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Production

Started by RevCant, November 06, 2003, 08:20:26 AM

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RevCant

Music Boy - according to your bio, you live where I go to church!  Christ Church, on Rt.264.  See ya Sunday at 10? ;D

If cows could only tail....

RevCant

D. Frederick, I think you're right on target.  1mbdft per man per day is a good target.  My goal has been to clear $100 per day or better - gotta sock up something for those rainy days.  The biggest challenge I face is not buying all the little extras.  You know, the better chainsaw, the newer winch, the nicer tractor ( in my case, that would be the tractor that actually runs :D).  Keeping costs down when you love the toys is a tough thing.  

If cows could only tail....

Tom

While it is real easy to measure ones productivity in Board Feet, it doesn't necessarily define a mill as a Hobby business.

 When you own the business, it's the dollars you pocket relative to the time expended that make a pretty good measurement of how you are doing.  

AtLast

Ok...first off I dont wanna make ya think Im gloatin....welllll ok maybe alittle... ;D...personally I have sawin 20 logs that ranged from 18" dia to as big as 28" dia ...all of them 12' in 7 hours all cut to 8/4 or 6/4....if the log is a grade log Ill cut it to 4/4HWD....using Doyle..on an 18" x 12' log we yield approx 147b/f x 20 logs is 2940 b/f divided by 7 is 420b/f per hour....I admit the logs SOMETIMES are 10'...but SOMETIMES the dia is larger than 18"...but on average they are 18" x 12'

music_boy

RevCant
     That's a mighty nice Walnut along side the road there in front of yo  
church ;D I live bout 1.5 down Grays road. Sure like to see your swinger. If it's mobile, might have some logs to big for my little saw.
Rick
It's not how much YOU love, it is how much you ARE loved that matters. (Wizard of OZ)

Kevin_H.

Don and I kinda talked of production a little today.

If I could get out an average of 5000 bf a week I would be tickled, seems like something always happens to stop ya from  keep'n the saw in the log.

On the days that I can saw uninterupted a 1000bf can be done, it's finding a way to take care of all the little things that slow ya down.

seems like you almost need to do 1250bf a day to take care of that day that something goes wrong.
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

solidwoods

Each business plan is different, as it should be, since each situation is different.
As I set up the business part of milling, I look for improvments that will have the most effect on effeciencie and production.  
The order that I would rate key components for a business plan such as mine is:
1.Knowledge
Mill
Log handeling (truck/trailer)
edger
Sharpening
My Plan.
I bought a Kasco IIB in 92.  The plan was (I was at year 10, US Army), use the mill for construction lumber for me, House, shop, out bldg., mill wood for my furniture and wood products making business (about 20-30mbf per year).
I pick the woods I need for furniture, sell the rest, sell some 2xs whenever.
Build up/School up part time , survive/graduate the Army 2002, and shift to full time.

The business.
I cut about 50,000bf or less a year.
I built a 1000bf propane direct fire kiln, mostly dry 20%mc or less lumber. The kiln is in my shop and doubles as a finishing room.  When I kiln, the heat can be vented into the shop (radiant heat already happens) mostly a winter benefit.  I run the kiln during work hours, and don't do much for hire drying since this type of drying in not "full use" dollar efficient (if that makes any sense). Bottom line kiln almost no noticeable drying degrade, no stress related defects (I wood work this lumber so I know how it acts) and color excellent  (kiln type and schedule can affect color on some woods)
I'm now converting the kiln to Taylor Waterstove heated.
A 3000bf Solar. It is for thick lumber.
75% of the lumber I cut is "Value Added" TG boards, S4S,etc.,  since I dry and mill it.
Other pieces of equip, I went with:
$10,000      Kasco IIB w/trailer pkg,  sharpener/setter (chopsaw type) this is non hyd mill, elec feed/blade height  
$6500      Knuckleboom truck  1978 IH cab/chassis w/ prentice H series light use road worthy condition
$600      Foley Belsaw  edger 20"  (I think)
$1500      1972 Ford backhoe (add $1500 for engine rebuild, 200 for forks) This is used as forklift
$1000      5 ton cap, trailer for hauling logs.
$2500      Cat claw auto sharpener , Timberwolf dual tooth setter, hand held tooth set gauge
Total
$22100      (just about the price of a hyd blue or orange mill)

I also built a 1600sq' shop with about $20,000 wood working equip to build lumber products and furniture.

Could I earn a living with just the sawmill equip?  Got me! The Devil is in the variables: location, dedication to skill, and luck.
But I like the above formula better than $20,000 for a hyd mill and nothing else.  

I average 1000bf per day of milling cutting alone, with the mill and edger.   If I were trying to cut allot of lumber per day, my set-up wouldn't work at all.  
 
Because I saw real quick that I could mill way more wood than I could move around by hand.  The truck/ trailer lets me get free or purchased logs,  put them on the log deck (or remove half a huge one being slabbed, from the mill), move lumber stacks like a forklift.   I also hang trusses, and remove tree stumps, and any add job we can find for a knuckle boom truck.


Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

Frank_Pender

Logs a lot smller today.  I only got out about 700 bd ft.  frrom 16 logs 12' long.  Tomorrow I will prep 14 pcs of 16' Doug Fir.   There wil be a number of 28 to saw to help fill the order.   Thes finsished wil give me nearly 5,000 bd ft for this customers logs having been sawen.   8)  

I did not begin until about 8:00 this morning and took longer tht two hours for lunch. ;D naps are nice once in a while. :)
Frank Pender

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