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Im new to the thread. And...I have questions!

Started by coyotefur, January 06, 2017, 08:21:46 PM

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coyotefur

I have a logger starting on my property in a few weeks. I am cutting 16" and above trees on 145 acres. The logger thinks i will pocket around $500 an acre.

I'm also planning on putting an addition on my house of 1800-2000 sq.ft in the next year or so.

Would it be in my best interest to setup a mill on my property to help with the lumber cost of the home addition? I figure I would pay the logger his portion and keep the logs.

My other option is to sell the logs to the mill and buy lumber in a year or so for the home addition.

Its also important to note that the last house I had built, 15% of the total cost was the lumber package. And I paid $87.50 a sq.ft 5 years ago.

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.   

Dustin
E.KY

1ruralmailman

 it all depends on,if you can use your own lumber by code in your area or not.there are alot of places non graded lumber wont be allowed.you could still have trim lumber cut and used,but it still may make more sense to use proceeds to purchase what you need when the time comes.

coyotefur

Thanks for the reply. My last house was $87.50 a sq.ft. With my home addition of 1800-2000 sq ft. I'm looking at $157,500-$175,000 for the addition and 15% of that for the lumber, which would be $23,000 - $26,000.

I essentially have 23k-26k to to invest in a mill and pay the logger for his work. I wonder if it would pay for its self?

Dustin

Brad_bb

Where are you?  Hardwood or softwood?  Do you have a building to store the lumber while it dries?  Can you use your lumber or will you have a problem with your local code? 

A mill is not a straight up economic decision.  It will also involve your time to mill, move wood, support equipment(forklift or equivalent, good chainsaw(and training to sharpen properly - I recommend the granberg grind n joint sharpener), other tools, room to work and a way to protect the equipment, protected storage place for wood.  The real question is, do you have a desire to mill?  I sure did.  It's got to be something you are interested in and will get some enjoyment from.  If it's a chore to you, forget it.  Milling will also give you the opportunity to make other stuff, like a slab table, benches, lumber for other projects, mill interesting wood like crotches and figured wood. 

I bought a mill to supply as much wood as I could for my timberframe house, and horse barn.  I wanted to have my hands in it.  I think maybe by the end of the project I will have paid for the mill in the cost difference of the wood I'm supplying, especially when I take into account all of the small tool and other support costs. 

What do YOU want to do?
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

coyotefur

I'm in Eastern KY. The road my property is one is called Big White Oak if that says anything about the timber.

I have 3 big barns each 80x40. 62hp tractor with a bucket. Decent chainsaw. I already use the granberg sharpener. Does great.

I do not know the codes in my area. That's going to be my next step. I'm looking for advice on whether or not this is economically smart. 15k saw mill and milling my own or taking the cash and buying it. Either way I'm going to need lumber for my addition.

Dustin

WV Sawmiller

Cfur,

   From a simple economics view you could likely get a local mobile sawyer to come saw on site cheaper than buying a new mill if this is truly a one time project. If you will have future projects and enjoy milling or just being able to point to a structure and say "That lumber came off my property and I sawed it myself" then buy the mill.

    Another option is you could get a new hydraulic mill like mine for your budget then keep or sell it afterwards.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

coyotefur

What kind of hydraulic mill do you have? I was looking at Lucas mill. The look pretty slick.

Sixacresand

JMO  Hold on to a portion of your timber, buy a portable mill.  You already ahead of the game with a tractor, barns, land and timber.
"Sometimes you can make more hay with less equipment if you just use your head."  Tom, Forestry Forum.  Tenth year with a LT40 Woodmizer,

Peter Drouin

I would only cut 50 A See what the woods look like after. And see the money in your hand to see if you're happy with what's going on.
Having a mill is good, But, It's a lot of work.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Cedarman

Do you have a timber management plan?  Who is making the choice of trees to cut?  Sometime short term gains make for long term losses.  What about the low grade trees that just take up space and are not growing money?  A long term management plan is one of the best things you can do for your woods.  Too often it log the best and leave the rest.  I know you didn't ask about timber management, but being a member of Indiana Forest and Woodland Owners Assoc has taught me the importance of helping my woods, so I throw this out for you to ponder.  Consulting foresters can be very helpful.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

WDH

At least down here, diameter cuts without good tree selection results in high grading. 
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

4x4American

I originally thought you meant you wanted to hire a portable guy to come in, I think that's the cheapest/easiest option
Boy, back in my day..

Chuck White

~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Peter Drouin

Quote from: WDH on January 07, 2017, 07:07:39 AM
At least down here, diameter cuts without good tree selection results in high grading. 



Then you have 145A of junk on the stump. I have seen the high grading in NH, Not a good sight.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

coyotefur

Thanks everyone for the responses. I've been wanting a mill for years now and this might be the right opportunity to get in the game. Do you guys think it would pay for its self? Im going to have ab 25k in lumber anyways.

As for the land management question. No, i do not have a land manager. I have talked to the KY forestry dept and they indirectly recommended a few loggers in my area (wink wink). The guy im using is almost 70 years old and has been logging since he was 16. Good fella.

Dustin

tacks Y

If it is not to late I would get another quote on your timber. 500 an acre may be a smoking deal for you or for him?

dean herring

How are you going to dry the wood to limit shrink?
Failure is not an option  3D Lumber

Jeff

I think you need to start over on your thinking beginning with a management plan. Since it sounds like this is a hardwood forest, your potential for loss if you don't far exceeds what you may imagine. I've witnessed where a landowner received $900 share on just one white oak veneer quality tree. It sounds like you don't know much about your timber other than what this one very impressionable logger has told you.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Magicman

No matter how old or honest he is, the logger does not need to be the the person selecting the trees to be removed.
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

Ricker

Jeff said it best.  There could be a lot of money left on the table on 145 acres of nice hardwood.

drobertson

There are loggers that have worked, and still work hand in hand with foresters, utilizing proper timber harvest practices. That said knowing ahead of time would be preferred on the over all health of the stand(s) that are chosen for a timber sale. Having a management plan should be your first move, IMHO after this other decisions can be made as to sawing out and saving,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

coyotefur

Does the land manager usually cost anything or is it a state program?

WV Sawmiller

Quote from: coyotefur on January 06, 2017, 11:03:21 PM
What kind of hydraulic mill do you have? I was looking at Lucas mill. The look pretty slick.

    My particular mill is a Woodmizer LT35HD25. Hydraulic lifting, clamping, leveling, and turning with 25 hp Kohler gas engine. It cuts up to a 21' long log (You very seldom will likely ever need that length) that is up to 32" diameter with up to a 23" wide board. I have not found a log yet that it would turn (within those dimensions). A new one is well within your cited budget. Good used ones for even less.

    I am not familiar with the Lucas model you mention but I have never heard anything negative about them. The other sponsors and major sawmill makers build very good mills ans have very good reputations.

    If you are seriously planning on getting a mill check out the various features and compare prices and pick the best one to meet your needs. Even better go observe and/or off-bear for other sawyers with various mills and determine which features you like or need.

    The other comments about managing your woodlot deserve your attention too. Don't sacrifice long term goals and benefits for short term cash.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

drobertson

Quote from: coyotefur on January 07, 2017, 09:30:25 AM
Does the land manager usually cost anything or is it a state program?
Not sure what Kentucky has to offer, here in Missouri the conservation has cost share programs, land owners agree to    management plans the forester works up. Mine is a ten year program designed for timber stand and wildlife improvements, 120 acres was broke into 7 Individual stands.
The timber was measured by species, amount per acre and general health. The forester charged by the acre, I. Was reimbursed. Programs like this may be available in your area, try contacting your DNR or USDA, whichever is available,  having this done cleared up the mystery for me, and I learned a lot tagging along,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Ron Wenrich

My question is where is the 16" measured?   If its on the stump, that means anything at about a 12' dbh is going to be cut, due to taper and butt flare.  That is essentially a clearcut, especially an economic clearcut.  $500/acre for timber may or may not be a good deal.  I've seen stands of hardwood with close to 10 Mbf/acre and quite often took 5 Mbf/acre on a decent thinning, without dipping down into the 16" dbh too hard. 

Is your timber worth $100/Mbf or $300/Mbf?  You don't know without an appraisal, at a minimum.  A consulting forester will walk your property and figure out what a sale could bring.  Usually that doesn't cost anything.  The consultant makes his money usually as a portion of the sale.  He'll mark timber for removal, solicit bids, collect money and inspect the job to make sure the logger is doing a good job.  You'll have a paycheck before the timber is harvested. 

A bad selection job is where you cut the best and leave the rest.  Most diameter limit cuts are like that, since you took all your good growing stock and left the stunted trees to recover.  Diameter is not an indication of age.  A good selection job is where you thin out your junk along with some of the mature timber and allow some better stock to grow for future use.  Farmers who kill their best milkers aren't farmers for very long. 

As for getting a mill, there is a learning curve.  You'll start out by ruining lumber.  Does it pay?  Depends on how much of your time you want to invest.  I take my car to a mechanic because I'm mechanically declined.  Simple things, I'm okay.  I always spend more time and money in trying to fix things because I don't know what I'm doing.   You may be better served to have someone else with the expertise saw your logs.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

paul case

It sounds like you have a big house build in mind.
I would get some help on your timber value from someone who does not stand to gain from it.

I bought a mill with the purpose of building a house from my own timber and the mill would pay for itself in that one project. It did. I was logging some of my own at the time and grade lumber market crashed back in '08. The sawmill I was selling to would only pay $.18 bdft on logs delivered to them. That made the decision easy for me. I had the time too which it will take a considerable amount of. I worked at it 4 days a week or more, either logging or sawing or building for 6 months to complete it. I did that with a EZ Boardwalk model 40 maual mill. It made it easy to learn as I knew almost nothing about sawing lumber. That was before youtube. My house build was much smaller scale than yours sounds to be and I did ALL of it myself, from thew septic to the ceiling.

I found that I could use a lot more of my lumber that I had figured when I was planning. We made our own paneling and door headers in 1 piece as well as door frames and trim. I even made some counter top out of my own lumber.

However I dont think most conventional carpenters would want to work with some of it the way we did. You are welcome to look through my photo gallery to see some of my house build. I built another one since then and it went even better.


  

  

 
Those are pics of my paneling. Red oak and ERC.
PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

GAB

Owning a sawmill is one thing.  Being able to operate it and make usable end product is a whole different scenario.
The learning curve for operating a sawmill has a lot to do with the operator, what is being sawed, temperature, the equipment being used especially properly aligned, to mention a few areas where expertise is needed.
For a real treat or education try sawing open grown Colorado Blue Spruce.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

paul case

I think that I learned a lot about sawing by sawing. Mind you that the first and only customer that I had to please with my house build was me. I learned how to and that it is possible to saw what someone else wanted from my mill.

Those first lessons have paid off big time.

I have built 2 houses and 3 barns on my family's farm and have NO MORTGAGE!
I even get to saw a board for my dads cattle headgate or some other small project! That's good stuff.

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

GAB

Quote from: paul case on January 07, 2017, 11:12:46 AM
I think that I learned a lot about sawing by sawing. Mind you that the first and only customer that I had to please with my house build was me. I learned how to and that it is possible to saw what someone else wanted from my mill.

Those first lessons have paid off big time.

I have built 2 houses and 3 barns on my family's farm and have NO MORTGAGE!
I even get to saw a board for my dads cattle headgate or some other small project! That's good stuff.

PC
Mr. Case:
I fully agree with your statement "I think that I learned a lot about sawing by sawing" and in my case I'm still learning.
As a matter of fact a lot of my mistakes (like long wedges for an example) my wood stove took care of for me.
Before I got the mill I had never sawed, and I spent the whole first year in the back yard playing or learning depending on how you look at it, honing my sawing skills.
A pine tree that I helped my dad plant in 1954 lost its top in a wind storm and I got to saw the butt log.  That was rewarding.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

TKehl

Lot's of good points above. 

One thing I haven't seen addressed is what kind of construction will the addition be?  Timber frame, standard stick built, etc. 
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

ChugiakTinkerer

Welcome to the forum Dustin and you have my sympathy as you ponder your options.  I'll reiterate what Brad mentioned early on and that is that if you're looking at this purely from an economics standpoint you will likely never be able to do it cheaper than the professional lumber yard that has years of practice and substantial economy of scale.  Where the economic analysis came into play for me was to realize that while milling my own lumber won't be the absolute cheapest way to go, it comes in a really close second place and at the same time offers me the chance to learn a new skill and have the satisfaction of making my finished product from the raw timber.  Milling and air drying your lumber makes it worthwhile to consider buying a mill if the other factors appeal to you.  Where the economics gets dicier is if you will need to have the lumber graded before you can use it in your house framing.  Kiln drying may be another needed step, and these both will cost you money and/or time.
Woodland Mills HM130

paul case

GAB,

Those ''heritage'' trees make it very worthwhile.
The bulk of trees standing on my farm( my gpa bought in the 1920's) are too big for me to saw without a whole bunch of trouble. We have had several of the Red Oaks die a few years back and I cut them down only to find good logs that would have had to be quartered to saw on the woodmizer. I could only haul 4 at a time and we dragged them to the mill so we could use the 6k forklift to load them with. Some were over 175 years old. I have some Post Oaks that I will only cut down if they die. However I cut some of the paneling in my house from ERC I harvested from my other gpas farm. I heat my current house with a woodstove that the same gpa bought new in the late 60's. Means a lot to me but nothing special to anyone else.

I don't even start to know it all about sawing. Just when I think I do I saw into the mill.  I figure out that I couldn't see that the backstops were all the way up because my big head got in the way.

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

GAB

Mr. Case:
I hear what you are saying about the large trees.  That is where a Peterson type mill would come in handy.  I helped a friend set up his Peterson style mill and for small stuff I personally would not recommend that type of mill.  When purchasing a mill some of the factors one needs to strongly consider are what the raw material will be and what the desired end product is.  Not every one can afford to have different types of mills in the yard.
Concerning the big head -just remember that mother nature does not allow drop outs, and can bring one back to reality real quick.

Mr. Cfur has not said what type of raw material he has or what the size of it is.  If he has I missed it - sorry.
If it is softwood to be used for framing a suggestion I have for him would be to saw like 6+" wide for 2x6's etc. and stack them properly for air drying.  Just prior to using, put them back on the mill and resize them to 5-1/2" or whatever is needed to accommodate commercial windows and doors.  This would allow him to straighten his framing material and get a nice straight and square building.
Hardwood intended to be used for interior trim and flooring can be sawed the same way but will need to be kiln dried prior to sizing and molding.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

coyotefur

As far as the home addition. i plan on using the stick method. I'm personally not doing the work but i figure thats what the local contractors will use.

As far as what kind of timer i have I'm not exactly sure. The property is on Big White Oak if that gives any indication.

With all the suggestions to use a land manager, i called one today. We are meeting this Friday and going to walk the property. He will give an appraisal first for $350+ mileage. If i decide to use him as a consultant he will charge 12%. I talked to another guy who charges 10%, I may use that as leverage. ;)

Thoughts on the land consultant route?

drobertson

Resources and timing going through the gov. sys. here lead me to a retired forester, from the same agency, MDC, he agreed to an 8 dollar an acre fee, which was my cost share amount, 880 bucks went to me, and straight to him, for a timber plan and evaluation,  volume included, plus the education, a no brainer. Not sure bout your state or practices, knowledge is a premium,  many loggers have it to without the degree, just saying, knowing and having on paper is always a good thing for the record. Just my two cents worth,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

TKehl

I have no personal experience in this, but I could see a builder charging more for a "special situation" with "non-standard" lumber.  (IE not a pine/fir 2x4, 2x etc.)  Even if your time isn't counted, I struggle seeing saving much $ on this route unless you are doing the building yourself.

I can already hear the bellyaching... "Well I gots to predrill dem der holes fer the nails to keeps em from splittin.  My nailgun won't sink nails into dried oak, gonna have to hand nail them and charge a gazillion more $$.  DanG this stuff is heavy.  ...."

Trying to put myself in your situation with what you've said of knowledge, equipment, and preference:   I'd sell a chunk of timber (maybe not all at once to spread out the tax impact), buy a small manual mill and mill up some of the rejects, tops, junk trees left behind, and trees damaged in the process and use that lumber for flooring, trim, and maybe paneling.  Then either keep or sell the mill based on the experience.
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

Ricker

I think the consultant is a great way to start this project. Accurate and unbiased information is always a good thing to get before making decisions on anything real important in my opinion.

dustyhat

If your just getting 500 per acre for your KY white oak you better rethink your WINK ,WINK.

coyotefur

Quote from: dustyhat on January 07, 2017, 05:37:42 PM
If your just getting 500 per acre for your KY white oak you better rethink your WINK ,WINK.

Is that a low estimate?

dustyhat

Well i probably should not have said it like that.    when i hear big and white oak in the same sentence i get excited.  as i have not seen your timber it could be a good price for saw logs. but i would want someone to look to see if you have good stave or veneer. we sold quit several this year that brought 500 a 10 foot log. pays to check diff places.  just dont want you to get the shaft.

Brad_bb

What Jeff said.

Breaking even/pay for itself depends on your viewpoint.  If you consider only the cost of the mill versus the cost of the lumber, then yes it'll pay, but then you have to discount any value for your time and labor.  I recently was trying to figure out if I'll break even on my projects given all my costs  and my time and labor versus paying for it.  I think I may about break even, but my project is at least 4x the size of yours.  I will tell you though that the mill is indispensible when doing custom work.  In addition to green timber, I'm using a lot of reclaimed timber and barn wood for trim, building vanities, and many other things.  Without the mill, I wouldn't be able to use the barnwood (remilling pieces to what I need).

I have an LT15.  It's a manual crank mill and I like it.  I don't get tired from it, especially cutting beams from center and boards from the outside.  The LT15 is lower cost than a lot of the hydraulics.  I have no hydraulics.  I sort of see the hydraulic mills as being better for producing boards, a lot of repetitive work.  My mill does pretty well for beams.  I also have Woodmizer's Beam Planer which can only run on a two track mill.  It's a great tool that I use a lot.  I want to say I got both for about $18K if I remember right.  I could sell it with good resale value and get a hydraulic if I wanted, but I prefer the LT15 for what I do.  I mill a lot of curved branches too.  The hand crank helps with that.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

paul case

Are you kidding?

Sawin is so much fun that I should have to pay to do it!

I am one of them silly guys who don't go to work since I love what I do!

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Cedarman

The only thing we bought of wood for our house commercially were the trusses.  The rest was ERC for interior studs,  6x6 cedar for outside walls, poplar for 2 sided porch, full 1/4 sawn cherry for kitchen cabinets custom made, traded oak lumber for the build, 1/4 sawn ash for major floor,  sassafras sawn for bathroom cabinets and wood work, and all trim custom made with planer and router.  Plus 16" wide white pine and wide cypress for paneling.
Hired the builders by the hour.  They were efficient and easy to work with. They said they never enjoyed building a house as much as they did mine.  So, it depends on who you get to build your house.  Years later when I ran into those guys, they still said the same thing.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

Kbeitz

Quote from: Brad_bb on January 07, 2017, 10:40:50 PM
What Jeff said.

Breaking even/pay for itself depends on your viewpoint.  If you consider only the cost of the mill versus the cost of the lumber, then yes it'll pay, but then you have to discount any value for your time and labor.  I recently was trying to figure out if I'll break even on my projects given all my costs  and my time and labor versus paying for it.  I think I may about break even, but my project is at least 4x the size of yours.  I will tell you though that the mill is indispensible when doing custom work.  In addition to green timber, I'm using a lot of reclaimed timber and barn wood for trim, building vanities, and many other things.  Without the mill, I wouldn't be able to use the barnwood (remilling pieces to what I need).

I have an LT15.  It's a manual crank mill and I like it.  I don't get tired from it, especially cutting beams from center and boards from the outside.  The LT15 is lower cost than a lot of the hydraulics.  I have no hydraulics.  I sort of see the hydraulic mills as being better for producing boards, a lot of repetitive work.  My mill does pretty well for beams.  I also have Woodmizer's Beam Planer which can only run on a two track mill.  It's a great tool that I use a lot.  I want to say I got both for about $18K if I remember right.  I could sell it with good resale value and get a hydraulic if I wanted, but I prefer the LT15 for what I do.  I mill a lot of curved branches too.  The hand crank helps with that.

Now thats a neat machine. Not much talk about it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyNh39oUnvE
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

redprospector

Quote from: paul case on January 07, 2017, 11:10:10 PM
Are you kidding?

Sawin is so much fun that I should have to pay to do it!

PC

You mean...you don't? Hmm. I may be doing something wrong then.  :D
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

Mountain State Farm

Welcome to FF Dustin,

All the above is sound advice. The only thing I can add is to find a local guy that will let you help around the mill. After a few days you will know if sawdust runs in your veins. Running tail for someone cutting green White Oak all day has a way of changing a man and you will get a great education along with insight to owning a mill.
That sawdust bug bit me in the ...

ozarkgem

Quote from: Cedarman on January 08, 2017, 08:05:01 AM
The only thing we bought of wood for our house commercially were the trusses.  The rest was ERC for interior studs,  6x6 cedar for outside walls, poplar for 2 sided porch, full 1/4 sawn cherry for kitchen cabinets custom made, traded oak lumber for the build, 1/4 sawn ash for major floor,  sassafras sawn for bathroom cabinets and wood work, and all trim custom made with planer and router.  Plus 16" wide white pine and wide cypress for paneling.
Hired the builders by the hour.  They were efficient and easy to work with. They said they never enjoyed building a house as much as they did mine.  So, it depends on who you get to build your house.  Years later when I ran into those guys, they still said the same thing.
How about some pics of your house. Sounds like a nice build
Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

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