Sold my first mantel - Poston will be happy for me

WV Sawmiller · December 22, 2015, 05:36:23 PM

I found a small cherry tree had died in the woodlot in my pasture so I cut it and milled it. I cut a 4" X 12" X 10' mantel out of the center of the butt log and left 2 sides live edge. Cut the rest of the tree into boards and slabs. Advertised it in passing on a local trader paper and got a call for it today.

Man came down to look at it. Only needed a 5' mantel but needed some more of the wood to build the supports so convinced him the safest thing to do was buy it all. I had agreed on the phone to cut it and reduce the price. After sticking my foot in my mouth that way I realized that was dumb on my part as I have little use for a 3' long 4" slab. Glad he bought it all.

He was uncertain how he wanted it cut. I had told him I'd square it for him if he liked. We took it to the mill, put a blade on and trimmed about half the back till it was square and he was happy with that. He liked the color so well he asked me to flip it and trim the other edge too. I took it down about 1/4" to 1/2" at a time till we got it to about 10" and he said he was happy with that. He was very pleased with his mantel and I was real happy realizing a little over a year ago that tree would have been $5-$10 worth of firewood now just one cut off it is a $250/mantel that will bring happiness to him for many years and I still have 100-150 bf of lumber and slabs.

The last 2 jobs I also cut mantels for the customers along with their sheeting and framing. I will look for more opportunities in the future to cut them and try to accumulate a variety of them. There does seem to be a market for them that for some reason is not being filled.

Bandmill Bandit · December 22, 2015, 05:45:23 PM

sounds like a nice piece. I would a priced it at about $150 a foot minimum to $200 foot if it had very nice figure to it, but that is what my market will pay and more for real top notch stuff.

Local hard wood/finishing store sells plain old fir with raw edge for $75 to $125 a running foot for 12 inch wide and 3 inch thick rough sawn and then pay me on top of that for trimming.

Some of the unique hard woods run up to 500 and up a foot.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · December 22, 2015, 06:03:43 PM

Congratulations! Saw more.

I think you sold it at a fare price considering you only had 1 Mantel.

I've always said if ya gonna have something at a higher price, ya need something at a lower price to compare to.

I keep quite a few Pine Mantels, White Oak and Red Oak Mantels and Cedar Mantels....all of various sizes that can easily be re-sawn.
My Walnut Mantels are sanded and oiled. My Cherry Mantels are sanded with no finish.
Magnolia, Elm and Persimmon are sanded with no finish.

I try to keep as many as I can to let the customer shop and get the word out where people can find Mantels.

Pine is the lowest price. Prices are based on size and character, finished or unfinished.
I NEVER sell by the foot. Each mantel is different and I point it out to the customer.
I try to keep up with what mantels in my market sell for.....sometimes I have the "Ruby" everybody wants. ;D

fishfighter · December 22, 2015, 06:13:40 PM

So, y'all guys are just slabbing them out and sticker to dry? What is the best size over all just incase you need to mill them down the line?

POSTON WIDEHEAD · December 22, 2015, 06:20:34 PM

Quote from: fishfighter on December 22, 2015, 06:13:40 PM
So, y'all guys are just slabbing them out and sticker to dry? What is the best size over all just incase you need to mill them down the line?

I keep my thickness at 4, 5, 6.....widths at 6, 8, 10, and a few 12's which can be sawn in two if I have to.
Lengths at 4,6,8.

Some of them I just get close to sizes and stack and sticker. I do seal the ends heavy.

During November and this month, I sold 7 Mantels. It doesn't sound like a lot....but it adds up.

Bandmill Bandit · December 22, 2015, 06:28:02 PM

Hey Poston not selling by the foot is a very good point when you set up as you have.

That is where I am headed as well. I try to keep 2 or 3 of each on the drying stack but I am a bit short on cut inventory at the moment.

I went through 13 of them this fall. mostly aspen, birch, and box elder and one pine. pine was the lowest price at $500 for a 6' piece 10" wide and 4" thick.

I do the same as you as far as finish, Any thing from rough sawn to 2 part epoxy finish or any thing in between. I sand to a 320 or 400 automotive sand paper finish ready for varnish.

I will also custom build a floating mount bracket for 100 to 250 extra depending on the required customization needed.

AND WV forgot to say congrats on getting started in the business.

I over size by an 1" to 2" depending on the wood species and the target finished size. I have 4", 5", 6", 7", thick and mostly 12" to 18" plus wide both edges raw. So you can see i have lots of trim room.

I paint the ends and sticker with 3/4 stickers. cover with a black tarp. leave em sit for about 2 to 3 years. with weight on the top.

4x4American · December 22, 2015, 06:37:01 PM

Isn't it amazing the things that would otherwise be junk can be turned into fine pieces with the sawmill

Bandmill Bandit · December 22, 2015, 06:41:57 PM

Quote from: 4x4American on December 22, 2015, 06:37:01 PM
Isn't it amazing the things that would otherwise be junk can be turned into fine pieces with the sawmill

No kidding 4X4 and I get most of my logs for this stuff for free and some times get paid to haul them away too.

fishfighter · December 22, 2015, 06:57:38 PM

Hey, thanks for the info. Guess stacking and stickering them for 3-4 years is like money in the bank. ;D Guess I will be looking more at falling trees on my place. Maybe try to saw up some heart wood for this. I do have a few pecan trees that are down with other hardwood trees like oak. Maybe give them a try to see what I come out with just for the heck of it.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · December 22, 2015, 08:20:46 PM

There is no Junk......even firewood is precious. If its not yet.....just wait. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I like to start sawing Mantels in November. All the extreme heat and humidity is gone by then where I live.
By next July when the heat is own, mantels sawn back in November won't be thrown into shock and go crazy.

samandothers · December 22, 2015, 08:23:15 PM

WV Sawmiller
Good for you! New gravy train! You indicated it was center cut, was the log splitting on the pith?

Bandmill Bandit · December 22, 2015, 08:27:44 PM

The uglier the better. Much more unique and there for worth more.

Dont under sell them. Its much easier to come down than go up and you will find that it draws a different type of customer as well. The ones that don't really shop based on price. If it bites them they will take it home regardless of price. I always have a half dozen of of 8', 3"X10"s12"s that I sell for oilfield blocking laying around that I will "let go" for $200 each "as is" for the price shoppers.

on milling technic.
I try to use 16" and up logs. The bigger the better.
i mill off till a 3"inch minimum cent slab with the pith boxed in it. I take what ever is the best thickness off top and bottom for my 2 best slabs and then cut the pith out of the centre one for 2 narrower slabs that have 1 raw edge each while the other 2 are raw on both edges. I find that 20" small end logs work very well.

On smaller logs I often end up with a a 4" to 6" inch centre slab with the heart boxed with at least an inch on either side of a minimum 2"x2" pith block. I like to have at least 4.5" to 5" and even 6 or more if I can get it. gives room to trim when they are dry.

gww · December 22, 2015, 08:36:10 PM

I am doing something wrong. I just gave a 12"x3" ten foot long clear slab of oak to be used for a fire place mantal. I figure that after he lets it dry for 2 years and then pays some one to plane it and then beats it with a chain to make it look old again, He might still get $300 into it :laugh:
Cheers
gww

yukon cornelius · December 22, 2015, 08:54:03 PM

OK I have only sold one mantle. Warning you are about to read a stupid question!!! Do you do anything as far as making it mountable. Do you just sell it as a thick chunk or add some hardware or what? This is the #1 reason I have avoided them

POSTON WIDEHEAD · December 22, 2015, 08:59:19 PM

Quote from: yukon cornelius on December 22, 2015, 08:54:03 PM
OK I have only sold one mantle. Warning you are about to read a stupid question!!! Do you do anything as far as making it mountable. Do you just sell it as a thick chunk or add some hardware or what? This is the #1 reason I have avoided them

A cardinal rule: NEVER get into the construction part of a customer's fireplace. Sell the mantel and its size per the customers request. Let the contractor / builder figure the best way to install it.

I also sell the wood for corbels that go under mantels but the contractor is responsible for cutting the design the customer wants on his bandsaw.

WV Sawmiller · December 22, 2015, 09:03:45 PM

Quote from: samandothers on December 22, 2015, 08:23:15 PM
WV Sawmiller
Good for you! New gravy train! You indicated it was center cut, was the log splitting on the pith?

Very small split started on each end. Just a few inches and not a big split yet. I did suggest he might reinforce the beam by drilling a long screw into the back or decorative wrought iron rod through each end. I did warn him cherry is bad to check and split and to the high heat and dry air around a heater is going to be hard on it.

Quote from: yukon cornelius on December 22, 2015, 08:54:03 PM
OK I have only sold one mantle. Warning you are about to read a stupid question!!! Do you do anything as far as making it mountable. Do you just sell it as a thick chunk or add some hardware or what? This is the #1 reason I have avoided them

I didn't do anything but saw 2 sides and stack on stickers then trimmed it when the customer bought it. I would not recommend adding mounting hardware because it might not match their décor. If you were a blacksmith making decorative mountings I'd have them on display but not attached to the wood. As mentioned by Dave, et. al. there is no standard mantel either in thickness, length or width. Some people might mount on wood, others stone, others iron or copper or such. Don't paint yourself into a corner unnecessarily.

Part of the extra length bought was to make the corbels (I learned this new word today) from a local woodworker.

WDH · December 22, 2015, 09:04:57 PM

Was the cherry mantel dry?

WV Sawmiller · December 22, 2015, 09:07:49 PM

Quote from: WDH on December 22, 2015, 09:04:57 PM
Was the cherry mantel dry?

No. I told him the tree was dead on the stump but far from dry and had been cut only a few months. I told him he might want to use to get his measurements and store it till drier but that it was going to dry more.

deepsouth.us · December 22, 2015, 10:25:34 PM

Quote from: yukon cornelius on December 22, 2015, 08:54:03 PM
OK I have only sold one mantle. Warning you are about to read a stupid question!!! Do you do anything as far as making it mountable. Do you just sell it as a thick chunk or add some hardware or what? This is the #1 reason I have avoided them

This may, or may not be the best way, but it seems to work well for my clients, and myself. I price not by board ft, nor linear ft, but rather by the piece at a fair price. I sell mantle pieces that are the entire length of the log. 8' to 10' typically. I explain to the client that this alllows them plenty of material for custom fitting, corbels, mounts, etc. I remain flexible in that I'm happy to chainsaw the piece shorter if this helps them, but the price of the piece remains the same. A few opt for trimming, but most do not. After effectively communicating what I believe are the benefits of having the extra material, they all leave happy. Fair pricing + flexibility + effective communication = happy clients.