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Where do yall get your wood?

Started by dirthawger, September 02, 2018, 06:18:22 PM

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dirthawger

Just started getting into sawing and wondering where most of yall get your wood. Im trying to build a business so this chasing yard logs from tree services isnt very reliable.  Ive been considering either cutting small woodlots or calling around to big sawmills to see if theyd sell to me. Just wondering what everyone else does.

WV Sawmiller

DH,

   What is your business plan? To sell lumber or custom saw for your customers? Stationary, mobile or both? What does your site look like? Do you have plenty of room and equipment to store logs and lumber? All these, and many more, questions come into play.

    For me personally my goal is mobile sawing mostly at the customer site. Small orders of a log or two can be brought here and I will saw them on my site. I sell a little lumber but it is salvage, such as dead or dying ash or fallen trees, or thinning such as my excess poplar or my stand of Norway Spruce. Occasionally I get a few free logs from tree services or such but they are just gravy and not the meat of what I try to do. I almost never buy a log and only then if it is real special and very cheap. 

   Good luck to you.
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

firefighter ontheside

I moslty get logs from friends, friends of friends and free from CL or Facebook marketplace.  I'm buying 11 oak logs that I found Facebook this week for an order of 2x6 oak.  I will only be buying logs to fill orders that I get.  Otherwise it's free logs.  I have called numerous tree services, but haven't actually gone to their lot to get anything.  I think eventually I will give that a shot when I'm not really busy.  I could see me buying walnut if it's cheap enough in the future, but right now I have lots of free walnut ready to be cut.
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dirthawger

Im stationary. Ive got plenty of room for logs and the appropriate equipment to move logs also. Im still trying to write up my business plan,  I've never really written one but i think i need to be successful so I'll know that im doing.  Im kicking around the idea of cutting my own wood.  Cut enough to get me stocked up on logs and then sell the rest to mills.

WV Sawmiller

DH,

   Written or just a rough idea in the back of your mind you obviously are kicking around some sort of business plan. Trust me - it will be moving target and constantly changing so just accept that and go with the flow.

   Do you plan to sell green lumber or kiln dried lumber? Are you planning to sell off the shelf or take orders? If you will be taking orders, as much as possible, you may want to leave the logs unsawed until you do get an order to fill. I tell people all the time - There is the same bf in a 1X8 as a 2X4 but once sawed I lose the flexibility to decide which it will be. Even if you just saw custom orders you will find yourself collecting some side lumber and odd cuts you will likely need to store for sale to others unless you are really good at marketing and can pre-program sales for those items too.

   Are you chasing a particular niche market and looking to provide a service or product not readily available in your area? 

   Go ahead and search through these threads and you will find lots of suggestions to help you find logs. You may work a deal with small local loggers, find logs at larger, local sawmills that they have trouble using and may sell at good prices, etc. You may find some logs on CL but you will find an awful lot of those are leaning over a house, shed, fence or powerline and the owner is trying to pull a fast one and get you to cut them rather than paying a tree service.

   Based on your age shown I assume you are looking at this as a primary or significant source of income rather than as a supplemental income or paying hobby.

   Good luck. There are lots of people here who would love to see you succeed and welcome hearing about your experiences. You never know - you may even come up with the answers some of the rest of us are searching for in the process.
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

PAmizerman

Find out who the local loggers are. Once you get one number they will keep on flowing. Those guys all know each other. I have a list of loggers I go down through when I need logs. Getting established in the beginning is gonna be a little difficult but it will all fall into place eventually.
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dirthawger

So is cutting your own timber usually isnt the best way to go? I'll start calling around to some loggers see what i can't work out.

mike_belben

Depends what youve got for equipment and your proximity to timber worth buying.  Its gonna be a little different for everyone.  
Praise The Lord

dirthawger

Yea i got the equipment,  good saw, trailer and about to trade my barko feller buncher for a forwarder.  So i have the means to get my own. I like the idea of cutting for myself and after im loaded with logs for myself sell to mill.

SawyerTed

Check at your local Forest Service office. Ours maintains a list of local loggers, consulting foresters and sawmills.  I've had good luck talking to loggers on the list.
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mike_belben

Have some cheap signs made to put in front of the landing and make sure you do tidy work up at the frontage.  Your work is the best advertisement.
Praise The Lord

WV Sawmiller

Quote from: dirthawger on September 03, 2018, 04:24:39 AM
Yea i got the equipment,  good saw, trailer and about to trade my barko feller buncher for a forwarder.  So i have the means to get my own. I like the idea of cutting for myself and after im loaded with logs for myself sell to mill.
DH,

   Now I am unclear. Are you wanting logs to saw for yourself or do you want to be a logger selling other logs to the mills?

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

Brad_bb

For me, finding logs has been about developing relationships and using multiple sources, but then I'm not in the lumber selling business.  I have also logged certain specialty wood (osage mostly) myself.  I can tell you that milling and logging are two completely different businesses.  If you are tying to make money I'd say stick to only one that you don't have as much capital costs and time splitting.  If you're logging you're not milling or selling/marketing.  Selling is also another job.  I wouldn't spread myself so thin as to try to do all three.  Figure out your niche and focus on that.
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dirthawger

No Iwant to build a sawmill business but i was simply saying with my current mill, the Norwood lm29, if i got a 5 acre job i don't know if id be able to saw them all before they go bad.  That's why i said,  get enough to keep my mill busy and sell the rest to the mills. But the guy below has a good point. If i go cut my own then that's time im not milling.

mike_belben

Sell any log that you cant make as good of a price on in lumber.  If you can get $1500/mbf as a WO stave log but only $1.20/bf as dimensional WO lumber, sell the log to the stave mill.  

If you can only get 300/mbf for tie logs but have buyers for shed lumber @ 60 cents/bf that can be made from tie quality logs, saw em.  
Praise The Lord

dirthawger

I was looking for ways to sell green hardwood and read about flooring mills buying green hardwood.  Ive googled flooring mills near me and can only come up with places like lumber liquidators, which don't really mill lumber. How do i find these places?

SawyerTed

Have you checked with your local United States Forest Service?

Mine has a listing of timber buyers loggers and mills.
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WV Sawmiller

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

nativewolf

Quote from: dirthawger on September 08, 2018, 06:05:42 AM
I was looking for ways to sell green hardwood and read about flooring mills buying green hardwood.  Ive googled flooring mills near me and can only come up with places like lumber liquidators, which don't really mill lumber. How do i find these places?
Look for folks like Armstrong Flooring plants, things like that.  Lumber Liquidators is a pile of crap imported from china, ..lets just say not good folks.  
I can ask our buyer if he has a plant in LA.  Sometimes you have to haul it a bit.  Maybe others from FF in LA or TX or MS could chime in.  There used to be some plants in the Ozarks region.
Liking Walnut

TKehl

There still are some in the Ozarks.  Not something I have the quantity to pursue.

MO has a state forestry website that lists out buyers of various products.  Everything from pallet mills to ERC novelties and luthiers with several flooring mills listed.  Does LA have something like that?
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dirthawger

Did a bunch of calling around... found a flooring mill that would buy 1 1/8" x 6" boards for $600-700 per 1000bdft. He said my problem would be how fast i can cut it because it will stain after a day. It might take a few days to cut 1000bdft with my lm29 but couldn't i just cover it with a tarp? Meeting with a tie buyer Friday and i found a pallet mill that will buy pine pallet cants for $400 per 1000bdft. Does that sound decent as far as pallet lumber? I know its only $0.40bdft but cutting cants is easy and i don't have to market it, just cut and haul.  What do yall think?

PAmizerman

Quote from: dirthawger on September 11, 2018, 09:45:24 PM
Did a bunch of calling around... found a flooring mill that would buy 1 1/8" x 6" boards for $600-700 per 1000bdft. He said my problem would be how fast i can cut it because it will stain after a day. It might take a few days to cut 1000bdft with my lm29 but couldn't i just cover it with a tarp? Meeting with a tie buyer Friday and i found a pallet mill that will buy pine pallet cants for $400 per 1000bdft. Does that sound decent as far as pallet lumber? I know its only $0.40bdft but cutting cants is easy and i don't have to market it, just cut and haul.  What do yall think?
Sounds like a good way to lose money and work yourself right out of work.
You have to buy logs ( cheapest here is $250 a thousand) now you're at $150 a thousand profit. Oh wait you still have to pay for bands and fuel $50. Now it's $100 a thousand. Now you gotta deliver it. Not sure how far you have to go let's say 40 mile round trip assuming you can haul 2000 feet $20 in fuel. Now it's $90 a thousand profit. What happens when something breaks? Or DOT nails you for hauling commercially? Do you have a DOT permit?  And miscellaneous supplies needed? Oil, grease and everything else I have not mentioned. I just don't see how any money could be made.
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Ianab

Pallet material should be considered as a market for the logs and pieces of wood that you can't cut into anything more valuable. 

Given PAMizerman's rough calculations, you might need $500 per 1000 before you start making any actual profit.  Now if a batch of logs produces some boards that sell for $800, and some that sell for $600, and some material that goes as pallet cants for $400, maybe an average of $600 (assuming 1/3 of each grade), and you should be in the black. 

If you don't unload the low grade stuff (technically at a loss) then your overall return might drop into the red. $800, $600 and $0 gives an average return of only $467
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Banjo picker

Quote from: mike_belben on September 04, 2018, 08:13:57 AM
Sell any log that you cant make as good of a price on in lumber. 
To answer your subject question.  I cut my own.  I have 100 acres and I take out what needs to be cut.  I am fortunate to have that option.  I cut for mainly one customer now as I am retired basicly.  They buy some pine and some hardwood.  I will never run out of hardwood unless a storm takes a lot of it someday.  I will have to start buying some pine in the future as I don't have a lot that will make what they want.  When I started sawing, I cut ties.  Like some have said get to know a small local logger and build a relationship with them.  Be fair.  Have someway to unload them in a timely manner or one trip is all you will get.  If you don't get anything out of this post at least rember what Mike said at the start of his post, that I quoted above.  Dont get so excited about sawing that you cut something that you should have sold.  I have done it myself.  Banjo
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moodnacreek

This is how it works [or did for me]: When you can't get a girlfriend, that's where you are but when you finally get one more suddenly become available. Same with logs. If you could put a big pile of logs on the side of the road it will attract more.

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