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Help with sawmill

Started by tkrause22, October 02, 2011, 08:30:38 PM

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tkrause22

Hello everyone, fairly new to the site and wanted some help with a couple of things.  First of all I run an LT 40 with the 25 kohler, WM dual blade edger, just upgraded to a live log deck 24' makes it a lot easier, and a 24' live rooftop green chain, 4000 lb nissan lift, and an old franklin 132xl forwarder for moving logs from a to b.  I have the equipment but having trouble with keeping a decent market for lower grade lumber.  I have near me a pallet resaw shop that will buy cants 3.5 X R.  But they dont pay squat 330 last I checked I would like to know if anyone one knows of other lower grade markets around. possibly flooring?  I am in north central Michigan.

Thanks
Tom "Sawyer's" Forest To Lumber

beenthere

Welcome to the forum.

You and many others have trouble finding markets for low grade.

If you can figure a way to break down the low grade into smaller products such as surveyor stakes, or whatever then you can capture some of the grade that lies within the low grade cants. But probably firewood prices will pay the most and not involve further cutting and labor.

What species do you usually cut?

What do you sell the higher grade recovered as....grade lumber?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Magicman

I only offer a portable sawmill service so I can not address your question but,

Welcome to the Forestry Forum tkrause22.   :)

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

zopi

Hmm...bundled firewood, saw the higher grade out of the junk stuff for shorts and market that to furmiture makers or bundle it amd sell as hobyist packs...check the market for woody biomass. Saw 'mater stakes and outlet to smaller hardware stores amd home centers...that done constructively can gross 1500/mbf...sometimes...check around for bedding mills horse bedding is pricy stuff...might be worth looking into a shaving mill to make the stuff from clean offcuts...and then there is always mulch...
Grade out the junk that looks interesting and market locally to woodworkers as character wood....

All sortsa stuff...just gotta hunt for it...I would take twenty bucks a ton for pine slabs id somebody would just come get the bloody things...heh...getcha a bagger and hawk sawdust to gardeners for a buck a bag...pine sawdust is great for azaleas and blueberries...stuff that likes a high acid content...hardwood sawdust is a good all around soil amendment...holds water, especially great with some politics...err horse manure mixed in...
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

tkrause22

We usually cut soft maple and oak.  Basically what we can get our hands on right now looking for a decent log source has been interesting seems like they are all over but prices seem to be outrageously inflated by local Amish mills that can seemingly work on no profit margin at all.  Just put in all the equipment and now no log supply so turning to other areas to make a buck.  Having to take in lower quality logs then we originally anticipated and not a good enough market.
Cutting some RR ties but not set up at all for that kind of work so hard going.  selling ties to a local mill b/c we are not able to sit on a full truck load at a time must move it for cash flow.  another problem with ties is that that is 90% of most of the logs we are getting so creating another problem what do I do with small amounts of grade lumber I have decent markets avialable for tractor trailer loads of 4/4 grade hardwood but not much for small amounts.  I just cant let it sit around on sticks and wait to sell it either.  No space for storage and again back to cash flow. 

looked into bundled firewood a little but not much would like to find a whole sale market for it.  I am trying to stay away from "individual" sales because of the consistency but I guess that I will just have to pony up and start small.
Tom "Sawyer's" Forest To Lumber

zopi

Any time you are looking at a new profit center and can get t started on a small scale without much investment and overhead to eat into the rest of your business..good thing...

Apple computer started in a dude's garage..
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

tkrause22

Quote from: zopi on October 02, 2011, 09:51:23 PM
market locally to woodworkers as character wood....

Been trying to sell some cut off ends that look "interesting"  but cant seem to find any local woodworkers let alone any that are interested, any ideas aside from Craigslist.
Tom "Sawyer's" Forest To Lumber

zopi

Craig's and ebay of course but ebay is a pain....best thing to do is find the local woowork clubs , woodturners etc...if they have a website offer a link exchange...

Something I am trying...drag the mill down the road and set up someplace visible and cut storm logs...or take the mill to a jobsite where we take out a tree with sawlogs....the mill may be the best advertising..

Read a book called guerilla marketing....
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

Magicman

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

Bibbyman

Quote from: tkrause22 on October 05, 2011, 07:28:57 AM
Quote from: zopi on October 02, 2011, 09:51:23 PM
market locally to woodworkers as character wood....

Been trying to sell some cut off ends that look "interesting"  but cant seem to find any local woodworkers let alone any that are interested, any ideas aside from Craigslist.

"Interesting wood" keeps me warm in the winter.  I've even tried to give some away to a pin maker (who talked about making pins for an hour) but he admitted he had enough to last him a lifetime.

How often in the winter I've thought, "Boy! That walnut has some pretty figure in it." Then tossed it in the stove.  ::)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

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