I might break even.( live and Learn)

[gator gar]

Well, I brought my RR ties and sold them today. Out of the 13 I carried up there, 5 of them were culled.  I've still got a bunch of 2x7s that need to be sold and some 1bys. If I can break even, I'll be happy. When I come out on a deal like this, I don't blame anyone but me. I scaled the logs and I bought the logs. The logs are where the problem was. One of them was half rotten and another had what looked to be some wind shake in it, looking from the butt end. Like I said, no one gets one over on me. I should be up on my game enough, to not let it happen to me. If it does happen to me, then I'm to blame.

You can bet that the next time, if there is a next time. The logs I need will meet some strict standards. If a railroad tie has specs to it, then so should a saw log. Won't be any half dried up, bark slipping off, checking in the end, logs for me. They'll be clean, with no sway and hopefully moisture running out of both ends this time of year.

On the bright side, I probably lost a pound or two yesterday and sweated alot of toxins out of my system. I learned a a couple good lessons. So all was not lost. It just doesn't seem like there will be much of a positive finacial spread on my first go round, of buying and selling wood. Like I told my buddy....If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Time to move forward.

[Magicman]

"Earned" lessons are remembered longer than "Learned" lessons, so don't even think about beating yourself up.  You summed it up quite well with your last sentence.  With that attitude, you will do OK.

[WH_Conley]

If you just broke even the first time around, you got it made.

[paul case]

gator, this is no kind of read the book and pass the test deal. each lesson will be bought and paid for.
i learned the same kind of lessons on ties that you are learning. the trick is to be so that you can sell every part of the log . ties and pallet boards and cants and grade lumber all can come from the same log. many a sawmill went broke in the last few years because one or the other market went dry, or they only supplied one market. if you can sell 13 ties at a time you are lucky. we had to have a bundle of 20 or 25. no take the culls back home either.

Like I told my buddy....If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Time to move forward.

so true so true. keep at it . it gets better with each lesson purchased.  pc

[Bibbyman]

Did the tie buyer explain why the ties he culled were culls?

When we saw ties,  we try to make every one that comes off the mill be a good tie.  If we find some defect in the log, we have some other product to saw it into or, if it's really bad, it goes in the to be firewood stack.

[gator gar]

Did the tie buyer explain why the ties he culled were culls?

Yep, I was right there when he inspected them. I didn't have a spec sheet for the ties, I just cut them 7x9x9. Some had shake in them, some had big worm tunnels and cracks in them. It was all legitamate. When he culled them, he showed me why on each one. Some didn't have a big enough face, before it started to where the bark was on the edges. it was a good learning experience. I bought some questionable logs and I cut some questionable ties. Won't hapen again.

[Bibbyman]

I'd say your ratio of good and bad ties was not too far off what I've seen on the Koppers lot where I take ties.  Some mills just push everything out and let the culls go.  I think Koppers pays $4 ea. for tghe culls.  I may be wrong as we've never (as yet) had a cull.  But I may be leaving some at home that may have went.





Here is some we shipped.





These little piggies staid home - hole, ingrown bark, crack out to the face, etc.

[Magicman]

Yup, all of them yellow arrows will cull them every time.   :D :D :D

[Buck]

Biibby, I was wondering about these issues when I read you had some logs on the yard for two years. I have been hit hard on old logs that they claim haved dried out too much. I have also had some tough breaks when I cut into logs that revealed suprises. You do some fine work i see from your photos.

[Buck]

Gar, were you selling in San Augustine?  You're story sounds familiar to mine.

[Banjo picker]

Gator Gar you hang in there ...There aint nothin wrong with selling a cull ever now and then..it took me a while to learn that.... :D ;)  The info on getting paid for the side lumber is right on....I just moved six bundles that I had in the shed for 8 or 9 months...keep it straight ....and dry if you can....thats where your profit is...Tim

[Cedarman]

Years ago we used to sell a few ties.  When ties are plentiful, specs are tight.  When ties are scarce, rules are relaxed.  What is cull today, might not be in 6 months.  Some culls are culls no matter what market though.
Gator, you stuck your toe in the water instead of diving in.  You learned valuable info with a small investment.  Just think if you took 200 ties in.  You are on your way.
Thanks for sharing.

[WDH]

There are specs on logs.  Ask around and get a copy of the spec sheets for the larger commercial mills in your area for pine and hardwood.  These are a good guide to go by.

[gator gar]

Just found a guy that said he would pay me .75 a bft for my 2x7x9s and 20 dollars to deliver them. They are some beautiful clear boards. I've got to finish edging some and I have help on the way to get that done. Won't take an hour.

[ladylake]

No your headed in the right direction. 75 cents isn't too bad for green lumber.  Steve

[paul case]

that will be the score that makes those kind of deals work gator. i only get 60 for my lumber.  pc

[Magicman]

gg, not only are you catching on fast,  you'll soon be leading the pack.  Congratulations on your successes.

[gator gar]

Alright, I just got in the house. The man told me he gave around a dolar a board foot for green red oak, but he didn't need any, so I told him I would sell him some cheaper. He said he would give me .75 a board foot and I told him, that was a deal. I also wanted 20 dollars for delivering it. By the time it was all said and done, he gave me 400 cash and a 100 dollar check, for the lumber, delivery and me helping him put it in his solar kiln. A very fair price, for some beautiful red oak lumber.  So with the ties sold and the culls sold, I would say that I doubled my 320.00 investment. But, you take the gas out. The flat tire I had today on the lowboy. Labor for me and my help. The spread wasn't that good.

I'm not complaing though. The guy I sold the wood to was a pastor. A real genuine nice guy. He had two solar kilns, with one in operation. Now I am impressed with the solar kiln construction and will have me one in the future. He had plenty of wood working equipment and demonstrated his Grizzly rotary head planer. It was very nice.   

Man, it's been a long day and I am glad to be home..

[customsawyer]

You are catching on fast. That is why I like milling, you are never done learning.

[woodmills1]

50 cents for pine and 125 for oak is my profit margin.  Ifin I hads me more customers regular at that price we woulda be vacationing this year too.  tough times uppa hera so no vacation, butta payin da bills.

[gator gar]

.  Ifin I hads me more customers regular at that price

I too, wish that I had a regular demand and a broader customer base like that. I could see some serious money being made on some specialty wood. An independant logger is  a  positive thing to have in your arsenal and I'm thinking a kiln is another big plus.  Slowly but surely, maybe it will come about. Oh and research, research and learn.