Lumber Price

[ramaral]

Hi,
I'm new to this forum, sawing and to the used WoodMizer mill I bought in Aug 2012. So, I've got lots of questions. But first, let me say I find this forum very helpful. I'm enjoying working with my mill and learning more about wood, trees and the business of sawing. I plan to start a part time business using the mill to saw on location. To get my feet wet, I decided to help a friend harvest some trees around his property and use the lumber as payment. He agreed and asked to get "some" lumber back if he helped do the work. So far, things have worked out well. We have felled what I calculate to be 3300 BF of logs. I started sawing last weekend. The logs are almost entirely white pine and he works as hard as I do. My question is how much should I price the boards so I can quantify the value of lumber and figure out what a fair amount of lumber is for his cut on the deal? I've searched craigslist in my area (Rhode Island) and the going rate for "pine" seems to be 0.60/BF for rough sawn lumber. But I've also seen higher rates. It seems the rates change depending on the dimensions of the lumber not just board feet. Any suggestions?

[Ron Wenrich]

Bumping topic to top.

[woodmills1]

I charge $.50 per bd ft for mixed pine,  that is what ever widths and lengths come from a batch of logs of mixed grades.  So, some will be 6 inch wide, some up to 14 or 16, some will be clear and some will have small and or large knots


If the customer wants only wide or only clear I will go up in price

here is a comparison.  I sell logs that I don't need to fill orders

all 8 ft logs, and all pallet grade(knots over 2 inch all around) I get 6 cents per bd ft

number 2 (knots 3/4 way around) 17 cents
number 1(small knots 1/2 around) 23 cents
select  (only a few small knots) 38 cents


I used the description around the log for knots, however the common way is to think of a large square cut from the round log and then looking at the flats and calling them faces.  So  a number one log could have 2 clear faces and 2 with knots

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

Welcome to the forum ramaral! I'm not sure I can be much help as I am in a different area than you but most of the guys around here get .50c a bf for yellow pine.( not much white pine in piedmont NC) It sells pretty much by the bf unless it is something unusual and then the price may change. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in with better advice. The folks here hold alot of information and are good to share. Best of luck, Brian

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum,    ramaral.   

[Too Big To Fail]

Welcome to the forum!
Price certainly seems to vary, but when I mill like that for friends I usually do a 50/50 split.

[YellowHammer]

Welcome to the forum.

My answer may not be a dollars and cents answer but for something like that I would probably do it for halves or you get 2/3rds or something that you both agree upon easily.  Why?  He's a friend, he's a hard worker, he owns land with trees (a great business asset to have in your back pocket) and as you say, this job will help get your feet wet and work the bugs out of your technique and operation.  So there is more intrinsic value for you than just the market price of lumber.  Also, if you mess up some boards or logs, he won't get upset, like "real" customers do.  Depending on the mill, the job should only be a few days anyway and maybe your friend will develop into a good tail man for your new portable sawing business where you will need some experienced help. 
Normally when sawing on shares I get halves for walnut, cherry and maple, 2/3rds for most everything else.
Robert

[ramaral]

Thanks guys, especially yellowhammer and woodmills1. I appreciate your suggestions, they make sense! I'm finding sawing to be more enjoyable and rewarding than I orginally thought. I love everything about the job, the physcial work, the beauty and smell of freshly sawn wood and being outdoors. Like, I said I'm new and will have plenty more questions.

[JBS 181]

Welcome to the forum. I live a long way from your home, (I am out here in Wyoming). That is an average of what I charge for pine. .60 per bd/ft. that is all I cut, pine, mostly lodgepole and ponderosa. As others have said price will go up depending on size and quality.

[woodmills1]

I have a firewood processor.....running it is like just a job or going to work


I have a log trailer.....running it and doing log pick ups is fun.....what wood will be on the job, as well as trying to get loaded well so no extra trips or over weights are needed


My woodmizer is a wonderful joy....seeing what a log looks like opened up, or how many 4x4's can I get from that knarley old pine or can I fill the trailer deck order from these two logs........O look its curley

[drobertson]

Rama!  Glad you are getting it done, and it is enjoyable for sure. If you are just starting, I would  go as mentioned on halves if you can use or sell the lumber.  It is his logs so in this sense all you need to do is cover the operating cost plus whatever income you have figured on making.  It sounds like up north the price for lumber is quite a bit higher than here in southern Missouri.  This being said, I would learn the mill,  have fun, if hard work can be counted as fun! :D   If the lumber looks good, and you try to sell your share, at the market value you suggested, I would say $1.60  for 1X4's $2.60 for 1X6's  $3.18 for 1x8's.  10" and up on width might be on a different  pricing. You be the judge,   good luck and good sawing,  david