I am a wooden boatbuilder who lives in midcoast Maine. Until recently, I have always bought my lumber from local mills. However, I just bought a Thomas #8020 bandmill, and it is working so well that I would like to start milling a lot more of my own stock. My question is: how does one go about getting hooked up with loggers in order to purchase logs? Is there an online list or a printed one? I will be mostly looking for white oak, locust, red spruce and white pine.
David
need any cedar
Welcome to the FF. A lot of good people on here. The state should have a list of loggers in your area. Get the names of some of the local loggers from that list and contact them. I don't think you are looking for a large volume so expect to pay more. As for locust contact some of the local tree services. Locust in the northeast is not something you find in the forest that much.
Check with your local Conservation District Forester, DNR Service Forester, Extension Service, and Consulting Foresters for a listing or bidders list of loggers in your area who can provide the species you need.
what part of the midcoast?what kind of boats? i dont have any white oak pine sp cedar i do have
I get some logs you may want
woodmills.com James Mills
PM for phone
I am in Boothbay. Right now, my boys and I are rebuilding a 56' Alden schooner, and we are also designing and building two schooners of our own design - one 43' and one 50'. It's good to be busy....
There is a local forester I can talk to for a list of loggers. Yes, I am interested in cedar.
David
Welcome to the forum David. Boat building sounds pretty neat. But around here we dont believe anything until we see some pictures ;D So lets see some boats ;D
OK - here's a little 36' schooner we designed and built a few years ago. Unfortunately, she was destroyed on a breakwater in a storm last summer because of negligence on the part of her captain. The 43 footer we are building is to replace this one....
This is my first time trying to post a pic, so hope it works
David
That is a beautiful boat David!!
I have found that getting logs is one of the toughest parts of my business. Many loggers are hooked up with mills they like to deal with, so they don't sell much too others. If you don't buy in large quantities you will pay more than the bigger mills do, which I do understand. It takes some time to develop a network of contacts. Talk to foresters, or log truck drivers, to get names of loggers. Some are easier to work with than others.
Nick
davidstimson,welcome to the forum.I have a Thomas too.Bought a 6020,20hp can cut a 20 foot log on it about 6-7 years ago.A very simple machine. I can move my bunks to cut stove wood length size wood if needed.Sounds like you want to cut some long logs with a 10 foot extension on your mill.
here in oklahoma and for me it seems to be the toughest part of sawmilling. loggers want to be able to take their logs in, be unloaded,scaled,paid all in short order. wanting just 1 species or even just having no use for 1 species will almost guarantee that the logger will not deal with you cause you are ''picky''.
your area may be different, but here it is hard to get a logger to bring logs to a small sawmill operation. you should go back and read bibbymans thread ''log lot management problems'' in sawmilling board. pc
That is one beautiful boat! You are have got some talent there! How long does it take to complete a schooner in the 36-50' range? I bet it takes more than a couple weeks to build from scratch. What kind of trees do you use for mainsail spars?
uncle henrys and craigslist work. when you see a log truck parked at a gas station stop and chat him up. mills will be going on quota soon and loggers will want to get wood moved before breakup.
3 things loggers and truckers are looking for:
1: price, duh. and prompt payment
2: accessability. gotta have space to get a truck in and out, turned around and unloaded.
3: buy a whole load at a time. to move wood in desperate times ive had to drop 1000bdft of logs at 4 different guys with little band mills. most guys wouldnt ever do it and i only did it to get wood moved before the roads were posted.
get a spec sheet worked up so guys know what diameters, lengths, and species you are looking for as well as prices. and start spreadin them around.