Mills in OK

Brian Beauchamp · October 20, 2007, 01:34:07 AM

Wondering if you all know of any here and contact info for them if you do. The state's list is horrid. Half of the mills on the list seem to not be in operation anymore. I'm finding a few here and there that aren't listed, but it's a slow process. Anyone know of any organizations or other sources I could check with to make my list more complete? It would be very much appreciated.

customsawyer · October 20, 2007, 03:59:12 AM

For starters check on the find-a forester-sawmill at the top of the page.

Brian Beauchamp · October 20, 2007, 01:37:10 PM

Thanks for pointing that out...but just 1 mill listed for OK...actually, the only thing listed at all.

Furby · October 20, 2007, 04:33:57 PM

I remember Cedarman's thread and how he kept saying there really was very little by way of mills in OK.
Might be the reason you can't find much. ;)

Kansas · October 20, 2007, 04:53:30 PM

Oklahoma does have a gathering every year over in wagnon, oklahoma for sawmillers. Ive been there a few times, lots of good seminars, etc. I dont have the literature for it, but i bet someone on this forum does, along with some knowlege of the sawmillers down there. If the list from oklahoma is like the list from kansas, probably 75% of the sawmillers listed are inactive, quit, or saw only once or twice a year.

ronwood · October 20, 2007, 04:54:37 PM

Try calling the Woodmizer, Tmberking, Baker, and some of the other mill manufacturers. They will have a list of owners. I have a gotten a number of referrals through Woodmizer.

Brian Beauchamp · October 20, 2007, 05:52:52 PM

Quote from: Kansas on October 20, 2007, 04:53:30 PM
Oklahoma does have a gathering every year over in wagnon, oklahoma for sawmillers. Ive been there a few times, lots of good seminars, etc. I dont have the literature for it, but i bet someone on this forum does, along with some knowlege of the sawmillers down there. If the list from oklahoma is like the list from kansas, probably 75% of the sawmillers listed are inactive, quit, or saw only once or twice a year.

Yep...'Forestry on the Grow' conference. I've been to it 3 out of the last 4 years. That's exactly the way the Oklahoma list is...few listings and most aren't active...or just don't return phone calls. ;)

Brian Beauchamp · October 20, 2007, 05:54:56 PM

Quote from: ronwood on October 20, 2007, 04:54:37 PM
Try calling the Woodmizer, Tmberking, Baker, and some of the other mill manufacturers. They will have a list of owners. I have a gotten a number of referrals through Woodmizer.

Thanks, Ron...great idea, I shall do that.

Handy Andy · October 21, 2007, 01:22:19 PM

Sounds like an opportunity!

fishman · October 21, 2007, 03:59:47 PM

try arkansas and missiouri, i know there were sevaral around between rogers and winslow a few years back

TexasTimbers · October 21, 2007, 08:04:06 PM

I don't agree that there are very few mills in oklahoma. Just across the river I bet there are a dozen woodmizers within a 100 mile radius. Probably 2 or 3 times that many.

Why don't you call Woodmizer and other major mill manufacturers. I know that if you call Norwood for example and give them your zip code and tell them you want to see a mill in action, they have a list of owners who have agreed to be available for that very reason. I bet other major manufacturers do also.

the best way though, is to find the local coffee spot where the old timers hang out early in the morning drinking coffee, playing dominos, and talking about ". . . remember ol' so and so . . . ".

All you got to do is buy a cup of joe, sit down with them, and in that dead silence while they are all staring at you like you have three green heads, say something like "I hate to interupt you gentleman but I need to find a sawmill." Then just shut up. It might take them a while to shift their mental gears but in a little while you will know about every mill within a 50 mile radius. Old and new, circle and band. just be a listener and don't interupt.

But first, you got to find the rightt coffee shop. To many who aren't acustomed to small and medium size communities this probably sounds ludicrous. But inside those early morning coffee shops and domino halls is more knowledge than you will ever have time to hear. ;D

Larry · October 21, 2007, 08:16:38 PM

fishmam, funny you should mention Winslow. Me, Dad, and the "Pink Hat Gang" blew through there just the other day on the Missouri - Arkansas Express train. I spotted two circle mills along with two WM's. None appeared active.

Ya might check out Johnson's sawmill in Spavinaw or as fishman advised...sawmill on every corner when you cross the line to Arkansas.

fishman · October 22, 2007, 06:59:00 AM

the train trip is great, the circle mill at winslow is shut down, but the owner opened up a new one on the east side of 540, pallet and ties, all band saws has some type of multi blade resaw for his pallet op ( the man that does my sharpening,also does his)

TexasTimbers · October 22, 2007, 07:31:41 AM

I just now saw ronwood's post. :

Great minds think alike.

Brian just to reiterate, if you ask around locally everytime you stop for gas/coffee etc. I still think you are going to "discover" a mill you will never otherwise hear about.

ely · October 22, 2007, 09:40:16 AM

brian, what type mill are you looking for. if it is bandsawmills i would call the different manuf. and ask them to give you a list of owners in whatever area you are wanting to know. i would bet there is 8 or ten on this forum alone. also i get several folks wanting bands sharpened from cooks sawmill . you can give them the zip code you are interested in and they will help you out.
i live in atoka county, almost due north of texas timbers place. we have several mills in se okla. both bands and circle mills. my dads woodmizer if about 30 feet northeast of my norwood mill. :D

Cedarman · October 23, 2007, 08:09:51 AM

Things are changing in Ok. The state forester announced that the feds are doing a forest inventory for every county in Ok. Only some in the eastern 1/3 are inventoried now. There are a lot of trees in Ok. But as I have stated before there is no logging or sawmill culture in the western 2/3 of the state. It is the chicken and egg thing. I hear a mill is coming though to the Payne Co area to saw cedar.

Brian Beauchamp · October 23, 2007, 02:34:12 PM

Quote from: Cedarman on October 23, 2007, 08:09:51 AM
Things are changing in Ok. The state forester announced that the feds are doing a forest inventory for every county in Ok. Only some in the eastern 1/3 are inventoried now. There are a lot of trees in Ok. But as I have stated before there is no logging or sawmill culture in the western 2/3 of the state.

They've been trying to get the FIA started for a while now. Glad to see they're finally getting after it. The state guys I talked to were saying that they'd like to keep all the cruising with it internal, but they just don't have the staff, so I don't see that happening. There are mills all over the SE part of the state, but the rest of the state is pretty sparse.

Quote from: Cedarman on October 23, 2007, 08:09:51 AM
I hear a mill is coming though to the Payne Co area to saw cedar.

Glad to see someone finally realized there is a huge supply of marketable product there. They've been doing their best here to convince everyone that the cedar is worthless, so they pay to have it removed instead of getting a little revenue. The real problem is that the market for it just hasn't been developed. People in Texas can make a profit with it, but if it doesn't eat grass here in OK, it doesn't get much consideration. Part of the reason for the under-developed market for it, I believe, is that the ecologists working to 'eradicate' redcedar are afraid to admit the cedar can have a monetary value because it may be counteractive to what they are trying to accomplish...that is to say that the landowners may have a more lax attitude toward controlling the cedar if they think they or their families can get some money out of them at some point. They may be right, but my viewpoint is that a lot of landowners do not have the means or ability to pay to have a dense stand of cedars removed mechanically or are afraid to manage with fire...which I can't say that I blame them, the way the burning laws are here in OK...a lot of landowner liability.

Brian Beauchamp · October 23, 2007, 02:36:14 PM

Thanks to all of you that have posted so far...lot of great suggestions. I'll keep you posted on how things are going with the search. ;D

Cedarman · October 23, 2007, 05:42:44 PM

There are 2 types of cedar growing environments in Ok. They do grade from one to the other. At one extreme are the beautiful tall big cedars that grow in the "canyons" environment among the hardwoods. These are good nice sawlog cedars that the landowner should be able to market because of their sawlog value. Then there is the upland cedar environment that grows wider than tall, has more limbs than a millipede has legs and is overrunning the pasture. These are the trees that need to be removed to make the pasture better. These too may have some value in the future as celulosic ethanol plants come on line. At Saturdays Aromatic Cedar Assoc meeting in Ponca City, one presentation was about using biomass from all kinds of things for fuel. A start up company in Mo near Kansas City is already heading in that direction.

Stay tuned for big changes ahead.

Once a decent sized sawmill is on line in Ok and buying sawlogs in quantity. 1,000,000 feet per year, changes start occuring in the mindset of cedar owners.
They will not become hugely valuable, but something is better than the nothing owners get now.

Cedarman · October 24, 2007, 02:32:45 PM

I can let the news out that we have sold our scragg to a new company that plans to put the mill in the Stillwater Ok area to saw cedar into mostly cants for a big market that has just developed. Aaron will oversee the installation and training of the new personel and be available on a consulting basis for a while. The new mill will be buying cedar logs from 6" and up in small and large quantities. We have also sold them the grinding hog and some peripheral equipment. They already are in business to use the cedar grindings and sawdust.

We will concentrate on the cutting of trees, mulching and logging of cedar logs.

TexasTimbers · October 24, 2007, 03:26:31 PM

Hey congrats on the sale Cedarman. i know that was a nice early Christmas gift!

Brian Beauchamp · November 16, 2007, 12:26:05 PM

Quote from: Cedarman on October 24, 2007, 02:32:45 PM
I can let the news out that we have sold our scragg to a new company that plans to put the mill in the Stillwater Ok area to saw cedar into mostly cants for a big market that has just developed. Aaron will oversee the installation and training of the new personel and be available on a consulting basis for a while. The new mill will be buying cedar logs from 6" and up in small and large quantities. We have also sold them the grinding hog and some peripheral equipment. They already are in business to use the cedar grindings and sawdust.

We will concentrate on the cutting of trees, mulching and logging of cedar logs.

...so how are things going with this, Cedarman?

Cedarman · November 17, 2007, 07:37:10 AM

The company we sold the mill to is looking for ground in central to north central Ok. They will start buying cedar logs as soon as they have the property. We will be moving the mill the second week of Dec to the new property or another property in Ok City until the purchase a mill property. Aaron will help them set up the mill and train their new employees and be available for consultation after it is up and running. We will stick to cutting trees, grinding and selling saw logs.