RR Ties

[woodman58]

I am wanting to know how many ties a 2 person crew can cut in a day. I am still thinking about getting a bigger mill. It will be a fully hydraulic mill with at least a 49 HP plus diesel engine, debarker, and board drag back. I am wandering if 200 ties a week is possible. Thanks

[Ohio_Bill]

I have a similar mill LT 40 super RA; I would say 3 to 4 days with dead stacking fitches and boards should get your 200. I saw by myself mostly and consistently get 40 a day.  If all your going to saw is ties a band saw may not be the best tool .  IMHO

https://youtu.be/dq6wrqEnqYc

[drobertson]

if you can get the logs 200 a week is very doable,  50 or more a day easily, not counting break downs with the mill or material handling equipment.  I guess you found a buyer?

[landscraper]

I've seen that video before.  I think that dude has probably sawed a million ties on that mill and it is all "automatic" for his brain and hands.

[woodman58]

Drobertson, I have found a buyer for the ties but, I haven't found a buyer for the side lumber. One company said they would give me .30 a BF for 7/8th or 1". That's about what I would have to pay for the logs. I still am running figures. If anybody knows where I can get a better price for the sides at .30 bf or $29.50 for the ties, let me know. Thanks

[sandsawmill14]

what species are the logs ??? 300 a 1000 sounds about like pallet stock which is what most will be but if you have a flooring plant somewhere close you ca saw the r/oak and w/oak and send it to them and they will grade it. it is down now for us i think it is averaging 550-650 depending on the load for us last time we hauled    mixed wood (anything that  will make a tie that is not oak) lumber brings same price as 4 x 6s which is 300-350 mbdft most of the time.  sometimes we can sell a little 5/4 mixed wood to the furniture factories which will bring 400- 500 mbdft but cant sell a lot of it. thats how it is for us anyway but we are east of the river so i dont know how much that would change things

[drobertson]

there are at least two buyers down here in Mtn View, and Birch Tree, for flooring 1" random width.  It is graded and priced accordingly, .30 sounds very much on the low end, almost like a resawer making cut stock for pallets.  Either way you get set up, have the logs and material handling machines, helper, two,  you can make that number.   Just expect some 4x6's and 6x8's in the mix and plan according for separate bundles.

[sandsawmill14]

i forgot the original question ;D smiley_dunce  some days we will cut 60+ ties and some days 25 it all depends on the logs i usually cut about 160-170 a week but will cut 6 or 7 packs of lumber the size logs i sawing normally run about 50/50 far as bdft of ties and lumber     40 ties a day is reasonable but there will be alot of days you dont make it unless the logs are just right

[4x4American]

Ohio bill ya beat me to it!

[Percy]

I have a similar mill LT 40 super RA; I would say 3 to 4 days with dead stacking fitches and boards should get your 200. I saw by myself mostly and consistently get 40 a day.  If all your going to saw is ties a band saw may not be the best tool .  IMHO

https://youtu.be/dq6wrqEnqYc

Aye Carrunba!!! Im thinkin that sawyer wont be unemployed....ever.....ever....ever....

[Bandmill Bandit]

I went back and checked the production sheet and had to correct some numbers.
When I do tie size lumber at 6"X8"X12' we stack em 6 wide and 4 high which works out to 24 pieces/1152BF per lift.

In real good logs my best day with one good off bearing person was 5 lifts, plus the side lumber which put us in the 8000MBF (actual was 8240bf on the day) plus range for the day. In fairness that was a 16 hour day as we needed to get the order on the truck by 9 AM then next morning so consider it as 2 days of cutting and we were focused on getting 6X8s.

3 to 4 lifts a day is not out of reach with my system/setup and a good off bearing person.

You can see 2 lifts stacked at the end of the mill about an 3 hours before we quit for the day. Ted grabbed 2 lifts with the loader as I was climbing the bank to take this picture. The picture was taken about 630 PM in early June when we stopped to grab some supper.  We quit at dark (about 10PM) and had added one more full lift  and 12 pieces for the next lift.     

    
 

[drobertson]

I've seen one run, was asked to climb in the cab,,give it a go,,  :D :D :D   I was scared to death, :D  Dave could run like that fellow in the video,   they just know stuff, crazy ,,years of experience,  a band mill can make ties for a good living, it just takes time, and there will be plenty of learning.  Having the logs supplied is the main thing, keeping good help a real close second.  If one can saw stock he can find a buyer.

[sandsawmill14]

x2 on the logs and help :

[Alligator]

I count 2 a minute? 4 in a 2 minute video. On the high end that's 120 an hour, 960 an 8 hour day. With saw filing, should be able to do over 700 easy, if you could keep logs in and ties moved out.

[Chuck White]

I've seen that video a few times, I just love it!   

I mean "Holy Cow", that's movin'!

[sandsawmill14]

i was lucky enough to wire one of those in about 10 years ago. we took the diesel off and put a 200hp electric motor on the saw   he claimed to saw 1000 cants per day on average. for the first couple of years after install i would just go and watch it saw for an hour or 2. they are amazing!!!  he had a fire over the winter and lost everything but his wheel loader and knuckleboom. they got another one set up and running about 3 weeks ago but it is on diesel for now and i havent had a chance to check it out :(

[beenthere]

Maybe Jeff will point us to his mill sawyer experience, which shows some of his fast moves running the mill.
Am sure he is plenty occupied with the services for his dear brother-in-law Pete at the moment.