I guess it's time for my mill to pay

[fishfighter]

been having my Woodland 126 mill a bit over 2 years. Been sawing just for myself. I think it is time to branch out just a little just to make a few bucks back to pay for blades, ect.

I see the thread about cribbing, I can do that, but don't know were to start selling.

Slabs, got a bunch of them from 1 1/2" thick to 16" wide to as thick as 5"x 16". Those are all over 10' long. I'm not going to use them, so maybe sell them. Problem there, I wouldn't know of a fair price to ask or were to sell. :(

Any pointers in the above? Like I said, I am not looking to make a million, just to help me pay for blades and stuff. All logs have been free. ;D

[Bruno of NH]

Do you have a weekly classified paper in your area ? That works for me

[fishfighter]

Small town here with a once a week newspaper. :D

[Bruno of NH]

Try FB groups
I learned that from the goat you can make $300 some times
Treat folks fair like Peter Told me and they will come.
This FF has helped me a lot
I make money with a manual mill

[WV Sawmiller]

Paul,

   I post half page flyers in local stores, feed stores, hardware store, etc. on their community boards. I also advertise in our free local trader paper. I sell my slabs for $25/pu or small trailer load and they load and I can't sell them as fast as I generate them. I have a paid ($10/month) service ad in that same trader for mobile sawing which is a bargain and good distribution. I also take a trailer load of wood products to local flea markets 2-3 times per summer and talk to people and give our business cards and that gets me a sawing job or two. Good luck.

[redprospector]

Bookoo, and Craigslist works for me.

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

I think fishfighter and WV Sawmiller are using the word slab to refer to two different things...

Herb

[WV Sawmiller]

   Good point. I was thinking of my slabwood (first cut - mostly scrap) I sell for firewood and crafts, deer blinds, etc although I do refer to my mostly 2" X?? live edge stuff as slabs too. I mostly sell them by the bf (estimated what they would be if I edged them). I cut some as 3 & 4 inch and sell for fireplace mantels at a higher price.

[YellowHammer]

You didn't mention the species, it makes a difference on how to process them. 
Slabs can be sold green, but they get much more money if they are dried and sterilized.  Bugs live in the bark.  Typically, our process, depending on species, is to air dry them from 4 months to a year, kiln dry, then sterilize. After that, we generally put them back on the mill to skim them flat again, then finish plane them, and then sell them from $100 to $400 depending on species and defects.

[fishfighter]

Thanks for the input guys. ;D

[WDH]

To bring the best money they have to be flat, planed, kiln dried to less than 10%, and sterilized.  It is a lot of work.  I sell a lot of them. 

If you don't have a website, Craigslist is good.  Watch for the scammers, they prey on Craigslist posters.  Do not give out your e-mail address, make them respond to you through Craigslist.  Just pay attention to any inquires and they are easy to spot.  If you get an e-mail through Craigslist that reads funny, delete it and move on.  The scammers are trying to get you to return a reply so that they can get your e-mail address and try to hack into it to get your personal info. 

[bandmiller2]

Most "personal mills" end up doing some cut for hire. Cutting for yourself is like training wheels on your first bike. Frank C.

[YellowHammer]

Most "personal mills" end up doing some cut for hire. Cutting for yourself is like training wheels on your first bike. Frank C.

This is the fundamental way to break into making money with a mill, take on a job or two and do as good a job as you can.  I remember the first couple jobs I was fumbling around like I had never run a mill before, even though I had been milling for myself for some time. 
After awhile it became old hat trying to get the customer's cut list to come out right, and it made me a better sawyer anyway. 
I wouldn't call it stage fright, but it's much different sawing for someone for someone else with people watching than for yourself.  However, it's great experience and I believe a crucial step. 

[fishfighter]

My mill is all manual. Due to my health, I have to have my equipment to load and flip logs on the bed. :( I am in the process that I  will be stationary at my house. I will be building a new bed/rail system that will be 26' long with some improvements to my mill.



 

I will also be building a solar kiln soon along with a area to store lumber out the weather. 8)

[btulloh]

FF - you got me to thinkin' about that slab thing.  (I'm guessing you're talking about slabs and not slabs.  Slabs as in the slabs you take off the outside of the log, not the live edge slabs that are so adored right now.  I burn my oak slabs in the shop stove, but pine slabs are just debris.  I put an add on CL with a picture of the slab pile. 

Deer blind slabs - $30 per load - you load.  $900 per load - I load. 

It'll be interesting to see if someone wants my debris.   

[fishfighter]

Yes, live edge slabs is what I been talking about. Slabs off of logs no matter what it is, I have to burn that off. I do keep some for firewood and try to past on to family and friends when I can. Dam shame on what oak I burn off. Just really no market for firewood down here. :(