Need advice to find flooring mill

[Brad_bb]

I'm cutting a lot of Ash making timbers and boards.  I'm cutting 5/4 boards from the outside and logs with too many knots to make a timber.  I want to finish drying them(most are below 30 percent already from standing  beetle killed) and have them milled (planed and T&G'd) for flooring for my use.  How do I find someone to do that?  I've been google searching things like hardwood flooring, hardwood flooring mill, etc. but come up with companies selling hardwood flooring or people installing hardwood flooring.  I know there has to be someone making hardwood flooring around Indianapolis?  Also what machine do they use?  Is it a 4 head moulder/planer that planes top and bottom and cuts the Tongue and Groove in one operation?  If I can find someone that I can bring my boards to and have it cut in one operation, that would be a lot nicer than having to handle the boards 4+ times to plane and T&G in all separate operations.  I know I could do that, but I don't really want to.  And I don't want to buy a very expensive moulder/planer just for my own flooring use.  So how do I find someone?

[Kbeitz]

I'm cutting a lot of Ash making timbers and boards.  I'm cutting 5/4 boards from the outside and logs with too many knots to make a timber.  I want to finish drying them(most are below 30 percent already from standing  beetle killed) and have them milled (planed and T&G'd) for flooring for my use.  How do I find someone to do that?  I've been google searching things like hardwood flooring, hardwood flooring mill, etc. but come up with companies selling hardwood flooring or people installing hardwood flooring.  I know there has to be someone making hardwood flooring around Indianapolis?  Also what machine do they use?  Is it a 4 head moulder/planer that planes top and bottom and cuts the Tongue and Groove in one operation?  If I can find someone that I can bring my boards to and have it cut in one operation, that would be a lot nicer than having to handle the boards 4+ times to plane and T&G in all separate operations.  I know I could do that, but I don't really want to.  And I don't want to buy a very expensive moulder/planer just for my own flooring use.  So how do I find someone?

You might want to look into a shaper like Grizzly sells.
Then look at the T&G cutter set.
If your not doing a lot then it's the way to go.
I made all my own T&G for my home with this machine on the left..



 

[Darrel]

Search the Sawmill Exchange and other used equipment dealers for moulders.  As I recall you can find small 4 headed machines that would do flooring starting at about $5,000.  The good thing about used equipment is that you can sell it and get your money back when the project is finished.

[TKehl]

I found a couple in my area using search terms like "custom millwork" and "custom moulding".  If you have any large hardwood retailers, they should be able to point you the right direction.  Had the same frustrations as you searching for "flooring". 

[sealark37]

As noted above, you are looking for a custom moulding and wood trim shop.  I went through the same process that you now face.  The hardwood jobber that supplied my ash knew of a small shop that did flooring.  They used a four sided moulder, and made their own knives.  The owner has been a good friend for over thirty years now.  Regards, Clark

[D6c]

I was considering the same thing recently since I have a bunch of black walnut that's been stack dried for about 25 years.  There is a local shop that primarily makes picture frames and has a 4-spindle moulder.  He was willing to do it but also suggested that a shaper might be a better solution.  He didn't have the T & G knives for the moulder and they would be fairly expensive.
He wasn't real excited about cutting up my walnut for flooring either.....he thought it was a little too good for that since most is 10-11" wide x 10-12' and nearly all clear.

[Kbeitz]

It cost me $100.00 for my shaper T&G blade set.

[barbender]

Yep, try searching for "custom planing" or "custom moulding".

[GAB]

I'm cutting a lot of Ash making timbers and boards.  I'm cutting 5/4 boards from the outside and logs with too many knots to make a timber.  I want to finish drying them(most are below 30 percent already from standing  beetle killed) and have them milled (planed and T&G'd) for flooring for my use.  How do I find someone to do that?  I've been google searching things like hardwood flooring, hardwood flooring mill, etc. but come up with companies selling hardwood flooring or people installing hardwood flooring.  I know there has to be someone making hardwood flooring around Indianapolis?  Also what machine do they use?  Is it a 4 head moulder/planer that planes top and bottom and cuts the Tongue and Groove in one operation?  If I can find someone that I can bring my boards to and have it cut in one operation, that would be a lot nicer than having to handle the boards 4+ times to plane and T&G in all separate operations.  I know I could do that, but I don't really want to.  And I don't want to buy a very expensive moulder/planer just for my own flooring use.  So how do I find someone?

Never realized how lucky I am as there is a fellow approx. 4 miles from me with a 5 head machine who makes his own knives.  He can run thousands of linear feet of flooring in a month.
Gerald

[4x4American]

There is a guy north of me who we met at the boonville logging show and he has two companies, one is called caron lumber and drying and the other is caron fine wood products.  I sawed for a friend a few mbf of oak and cherry and he brought it to him after it was air dried for a year and he KD it and turned it into flooring for $.55/sf I believe it was.  You wouldn't know by the name of his company that he did that.  Also when you call around if people say know dont hang up ask if they know anyone who does.

[paul case]

I sell to https://heritageoakllc.com/. They do some custom work as well.

I guess they may be a little far for you to go.

PC

[carykong]

If your board footage is 2 to 5k, a spiral cut planer and dado blade on your table saw will do the job and the savings will pay for that planer and table saw. Anyway that was my solution when I built my house.

[mad murdock]

If you are looking into production equipment, Logosol makes and sells some nice equipment for custom mold and t&g finishes. They also make a framesaw that would be the ideal production setup for milling flooring from cants.

[Cazzhrdwd]

Call woodmizer, they'll know someone who can do it.

[pineywoods]

Another option, buy yourself a woodmaster and do it yourself. I made a bunch of oak flooring with mine...

[fishfighter]

Brad, how muck flooring you are looking to do? How wide? If under 6" wide and under 500sqf, a jointer, a table top planner and a tablesaw with a dado blade  can do that job. Maybe just a replacement set of knifes too.

[Brad_bb]

My boards are 6-12" wide.  I'm looking for someone with a professional machine that can do it efficiently, because I already have more projects than I can handle.  My square footage depends on how many  ash logs I end up getting and milling in the next few months.  Could be up to 5000 sq ft.

[TKehl]

Do you want to keep the wide boards wide?  The 4 sided moulder I'm getting is 8" and it seemed to me the majority out there handle between 6-8" wide.  I have seen them as wide a 16" though, so they are out there.  Just saying it may require more phone calls or there may be a premium to have the wide boards T&G.  May be worth looking at an alternate jointing technique for the wide ones or ripping them to smaller boards.