All Listings Gallery Guidelines



Catskill Timber & Stone

Listing #109   Listed on: 03/22/2008

WOODWEB Content Editor, Brett Hagstrom, Interviewed Frank Wathley in July 2009.

Frank Wathley lived in the woods for three years while purchasing clearing permits for disease control in Arizona. All he owned was a Harley Davidson motorcycle, tent, and two frying pans. He had been cutting firewood, mostly juniper, for a considerable amount of time in Arizona when he came across a hollow tree one day and realized it would be wasted as firewood. The hollow tree was cut to sitting height length and used as a portable toilet. This was the first object Frank made out of wood and eventually led to his milling business.

Frank’s first attempt at cutting a slab was with a 36-inch Alaskan sawmill fit on his chainsaw. Twenty five years later his equipment includes a Barco 80 log picker built on an International flatbed truck, L85 New Holland skid steer, LT40 G24 Woodmizer, Makita chain mortiser, 25-inch Woodmaster planer, 3200 psi pressure washer, and Husqvarna chainsaws.

Continue Reading about Catskill Timber & Stone
 
Company Name:   Catskill Timber & Stone
Contact Name:   Frank Wathley
Location:   Catskill, NY  12414
Year Founded:   1986
Sq. Footage:   0
Employees:   1
Gross Sales:   N/A
Website:   www.waterstoneandwood.com

Product Specialties:
    Hardwood Lumber
    Milled Lumber / Lumber for construction
    Softwood Lumber

Service Specialties:

Sawmill Equipment:
    Sawmills: Portable - 1996 LTG24Woodmizer
    Planers - 25" Wood master
    Log Turners - 12V wiinch,self installed


Viewer Comments:

Posted By: Edward Peters     [04/06/2008]
Frank , I am looking at the web today and came across your business on Woodweb's Sawmill Gallery. The things you are doing are very interestings, I lived in Ulster county for many years but am now in Queens in NYC, I have a new wife and life down gere but am still hoping to get back upstate.My wife likes the city ,and I have a job here,though working in a warehouse at JFK airport at times doesn't appeal I would like to see your operation someday. I built a cedar log Gazeebo for someone in Saugerties and the result was good, I like this work and want to get into it again. Ed Peters

Posted By: Alexander Kaspar     [07/28/2008]
Love sawing but have little time. Have new LT 40 HD 51 with extras and am looking for someone to saw my endless collection of logs in Putnam Valley, NY.

Posted By: John Hall     [11/15/2008]
From Yorkshire, England,
I wish you the best. I'am too old now to copy you !
John

Posted By: Beth Habermann     [04/27/2009]
Have some black walnut trees that I'm looking to have cut down. I live in Dutchess County...trying to find someone who maybe interested in them. Can provide additional information as needed. Thanks...Beth

Add your comment:
* denotes required fields
* Your Name:
* Your Email:
* Enter your comment below:
*Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
I have read WOODWEB's Site User Agreement
(Submitted comments may be edited for clarity)

Date of your Birth:


Company Description Continued

Frank says his skid steer is great and he “wouldn’t be in business without one.” His picker truck is another asset to his business. He also likes his Woodmizer and has put over 2,000 hours on it.

The hardwoods Frank mills are used primarily for furniture, and they include hard maple, red and white oak, cherry, and black walnut. He cuts some softwood, such as white pine, which is used mainly for framing sheds and barns. Any lumber with knots is used for timber framing.

The lumber is usually acquired close to the mill, although Frank has traveled as far as Massachusetts for tiger maple and to Vermont where he has relatives. Depending on the situation, logs are brought to the mill or sawn on a customer’s site.

When customers purchase lumber at the mill, it usually leaves with them, although on occasion Frank will transport it to them. Frank says that he will work with any customer who calls as long as there is minimal traveling involved.

Custom sawing is available, and a majority of the time customers already have a plan when Frank arrives on site. He mentions that a recent job required him to saw white pine into 640 various length 2x6’s!

Frank does not saw for grade and says if he did it would depend on the logs available. Red and white oak is always quartersawn depending on the order.

Lumber is air and kiln dried, and quartersawn oak is currently air drying at Frank’s mill. His kiln is a homemade 12x16 shed insulated with a fan and has been operating for seven years. It keeps a good flow and is especially helpful in the summer when temperatures are high.

Frank is currently building his own house, using mostly lumber he has sawn himself. He is using softwood for the framing and already has the stairs in, with the cabinets soon to follow.

Back to the Top