Is this log too small to mill

[cypresskayaksllc]

[cypresskayaksllc]

I would throw this log into the firewood pile. Am I missing an opportunity to become rich?

[Jeff]

That's ElectricAl. 

[paul case]

I thought that wall behind the mill looked very familiar. PC

[SAWMILL BUDDY]

Thats it. No more big logs for me. Guess I'd better buy a log spliter for any thing over 6" and make fire wood.

[Chuck White]

I get one of those once in a while!

I tell my customers that I try to limit myself to 8 inches in diameter and not very many of them either!

I also tell my customers that I like to saw logs no shorter that 8 feet!

Still, once in a while I'll get a couple of small and short ones.

[1crowfarm]

Wrong mill for that size log. You need a scragg mill then a resaw but then you need a whole lot of little logs to feed the beast.

[red oaks lumber]

did you tell the customer they aren't getting any 1x12's from that log?

[customsawyer]

They likely ordered 30 1X12X16 when they dropped off the log.

[macpower]

I've made some of my best profits sawing stuff like that. Usually comes in from a neighbor, local woodworker or such, just a few pieces. I throw it on when I have time, and saw what I can from it. End up with happy customers, a couple of extra bucks, and often something nice in a bottle as thanks for not blowing them off as many mills would.
I don't make a living sawing, and it gives me a chance to run the mill when nothing else is lined up.

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

I don't know about the getting rich part, but I would say you can make some decent money at cutting the smaller diameter logs of better and more desirable species of wood. The added bonus is that it is very easy to do with a single person. Log moving and handling is a piece of cake

The logs can usually be obtained for free, are easy to pick up and load in the bed of a truck by hand, and as shown, will produce some usable boards for smaller size projects

I had a full rack of boards cut from smaller size logs and recently sold every piece I had in there to a fellow that wanted them to make butcher block tops that were 2 inches thick. He was more than happy with these size pieces and paid me the same money per board foot that I would have got if they were wider boards. There were enough boards in there to half fill a bed of a full size pickup truck and I got all the logs that made them for free. I was more than happy with the amount that he paid me for them

[cypresskayaksllc]

I thought I had seen that shop before. I usually dont saw anything under 8". On my last two jobs the customer had a few 6" logs in thier piles. I dont think I could break even on those logs. I guess if you were sawing for yourself and got the logs for free it might be worth it.

[TimGA]

You will not make any money sawing that size on job charging by brd ft, but good will to saw for customer if he only has a few.  I tell customer up front if there are to many under 8 or 10 inches we will saw big logs 1st, then charge by hr to do the small ones. Their decision, usually no problem.  Tim

[Slingshot]

   Here is how Timbergreen Farm makes a dollar or two  with smaller logs:

   


   
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[cypresskayaksllc]

I need to get a resaw

[thecfarm]

macpower,good to see posting. That Thomas still treating you good?

[customsawyer]

I have done ok on small diameter logs but small and short would be difficult. When I do the small diameter logs I load 2 logs at a time.

[1crowfarm]

They likely ordered 30 1X12X16 when they dropped off the log.

Ha Ha jokes on me !! All the small logs I have are for pallet stock .39 cents per board foot. If you are throwing wood away or burning youre edgeing boards youre losing money.
All my small  logs will be saved untill I have 20 or 30 thousand foot of them then ran across a scragg mill then a bull edger to saw them into 3 and 1/2 " by ? Some of the Pallet factories around here now will accept random heights on there cants as long as you maintain the 3.5 " width. Hmm lets see .39 times 20 thousand board foot would be ? and you can run that much in a day on a good scragg with 5 to 6 people oh and a chipper to handle the smaller edge boards 

[sgschwend]

That would be more like $3.15 on the left coast.  Now if you were producing a wood product with that cherry you could earn a lot more.  One of my customers has finally convinced me to do just that; he has shown me how my earnings per bf would go up a hundred fold.  He did this by comparing what he pays me for the cutting versus how much he receives from the wood products he makes.

Scrag is a good idea, don't know how much capital you would spend setting all those machines up, but the rate would be impressive.   Just think how fast you would need to feed that beast; a log every 6-10 seconds?

[chestnut]

  I once took about a 7 inch ( diameter ) log to an old sawmiller in my area to have a fireplace mantle made ( flat on two sides ). When he saw the log. He said " what do ya want out of that ". I said " a hundred 2 x4's. Without missing a beat, he said " they won't be very long ".

[POSTONLT40HD]

Now that's funny Chestnut....

[1crowfarm]

That would be more like $3.15 on the left coast.  Now if you were producing a wood product with that cherry you could earn a lot more.  One of my customers has finally convinced me to do just that; he has shown me how my earnings per bf would go up a hundred fold.  He did this by comparing what he pays me for the cutting versus how much he receives from the wood products he makes.

Scrag is a good idea, don't know how much capital you would spend setting all those machines up, but the rate would be impressive.   Just think how fast you would need to feed that beast; a log every 6-10 seconds?

  Needs lots of support equipment log decks log roller green chain convyer to keep the edgeing boards clear etc. I will have to learn how to add pictures on here and post pictures as I put the scragg mill togther etc.

[macpower]

macpower,good to see posting. That Thomas still treating you good?

Don't get as much saw time as I would like, but the mill is running great.
Talked to John Thomas at the Common Ground Fair, (he had the booth next to us), says they are working on a power feed and set works that will retro fit. Also the debarker is on my want list.