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Sawing sign slabs, what do you charge?

Started by Dana, January 28, 2006, 08:38:10 AM

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Dana

Ok, since I seem to be rehashing previous posts :-[, (see the ironwood table legs post) I thought I would run this one past you all. A lady e-mailed and needs sign slabs made out of popular, basswood ect for her woodburning sign business. She wants the 3 to 4 " thick and about 12" wide by 3 to 4' long, bark on edges. What do you think I can charge for such? I will be supplying the material as well.
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

WeeksvilleWoodWorx

Brian - 2004 LT40HDG28 owner.

getoverit

Here is what I would do to start:

Find out what popular (or the other woods) are going for in your area, per brdft.  Multiply this figure times 16 since you will be selling 16 brdft (@4 ft length & 4" thick & 12" wide).

I would then multiply this by 1.5 so that you are charging 50% more than the standard lumber because she can't get lumber like that from the box stores.

This is the figure I would sell it at green and rough sawn.

If she wants it planed to thickness, add $.25 per brdft.

If she wants it dried, add another $.50 per brdft.

This should be reasonable price for her, and allow you to make good money at it too. Keep in mind you are selling this to her "wholesale" and hope to get her future business. It should give you a price to start your haggling at.
I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok, I work all night and sleep all day

jon12345

Have someone 'anonymously' ask her for a quote on a sign, and subtract from this what you think her time and artwork are worth. :)
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

Daren

Quote from: WeeksvilleWoodWorx on January 28, 2006, 09:33:58 AM
How much will she pay? ;) :D ;D

I like it ;), but I think getoverit has the math right. That is about how I would charge.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Coon

I would charge the same if not a lil bit higher unless she is buying a decent volume from you at one particular time, at which you can then adjust accordingly
Brad
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Sunfield Hardwood

Do'nt know if your buying logs or cutting your own timber but she needs to pay for the waste involved ,unless i'm thinking crooked there will only be a couple slabs she can use from each log. maybe she has a use for the side boards or slabs you will get from sawing each log.
2 international log trucks,woodmizer LT40 Super hyd, cat 910 frontloader, case 1845 skidloader,new holland 4x4 tracter with farmi whinch, lots of stihl saws, waiting to retire so I can spend even more time logging and sawing, yip-yip-yahoo

Daren

Quote from: Sunfield Hardwood on January 28, 2006, 04:46:06 PM
she needs to pay for the waste involved ,

I think she is and then some. If she wants them live edge she is buying a good amount of what most consider waste (bark, sapwood). I saw to a square cant and all the cutoff slabs go to the hill,  waste. You can get alot bigger slab from a smaller log if you aren't removing 2 sides of each board in the square down.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Larry

Bought couple thousand BF of 4 sided basswood logs with small hearts bout a year go.  Delivered to the mill .50/bf.  8 to 10' logs with nothing over 20".  We don't have popular but lots of cottonwood which would be similar and a lot cheaper. 

Guess I would figure a minimum of one log for material plus 35 cents/bf for the sawing charge based on the log scale.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

getoverit

Speaking of waste...

if she just wanted a one sided sign, and bark on the rest, then you coulc just sell her a slab. I dont know how big of trees you have up there, but if you could get an extra thick slab and flitch combined and sell it to her, then this changes things dramatically.

She's on the verge of buying waste and firewood if that is all she wants?

Does she want one side or two?
I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok, I work all night and sleep all day

farmerdoug

Daren,  That is true if she just wants bark on two sides but if she wants bark on all four sides then the log will have to be cut on an angle to get an oval shaped piece.

Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

Daren

I think Dana needs to chime in again. Farmerdoug brought up something I didn't even think about, that is alot more work. And getoverit is right too, if she wants something like that I pray for someone to some take my poplar/cotton wood waste away. Nobody wants it for firewood, they pick out the hardwood and I have to haul that stuff off.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Sunfield Hardwood

Quote from: Daren on January 28, 2006, 05:49:17 PM
I think she is and then some. If she wants them live edge she is buying a good amount of what most consider waste (bark, sapwood). I saw to a square cant and all the cutoff slabs go to the hill,  waste. You can get alot bigger slab from a smaller log if you aren't removing 2 sides of each board in the square down.

In order to get a 12 " slab you need a min. 12" log, take 1 cut 4" each side of the heart,leaves you a 2" slab on each side I would take a 4/4 board on each side , I wouldnt throw it over the hill. ;D
2 international log trucks,woodmizer LT40 Super hyd, cat 910 frontloader, case 1845 skidloader,new holland 4x4 tracter with farmi whinch, lots of stihl saws, waiting to retire so I can spend even more time logging and sawing, yip-yip-yahoo

Dana

Farmer Doug is right Darren. She wants all sides to have a live edge. The signs can be 3 to 5' long so I should be able to get several out of a log? I really like Getoverit's pricing it makes a lot of sense to be able to break it down. Here is what she is looking for.







Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

Frank_Pender

Dana, could she use some from Left Coast state of Oregon?   :)
Frank Pender

Dana

Frank, I will bring it up to her. With me being the middleman,  of course. ;) :D
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

Frank_Pender

I never thought that it would be any other way, Dana. ;D
Frank Pender

Dale Hatfield

I sawed  some pieces like that for my wife on the LT 15 takes some time to set up and a pitched blade.
Kinda hard to clamp. The steeper the angle you can clamp the longer the oval.
It  took a few trys  to get it right  and some help on the little 15. Had to move some clamps side by side.  and put a dog board in between clamps. 
The basswood turned out great. The cherry cracked right to the heart wood. Elm dried well. Only  defect in air drying was cup . ( I forgot to weight top of stack)

Logs with alot of sweep work great also .
I place the sweep up and let ends fall  through bed and saw long  live edge boards that way.
Look around  what she wants is for sale all over the net.  I seam to recall my wife paying anywhere from 5 to 8 dollars for an 8x 10 ish oval or round  Kiln dried.

They way I see it, is more work than normal sawing.  Ya just cant  roll up a  log and and go.
Once your cut an 8 foot long into pieces whos gonna buy the other pieces ? Its more sweat than normal sawing not gonna get normal footage . So i would charge more than normal.
Game Of Logging trainer,  College instructor of logging/Tree Care
Chainsaw Carver

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