open? No maybe its up to open, hmm, let’s try down again, nope nothings working. Then Jess yells over hey you put the window down. See in our excitement we did not notice that we had actually got the passenger window down and were in the process of putting it back up when she yelled… whoops… I mean YAY we are in.
I was so happy I grabbed my Mennonite partner in crime and gave him a big hug…
Holy crap you should have seen his face, I’ve never seen someone so scared and freaked out at the same time. He turned shades of white and red and you could see his fight and flight response fighting over what to do next.
It was a riot.
Well now, having access to my wood hauling chariot and having just embarrassed the heck out of my guide it was time to pay and go…
I left a big tip for him at the counter, hopefully, that will make up for the hug, lol.
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- Sign @ Hicksville Planing Mill
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- Shot 1 of todays Haul
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- Shot 2 of todays Haul
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- My master photography picture taker girl.
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- Brian @ Home – June 2013
Jess’s photos from the day:
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- Purpleheart and bloodwood.
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- Black walnut, morado, heat treated ash and bolivian rosewood.
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- Purpleheart, bloodwood and heat treated ash.
Hicksville Planing Mill Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hicksville-Planing-Mill/135571949825888
Brian Paonessa
For the last 10 years I have been an Internet marketer and web developer with a passion for large system integration projects. I've spent the last few years working for a small fireworks company (Skylighter llc) helping individuals and government clients with pyrotechnic projects. my day to day tasks focus mostly on web development tasks and keeping the Skylighter email marketing machine pumping out good content and offers.
Brian, what are your plans for all the lumber? are they all hard wood? that is really hard to work with.
They are mostly very, very hard woods. Ash is a softwood, and Walnut is about as hard as Oak, but Blood Wood is more like a ceramic, it chips like a ceramic. It is very hard to work with in some ways, but very easy in other ways.
The hardest wood I’ve worked with had to be Wenge it is unbelievably dense and contains lots of hard minerals.
I don’t have any plans for the lumber yet except I needed the Walnut for accents in a project I’m working on now. (pictures coming soon)
I just love woodworking and hate loosing a weekend day ruining off to get wood so if I make the trip I usually come home with a little of this and a little of that.
That wood is really beautiful! Looking forward to pictures of end product!
Your story about the shopping trip/car had me LMAO!!