Got a call to mill a logging truck load this spring

OlJarhead · April 10, 2013, 01:39:28 AM

DOH! *Smacks self!* Sorry! and thanks! I can't wait to get over and chat with him.

Meanwhile, I met a fellow tonight at darts (of all places) who overheard me talking about the mill. I was telling another player about a gentleman who wants to bring over a 3 or 4 foot section of walnut for me to mill (I offered to do it for free if he'd share the lumber produced with me and he agreed -- so I guess technically it isn't free) and this gent says "I need 1000 board feet of pine".

Seriously! :D 8)

We begin to chat and he explains that he sells Peterbuilts (and you thought all dart players were kids! lol) and needs to finish his house trim and wants to use pine. After a bit he asked "How portable is the mill?" (you know the answer to that)...and I replied "how big is your yard"...."60 acres, is that big enough" he says with a grin.

He's going to call and drop by to check on the mill soon and plans to contact some of the guys he sold logging trucks too in order to get a small order of pine.

I offered to do the job for 35cents per board foot and he liked that price ;)

WDH · April 10, 2013, 08:33:27 AM

I think that you made a good decision to pass on the deal. And, no, you cannot make a living with a LT10. Too much work and too slow to compete.

Magicman · April 10, 2013, 08:43:02 AM

There is a reason for hydraulics and high production sawmills.

OlJarhead · April 10, 2013, 10:01:44 AM

Hmmm......I didn't say you couldn't make a living with an LT10 though I'd agree it wouldn't be easy but then many have done things others thought couldn't be done.

In this case I was questioning whether anyone would actually sell 1000 board feet of softwood for $400.

It seems to me it's more likely $650 or more.

As for making a living, the lowest price per board foot I've seen is 35cents so using that it is safe to assume, I believe, that if I charged 35c/bf and produced 100bf/hr then I could make $35/hr on the LT10 -- or I should say my son could.

Sure it would be slower but it would only need to last long enough to prove there is enough business to support a larger mill and perhaps earn something to put towards it.

At this point I'm starting to see things pick up a little and am getting excited. I have a contact (two actually) with downed trees that they want to get rid of but can't afford to pay someone to haul off so I may send out my son to go grab the logs, mill them and dry them for sale later. Along with the fellow who appears serious about having us mill up some pine for him I think things are moving along nicely.

Incidentally, I had a young guy come by the house 5 years ago with an old pickup and some saws asking if we needed any trees removed. Just happened we did and we paid him to do some work for us. A couple years ago I ran into him again and he said "Thank you! You were my first client and today I have a new truck, trailer, tools and a regular business!"

That's kinda how I am: work hard with what you have and it will pay off one way or another.

Fla._Deadheader · April 10, 2013, 10:48:57 AM

If you happen to meet face to face with this "Log Truck" guy, be sure to have one of your boards in your vehicle. Be sure he sees it, feels it, and KNOWS you can do nice lumber.

I have a story about "Bert" visiting our mill location, somewhere on this forum, and asking all sorts of questions, including our charges. I told him 35 cents bd/ft. WOW, says Bert. I only charge 20 cents. He has a 4 post mill, just so you know. I have nothing to say about them, good or bad.

I politely told him, well, you are the one that knows what your work is worth.

Others had told me about "Bert". Seems his lumber was wedgy, roller coasty, and not square. :

;D

Don't write off that truck guy just yet, AND, don't start dropping your prices to get work.

What we did was, cash in hand got a little knocked off, but, nearly always, we were paid full and sometimes a tip. Checks pay full price, and, if they bounce, we added 10% to the full amount owed. We ALWAYS told the client up front. NEVER had trouble collecting.

Try to do a few of the mods I wrote you about, as soon as money permits. You will be amazed at how much more production you get with any one those addons.

I didn't say anything about leveling the mill on a new site, but, there are tricks so you only crank each leveler one time. This will save set up time.

Keep the blade in the log.

Good luck and stay safe. Really like your trailer project.

WDH · April 10, 2013, 08:50:08 PM

100 BF per hour for every hour the mill runs. But, the mill does not run 8 hours in a day. Lucky if you can get 5 with the mill running. With the cost of fuel, blades, and support equipment, that will not take the cake. I don't think that there is any way to make the numbers work with a small manual mill when it comes to making a living sawing lumber by the BF.

OlJarhead · April 10, 2013, 10:44:51 PM

Quote from: WDH on April 10, 2013, 08:50:08 PM
100 BF per hour for every hour the mill runs. But, the mill does not run 8 hours in a day. Lucky if you can get 5 with the mill running. With the cost of fuel, blades, and support equipment, that will not take the cake. I don't think that there is any way to make the numbers work with a small manual mill when it comes to making a living sawing lumber by the BF.

I calculate my bf/hr rates based on total hours at the mill not hours the mill is making sawdust. As such I include loading logs, changing bands etc and have maintained 98bf/hr over 6.5hrs of operation (I ran out of time Sunday to make it to 8 hours -- and the snow just added to that).

But perhaps my statement above makes things confusing. I don't mean to earn a 'real' living off an LT10, that's why I work in Telecom, rather I mean to use the mill as a launching platform for a portable milling business. My son is the sawyer and will take a small wage from the mill (better then he was making at the temp service he worked at by a dime or two) and the rest the mill earns (net) will be banked until we can buy a bigger better mill.

However, that doesn't mean I don't want to maximize the earning potential of the mill every way I possibly can.

beenthere · April 10, 2013, 10:54:57 PM

That sawmilling will be some real incentive to look for a better paying job. ;D
Good plan Dad.

duke · April 10, 2013, 10:55:33 PM

I like seeing the milling in progress and the sawmill as it started with it on the pallet to were you are at now. I think that you have some really good ideas and that time will tell all you and your son need to know. Have fun and enjoy the ride. 8) 8) ;D ;D

:P You can read only so much then you need to put the theory into practice, I failed a course years ago when I told the instructor that some teach others do or die trying!!

. I did learn alot from that instructor and it has served me well. 1/ thing I do know trust is earned and hard won. If one losses it they may never get that trust back.
Duke

YellowHammer · April 10, 2013, 11:56:43 PM

OlJarhead, here's something to consider. Not too long ago I had the lowest sawing price around and I was covered up with customers, would saw until I couldn't walk, made a decent profit, but it almost crippled me. Later, after I had developed a reputation for being honest and producing high quality wood (mostly thanks to the folks on this Forum and a lot of sweat) I raised my prices to the highest around to intentionally reduce my workload. Sure, some of my old customers left, but many new ones emerged, and the result was that I actually sawed less but made more money.
My point is that your pricing should reflect both the market AND yourself, not just how much wood you can churn out per day. Many customers would rather spend more money with an honest, skilled sawyer who saws at a lower production rate than a guy who just cranks out potato chips at high speed. With your mill, you will never be the fastest, but that doesn't mean you can't be the best. Customers will recognize the extra effort, the higher quality, the honesty, and will pay more for it because its a better value.

YH

OlJarhead · April 11, 2013, 12:47:33 AM

Thaks YellowHammer! I appreciate the feedback and hope I can live up to just that!

I've been told I'm the hardest working guy around (being a jarhead that might not surprise many) and I always put extra effort into what I do (110%! Ooorah!)

Having said that I've set my rate at $50/hr or $0.45/bf and figure we'll just have to make it up as we go

On a better note, I received an inquiry (thanks WM!) BECAUSE we're a smaller operation. Seems someone with 60 acres near us who's dropped some trees to clear a path for the solar panels would like to have them milled up. I'll be calling them tomorrow :D

Oh and the hard work? I LOVE IT! I mentioned I was an old jarhead right? muhahahaa my boys, on the other hand, well, they do alright and do try to keep up with the old man until I wear them down! (gotta do that while I'm young enough!)....

802Vermont Outdoorsman · June 24, 2013, 08:33:31 PM

So how'd that sawing go?!? Did you go through with it? What happend? Do you need back surgery?

tyb525 · June 24, 2013, 11:18:45 PM

Quote from: beenthere on April 10, 2013, 10:54:57 PM
That sawmilling will be some real incentive to look for a better paying job. ;D
Good plan Dad.

Or it might infect them with the sawdust bug....then watch out!! A bigger mill may be in your future!!

OlJarhead · June 25, 2013, 12:35:30 AM

Sorry guys I thought I'd posted here somewhere that he decided not to do the work because I wouldn't agree to $0.25/bf rate he wanted to pay (and said he could get).

Did get another job though (posted here somewhere) in which we milled 1850bf in about 13 hrs

In the pouring rain!