PROFITABILITY AND BDFT OF MILLS

[zopi]

I think the term is cunit (abbrev. cu), and it's probably European, but not metric. 100 ft³ of solid wood, as pointed out below by solodan. One  of them terms meant to confuse and mystify the seller. We have one mill here that buys by the cunit and it is solid wood yes. m³ is also solid wood, whereas m³(st) is like a cord, where you envision of load (volume) of wood with air space. 3.624 m³(st) = 1 cord. (roughly 5.04³ ft³)

Meh. i'll take five bucks apiece fer them reactangles o wood right there..u-pick, but you re-stack. 

[abatol]

I want to see those hot tubs

[Firebass]

My 2 cents

Build your own mill and equipment even the peavey's to go with it.
Invest as little as possible and stay out of debt.
Enjoy your accomplishment and share it with your friends.


Firebass

[clousert]

Great idea, Firebass.....
We've been working on a new prototype for our sawmill line since Nov 07.  Upright band head using a track and carriage.  We engineered the head in the shop, but strapped a 5 cylinder Mercedes on it from a junk car.  The carriage is a hand Farquire type that we bought for $100.  In process of building chop saw, roller tables, log dock out of spare parts we collected.  Weather is holding us back now, but I'm excited to get it all working.
No debt or at least very low debt is so important.  I watch businessmen of all size businesses struggle to the point of bankruptcy under huge debt.  It's a real destroyer of happiness, initiative, and peace of mind.

[Drew b]

My 2 cents:  I have a band and swing.  I can do slightly better with the swing than band but solo its about 1000/day before I need a beer.  Don't want to get too board, I mean bored.  There is a lot of sawdust and slabs to get rid off.  You'd need a team of guys to deal with 5000/day of just the left-overs.  If you are sawing 2x4 you're nuts, unless its off-cut or value wood like cedar or edge grain.  My neck of the woods saw costs are about 450/th.  Go for the big guys: beams; them's the money.  I've been cutting 8x16's lately.  I'm going to stick frame a house with them; 16" centers.   Kidding.  Cunit is old fashion mostly;  now its cubic meters.  Here's the formula I use for buying logs: 
(radius squared top + radius squared butt) x length in meters x .000157.  Radius is measured in cm.
  Its a great part time thing.  I just wish I could look at a standing tree and not see lumber!

[Jeff]

When I was doing paintings, Id see a tree and think how would I paint. When I got my own sawmill I would look at it and wonder how I would saw it. Now days, I look around for another tree thats close enough to it to string a hammock. 

[Dave Shepard]

So you're the guy walking around with the two acorns and a hammock.


Dave

[Jeff]

I wish I had that sort of optimism again.

[Corley5]

I think about how I'd fall it and then how I'd saw it into lumber 

[zopi]

I think about how I'd fall it and then how I'd saw it into lumber 

you too?  I have it bad...had to force myself to not stop and ask for a downed fence row cedar today...basic instinct I guess..

that thing woulda been like tryin' ta saw lumber out of a 77 Buick...

[ErikC]

  Cutting 5000 board feet is fine with me, but my tail man would walk away after two days of that in a row. We cut between 1500-2000 a day, dont work overly hard and can make some decent money. I think 5000 is impossible without support equipment, and not likely with it. Remember that buying a sawmill is not like winning the lottery. It is a lot of work but you can make a living if you want to. There are easier ways.


Erik

[ARKANSAWYER]

  I saw 5,000 bdft many a day a week with my little orange mill.