The reason that I make friends out of other sawmillers.

[customsawyer]

Had another sawyer call me yesterday and ask me if I could cut a 48" diameter log. I said yes and a hour later a man pulls into my yard with a 8' red oak that is 48" on the small end    Most times when they say 48" it is on the big end and not to tough but this one will make me earn my bacon.
The point of this post is that every time I make a friend out of another sawyer we are able to help each other out.

[weisyboy]

yep always good to know as many sawmillers as possible.

[bandmiller2]

Its good form to have a working relationship with area sawyers especially ones with a different type of mill say a swing mill to handle massive logs or a circular mill for folks that want the swirly marks on the timbers est.Also helps if your in agreement on prices,or if one of you wants to take a job a little too big to handle alone.Frank C.

[weisyboy]

Also helps if your in agreement on prices,

thats against the law over here.

[Cedarman]

It is against the law here to collude on pricing.  But you can sure ask your competitor's prices and adjust your own as you see fit.   You just can't agree to set prices.  Wal-Mart visits there competitors regularly to see what prices they charge and adjust their's accordingly.  They just want to be a little lower, but not  lot lower. :D :D

[Magicman]

I also make it a point to never comment on another sawyer's lumber quality (or the size of his slab pile).   I am on good business terms with all of the other sawyers in my area, and yes, I have sawed logs that their mills could not handle.   

[pineywoods]

Within 12 miles of me, there are 5 woodmizers, 3 norwoods and 1 oscar. I am on "good friends" basis with all of them. We swap parts, labor, materials and sometimes customers. One showed up yesterday with a busted claw off the log turner. I'm the guy with the welder. I take on some big logs just for the challenge but If one of them showed up with a 48 inch log, don't think I would tackle that. pics ???

[Larry]

I was thinking if a fellow sawyer sent me a customer with a 48" log I might have to take him off my Christmas card list for a few years. ;D

[WDH]

That is a whack of a log  .  

You are right about working together.  I owe you money, BTW...

[r.man]

I like your attitude Customsawyer. I am always disappointed when I hear of people who do the same job in the same basic area being negative about each other and not getting along. One of the reasons I dislike election campaigns so much. Politeness never hurts and if you can't say something positive then keep quiet. It's always good to know that if you're stuck that someone in your own field can be asked for a bit of help and vice versa. Just like good neighbors.

[sgschwend]

Absolutely the way to go.  We do that here too (sharing information, staying consistent).

The density of small mill operations is very high and looks to me to be rising.  When folks on FF talk about how close other mills are to them, it is the same here.  I get the feeling there is one sawmill for every 1,000 to 5,000 people.  That would be 60,000 to 300,000 mills in the USA.

[paul case]

if it werent for a good relationship with other local sawmills inmy case i would be out of a job. a lot of us here work together even though we are in competition with each other. i dont think we miss out on too many opportunities to gain business either.pc

[metljakt]

Hmmm.......This topic reminds that I should find a guy with a swing blade mill & buddy up.  I've actually been called to look at a Cottonwood on the stump that was 46".  (117 cm)
I told the guy I couldn't do but I would do my best to find someone who could.  Maybe if I bought a rip chain for my Stihl.

[Bro. Noble]

We have made deals with three large circle mills in the past.  One of them let us leave pallet cants at his mill for a buyer to pick up.  He asked us to saw some paneling lumber for one of his customers.  Another hauls our slabs and has had us resaw cedar for him.  Another bought grade lumber from us.

[submarinesailor]

Do I owe you money?

Why, yes you do..........$14,000,000,000 and some change. ;D ;D ;D ;D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Bruce

[WDH]

Yes, but that was in Confederate Script  ;D.

[submarinesailor]

Yes, but that was in Confederate Script  ;D.

For a good old southern redneck boy like me, that will be just fine. ;D ;D ;D ;D

Bruce

[customsawyer]

There seems to be enough work for all of them that want to work so it is better to work together.
WDH do I need to send you my mailing address. ;D
I will be cutting that log on Sat. if you are looking for a good reason to come this way.

Metljakt. you don't need a ripping chain just for cutting a log in half I find that the ripping chain cuts a little slower but it leaves a smoother cut.

[wwsjr]

There are 4 WM and a couple of circle mills within 20 miles of my location. Both of the circle mills are owned by older gentlemen who saw very little. I have worked with all the WM owners at one time or another. I am storing logs on my place for one of the sawyers. I use my knuckleboom to unload log trucks and he moves to his mill, 5 miles from me, with his gooseneck trailer. He is also a certified hardwood grader, helps me many times. Last week one of the sawyers had to have surgery on his foot, I sawed pallet lumber so he could meet contract he has with local manufacturer. One of the mills is the LT40 manual I bought in 2002, sold to him in 2005. He saws part time and I refer small jobs to him often. We often trade parts, blades, and etc to keep mills running. It is great to have a "family" of sawyers who work together. I do not know exactly how much they charge, does not seems to hurt any of us as we all stay busy. For the last 3 years we have moved all mills to a common site for WM field service, we split the site charge to save all of us money. Almost every week we refer customers to each other.  Working together is the only way to go in our area.

[DR Buck]

The point of this post is that every time I make a friend out of another sawyer we are able to help each other out.

You can also get them to buy you lunch on occasion.   ;D

[weisyboy]

parts, advice, orders you cant fill, someone to bushit to all good reasons to keep in contact with otehr sawers.

[customsawyer]

Dr. Buck are you trying to get this going to food already? ;D

[customsawyer]

Here is the log that the other sawyer sent to me. The first pic is my daughter in law and then the rest is just plain old me.











In this last pic you can see the dark spot where there is some wire. :( Told the customer and he said cut it and he would buy the saw blades.

[Banjo picker]

Looks like for sure he will be buying some blades..What I don't like about logs like that is besides having to split them then you have something that don't handle well on the mill...Tim

[northwoods1]

Looks like for sure he will be buying some blades..What I don't like about logs like that is besides having to split them then you have something that don't handle well on the mill...Tim

Yes it is more difficult to handle for sure, unless a person has all the equipment customsawyer has, then no problem :D . you sure do rip those logs down perfect that tractor has clamps over the forks doesn't it?