I know there are a lot of large slabbers and alaskan mills out there, but I don't see many offering the service or rates on the internet, so I thought I'd ask:
Does anyone have any input on what I should expect to pay for slabbing something like a 4' to 6' diameter log around 8' to 10' long. Is it hourly? Are there minimums? How do you charge for hitting metal or other hard stuff in the log? I know it's almost inevitable since most trees this size now are urban.
What do you do if you do hit metal? Do you plow through it and charge me for a new chain? How much does that cost? Or do you have some contingency for getting through the metal without destroying your ripping chain? Or scrap the project?
Thanks in advance. I've seen some big tree trunks lately and just thought it would be cool to make something of them, if I could afford it.
Slabbing done in my neck of the woods is all done hourly. It ranges from $75 to $110 per hour depending on the required equipment.
Hitting metal on a chainsaw seldom writes off the chain because you are hand pushing it, know you have hit something, back out of the cut to inspect the damage and decide how to proceed. Unless it's a catastrophic failure, you need to resharpen or swap the chain, then grab some assorted tools and dig out the offending metal. The clock stays running while this happens and the sawyer may add a charge for the extra wear on the damaged chain.
So a metal hit is going to cost time, and that costs money, but it's not a deal breaker.
Fill in a little more about where you are, and your upcoming project, it will help us help you.
Frank
Quote from: Seaman on May 19, 2016, 06:27:43 AM
Fill in a little more about where you are, and your upcoming project, it will help us help you.
Frank
I'm in upstate NY.
A large beach tree was removed, leaving an 8' stump about 3 to 4' in diameter. Just thinking it would be fun to make something of it.
What other info would be helpful?
So...What do you do when you hit metal? what are the techniques or tools that would get you through that situation?
You can feel the chain hitting metal before any damage really happens. Unless the metal is very small you won't cut through it without noticing. When you feel metal, you really only have one choice, to push hard for an instant and hope you cut through it. Usually you will, but sometimes you won't. If you do cut through it you can keep on going if you feel the chain is cutting ok. If the chain isn't cutting well, change it and finish the cut.
If you can't cut through the metal, you can turn the mill around if the log is not too large so that it is offset too much for the mill setup, and cut in from the other end. Then reach in and finish the cut with a chainsaw right up to the metal and pop the slab loose with wedges. Or, if you can't turn the mill around you can drop down another slab thickness and hope you can cut under the metal, to keep going.
Some nasty metal I have encountered were 2 3/4" threaded rods across a crotch, and a 1/2" twist drill bit. Neither of these could be sawn through. Another time there was some kind of metal band around the tree so that I hit it and damaged a chain with every cut.
I really try to avoid cutting off a slab short at the metal unless it is not a nice slab.
I just paid $75/ hr to get some big logs slabbed. There will likely be a transport & setup fee, especially for just one log, so you can save some by having several logs, if possible. Chain saw slabbers are slow, so expect at least 2 hrs to mill the one log. I wouldn't be surprised to see it in the $300 range.
All the above. I get $75 hr plus milage. $750 minimum for the day.
Frank
Thanks for all the tips and input!