How to figure the tally?

Left_Coast_Rich · July 31, 2003, 02:53:03 PM

I have only sawn for myself so I haven't really paid much attention to figuring the tally on the lumber. I can see that this may soon end when word gets out. What is the best way to figure the tally when sawing by the board ft. :

Do you write down each board, each log using the "scales" for the log or kind of get the average for the log. It seems to me that accuracy counts, so each board should be scaled but when? and how often? Sorry for the rambling just wanted to know what you all did?

Ron Wenrich · July 31, 2003, 03:08:32 PM

Probably the easiest way is to do a layer count. Measure the width of a layer of lumber and deduct for air space. Multiply by the length, and divide by 12. That gives a good approximate board footage for each layer. Then, multiply by the number of layers to get total footage. This works best if lumber is seperated by length.

If you are sawing a lot of standard sizes, then you can do a piece count. Total number of 2 x 4 x 8, etc. Figure the footage of each piece by the footage to give a total.

You could also saw by the log footage.

Tom · July 31, 2003, 05:50:08 PM

I tried counting boards as I created them. Too much trouble and it effects production.

I stack, or have stacked, all boards by length and width and count up at the end of the day or the end of the job or before the customer moves it to another area.

I've measured stacks for BF but never felt good about it. I always feel like I'm getting into the customers pocket. When the lumber is stacked haphazardly then you haven't much choice.

RMay · July 31, 2003, 07:49:19 PM

When doing random width tally by the layer , on standard sizes by the board as it comes off the mill , if the customer is helping I will let him tally the boards thy will count boards I would cull . ;D

solidwoods · August 01, 2003, 06:29:45 AM

By the board or by the layer is OK for me, accuracy must happen. If you cut less then 1" (by customer order) it tally's 1", 1 3/4" tally's 2" (I push 1 3/4" 2x's to customers instead of 2" 2x"s).
Practice your tallying. You must be able to do it timely and accurate to ensure sucess. You have to be able to tally right side up and down, buy a tally scale stick Doyle, Scribner, what ever is used in your area (probibly Doyle) and know it inside and out.

Also learn how to examine/bid a job. Any rot, bent logs, dirty logs, real small or large, hard to cut easy to cut wood, slow to get the logs to you as you saw, any extra labor.
Tally before or after the log is cut.
No good tally
No good business

JIM

Frank_Pender · August 03, 2003, 08:02:46 AM

I base my tally on actual dimension of each board. I do charge 20% more for 1" boards,if there is a whole slue of them. I do not charge for cull wood if the logs belong to the customer. If the logs are mine I do not charge for the cull boards. In a standard 1 1?2 x 3 1/2 x 8' you have 3.5 bdft. If the board is a full 2 x 4 x 8, you have 5.33 bdft. The difference is 1.83 bdft. I do not charge for something I do not cut. In this case it amounts to .42 a board. :-/

Left_Coast_Rich · August 05, 2003, 06:26:15 PM

Thanks for the help. Just like sawing it is going to take a little practice to get good.Rich

Lenny · August 05, 2003, 07:40:10 PM

we go by what we saw. may be A 16 foot log.2x10 comes out clean at 14 ft.we charge for the 14`.leave the wane on
  Anythang that doesn`t make 8 ft. or has a lot of wane that isn`t worth dealing with to make somthang usable as lumber with goes to the ain`t pile. Ain`t quite slab and ain`t quite board.(no charge)Animal pen materal ect,
  The bills are itemized.we know how many 10"x12" x18` .how many 1"x6"x10' ect
  when the job is done the cust. has a list of what was sawed
LxWxTx# of clean lumber
   Lenny

Tom · August 05, 2003, 07:52:54 PM

I do pretty much the same. I have a Slab pile, a Super Slab Pile and a Lumber pile. I only charge for the lumber. Customers love the SuperSlab pile. :D

I make sure there is something decent in it. :P

JoeyLowe · August 06, 2003, 07:48:07 AM

Guess I'm a little fickle here. On small jobs, I use a stick to tally the logs prior to cutting. Makes it real easy for me and the customer. A lot of times I go bid a job and then come back later to cut. Using the stick gives the customer a real good idea of what to expect in the way of charges. If we cull boards, it's real easy to deduct too.

On larger jobs, we stack count. Since all of the lumber we cut is rough cut, I think it is a little anal to measure and tally each board. Guess that is just my personality. I can't stand it when a customer stands at the end of the mill and measures the thickness and width of each board coming off the mill. (Kind of an affront to my skills. ;D) I imagine those feelings are reciprocated by some customers....

Just remember to keep it simple.

woodchip · August 06, 2003, 08:16:42 AM

When cutting for a customer,I usually stack lumber so that I have the same size in each stack.When I make the ticket up the customer knows exactly what they have.Will usually have them double check my figures.Makes for a happy customer. :D

Jeff · August 07, 2003, 05:58:28 PM

QuoteI can't stand it when a customer stands at the end of the mill and measures the thickness and width of each board coming off the mill. (Kind of an affront to my skills.

My first Boss used to do that and I hated it. Just stand down there measuring. Board after board. Eventually he would find something and drag my worthless no good poor excuse for a sawyer butt out of the cab and explain the economics of my mistakes (or the saws). It really burned me.

Today, I get the opposite. Nobody ever checks. I know when the lumber is off if the 4/4 stack gets a ripple in the top.

solidwoods · August 08, 2003, 05:01:31 AM

Joeylowe.
The stick won't match up to the lumber cut Or do you charge by stick scale and what ever cut is cut?
JIM

kentuckyboy · August 08, 2003, 05:53:24 AM

By estimating a job by using a stick, What would a fair percent overrun be to add to the log scale? I know it can vary pretty much. I have had some smaller jobs where people want a close estimate and pricing up front does save time.

JoeyLowe · August 08, 2003, 03:23:16 PM

Oh, I know that you can usually beat the stick when sawing with a bandsaw and I may be leaving a little on the table, but I figure that it always works out. Why? I have a minimum charge no matter where or what I saw. My minimum charge is $250.00. This includes bringing the mill out to the site and setting it up. It also includes the first 1000 BF sawn. Many times, customers won't have enough logs to get to 1000 BF. When this happens, I come out ahead. It also keeps the smaller customers from calling me to drive 30 miles to saw up one or two logs. Most, if not all of my larger customers, don't want one by's or two bys. They want beams. In fact, that's pretty much all I cut anymore. BEAMS BEAMS and more BEAMS...

I cut a lot of beams for timber framers. I don't charge those guys by the board foot. I charge them by the beam. I make pretty good money doing that too. I charge $25/beam for any thing from a 4 x 6 up to and including an 8 x 8 x 20. I lose a little bit on the 8 x 8's, but I more than make up for it on the 6 bys'.

Of course, cutting beams requires a little more equipment to move them, but it sure cuts down on the sawing time. By the way, how's my fellow Texas awyers handing this latest round of heat we've had as of late. I think the cold front finally came through today. It only got up to 105.

lamar · August 09, 2003, 10:13:17 PM

question. If I measure a stack dont I have to measure in inches for width and height and length all divided by 12? :P :-/ Also what is best stick to buy at the best price? Im not sure on what Im buying so havent as yet. I would like to be able to scale logs and boards without so much hassle.I guess that has somthing to do with knowing what your doing thanks

BBTom · August 10, 2003, 05:53:13 AM

To measure stack BDFT it is Feet wide X Feet long X Inches high. OR... if you want to be nice to your customer and are cutting 1 1/8" material, you count the layers as inches. Seems like that is what I end up cutting 99% of the time.

Sawyerfortyish · August 10, 2003, 01:47:28 PM

No way can you get a close tally measuring the footage of a log. I almost always have a 10% overrun on my circle mill cutting 1" with a 2 " dog board. If you cut 2" or bigger you will get more overrun. I don't charge by the foot I charge by the hour. This takes into account moving the logs around. Cleaning the logs and scanning them for metal also moving the lumber away from the mill. I have two employees that tail. they move the lumber away and toss the slabs in the conveyer that goes to the grinder Charge by the hour including any downtime for blade repairs and you won't have to waste time trying to keep a tally or trying to stack boards so you can tally them