how much per bf for no. 2 red oak green

[tom_the_sawyer]

 :P :P :P  anyone know how much no. 2 red oak is going for a bf  as I can get it for about 50$ a thousand more than I can get white pine for and should I quarter saw it and if so how much per bf could I expect to get I will sell it green thaqnks for any info

[Ron Wenrich]

Well, that depends on what the pine prices are in your area.  In my area, they are pretty low.  The other thing is how you grade out the logs and is a #2 good enough at that price.

You should have an idea how your logs will cut out.  You could do this by trying a few Mbf, and scale out the lumber you have sawn.  It would be important to take note of the grade and the volume.  To get real fancy, you would do this on a log basis, but a run would give you a feel.

Keep track of your sawing time.  If the logs are poorly bucked, or crooked, your sawing time will increase and your cost/Mbf will increase.

Your profit=lumber value -  sawing costs - log costs.

Changing any one of those figures will change your profit.  For most mills, lumber value and log costs are set by the open market.  Sawing costs are the only thing they have any control over, and quite often it gets down to labor costs.  

Quarter sawn is worth a little more, but more expensive to produce.  But, it has a limited market.  If you have a market, than go for it, but most lumber buyers are looking for flat sawn.

Selling green means it has to be moved every week, this time of year.  Any stain will move a board into 2 Com or out.  This can be avoided by stickering your lumber at the mill, and then taking it off stickers before it's shipped.  Higher labor costs in handling.  

We can saw a trailer load in of grade about 1 1/2 days or so, depending on grade and sorts and log quality.  Some will take a week to develop due to the grade, usually F1F and better in a certain length and thickness.  Anything that has to lay for more than a few days, we put on stickers, especially white wood.

[woodmills1]

I cut oak to order and any material that does not come up to spec I put into inventory.  here are my last three oak jobs.

1000 bd ft quartered white for a cooper.  i bought the logs for $600 cut out the product at $2.00 per and put under 300 bd ft into inventory.  i also had some end trims as firewood.

5000 bd ft of red/white for post and beam barn.  all timbers from 8x8x18 to 4x4x8.  pulled the trees from my own wood lot.  sold the product for $.80/bd ft ( too cheap) and put some 3000 ft into inventory.  most of the inventory was #1 from outside of logs, and some of the smaller product was from logs that had no business on a sawmill.

600 bd ft 2 by___by 12' red/black oak barn flooring.  pulled the logs from my woodlot.  sold the product at $1.66/bd ft(good price)  and put some 300 into inventory.  

hope this helps.