Author Topic: Forum newbie says Hi!, and is a sawmilling Wannabe... he thinks...? (Read 1845 times)

alha · « **on:** November 09, 2005, 08:15:19 AM »

Hi there, I've been lurking for a while, and am thinking about (possibly) getting into the sawmill business. I've been getting mailers from Timber King for the last year or 2, and each time I've gone Hmmm... Unfortunately, I live in the suburbs of Mpls, MN, and don't have any acreage, barns, etc. I am just finishing up building a woodworking workshop, my 1st purchase for it was a Woodmaster 725 to make molding, I am going to start small, basically learning it as a hobby, and will move on from there. It would be nice to go from tree to trim, with no middleman, more profit (and admittedly more work) that way.

There's a lot of good info floating around this forum, I try to read as much as I can, because I can only imagine the years of experience y'all have combined here.

Hope to ask some good questions here and there before I decide to quit my day job, heck, even before I decide to purchase my 1st mill...

Well, thats it for now, take care, and looking forward to talking to you!

farmerdoug · « **Reply #1 on:** November 09, 2005, 08:50:39 AM »

Welcome to the forum, Alha. Hang around here and you will have a mill in no time. I was thinking of getting a mill along time before I came here but these guys have given me many answers to the question of "Why do you ned a sawmill?" by others.

Farmerdoug

beenthere · « **Reply #2 on:** November 09, 2005, 09:00:40 AM »

Welcome
I am wondering if you have specific plans to move out of MPS, and find a woodlot or acreage to set up a mill?

(Seems I read this post before)

Must have been a dream or my past life.

Brad_S. · « **Reply #3 on:** November 09, 2005, 09:01:49 AM »

Hey alha,
Welcome to the forum!

I can tell you from experience that if you want to try woodworking or sawmilling as a career, start a business on the side first and keep the day job for a while. I was down sized from Eastman Kodak (save a few film boxes, it won't be long before they're collectors items!

) and jumped into sawmilling with no knowledge of the forest products industry. Would have been a whole lot less stressful if I could have ramped up before I made the leap. Course, I didn't have this great forum to turn to to get information from.

Be advised: What that Timber King brochure doesn't tell you is the sawmill is only one tool in the arsenal you need to make lumber. A source of logs, a way to move logs and lumber and some elbow room for sawing and drying are a must. Check out some past threads on questions regarding making a living with a mill. Not trying to be a dream crusher, quite the opposite. Just urging you to do a good hard reality check first. I have personally seen at least a dozen 'competitors' come and go who failed to do that.

Kirk_Allen · « **Reply #4 on:** November 09, 2005, 10:24:30 AM »

Welcome aboard. Dont let living in the suburbs stop you from making sawdust! Ask Me

I got to know our city inspectors real well

More than once I had slabs ALL OVER the front yard and sidewalk. Nuttin they can do about it provided its cleaned up each day.

Made freinds with LOTS of neighbors during that time as they ALL wanted free fire wood. Helped with the clean up big time.

Funny part is, because I knew one of the village employees if found out that one of the neigbors that complained the most about me cutting was also getting the most firewood from me. Go figure.

alha · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2005, 04:05:08 PM »

Thanks for the nice welcome, guys!

I think I am going to spend more time reading as many threads as I can find (any suggestions as to which to read would be appreciated) regarding newbies, and pre-newbies who are in the same position as I am, considering getting into it, but not yet sure. I am also going to try to find some members who may be somewhat close to me, where I might be able to make arrangements to meet with in person, to see exactly what I think I want to get myself into...

I searched the members map, there's a few listed in MN, though none terribly close to Mpls. That's to be expected, thought, being the big urban area that it is.

I'll try to ask intelligent questions, but I apprecate your patience when I ask a stinker/obvious one...

Max sawdust · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2005, 08:35:58 PM »

Welcome,
I "lurked" for quite a while too

I bought a used WMLT15 from a forum member last month. I got lots of logs and got a mill so I can stop paying someone else to cut them. (Real reason is you mill 5,000 10,000 Board Feet and you get addicted to the sawdust

I am in the same boat just starting out. Went parttime with my day job want to do small custom logging jobs and mill the wood and make things out of it.
I just need customers. I cut some 5x6 oak beams and got paid $250, I guess that is a start.
Good Luck and GO FOR IT.
(Of couse slow and easy to make sure you can make a living

Max

Lud · « **Reply #7 on:** November 16, 2005, 08:58:09 AM »

Welcome Alha to the forum.

I'm still working my way back thru the pages in Sawmills and Milling. A lot of gems back there and great pictures too.

But learn the search function and let it search everywhere. It's all good. That let's you focus on your question of the day. And slide down thru the whole list that comes up to have an 'overview' before you start reading every item. our brains can only take so much saturation! Like stain on a piece of wood, it takes a while to soak in..........

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