iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Price per mbf locust?

Started by tyb525, June 02, 2010, 01:13:12 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

tyb525

I was wondering what a good price was for Black locust logs, that are fairly good quality. I'm not sure but I was thinking maybe similar to the price of white oak?
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Magicman

Do you have a buyer for the logs?  Many times, you don't know the actual condition of Black Locust until you open it.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

tyb525

I just got an order for 48-4x4's and 6-6x6's all 8 foot, and the customer wants the 6's to be black locust, the 4's to be anything rot resistant. I have black locust logs from our woodlot, I was just trying to give the logs some kind of price in order to price the posts.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

jwoods

You are competing against purchased 4by and 6 by posts out of any one of the box stores/lumber yards.  Do some checking on what it would cost the customer to buy those, at the same time figure out if they are willing to pay anything additional.

Joe

tyb525

The reason he is buying from me is that he didn't want to use anything with unnatural chemicals. He will be using these for grapevines in his garden. He wanted something natural that would last a long time.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Norm

I'd price them the same as white oak Ty.

tyb525

Thanks norm, that's kinda what I was thinking, due to the rot-resistance and all. (and wear on blades ;))
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Kansas

I would probably be around the 1.50 bd ft for the finished product, thats on a true board foot basis. Depending on the quality of the logs, around 30-50 cents a board foot for the logs. The few black locust logs we have cut were all smaller; I really haven't seen a big one, so possibly the higher price if your using the Doyle scale and they are sound. Things might be different in your area.  Black locust cuts hard, at least my experience with it. You really aren't competing against pressure treated lumber.

paul case

since you will be making a product that he cant get at lowes the price should be at least as much as the treated posts that size. here in ne ok hedge would be the rot resistant choice. they will last forever in the dirt but if you cement them in the water will get between the post and concrete and freeze and bust the concrete. i know some that have been in the ground for 40 years and are still good. the  treated pine that the lumberyards sell will be rotten at the ground,cement or not in less than 10 years.
   i sell a lot of oak trailer flooring this way.i price them the same as treated pine and sell them on the fact that it will last twice as long. i also learned to get a deposit if it is not someone i have dealt with before.  
Kansas is right the lumberyard is NO competition for you.  pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

tyb525

I've cut locust before you're right it is hard, but I love the stuff. Just as rot-resistant as red cedar if not more, and it's hard as a rock when it's aged. It can get pretty big around here, 20"+.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

stonebroke

Just remember when you are pricing it, That locust only lasts a little longer than granite .

Stonebroke

tyb525

And it grows like a weed :D
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Faron

Ty, Here in Southern IN  it is pretty hard to find black locust of any size. It is usually pretty crooked as well.  I found a few one time big enough to cut one side and use as posts.  I could sell a lot of posts if I could find them big enough.  We have lots of honey locusts, the ones with the big ole thorns.  They grow pretty big and straight here, but don't last.
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

tyb525

Faron, here in East Central Indiana, Honey locust is more common, but they grow to a good size also, and even faster. They like to try to take over our pasture every year. Black locust is not as common, but there is an area of our woods that has a lot of it.

I prefer the look of H. Locust over B. Locust, especially right off the saw, cause of the bright oranges and pinks. Whenever I cut one I feel like I'm cutting some kind of exotic.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

WDH

I would think that selling a 4x4 black locust post for the same price as a treated pine 4x4 in the Box Store is pricing the locust way too low.  They are a specialty product and should command a premium price over the treated pine, at least double.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

tyb525

Thanks for the helpful tips guys, and WDH, I wasn't sure how "specialty" black locust was considered, so thanks for the heads up! I'll remember that next time..
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Dave Shepard

Finding a niche is what small mills are all about. We have a lot of black locust on the property at work, and have made a lot of fence parts out of it. Last year I made a corral out of 6x6 posts and 2x6 planks, all held together with Timberloks. Prices I've heard for various black locust products are around $1.50/ft. I don't know what PT is at the lumberyard, but I don't think it will last like locust. :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

WDH

PT posts are about $.85/bd-ft here.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Briancady413

I'm interested in getting four posts and some rails for a compost pile bin framework, and seek sellers and prices. I want to price 4 count of 8-10 foot-long 4"x4" posts and  about 80 feet of 2"x2-3" horizontal rails,, so about 30-40 board feet of rail.
The posts could be squared on just two adjacent sides, with bark on the two remaining sides. This site is in Boston, MA.
Here I see prices of $1.50 a board foot(1"x1'x1'), elsewhere much, much higher. Someone, not  a seller, mentioned $12-18 per board foot - at that price I'll have to use Pressure Treated.


Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Briancady413.  Adding your location to your profile will help with future questions.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

WV Sawmiller

   I would not sell mine for any less than PT timbers. I got on a clean up campaign year before last and cut a bunch of locust fence post. Sold a lady 250+ then she called and wanted 20 poles to build a pole barn so I cut them, found a neighbor to load and deliver 50 miles. She paid more than treated 6X6 poles would have cost. Then she referred me to a friend over on the coast of VA who ordered a load of post so I cut and split him about 250+ and he hired a trucker with a 36' gooseneck trailer to come get them. Same reason - did not want chemical treated and could not find Black locust in his area. What few I have left now I will keep for my own fence needs. Did build a pole barn last year using them. I see them all the time in local paper for firewood and I cringe every time I think of wasting good fence post and poles that way.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Cazzhrdwd

Here I pay anywhere from .40 bf for small logs and as high as .80 bf. You tell a lot about a Locust log by looking at the ends. Any defects and its a good bet the log is not going to turn out very well.

The low end price for lumber is 1.50 bf, a little higher for larger diameter and anything over 8" is whatever you can get. The reason the price goes way up for wider lumber is its rare for logs to be over 12" and be sound.
96 Woodmizer LT40Super  Woodmizer 5 head moulder

sandsawmill14

Quote from: stonebroke on June 03, 2010, 01:56:05 PM
Just remember when you are pricing it, That locust only lasts a little longer than granite .

Stonebroke

and a very little harder ;D :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

ozarkgem

Quote from: paul case on June 03, 2010, 09:15:07 AM
since you will be making a product that he cant get at lowes the price should be at least as much as the treated posts that size. here in ne ok hedge would be the rot resistant choice. they will last forever in the dirt but if you cement them in the water will get between the post and concrete and freeze and bust the concrete. i know some that have been in the ground for 40 years and are still good. the  treated pine that the lumberyards sell will be rotten at the ground,cement or not in less than 10 years.
    i sell a lot of oak trailer flooring this way.i price them the same as treated pine and sell them on the fact that it will last twice as long. i also learned to get a deposit if it is not someone i have dealt with before.   
Kansas is right the lumberyard is NO competition for you.  pc
Hedge is like cutting rail road iron. I have a big one to cut up . Not looking forward to it.
Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

dboyt

I'll take that big hedge off your hands if you don't want it.  I'm always looking for some good ones.  I just got some 7 degree bi-metal blades I want to try out.
Norwood MX34 Pro portable sawmill, 8N Ford, Lewis Winch

Thank You Sponsors!