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Blocking Prices?

Started by Norm, November 29, 2007, 07:33:18 AM

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Norm

I did a search but couldn't find anything so I thought I'd just ask. The company that I bought my excavator from noticed I had a sawmill last time they were out and called me up for prices on blocking for heavy equipment. They want 4' pieces of 8x8's 10x10's and 12x12's out of oak, white or red. It's been ages since I've sold any so I thought I'd see what folks are getting a bd ft for these sizes.

WH_Conley

If you are cuting to size and putting on a pallett, I would be looking a $1.00 per board foot as a starter. Price going up from there. I can buy logs to make 6x6 blocking cheap. Logs that will make a 12x12 cost more per thousand.
Bill

Brad_S.

Going price around here is and has been for a long time, 60ยข a boardfoot. I suspect and hope we (my local competitors and I) will bump that up soon with the cost of fuel and logs going up.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

Captain

We get 80 cents for Red and 1.00 for White Oak.

Captain

Tom

Well, Levi Brown is getting, maybe, 62 million and Joe Thomas, 42 million, over the next five or six years.  Lets see, that's figure, figure, uh....  add divide subtract divide  cypher, cypher....... uh? 

That's a lot by the foot.  Maybe they are working by the hour?  Looks like blocking is paying pretty good, eh?

Oh!  nevermind....

Frickman

I too start at a dollar a foot and go up from there.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

Greg

What are the standards for blocking material, if any? Compared to ties?

I'm imagining its usually cants of the center/pith of the low grade logs?

Are ties just blocking, but longer.

Sorry, amateur/hobby question.

Thanks,
Greg

WH_Conley

Most of my blocking holds up equiptment that men are working under, so I give them a good sound piece of wood. Some other blocking is used for light weight shimming material, this is not as critical. Usually blocking lets you take the best boards from the outside then sell a chunk for one price. I figure I can leave a 1 face board on the cant and loose money on it because I am getting more for the 2 and 3 common that is deeper.
Bill

Norm

Thanks for the help guys, I quoted $1.00 as these are some older logs I have on hand. If I had to buy some I'd most likely go up from there depending on what I had to pay.

Greg these are to be used on heavy equipment and as Bill said I want to make sure they get a good quality product so nobody would get hurt. I usually square out an 8x8 or bigger from the center for these types of jobs selling the jacket boards separately. In this case I'll use the whole log as they are not good enough for grade boards. I've never cut ties so I don't know the answer to that.

Glad you asked as I am not an expert on stuff either, just a hobbiest making some money on the side. :)

Ron Wenrich

In hardwoods, blocking tends to be anything that is large dimension stock, and is usually cut from low grade material.  Pallet companies often buy things like 3½"x6" or 4"x6" and the like.  They usually will take them in any species. Its where we usually put the hearts or below grade lumber.  Price in our area is about  $380/Mbf.

Ties are usually sawn to a 6x8, 7x8, or 7x9.  They are cut from dense hardwoods and prices vary by length.  A 6x8x8'6" goes for about $12, and a 7x9x8'6" goes for about $19, in oak.  There is some additional for shipping.  We cut to 23' lengths and those prices are in the $750/Mbf area.

We sold some 6x10 blocking for a highway construction project the other year for $800/Mbf. 

We sold 5½"x6"x8" oak for shoring under houses that are being jacked up and moved for $550/Mbf.  They were very exacting on the measurements.  That market has since died down.

Just lately I sawed some 4"x4" straight grained (quartersawn) white oak that is used by the New York subway system.  They wanted it dry, we sold it green.  Had to be clear.  Price was $5.25/bf - the most expensive wood I've ever sawn. 

Value depends on your competition.  We have competition for most blocking, so we charge what the customer offers.  For the 4x4s, we're the only market in town, hence the higher price.

I'd say your $1/bf is a good starting point.  I might think a little higher on the 12x12.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Bibbyman

I agree.  A $1/bf is not out of line for a small run of some very specific sizes.  It takes a lot of extra time cutting to specific lengths and handling, etc.

We supply blocking of this type for the mechanic that works on the county equipment.  We've also sawn some for the local heavy equipment dealer.  Last year they needed a long list filled of so many of these and so many of those.  They needed them to cut a piece of heavy equipment into to work on it.  The list came from the repair manual.    I'm sure they absorbed the cost of the blocks in the cost of the repair.

Mary got an odd call just this evening.  A guy wanted an 8"x12" by 2' out of oak.  He was not happy we didn't have it is stock.  Oh yea, he wants it dry and wants assurance it won't crack.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Don_Papenburg

Bibby , what did you end up selling him? ;D
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

Norm

About the only assurance I'd give is that it would crack. :D

I get some oddball calls and most times now just say we gave up selling wood....no money in it.  ;)

Bibbyman

Quote from: Don_Papenburg on December 03, 2007, 08:57:37 PM
Bibby , what did you end up selling him? ;D

Mary talked to him.  She told him she'd look and see what we've got. I would have told him we couldn't do it and suggest a glue up of some kind.  I'm not sure what his application was but he was building a boat for his son.

We've got some butted off chunks.  I was thinking of seeing if one of these had an 8x12x24 in it.  It'd be wrestle getting it on the mill and sawn down but it'd be the closest thing we'd have to something dry.  In any case,  it's already cost us too much.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

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