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Custom sawing the Urban logs

Started by Stephen1, July 16, 2019, 11:37:04 PM

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Stephen1

I have been getting custom orders since I bought the IDRY kiln and so am going to pursue it some more. 
My 2nd load in the kiln was a finnish carpentery shop 125 miles away. he had bought a walnut log and wanted me to process it thru my mill and kiln, oh and could I go pick up the log?
Sure I can do anything are always my thoughts.
I hooked up the trailer drove 200 miles , had the log loaded and headed home. 
I sawed the log the next day into 2" and 3" slabs, some smaller pieces from branches and such. I stickered off the mill and loaded the log into the kiln. 3 weeks later i loaded the wood and delivered it the customer. 
I just did another order, A customer had an EWP dropped in his yard and asked if I could make him a fireplae mantle. The arborists who dropped the log had recently received a post card from announcing my new buisness.
This log was picked up by a tow truck and delivered to me for $75. I sawed into a 11" x 11" beam 12' long and put it in the kiln. It just came out of the kiln and I will deliver it to a local carpentry shop who will plane it and finnish it. I will then deliver it to the customer. 
I had a customer call me from 2 years ago, i had sawn 1500bd ft of RO and he wanted me to come get the lumber and find him a Kiln, perfect, I just happen to have the kiln now. I picked up his wood, stickered it with fluted stickers onto my trailer and into the kiln it went. 
None of these customers balked at my costs and I made decent money on all. 
I am getting a new web site and will start pushing more of this service. In my area is a lot  people willing to pay for good service. Since I picked up the kiln the buisness is rolling in. It really is no good sawing urban trees if people have to wait years to use thier wood. THe IDRY really does shine for this purpose. right off the mill and in 2-3 weeks they have useable lumber.
I used to have people turn down my sawing when they found out they had to wait 1-2-3 years to air dry and then find a kiln before they could use thier tree. Now my sawing customer gets in my kiln with priority.
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

WDH

You have a rare and great business model.
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

Andries

X2 re WDH's comment.
There was a thread a few months ago, where some very experienced and clever folks (including WDH too 😊) were weighing in on business models of various operations.
Comment was made that if they were to do it all over again: start with the kiln.
No logyard and mill.
No log sourcing and lumber selling.
No sawdust and slab waste.
With the kiln and the sawmill combo, you've created a sweet spot for getting far ahead of the competition.
In 2-3 weeks, the product is good to go.
Well done!
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

Stephen1

An Update 6 months after starting the kiln.
I have 3 Potentially long term customers. 
1 is the island job, where I sawed about 10,000 bd ft of Oak, Basswood(1st time for me) Pine and Hemlock so far I have dried 1,000 bd. ft. I took that wood up to a neighbour who planed into Test flooring and Test trim. They like the results.
Next spring they will start to bring me Oak and the basswood. I will also saw another wack of oak into flooring. They are removing Oak to build their 10,000 sq ft Timber Frame
I am getting Furniture builders bringing me air dried wood that needs the kiln, "Just in Time Kiln Drying" is what I call it.  They have a furniture order or custom table that needs building. 
I sometimes call this kiln the "cookie machine" as I have probably dried 1000 cookies and oavals
I have a hang over of wood from my collecting days that I have dried and will sell. Not my focus but I need to sell. 
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

Just Right

Good job Stephen.  I have noticed the same thing down here in GA.  How do cookies do in the Kiln?  I have a bunch of dogwood and walnut sitting in Andries super secret special sauce and was going to run them through the kiln when they come out.
If you are enjoying what you are doing,  is it still work?

GAB

Quote from: Stephen1 on October 23, 2019, 07:43:54 PM
An Update 6 months after starting the kiln.
I have 3 Potentially long term customers.
1 is the island job, where I sawed about 10,000 bd ft of Oak, Basswood(1st time for me) Pine and Hemlock so far I have dried 1,000 bd. ft. I took that wood up to a neighbour who planed into Test flooring and Test trim. They like the results.
Next spring they will start to bring me Oak and the basswood. I will also saw another wack of oak into flooring. They are removing Oak to build their 10,000 sq ft Timber Frame
I am getting Furniture builders bringing me air dried wood that needs the kiln, "Just in Time Kiln Drying" is what I call it.  They have a furniture order or custom table that needs building.
I sometimes call this kiln the "cookie machine" as I have probably dried 1000 cookies and oavals
I have a hang over of wood from my collecting days that I have dried and will sell. Not my focus but I need to sell.
You wrote: "Next spring they will start to bring me Oak and the basswood".
I'm curious as to what they are doing with the basswood?
GAB
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

Stephen1

GAB, The cookies come out great, The greener into the kiln the better and not to large. 
The Basswood is being turned into trim. It saws nice and takes the stain great.
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

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