custom sawing $$$

[rlm]

Mornin' Boys.  In the morning I'll be meeting w/ a guy to talk about sawing #1 & #2 cherry sawlogs into 4/4 at his site.  Maybe 100+ logs.  I've always sawed by the hour: $50/ hr. I'll be stickin and stackin.  What's a reasonable $$$ to saw by the bf?  The customer wants me to saw for .30/.

[ellmoe]

  Unless they are really nice (productive) logs or he is providing labor I'd want at least $.35. Sticking and stacking will cut down on your sawing time.

Mark

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forum RLM.  You'll find lots of info here.

The price for custom sawing depends on the area you're sawing.

Most of us around this area get $150.00/1000 bf (15¢/bf).
If you saw for what your customer requests, you're making exactly double of what we get here in this area.

You'll see here on FF that there are those who wouldn't even move their mill for that.

You need to ring in on people from your area to get a better idea of what to charge.
Note:  Hardwood takes a little longer to cut than softwood, so you have to take that into consideration too!

[mike_van]

If I did the math right, .30/ft  if you saw 166 bf per hour, your getting your 50.00.  The hourly rate is easier, you don't have to do any tally at the end.  You can't really let the customer dictate the rate can you?  I charge .35/ft, never had a complaint. That I heard.

[Larry]

A 100+ cherry logs is a lot of 4/4 cherry lumber.  I would suspect this guy is going to re-sell at least some of the lumber.  A sawyer that truly knows grading rules and how to grade saw can make this guy money...lotsa of money.  A sawyer that only know how to make a board is gonna cost the guy money.  If you have the knowledge to grade saw I would try a little salesmanship to up the ante.  I never, ever based my sawing charges on what the rest of the crowd charges.             

[Bibbyman]

Welcome to the Forum. 

As you're asking how much to charge,  I assume you're new to the custom sawing business. 

If that's the case,  I wouldn't worry too much about how much you charge.  Go with the 30 cents and keep track of your time and effort and see if you made a satisfactory return.  If you feel like you shorted yourself, keep it to yourself and consider that education.

If you're just starting out,  it's worth far more to do the best job you can and try to keep your customer happy.  Most of have found that the best advertizing is word of mouth.  That is, if the word is good. 

[backwoods sawyer]

Just remember that you are providing a service for him, you set your rate and he will either take it or leave it.

I charge $0.30 board food for softwood dry stacked near the mill, and $60.00 an hour for hardwoods. I also charge $60.00 an hour for any thing else whether it be trimming logs, moving logs, stacking and stickering, worming cows, moving lumber, cutting stickers, ect.

Is he providing stickers or dose he expect you to cut them out of the logs? Cutting stickers takes time.

[Tom Sawyer]

I charge $95/hr for custom sawing.  This gives incentive to the customer to make sure that the logs are bucked, trimmed and stacked up.  I am willing to stack and sticker their lumber, but my hourly rate is the same.  I wouldn't do the cherry for less than $.40/bft.  That is more than fair given the value of the lumber.

That's my $.02 (or .76 minutes) worth ;D

[Bodger]

One thing to consider is: if you are cutting the deal on the basis of 100+ logs, I would make sure to see the logs first...alot of these 100+ deals are based on alot of "ifs"  One of the first things to learn in the custom saw business is to tell the prospects from the suspects.

[arj]

I charge .40cents stacked and stickered. I`ve had no complaints, or lost jobs.
Heard as much .60 cents, don`t know how much work they get at that price.
                                       arj

[peterduncan]

We charge $500/day ( 7 hour day of sawing...1/2 set up 1/2 take down) $18 resharp charge after 3 blades and $48 for a broken blade due to customers nails, etc. Hardwood...softwood...medium wood...all the same

[Cedarman]

When your customer said 100+ logs, a picture jumped into your mind of a big stack of nice big, long, straight cherry logs.  Go look at them first before making any kind of decision.  That picture in your mind may get radically altered or it might be just like you imagined. The more you know the better your decisions.

[Tom Sawyer]

We charge $500/day ( 7 hour day of sawing...1/2 set up 1/2 take down) $18 resharp charge after 3 blades and $48 for a broken blade due to customers nails, etc. Hardwood...softwood...medium wood...all the same

Hey Peter, what kind of mill do you have and what blades do you use that cost $48?  What do you do when a customer only has 3 hours of cutting?  Is $500 your minimum charge?  Just curious ;D ;D

Tom

[timberfaller390]

I've been sawing at 37 cents a b/f , thats roughly 3 dollars for a 2x6x8 and they bring the logs to me. It doesn't matter what you charge as long as they can't get it cheaper somewhere else, and cheaper elsewhere doesn't matter as long as you are better

[SeeSaw]

Welcome to the Forum.  My question would be is he providing the support equipment and operator for getting the logs to the mill, moving the cut boards etc.? IMHO, if you have to supply a tractor or skid steer or manually move the logs to the mill I would not do it for .30 BF.  If he is supplying the support equipment and running it then you would not have to spend your time doing that and .30 bf would be ok.  If not,  then I would stick to your hourly rate because you'll find that you will lose in the end if you have to do all of the other grunt work that goes with custom sawing.  Just my 2 c.

SeeSaw

[DR Buck]

My 35¢ per bd foot doesn't include stickering and stacking.   In fact it doesn't include off bearing boards.   ;D   That's the customers job.

You don't mention what kind of mill you have?  ???   Is it a band mill or something else?   Do you have hydraulics?   If this guys wants them stacked and stickered for 30¢, he probably wants you to do all the handling as well.   Is he providing the stickers?  Like others asked, what do the logs look like?   In my area you're looking at  a minimum $75 to $100 per hour for doing everything. 

Go look at the job first!

[DR Buck]

When your customer said 100+ logs, a picture jumped into your mind of a big stack of nice big, long, straight cherry logs.  Go look at them first before making any kind of decision.  That picture in your mind may get radically altered or it might be just like you imagined. The more you know the better your decisions.

You speak like someone that has traveled that road.    ;) ;D ???

[backwoods sawyer]

 
Those 100+ cherry logs could look like these 100+ cherry logs.

[brdmkr]

Ouch!  I hope not.

I had a customer who wanted me to saw some 'nice' pine logs.  I told him I would do it and THEN I saw the logs.  There wasn't a log that went 9" on the small end.  That is NO FUN with a swing mill.  Still, I cut the logs, made a friend, and got called back to saw some really nice logs.  The latter job was my largest to date.  However, that first batch of logs was only maybe 10 - 12 logs.  So, I would definitely say to go look first.  Still, it is hard to tell how a 'bad job' may turn out.

[rlm]

Gentlemen!!! Thanks for the great information.  I have an LT 40 Hydraulic.  Most of the logs are 14"+.  Mostly #1 & #2 sawlogs.  I'll be bucking and moving the logs with his equipment for $40/ hr.  He'll be providing the blades, resharp and gas.  Again, Thanks!!!

[Cedarman]

Rim, research always pays off.  Let us know how the job goes, both the good and bad.
Happy sawing. 8) 8)

[backwoods sawyer]

Sounds like the two of you done a little negotiating, and came up with something that will work for both of you. No fuel cost, no blade cost, at a slightly lower hourly rate, plus you get a little extra time bucking and moving logs.

Sounds like a win-win situation.