Sawing for fun or is it your livelihood?

[Wisconsintimber]

Just wondering how many of you guys saw for your main income or is it just a hobby?  Or do you saw for your own lumber needs? 

I have a bandmill that I have used mainly to saw lumber for my own use and because making sawdust is just plain fun!  I'm trying to figure how I can take this hobby and see if it could be made into a business.  I love being outdoors, my family has a fair amount of timber on our farm and I have some equipment to go along with the mill. 

[tmarch]

I just saw my own trees and use the lumber myself mostly.  No buying logs as I have acres of trees that need sawed up.   Sawing is the easy part for me, logging is much tougher with the kind of ground I have.

[longtime lurker]

no timber sales = no eat.

I guess what i'm trying to point out is that unless you can make enough money contract sawing for others, that making a living in this business isn't just about sawing logs, but also about selling what you cut from them.

[21incher]

I also saw for my own lumber to use for building furniture. The only thing is I already have a lifetime's worth of lumber sawn and may have to try and sell or barter some in the future.

[ladylake]

Full time over here about 70% custom sawing and 30% selling mostly trailer decking and fencing. The only thing I did wrong was not starting 20 or 30 years sooner . Steve

[hackberry jake]

I got my mill a little over 3 years ago and I got it just for my own personal use. I have made a little bit of money from it over the last year or so, but nothing to write home about.

[dgdrls]

Fun and Learning right now.

Long range plan is to build it up to be a money maker.

DGDrls

[hackberry jake]

My mill probably hasn't even paid itself off yet as far as cash sales, but as far as money saved I am way ahead... and my dad, and my brother, and my buddies... Actually, instead of buying a mill, just get a friend that has one, It's a lot cheaper!  :D

[thecfarm]

tmarch said what I was going too. The logging part too.  ;D
I have made a little money,but most times I set a high price and that turns most away. Most are looking for a "deal"  :  and most times I can tell. Aim high and they don't come back. I have too much going on to try to help out the dealers.

[cutterboy]

I log and saw up my own trees for the enjoyment of it. I don't use much of the lumber myself so I sell most of what I saw. This is my hobby, it pays for itself and gives me a little spending money. This is retirement at it's best.

[bandmiller2]

I mill to augment my meager pension, also gives me an excuse to have a lot of spiffy machinery and saws around. I don't go looking for sawing jobs they find me. Frank C.

[Chuck White]

I saw mostly because I enjoy it, so I guess for the most part it's a hobby, but I do make a little $$ with it too!

[drobertson]

It is fun, rewarding, with some income. Feast and famine here, so many mills in the area that most folks no of or have relation sawing, custom work is a niche.  Ties and flooring lumber is an automatic go to when needed.  One just needs a good lift truck, banding equipment, and logs to make a go of it.  Might add, for storing lumber, one also needs plenty of stickers. Piles (stacks of lumber)  can and will sit for up to 6 months at times.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Mine is a profitable business, I'm retired from a professional career and sawing is presently my main income.

[jmouton]

         we saw for money  , not are main income both of us have other  full time jobs,  we do saw for ourselves if  we need lumber to build another shop or two  or for freinds



                                                                                                               jim

[Jim H]

Sawing has been my main source of income for 16 years. Mostly on-site custom sawing with a little bit of lumber sales here and there.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Everything I do is a hobby.  :D I'm just blessed to get paid for it. 

[Magicman]

Just wondering how many of you guys saw for your main income or is it just a hobby? 

Your OP did not ask enough questions.  I saw to supplement an insufficient amount of "retirement" income.  It allows us to take a couple of vacations trips each year.

[kczbest]

I saw for my own needs mostly. Also since I am a home Builder I do a lot of ERC closets and Cypress Man Caves, I get to bill out the labor and supply the lumber for what it would have cost me retail. It is a win-win for me! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I saw for my own needs mostly. Also since I am a home Builder I do a lot of ERC closets and Cypress Man Caves, I get to bill out the labor and supply the lumber for what it would have cost me retail. It is a win-win for me! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

I sneaked a peek at some of your work....very impressive kczbest. 

[scully]

I can say in all honesty that milling is my theorapy . Yet I mill for all reasons ! Sure I want to make $$$ but I firmly believe I need to find my nitch and as I get more seat time I kinda figure all that out . I will say that in just one year I made approxamately 1/3 of the actual price I payed for my mill . But I also love to hunt logs ! for me !  Moreover I have established some fantastic relationships with people that I have sawed for and sold or traded lumber to . It is a life style and a darn good one . I will retire in 2 short years , the plan always was to get a mill and enjoy doing what I love . As fate would have it I got my mill a tad early and for that I am very grateful ! I guess for me it's like this ...I will mill for love or money ,which ever comes first ....

[sallvord]

I started out sawing lumber for my house project and farm use.  I recently took on a job for a friend that was initially 2000b.f. As of tonight my total is at 7500b.f. for that project with a few more shifts to put in.  It seems that every job leads to 2 or 3 more.  Do not sell yourself short because all of this equipment takes maintenance. But to answer your question it is mostly a hobby, and a very fun one at that.

[kczbest]

I saw for my own needs mostly. Also since I am a home Builder I do a lot of ERC closets and Cypress Man Caves, I get to bill out the labor and supply the lumber for what it would have cost me retail. It is a win-win for me! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

I sneaked a peek at some of your work....very impressive kczbest. 

Thanks Poston. I can't take the credit though GOD gave me a gift and I am just trying to make the most of it.

[Board Cutter]

Basically for my own use.  I have cut a few logs for friends and neighbors.

When I retire I hope to make a little money to help with the retirement.

[YellowHammer]

It's not my only source of income, but it is a significant addition to my weekly paycheck, enough to take very seriously (as does the IRS) and operate it like a business, every day of the week.
It's fun too, but the difference between business and fun is that sometimes it's NOT fun, but I have to suck it up and keep plugging...
YH

[justallan1]

I bought my mill to make a little extra money and saw for myself. In just over a year it's paid for itself and given me plenty of wood for my own projects. ;D

Allan

[Cedarman]

Started full time in the late 80's with ERC.  Expanded in 92 with buildings and hiring more people.  Had as many as 15 working at one time.  Down to 7 to 8 now and more work than we can handle.  I don't do much sawing.  Mostly log merchandizing, sales, marketing, loader driving, fill in as needed in mill. Many phone calls are like boxes of cracker jacks.  Never know what they will order.
It has taken on a life of its own.

[Wisconsintimber]

Nice to see all the responses!

Growing up we had an old temperamental circle saw and I always enjoyed sawing and running equipment.  A few years ago I was planning on building a house so we first built a band sawmill and sawed as much of the lumber for the house as possible.  We have a pretty good stand of timber(white pine, various oaks, maple, cherry) on our property and am trying to figure our how to best manage and market it.  I recently bought a baker m-412 moulder with the hopes of making some carsiding(paneling) and flooring in the future.  Of course that requires an effective way to dry the lumber so I'm looking into building a kiln as well

[sawdust joe]

I started out making a profit after a few bad customers I slowed down being more selective and cuting what is in demand. But still this bad economeny High fuel costs parts cost It has been slow. I gues the best answer is mostly hobby sawing just cant shake off the sawdust.

[3Dog]

Wisconsintimber- I am in the Madison area.  To address your posted question...I saw for fun now, anticipating it will become at least a partial livelihood. 
I started with my mill about 10 years ago.  I intended my milling "business" to  cover the cost of owning and operating the mill, kiln, skidsteer, rent etc. until I grew a customer base large enough to supplement my pension when I retired.  Your situation may be different but, for me the path was not easy.
I was drawn to the idea of having a sawmill by a roundabout path.  I live in an area that was one of the fastest growing areas in the state in the late 90's (Dane County).  My fulltime job was working as a fire chief in a Madison suburb.  One of my duties was approving burning permits. I would see large piles of trees pushed into piles as land was cleared for development.  Burning permits were requested as a way to eliminate these piles in a low cost manner.  Now I have always been a woodworker, albeit a poor one,  looking at piles of woods grown (woods that I played in as a child years and years before) Cherry, Hickory and Oak  trees waiting to be burned as trash bothered me.

I bought a mill, skidsteer, kiln and a flatbed, rented a portion of a farm to work on and began my adventure.  Things were slow the first couple years and I continued to sponsor my hobby monthly.  After a few years of talking, asking and learning, the saw jobs pretty much covered expenses.  Again, my passion was finding ways and people interested in using urban timber. I began feeling as though my idea of building  a means of supplementing my retirement was going to work out. Unfortunately, when the economy plummeted so did my work.  The municipalities I worked with didnt have the budgets to pursue forestry interests, including the urban lumber movement that was just starting to be talked about. The housing market also became nonexistent.  I had previously worked each year for a few builders/owners who desired to use trees removed from the building site of their new home either in the form of millwork or furniture items. Again, I was sponsoring my hobby monthly and wondering just what I was thinking when I started this sawing path.

However, time changes things.  I am now about as busy as I want to be.  Now the jobs cover the bills and provide some extra that pays for some new items that will make sawing easier and more efficient.  I may even be adding an additional kiln this year.  All of these things are much appreciated since I am much closer to retirement than I was 10 years ago.

I hope I didnt ramble on too much of a tangent by providing  a "story" rather than a simple answer to your original question.  But, I think that my experience illustrates that just as important as a mill, if not more important, is the ability to have a dream, a realistic plan, a financial safety net, a strong work ethic and lots of helpful friends/family. If you have these things, you will be able to start and grow your business to whatever level fits your life best. There is a very wide spectrum between hobby and livelihood.  You will find your individual comfort zone with time and meet some of the most amazing people along the way!

[Brucer]

I'm like Magicman. Sawing provides a much needed supplement to my pension income. If I didn't have to shut down for 5 months of winter, I'd be able to make a living at it without the pension income.

[5quarter]

Welcome Wisconsin timber. The sawmill is a component of my Cabinet shop. I keep a good stock of native lumber on hand which gets used in furniture and cabinet building. I do saw for others and bill at the same rate as my shop rate. If I had my druthers, I would not custom saw, but there are few mills in the area, and folks are so excited to find me that I can't really say no. Funny story: I have a couple guys (brothers) who moved here from Arkansas and once they found me they come around all the time to have me saw something or buy some lumber. Last month, they were back in AK and brought back a truckload of what I suspect was Sassafras, just bring it to the mill here. Growing up in AK, there were mills all over, so when the found my place, I suppose it was like a taste of home.
I also sell lumber, but try to keep that to a minimum. I make a lot more $$ on the lumber if I use it in the cabinet shop than selling by the BF.
I also saw for myself and keep a sizable stash of lumber that I just can't part with. I have been known to pull down a board, sand it, finish it and stand it up in the shop just so I can admire it.  ;)

[hackberry jake]

Arkansas is AR. Alaska is AK. And there are a lot of mills around me. Three BIG mills within a 5min drive. Two of em I can hear on calm mornings.

[backwoods sawyer]

I started off with establishing a log yard and lumber yard and taking the mill on the road as a full time job. Then the divorce shut the whole operation down and tied up in court for over half a year. The ex got the log yard and lumber yard and I got the sawmill and picked up another one in the process. I had to go 100% portable and expand the service area to cover all of the state picked up a new partner who saws and she likes to travel. We are working on setting up a new log yard and lumber yard but running into resistance from a neighbor.

[Greenhorn Sawyer]

I just bought my mill last October, and I just sold my first load yesterday($60 worth hemlock 1x10's), so it's a hobby right now, and I absolutely love it, but I won't be quitting my regular job any time soon.

[Magicman]

Hello Greenhorn Sawyer, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum.   8)

[Sixacresand]

Hobby and Lumber for Self use:  I have been milling for three and half years.  I had lots of pines being killed by beetles  and hated to see the waste.  I have provided a few people with some inexpensive lumber to help them out   I am using my lumber to add on to my house and out buildings  If somebody wants logs milled at their place,  I tell them to set up a grill, invite some help and I ll bring the mill (at a reasonalbe price).

[pencil5757]

For myself but plenty ofr money on the side

[thecfarm]

Pencil5757,what kind of mill ya got? Been sawing long?

[Magicman]

pencil5757, you have been a FF member much longer than I have.  How about an intro?   

[SawyerBrown]

As with some others, I only do custom sawing to supplement pension income.  I probably wouldn't have to, and that's a good thing, because the work here is not steady and certainly not enough to feed a family on.  With your own timber, you're probably in a little different position.  I really got into it because I noted really nice hardwood logs going to waste as firewood because people couldn't find a local sawyer (even though there are several around) ... and as a woodworker that just HURT me!  Good luck on whatever you decide to do!

Welcome to the new folks that are chiming in!