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Sharing your wisdom ... What NOT to do

Started by Clevelander, February 17, 2016, 01:06:25 PM

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Clevelander

There is plenty of advise here as to different ways of approaching things which I whole-heartedly appreciate. Thank you! I am curious though ... what is the best advise you can offer someone just starting out as to the pitfalls to avoid. In my case it would be from a milling perspective.
Live your truth and your truth will find you

Cedarman

Never procrastinate in stickering your lumber.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

Deese

You WILL eventually need a bigger shed to stack your lumber. We all do  ;D
2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

WV Sawmiller

   Don't forget to take the fenders off your mill before you use the hydraulics.
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

isawlogs

 Remember to put said fenders back on before putting the rig in reverse!!!   ::)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

drobertson

Do not go to deep into debt from the get go,
don't give too much away unless you can afford it
try to get rid of the waste,(slabs and dust) for any profit you can, this is money
don't cheat yourself just to get more business, it's a business
highest quality possible for the requirements of the job. more to say on this but you will figure this out
say what you can do, and then do what you say, (leave wiggle room) logs are logs, experience is required for this
be flexible, situations change, learn how to adjust, and learn how to say no at times, unless you go to no.2
be prepared for some very strange folks with even stranger requests, that have no idea of what they really want.
many more as mentioned, I was told when I started, and it follows like this,," It's hot and it's cold"
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,

Tom L

Quote from: isawlogs on February 17, 2016, 01:48:15 PM
Remember to put said fenders back on before putting the rig in reverse!!!   ::)

remember to raise the front jack before going in forward, said jack will shear off at he first bump
a mile down the road skid over and line up perfectly and blow a tire.

LittleJohn

DONT SAW OFF YOUR LOG STOP

...oh wait, all sawyer have let there mills taste a little metal in their day, the good ones are better about lying to cover up the occurance.

OlJarhead

Quote from: LittleJohn on February 17, 2016, 03:03:43 PM
DONT SAW OFF YOUR LOG STOP

...oh wait, all sawyer have let there mills taste a little metal in their day, the good ones are better about lying to cover up the occurance.

OUCH!  Yes, sadly I've done this! LOL....wasn't too happy at the time but I know I'm in the club and am not alone! :o
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Clevelander

Quote from: drobertson on February 17, 2016, 02:55:41 PM
Do not go to deep into debt from the get go,
don't give too much away unless you can afford it
try to get rid of the waste,(slabs and dust) for any profit you can, this is money
don't cheat yourself just to get more business, it's a business
highest quality possible for the requirements of the job. more to say on this but you will figure this out
say what you can do, and then do what you say, (leave wiggle room) logs are logs, experience is required for this
be flexible, situations change, learn how to adjust, and learn how to say no at times, unless you go to no.2
be prepared for some very strange folks with even stranger requests, that have no idea of what they really want.
many more as mentioned, I was told when I started, and it follows like this,," It's hot and it's cold"

Thanks D. I have been a self employed remodeling contractor most of my life and I know it's the little things we learn through experience that, if shared, become some of the most valuable advise to someone without the said experience. Just the other day I taught someone that was painting trim to use the back of their brush to cut in instead of the side of their brush. It seems like a little thing but it increased their productivity by 100%. What you shared above helps. Thank you!
Live your truth and your truth will find you

AnthonyW

Quote from: isawlogs on February 17, 2016, 01:48:15 PM
Remember to put said fenders back on before putting the rig in reverse!!!   ::)

How about remember to put the fenders on before leaving the job site.
'97 Wood-Mizer LT25 All Manual with 15HP Kohler

terrifictimbersllc

Is the milling perspective you mention, still that of chain slabbing?
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Clevelander

Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on February 17, 2016, 05:56:56 PM
Is the milling perspective you mention, still that of chain slabbing?

Terrific, I had to modify my business plan a bit. The slabs I want to deliver are very high end which requires a high end kiln ... one of Dennis'. I just can't get financing for it right now so I am going the swing blade route to harvest lumber in order to satisfy some of the lenders requirements for a year or so then go the slab-kiln route. Thanks for asking
Live your truth and your truth will find you

terrifictimbersllc

Is that Den, on the drying board?  ps. did you get a swing mill yet?
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Clevelander

Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on February 17, 2016, 06:14:07 PM
Is that Den, on the drying board?  ps. did you get a swing mill yet?

Yes it is Den on the drying board. Great guy! I have not purchased a swing mill yet. Tonight or tomorrow is the plan. Yes-no?
Live your truth and your truth will find you

outpost22

Quote from: OlJarhead on February 17, 2016, 03:59:40 PM
Quote from: LittleJohn on February 17, 2016, 03:03:43 PM
DONT SAW OFF YOUR LOG STOP

...oh wait, all sawyer have let there mills taste a little metal in their day, the good ones are better about lying to cover up the occurance.

OUCH!  Yes, sadly I've done this! LOL....wasn't too happy at the time but I know I'm in the club and am not alone! :o

Yes. I did it on my second day of milling. Why put it off?  :D
Creating one more project one at a time.
Burg Bandsaw Mill
Stihl 010
Stihl 210
Stihl 251
Stihl 461
Husky 350
Kubota L3800

Larch

Do not let your slabs and sawdust get ahead of you.  Deal with them promptly.  It can be hard to stop and clean up when you're in the middle of a job but develop good habits early so you don't end up with a disaster.  Remember, actual sawing is the small part of the job. 

slider

Clevelander first good luck on expanding your business.
One small thing I would like to add is If you do custom sawing for the public keep your standards high.
Do a search on dealing with the pith.Too much juvenile wood on one side is going to result in bowing after it dries.
Some cants will move while sawing.Keep flipping until you get the tension down.
I have had boards that due to tension were thick or thin on the ends at times.Some customers will tell you it"s fine but that lumber represents you and your determination to produce a quality product.
That stack of lumber has your name and reputation all over it.I will end trim until the final product suits my standards.After all you never know when a fine sawyer may happen by and say who did this.Al
al glenn

WDH

Don't make your drying stacks too wide. 4' wide is good for most species.  Otherwise, there could be air flow issues and staining of your lumber.  Don't sticker your boards more than 24" between stickers.  16" is better.  A good stickering job results in nice flat lumber, all things being equal.
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

Clevelander

This is all great stuff guys! Thank you.
It is the little things you don't even know you don't know that make such a difference to the overall product. I'm not half-ass ... that's why I'm here. I have always wanted to do this, now I am. I intend to do it right and all of you play a role in that. I appreciate that.
Live your truth and your truth will find you

Clevelander

Quote from: WDH on February 17, 2016, 08:27:12 PM
Don't make your drying stacks too wide. 4' wide is good for most species.  Otherwise, there could be air flow issues and staining of your lumber.  Don't sticker your boards more than 24" between stickers.  16" is better.  A good stickering job results in nice flat lumber, all things being equal.

WDH ... thanks for the input. I have a couple of questions regarding the stickers
Should the stickers be the same species as the wood being dried
Is the typical sticker thickness 1x1
I intend to sell most of my lumber to green market buyers as soon as I cut it but I do realize, depending on pickup timing, I might have to sticker it. Reputation is everything so I want to make sure I establish an exceptional one right from the start.

Thanks for the sentiments and the advice Slider. Reputation is the real reason the next customer shows up, isn't it?
Live your truth and your truth will find you

WDH

Species is not important, but the stickers have to be dry.  Green stickers can cause sticker stain.  For most species, I like 1" x 1" stickers, especially for stain prone species like pecan, yellow poplar and maple where you need good air flow.   
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

Clevelander

Quote from: WDH on February 17, 2016, 10:34:05 PM
Species is not important, but the stickers have to be dry.  Green stickers can cause sticker stain.  For most species, I like 1" x 1" stickers, especially for stain prone species like pecan, yellow poplar and maple where you need good air flow.   

Thank you sir.
Live your truth and your truth will find you

4x4American

Boy, back in my day..

Sixacresand

Create a checklist to help to you remember to take all the stuff you may need.  Paint tools like axes, cant hooks, chains bright orange so they don't get lost in the grass. 
"Sometimes you can make more hay with less equipment if you just use your head."  Tom, Forestry Forum.  Tenth year with a LT40 Woodmizer,

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