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Sawing Pallet Stock

Started by fstedy, January 31, 2005, 01:03:30 PM

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fstedy

 :) :) :) I have an opportunity to get pine logs from several companies that are clearing land here in Southern New Jersey. Is anyone cutting pallet stock? Are their any companies in my area that are buying stock or are their websites that might send me in the right direction? Is the stock rough cut, finished, green or dried? Sorry for all the questions but just trying to find another option to make some sawdust.  ;D ;D ;D
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

fstedy

 ::) :o 8) Oops  8) :o ::) I forgot we now have a working search. Found a thread doesn't look like pallets are the way to go. Any ideas on what I can do with all this Pitch Pine. I would like to find something that will turn over without too much handling and processing as I'm just getting started. I have limited resources at this time after payin for the mill.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Tom

It's a shame to let all of that wood go to waste because you don't have a market.  When you are building a business, sometimes, you have to build the market too.   That takes a lot of effort, time and room.

Good Pine can always be cut into boards 4" to 12 " wide.  They are used by folks to sheet the sides of barns and other out-buildings.  Board and Batten is a good way to market it because you don't have to worry about straight edging or moulding.   Every board that someone buys requires a batten so there will be a big market for 3" or 4" boards as well.  That's a good thing because it lets you use the edgings of the boards.

Where you might have trouble selling dimensional stock, 2x4's and 2x12's because of building codes and inspection practices, they are still marketable to the farmers for out-buildings where building inspections are different or non-existent.

Six and eight inch boards are sold as fencing.  Most rural homes and farms have three and four board fences on the road for esthetic's as well as to keep in the cows....... and keep out the cows.  :D

You can market pine for dump truck side boards, even though hardwood is preferred.

Pine is an excellent decking material for trailers if it has been treated.  It doesn't work under tracked vehicles but is lighter than hardwoods and just as long-lived if rubber tired vehicles, like tractors, are kept on it.

A few ultra wide boards, kept back in the corner of the lot, will earn you a reputation for having what nobody else has got.  They should be of pretty good quality though.

While pine is "talked down" by many who deal in hardwoods, it is beautiful in its own right. 

You have to market what you have.

Don't approach a situation with the mind set "Oh! I also have some pine stacked up in the back of the yard if you think you could use it".   You have to study up on the wood and find its good points.  It does have a lot of good points and historical points.   "I also keep some pretty pine hidden back here from the general public that I could show you.  I usually don't put it out front because only my special customers know where it is."

Pine, especially hard pines, pitch pine and Southern Yellow Pine, has a warmth and strength that is not matched by any other woods on the planet.  It is relatively light, easily fastened and machines well.  It is almost as strong as Red Oak and wears well in a floor if cut correctly.

The warm redness of pine  fills a room with "love", the lighter sapwood with cheeriness and the knots with Free-minded light heartedness.


fstedy

Tom
Thanks for the input. It gives me something to work on while I try to build all the infastructure needed to operate efficently and be profitable. This is exactly why the FF is such a great place, someone always is their to give you a guiding hand.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Tom

One more ready market is fence posts and decking material.

Make it a priority to find a treating facility close by that will pressure treat small quantities of 4x4's and 1x's. 

You can stack treated 4x4's where people can see them and they will come asking to buy them.

Kirk_Allen

Great input Tom. 
fstedy, I know that the pallet company I cut for does not take any softwood at all.  It has to be hardwood.  not sure what the reason is but they will not take any kind of pine.  Its good for me because we dont have any pine around here.

Well, maybe not all good.  After Toms descriptions I can see beutiful pine flooring in our attack accented with rustic WRC.


Brad_S.

Tom mentioned board and bat siding.
Whenever I get a free pine or spruce, I cut it into 1X10, with the edgings going into 8,6&4 inch material to be ripped for battens later. I put it on sticks while awaiting a buyer. Usually don't have to wait long.  ;D
I get 60 cents a bdft for it this way as opposed to 25 to 30 cents for pallet, if they even take softwood.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

fstedy

 :) ;D :D Looks like the Suns starting to show thru that Dark Cloud  :D ;D :) Thanks
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Cedarman

In some areas there is a big market for silt stakes and survey stakes.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

ARKANSAWYER

  I get pine logs in whole tree lengths and with out fail there will be logs come out that are only 6 ft long.  I started cutting them into 2x4's even if they were low quality and stickered them.  When I got enough I built some portable buildings.  It took about 4 hours to put one together and about $250 worth of wood and $50 for tin. (i put used telephone poles for skids)  I could sell my 8x10's for $750 and got rid of my wood scraps.  I made them so that I had a platform and 4 walls plus rafters and it just prefabed together.    It was easy to haul on a trailer and most could put it together themselves.  Also are dog houses (most I make from erc) as well as cat condos that are wraped with carpet scraps.
  If you cut up the pine and sticker stack it soon folks will learn about you and it will be like ants to a picknick.
ARKANSAWYER
ARKANSAWYER

Kevin_H.

Like Kirk, we dont get a whole lot of pine around here, but what we do get, the crafters buy before it is even off the saw.
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

Frickman

fstedy,

Forget about pallet lumber, sawing it is the hard road to the poor house. Do like these other fellows have suggested and find a retail or value-added market. I like Arky's idea about using shorts to build storage sheds. Get paid to saw the lumber and nail it together both.

I like Tom's idea about keeping some real wide boards out back. Hem and Haw around some like you don't want to sell them and they'll be determined to buy them off of you just to get them. Years ago my family used to buy horses out of the H.C. Frick coal mines and resell them to the public as carriage or farm horses. The coal company only kept them to a certain age and then sold them, no matter their condition. Anyways, when they had a horse they really wanted to sell they kept it locked in the barn and tried to keep you away from it. Sure enough every time that was the horse the folks bought.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

fstedy

 ;D They are some great ideas especially like the ones for building sheds and holding back some prime lumber I already stashed some of that. Their is a good demand around here for sheds. A couple guys up the road a piece have been doing well selling one model about $1500 for a 10' x 14' . ;D
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

fstedy

I got some   :) ;D :D good news  :D ;D :) in the last several days, talked to several people and have tenative orders for 2 sheds already. Would it be alright to make them from air dried pine I have enough that has been drying since November. I quess it time to buy a moisture meter. Thanks a lot for the info.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Ianab

Air dried is perfectly OK for outside use like a shed.

ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

J_T

For sheds good bracing ??? Forget the meter get a bigger wallet ;D
Jim Holloway

ARKANSAWYER

  Air dried had better be ok as I have built and sold dozens of them as well as houses and barns.
ARKANSAWYER
ARKANSAWYER

fstedy

 :D :D :D I have to remind myself frequently of that KISS saying. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

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