The cut list.

[Bibbyman]

For days on end we saw flooring and beams.  Sometimes we saw heavy blocking and make some flooring lumber off the sides.  But sometimes we have to breakdown and saw up a bunch of small orders.  It's a bit more challenging than sawing quantities of one or two things out of the same run of logs.

Saturday Mary hauled out the "cut list".

Customer A:

80 1x6 – 8'
15 1x6 –12'

Customer B:

Survey stakes – 625 1/2" x 2" – 4' and 1,250 1/2"x 2" – 3'

Customer C:

20 full 2x8 – 14'-6" plus long (dump truck sides)

Customer D:

4 full 2x8 – 16'
3 full 2x8 – 18'
1 full 2x6 – 18'
1 full 2x6 – 14'

4 15x15 – 8'

Customer D called in Monday and canceled the 4 15x15s and ordered 15 4x4s 8' after we'd already sawn them.

We started out sawing the 15 1x6s – 12'.  The process produced a couple of 8' 1x6s. But after a couple of logs only had 14 count of the 12' pieces.  I didn't want to saw another 12' log to make one 1x6 so we started sawing 14' plus dump truck sides pieces.  I was able to pull the one 12' 1x6 out of the first couple we sawed up.  I also got one full 2x6 – 14' out of these for the customer D order.

As we sawed up the dump truck sides board logs,  I made 1/2" flitches.  Mary ran these through the edger to get one straight side.  We will put these on the mill and make 1/2"x2s for survey stakes.

We next sawed the 15x15 – 8' out of some large logs we'd made special request from the logger to obtain.  We made 1x6s – 8' while squaring these out.

And on it went, juggling parts of a couple of orders so as to use up the logs we sawed.

After Customer D called and canceled the 15x15s and ordered the 4x4s, we put a couple of the 15x15s back on the mill and knocked off survey stake material off of them and busted them down to 4x4.

Today, we continue with survey stakes.  I'll slice them into strips and Mary will wack them to length, add points, bundle and stack on pallet.

It's kind of a nerve racking process to keep up with how many of what is done, how many more is needed, how to get the most out of the log with as little left over as possible.

[Magicman]

That would be mind boggling.  I get into that situation sometimes when a customer has a large cut list, but I am never dealing with more than one customer at the time.

[hackberry jake]

That sounds like work to me

[Lambee10]

seriously mind boggling.  that is very cool that you know how and can do that and make it work. 

Aint it fun to talk to and watch someone that knows what they are doing??

[Kansas]

I know exactly what you mean, Bibby. We had 6 bundles of 7/8 x 2 1/8  8 ft long of cottonwood, although we can toss in the 4 footers. At least 3000 in all.  Then we have to pile on some 7/8 x 7/8 on top of each bundle. We had 4 trailer deck orders come in yesterday, from 10' to 20' from the same people. We had 1500 3/4 x 3 1/2 boards that left this morning with a pallet customer to drop off on his way when they go by a customer. The length? 1 meter, which apparently is 39 3/8 inches. Irish company. People complain that people come to this country and don't learn English. Apparently, they can't learn how to do things on the English measuring system. Or whatever we have. Ah well, job security; we can do it, seems no one else can. Our new customer, we get most of the lumber in for them, but do the technical stuff. Things like 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 by both 12 ft and 52 inches. On the plus side, you can charge for all that service. On the downside, you simply will not get as much cut in a day.

[Larry]

I don't mind long cut lists at all.  In fact it keeps sawing interesting.

I do hate it when they make changes as that sometimes kills production.  I've thought about adding 25% more to the job for every change, but never have done it.

I've got a cedar job to deliver by Jun 1st.  It's for a couple of school teachers that spend  summers here at there lake home.  8 different sizes and they've already made 3 changes.  Think I'll give em couple more weeks before I start.

[Chuck White]

I love a good cut list, but sometimes it confuses me!  :

Last weekend I got the cut list from the customer and at the end it said 1,000 board feet of 1x6 and 1,000 board feet of 1x10.

The cut sheet was made up by the one who's going to do the building and not the actual customer, so the customer didn't actually understand that part either.

So, experience told me that because a length was not provided for the 1x6 and 1x10 that he really meant 1,000 running (linear) feet of each.

With a cut sheet, you're apt to get most anything!  Keeps the job interesting.  ;D

[bandmiller2]

That type of figgering keeps your mind sharp and wards off oldtimers disease.Frank C.

[cypresskayaksllc]

Well at least the customer knows (or thinks they know) what they want. I run into some customers that dont even know what they want. thats a headache.

[Peter Drouin]

Bibbyman I go through that all the time. then I guy called today and wants a 1"x 16" x24' long w pine :D :D :D people ask for the craziest things somtimes  :D :D :D

[red oaks lumber]

i suppose not having any work might be worse ;)

[wannasaw]

Had a wierd cut list based on the log growth rings! That was fun..Did my best an happy customer as far as I know. 10 pine logs -3 w/large rings,7 tight. 2x3 out of loose rings 1x8 or less out of tight. Avg. 12-14 dia.16' Had to take some 2x3 out of the tight due to 550'(linear) of 2x3 on list. Sure makes you think harder than a fishermanlikes to.

[Kansas]

These are niche markets. It is where us bandmillers make money. We cannot compete with huge circle mills. We do not have to. They cannot compete with us doing stuff like this. Just make sure you know your costs and time, and take the time to know them. Then charge enough to make a decent wage. And have some fun along the way.

[Brucer]

Take Bibby's cut list and add in a few 8x8's, 8x12's, 6x10's and that's pretty much my typical sawing day. I spend an hour or so over coffee every morning planning the work.

[Ron Wenrich]

My typical cut list revolves around grade and blocking.  When I get a customer cut list, I just filter that in with whatever we're cutting.  When the log comes up to cut it, then I pull some of customer cut list.  That way I get to pick and chose which ones go where, and actually give the customer a little better lumber.  Some logs just shouldn't be used in construction type lumber.

My cut list may go something like:  5/4 F1F & btr, 4/4 1 Com & btr, 4/4 Casket, 4/4 Flooring, 4/4 1x4 & 1x6 pallet, 3½x6, 5¼x6x8, 7x9x8'6", 10x12x10.  If we have a customer order, that gets put into the mix.  We usually run one specie and one length all at the same time.  The grade is separated out by the stacking crew.  The grade and thickness list changes with species.

[Jim_Rogers]

Well at least the customer knows (or thinks they know) what they want. I run into some customers that dont even know what they want. thats a headache.

I was sawing one day, and a customer showed up. He had a piece of a fence rail with him. The type of round rail that has a round tenon on the end to go into a hole on the fence post. Seems this rail broke and he had some others like this and figured he could use the round tenon end to make it a leg for a bench for his yard.

So he wanted a piece of wood to make the bench seat.

I asked him what type of wood did he want, what thickness, what width and what length?

He replied; "I don't know, but I'll know it when I see it."

I started the mill back up and went back to sawing. I figured if he couldn't tell me what thickness, what width or what length he wanted then there wasn't any way I could find this piece of lumber in my yard.

He walked around the yard for a while with the piece of fence rail on his shoulder and finally got in his truck and drove away.

No sale but no wasted time other than asking him what did he want.......

Jim Rogers

PS. I told his ex-wife this story when she came in to buy fence rails for her horses and she said "sounds like him!"....

[bugdust]

I hate it when someone calls and asks for lumber to build an outbuilding. When asked what size, their answer is, "whatever you think best." Imagine that, like I know what they need. Regardless what pattern I cut you can bet there "wasn't enough". Why? Because, not only do they not know what they want, they can't build it either.

Interesting business isn't it?

[petefrom bearswamp]

I am forever getting customers who want me to do the figuring for them.
I refuse and let them make the mistakes.

[Kansas]

I will give certain advice, not others. If a person wants lumber for a picnic table or a bench, I will tell them what woods will stand up the best. Also advise them if they would keep it treated faithfully, you could get by with near anything. When they get into wanting me to engineer something, the answer is no. I can tell them what we have done in the past for certain people. I can show them pics of my house which has various beams and what the architect insisted on. I can show them all the building we have done with native lumber... what worked, what wasn't the best. But they have to make the final choice. About what happens when wood is used green, what to expect. I have been in the business long enough that I have collective wisdom and feedback from  customers. I feel like I ought to pass it along, especially if I think someone is about to make a major mistake. If I know they will be making a major mistake, I simply won't sell it to them.

[petefrom bearswamp]

I have gotten to the point where I get 50% deposit on special orders.
lessens the number of cancellations. that used to leave me with stuff that was difficult to market.

[wannasaw]

got a call from a guy wanted to build a chicken house, don't need(expensive lumber) it's onll a chicken house.same guy that brought me an 8" dead pine last year in the middle of a good job that was 6 mi. from his house.He got $35 min.I hate it. They sell this stuff at xstore way cheaper than I can saw it.

[Bibbyman]

Yet another restoration job.  We had to match materials used in original construction.   This time it was to restore a chicken house in town.   It's not being used as a chicken house now nor will it after restoration.   Boat and lawn mower storage.  In any case, it's a challenge to make all of the odd sizes and small quantities. 

30 full 2x6 10-1/2' long
7  full 4x4s 6-1/2' long
1 full 4x4 8' long
4 full 2x6 8' long
9 1x9-1/4" 9' long
24 1x7-3/4" 9' long
8-10 full 2x4 8'-10' long
1" random width 5' long to cover 60 running feet.

The carpenter doing the construction dropped in a couple of times to get the cut list nailed down.  It's taken him three trips to collect all the lumber.  The appointments for pickup were always before or after hours.  A couple of times he had to call (at the appointed time) to reschedule.   We earned every cent of this order.

[Peter Drouin]

I get a cut list like that sometimes. But when he wants 1x9¼x9', I tell the costomer that lumber comes in even numbers. So it would be 1x10x10' and price that way. If he is a good carpenter, he has a skill saw and table saw. But I'm sure you price it right. ;)

[drobertson]

Having a cut list is critical for sure.  When dealing with tree length timber making arrangements is really not an issue.  Making stock from previously cut logs is another issue all together.  It has happened, and very understanding customers have always been good with the call. 

[Bibbyman]

As the loggers we buy from do not own or do not use a tape measure, we normally have an ample supply of odd length logs.  A did have to sort through the 10 pile to get logs at least 10'-6" to make the 2x6s. 

I would only hope Mary charged enough for the extra time and effort it took to fill this order.  But she's reluctant to charge as much as she could.   Times are hard here and she is trying to help those struggling.  The guy rebuilding the chicken house is a brick layer by trade.  Since the housing crash he's not had nearly enough brick laying work and has resorted to "anything for a buck" work. Her soft heart may be misplaced as this guy just passed the lumber price on to the customer.  The customer may or may not have the means to have paid more to have such custom work done.