Worried I may Have found a niche

Kingmt · November 07, 2015, 09:59:55 PM

Quote from: Magicman on November 07, 2015, 09:49:01 PM
No. Rather than reasonable, I would say exceptional. Two and sometimes three would be reasonable.

So I should expect about 700bf from a blade cutting 1" Oak if I'm reading that right?

coppolajc10 · November 07, 2015, 10:04:21 PM

I get more in the 250-500 range depending on log size, condition of logs, etc. Sharpen myself.

Magicman · November 07, 2015, 10:14:11 PM

Quote from: Kingmt on November 07, 2015, 09:59:55 PMSo I should expect about 700bf from a blade cutting 1" Oak if I'm reading that right?

Without a debarker, I would not expect it, but rather be thankful for it.

Cazzhrdwd · November 07, 2015, 11:07:23 PM

Quote from: coppolajc10 on November 07, 2015, 09:53:28 PM

Cazz, where are you located? And what kind a mill are you operating? Will help me compare apples to apples. I'm near many Amish mills, $1 /bft would never fly around here, but I'm definitely jealous. :D I know one of the Amish mill owners, they recently raised their prices to $120/mbf, used to be $100, they've been there milling day in and day out since I was a wee boy. Amish certainly factor into the price and demand equation negatively around here. If you're milling around here, you better like milling.

Yeah, the Amish are a REAL problem, God love em they work very hard and I've never met a poor Amish man but sheesh. Guys charging .10 .20 .30 cents is very cheap. That's what people were charging when I got into this 18 years ago. It sad but its like firewood, it never goes up in price cause anyone can do it. With an expensive piece of equipment and valuable experience we don't have to do it for next to nothing. If the Amish are custom sawing for that, find a niche that they aren't doing, its the only way to compete with them.

I have a guy near me who sells Oak fence boards for 7.00, I'm still trying to get 9.00 but it looks like the terrible Oak market is taking its toll and I'm going to have to lower it.

I know for a fact he is always out of them, funny thing is he can't see that his prices are too low.

Cazzhrdwd · November 07, 2015, 11:10:41 PM

Quote from: Kingmt on November 07, 2015, 09:59:55 PM
Quote from: Magicman on November 07, 2015, 09:49:01 PM
No. Rather than reasonable, I would say exceptional. Two and sometimes three would be reasonable.
So I should expect about 700bf from a blade cutting 1" Oak if I'm reading that right?

I get 4-500 using my line debarker and ALSO the logs cannot be dragged around. My loggers are using skid steers and the logs are bucked when they hit the ground. If I could only get them to stop splitting the butts. >:(

deadfall · November 08, 2015, 12:17:56 AM

Quote from: Cazzhrdwd on November 07, 2015, 11:10:41 PM...the logs are bucked when they hit the ground. If I could only get them to stop splitting the butts. >:(

I hear that. In too much of a hurry to go over and under, or under and over, whichever is required at each bucking to keep that from happening. The time can be measured in board feet. I had a road put in and they did the felling and bucking. I didn't want to slow them down at what they were costing me, but I wish I could have. It was lumpy ground and they split a lot of timber for me. They made a nice road for me, but they weren't loggers.

Nomad · November 08, 2015, 05:53:38 AM

Quote from: Magicman on November 07, 2015, 10:14:11 PM
Quote from: Kingmt on November 07, 2015, 09:59:55 PMSo I should expect about 700bf from a blade cutting 1" Oak if I'm reading that right?
Without a debarker, I would not expect it, but rather be thankful for it.

I did a little homeowner job yesterday; about 500bf of Live Oak and Hickory. The logs were pretty dirty and I couldn't use the debarker 'cuz of the way I had to set the mill up. I used 3 bands.

Kingmt · November 08, 2015, 07:20:30 AM

Wow. I had no idea the bands went that quick. My first band lasted forever. It never did do a great job but I don't think I had enough tension on it ether. I was mostly sawing Oak & I cut over 1500bf of just Oak I'm sure. On top of that about 200-300 Box Elder & maybe 20bf of Walnut.

Magicman · November 08, 2015, 07:54:08 AM

They do not "always" go that fast, just do not "expect" them to always saw 700-1000bf. Your instance above says that you were probably sawing the entire job with a dull blade. Just because it will still saw does not indicate sharpness.

Kingmt · November 08, 2015, 08:11:19 AM

Maybe. It was the first time I ever sawed. It cut until I went to pine & the blade went everywhere. It did climb a little cutting the Oak & Walnut was the last thing I got any decent boards out of when it started climbing bad. I was also cutting narrow stuff.

The blades I'm using now still cut pretty nice lumber when they get dull. They cut really slow tho. I thought I was going through them really fast & something was wrong but I may be getting better life out of them then I think.

Banjo picker · November 08, 2015, 08:20:08 AM

I think whats happening here is you are talking about the life of the band and everyone else is talking about how many bf before you need to sharpen. I have a debarker and I try to only run my bands 500 bf if cutting one bys. But I can get 4 or 5 sharpening out of it. So 2000 to 3000 bf is a reasonable goal for me with a debarker. Some times I will get even more from a really good band. Banjo

Kingmt · November 08, 2015, 08:29:59 AM

Sorry for the confusion on words. English seems to leave much to interpretation. By life I meant till it was no longer producing exceptable lumber & needed change/sharpened.

I know far more about sawing now then I did when I started & still know nothing about it. I think I'm getting the hang of making saw dust pretty good & have some boards left over afterwords. So starting I'm not sure what was me, the saw or, whatever else it could be.

deadfall · November 08, 2015, 10:30:54 AM

When I'm sawing red alder, I can forget when I put on the blade. Everything else I cut, not so much.

taylorsmissbeehaven · November 09, 2015, 01:29:31 PM

Just being honest, I went through 3 bands in 700bd' of cedar! :-\ First one was used when I started, 2nd one pinched trying to back out of a cut and third finished the job. Operator error has a lot to do with blade life as well. Thank goodness I figured this in to a flat rate price for such small logs. Sometimes the day goes that way that way! Just being honest, Brian

Kingmt · November 09, 2015, 10:49:00 PM

I understand. I put a new blades on today to finish up a log. I got down to the last board & hit my post. It has been one of those days.

Hillydano74 · November 18, 2015, 06:14:44 PM

I've found that cleaning the saw head out after each log with a blower greatly increases my blade life. Takes a bit longer but in the long run I get more bf out of a blade.

hackberry jake · November 18, 2015, 09:43:08 PM

The more lumber you saw, the more you realize that blades are cheap. Time is expensive.

I'm sure I could probably get 1,000 bf out of every blade, but at some point you are cutting so slow, it is actually costing you more money in machine wear, gasoline, and man hours than its worth. Just stop and put on a fresh blade and you're off running again.