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This may work for you. There is a BIG market for it in my area.

Started by POSTON WIDEHEAD, February 06, 2013, 06:37:17 PM

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POSTON WIDEHEAD

I do a lot of thinking watching that LT 40 head go down the rail sawing lumber.
I think about $$$$, the market I'm in, what I am sawing, and how to sale more of MY lumber from MY logs.

I have Poplar Logs, green and some that are bone dry. I sale my Pine at 53 cents a board foot.
I have been selling my Poplar for 63 cents a board foot. Pine and Poplar in my area is every where. I have no problem getting it.

So I got to thinking.....everybody does not want barn siding. Most of my sales are for 1 x 8 x 10 Pine. And I stay busy trying to keep enough in stock for the farmers.
But what about all this Poplar at 63 cents a board foot? Every now and again I get a call for some Poplar for cabinet backing. I'M SCREAMING.....what do I do with the rest of the Poplar log that's left over.

3 weeks a go I started sawing what I call a "WOODWORKERS DREAM".....and this is how I advertise it on CL.

I will saw what has been an average of about 86 BF of Poplar lumber. All the lumber is 4 -5 feet long.
I saw (4) 4X4 table legs, I saw enough 1 1/2 inch x 8's for a top, add some 1 inch lumber for under the table. I put in a few 1 x 6's, 1 x 8's and what ever other lumber that I think people would enjoy working with in their shop.

83 BF at 63 cents = $52.00....this price is what I sell my Poplar for, for farm use.
I saw a "WOODWORKERS DREAM" package at 86 BF and sell the package for $125.00. this comes out to $1.45 a BF.

Catching on yet?  :)

I have sold 6 packages in the last 3 weeks. I have weekend warrior woodworkers that have bought this package and they tell me this is the best thing they have ever heard of. It's cheaper than a big box store, Poplar is fun to work with and they get a package deal.

Where I was selling a 10 foot Poplar board, I am now doubling my money on the same log by sawing the log in half and milling a package. Woodworker LOVE it!

This is something I will continue doing because I see a WANT for it and it makes the phone ring.


The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Bill_G

Great idea , these days you need to think out of the box . Marketing , Marketing , Marketing , it's all in the Marketing ! If you want to sell the steak , you need to sell the sizzle !

SAWMILL BUDDY


samandothers

I was going to call about that add because I wanted to make a table......

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: samandothers on February 06, 2013, 08:38:51 PM
I was going to call about that add because I wanted to make a table......

Did you see it? It was on there.  :)
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

jmouton

thats an awesome idea  ,     
                                               jim
lt-40 wide ,,bobcat,sterling tandem flatbed log truck,10 ton trailer, stihl 075,041,029,066,and a 2017 f-350,oh and an edger

m wood

thanks for the advice Poston.  That is good info.  I have a rural farmers auction house (a biggy) right around the corner from woodlot.  My sales on rustic furniture has dried up locally the last 3 years...go figure.  But he approached me about putting sheds in his weekly auction.  6' x 8' small sheds.  He wants one left there at all times as a demo so I can generate sales outside of the weekly auction.  He is a good friend I can count on.  Built in advertising and a guaranteed weekly or bi-weekly sale.  Does CL really keep us sawyers moving ruff cut?  I hope so, cuz I have been thinking up my brouchure.

thanks again
mark 
I am Mark
80 acre woodlot lots of hard and soft
modified nissan 4x4/welding rig
4x4 dodge plow truck
cat 931b track loader
Norwood mark IV
4' peavy
6' peavy
stihl 034
"her" wildthing limber saw
ALL the rustic furniture  woodworking stuff
check out FB

tyb525

That is a very very good idea Poston. Do you dry and/or plane the lumber too?
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Kingcha

Nice Idea..........I hope I will be able to steal it down the road. 8)
a Wood-mizer LT15 10hp Electric, 45hp Kioti tractor, electric smoker, wood-fired brick oven & yes a custom built Solar Kiln

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: tyb525 on February 06, 2013, 09:15:01 PM
That is a very very good idea Poston. Do you dry and/or plane the lumber too?

The Poplar so far has been from logs over 2 years old. They are dry.
And as far as planing.....that's what these weekend woodworks look forward to.  :)
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

clww

Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

rooster 58

What an awesome idea! You could do it with other species. Even with shorts that one can get from logging sites. And even call it "rustic" maybe. That otta bring em out of the woodwork :D

WDH

What a grand idea!  Keep that mill in logs, and keep thinking  ;D.
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

hackberry jake

https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

bugdust

Great idea Dave! I've actually had to sell 12' poplar boards for 10' because that's what the guy wanted, and I sure didn't have a use for a 24" board(s). I just finished sawing 600 bdft of 8' quartersawn red oak, but you can bet there won't be any short boards sold from this load.
Since I retired I really like work: It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.

Tree Feller

Good for you, David. You are providing something that woodworkers want and making a bit of money on it, too.

As a woodworker, I can tell you that most projects do not require lumber more than five feet long. Rough sawn is good, too, because planed lumber rarely stays flat for extended periods. I'd rather joint and plane rough-sawn lumber four-square as i'm building with it. Most woodworkers I know are the same way.

You have found a demand and are furnishing a supply. Good on ya.
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Tree Feller on February 06, 2013, 10:13:04 PM
Good for you, David. You are providing something that woodworkers want and making a bit of money on it, too.

As a woodworker, I can tell you that most projects do not require lumber more than five feet long. Rough sawn is good, too, because planed lumber rarely stays flat for extended periods. I'd rather joint and plane rough-sawn lumber four-square as i'm building with it. Most woodworkers I know are the same way.

You have found a demand and are furnishing a supply. Good on ya.

Thanks Cody.  :)
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

hackberry jake

He doesn't always saw poplar, but when he does, he sells it on cl for $1.45 a bf. the most interesting man in... Well his general vacinity anyways. ;D
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

YellowHammer

That is a great idea. 8)  Are the customers experienced woodworkers, or mostly rookies?  Do you guide them to a design or have a pre assembled example for them to look at?

I've started doing something similar to get rid of my shorts of oak and poplar....I plane them, cut them to 2 or 3 foot long x 4 inches wide, strap 12 boards together and sell them as pre cut drawer packages.  They sell fast. 

YH
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Ianab

I have thought of doing something similar with "kitset" Adirondack chairs. A pack of pre-planed cedar boards, rough cut to length, and a basic plan. All the buyer then needs is some basic DIY tools and a pack of wood screws to make a chair. Actually you could bundle the screws as well. It will pack flat and be cheap enough to freight.

Now it's not just 40 bd/ft of cedar, it's a kitset chair, which is worth much more.  ;)

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

barbender

Poston sells them the lumber, now he'll nick them for another $10 for the building plans :D He's slick, that guy. I'm afraid if I was around him he'd end up with all of my $$$  ;D
Too many irons in the fire

mad murdock

Now that is some good thinking! Way to use the old noggin' for more than just something to space the ears apart, and a hat rack!! 8)
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Ianab on February 06, 2013, 11:58:59 PM
I have thought of doing something similar with "kitset" Adirondack chairs. A pack of pre-planed cedar boards, rough cut to length, and a basic plan. All the buyer then needs is some basic DIY tools and a pack of wood screws to make a chair. Actually you could bundle the screws as well. It will pack flat and be cheap enough to freight.

Now it's not just 40 bd/ft of cedar, it's a kitset chair, which is worth much more.  ;)

Ian

Good idea Ian. I never thought about a shipping package, and with screws to boot.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Schramm

POSTONLT40HD,

Sounds like a great idea but I have a question, for that price your not kiln drying the lumber are you?  The $.63 per foot is dirt cheap compaired to buying at Home Depot and I think we all know that it is *DanG near impossible to find anything straight at the box store.

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