beginner

[josh]

Good morning everyone.  I am a newby to the sawmill industry.  Getting ready to buy my first sawmill and start sawing.  Anyone have any good beginner tips or points so I get off the ground running.  Looking forward to this new oppertuniy in my family's life.

[sawmillhand]

Well first off welcome to the forum. 8)   I learned most of my tips the hard way until i found this forum a lot of really nice guys on here with a lot of experience.  What kind of mill you looking to buy? Also post lots of pictures they like that.

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
You should get some great help here, and am sure you know that from reading many good tips on the Forum already.

Pull up a stump, and give us some idea what you have going and where you are coming from. From considerable experience to no experience, will be hard for us to fill in the many blanks. "newby" meaning never been close to a sawmill or never owned one.  Huge difference of where to start.

Have timber to saw? Need to buy logs? Have a project to use lumber? Going to sell lumber as a business?

We don't want to see you trip the first few running feet  ;D

[fishpharmer]

Welcome to FF josh! 8)

It was only after I was well into building my sawmill before I found this forum.  Great folks are members.  Feel free to ask questions and use the search function. 

I would recommend looking at as many mills (and operate them) before making a final decision.
Most ff members are very generous about showing their mills, you may have some nearby. What are your plans for the mill, personal use, portable sawing, etc.  ?

[josh]

Just to answer a few questions off the bat.  I am wanting to be portable, selling the lumber for business, with maybe the option further down the road to buying lumber.  I have been looking at the wood-mizer lt40.  I went and saw a demo of some equipment and that one to me, looked like it had the best precision cuts and consistent runs of the mills there.  We were cuttng eastern ceder and there was a nice true cut along the entire length of the log every time.

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Josh!

You can learn a lot here, lots of great tips available too!

You'll find that most everyone is willing more than willing to help others out!

Where's home?

Good choice with the LT40!

[grweldon]

Welcome Josh!  I'm a newbie too!  Got my first mill in June.  Only milled a few hundred board feet so far, but it's really cool!  I'm clearing a spot for a barn to be made almost entirely of Southern Yellow Pine milled from my own trees.  It's exciting to think about it.  Now, just to get off my butt and do it!

Great bunch of guys and a few gals here.  You'll find the info you need, even if you don't necessarily ask exactly the right questions, you get more info than you ever thought you wood!

Good luck!

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Welcome Josh. Takes some time and get in that search box up above. There is a lot of information that has been discussed of newbie sawyers hitting the ground and running. There is also a lot of detailed information on Wood-Mizer sawmills, especially the LT 40.
I have the LT40HD. This mill will truly work for you and your family. Not to mention, $$$$$$$$$. 


Keep us updated on what's going on......and update your profile and let us know where you live.


                                                                       



 

[thecfarm]

Josh,good afternoon and welcome to the forum. Just go into this with both eyes open,wide open. Yes,you can saw the lumber,BUT you have to sell it too. If it don't sell it than you need to store it. It all sounds good,but people have to buy what you saw.

[lyle niemi]

Welcome to the site, you will find that there is helpful and friendly folk on here. Now where is your pics..lol

[dgdrls]

Josh,

Welcome aboard,  tell us more about what you want to do,

Best
DGDrls

[John_Haylow]

Welcome Josh.
John

[customsawyer]

Welcome to the forum. Where are you from?

[drobertson]

Hi Josh, welcome to the forum, and to answer your question, get into computers and out of the sawmill's! Just kidding, but  you will need to find a way to sell the by products,  dust and slabs, this is where you will make up some of the operating cost.  Get some help, and get some logs, it will take both, mainly getting logs, but if you get a pile of them, you will need help.  Have plenty of blades, if you go with a band saw,  listen and learn, and stay steady. A dust pile is a good sign of checks to come.   david

[Magicman]

Hello josh, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum.  There are no dumb questions, so ask away.   

[Sawdust Lover]

Welcome Josh, I am new here as well. I bought my first mill a 18 months ago after buying lumber for 20 years for my woodworking buisness. I love having the mill and have been cutting alot of reclaimed lumber with it. Thankfuly I wasn't depending on the mill to give me a paycheck every week. There are alot of hidden costs like tractors, shed for mill, sheds for lumber,dry kiln, chain saws, trailers, trucks, and more sheds when the lumber isn't selling. But if you can hold on the ride gets smoother as you get into it. And never think you know everything about sawing like I once did. There are guys on here that have forgotten more than I know.

[valley]

Hello and welcome I have only been on here about a month just introduced myself last week I've gained more info in a month on here than I had since nov ( when I bought my mill ) I have a timberking b-20 I think it's great but to be honest I don't know anything else as this is the only mill I've had timberking service has been outstanding good thing is I haven't needed much of it !!

[ForestMan]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum!  This is a great place to learn more than you will ever need about sawmilling.  Super nice people on here.

[MAI]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum Josh.  You will find great people in the forum with a wealth of knowledge and experience.  As a sponsor on the site, we've been really impressed with our members. 
If you have any questions regarding insuring your mill or your future business please let me know.
Have a Great Day! 
DJ

[josh]

I live in north carolina but am looking to relocate to south carolina.  Is the heat and humidity a big issue in the carolina's when it comes to drying the lumber?  I have seen the solar kilns but want to try and keep expsenses down while making sure that i get the most out of each log.  any thoughts about weather in the south on log drying.

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Josh,

You don't want to try to dry logs, instead cut into lumber as quickly as possible and then dry the wood.

Although a less humid climate would make it easier to dry lumber, it is possible to air dry lumber successfully in the Carolinas. After all, our ancestors dried lumber almost everywhere without a kiln and built structures that have lasted decades or even centuries...

I'm sure members who live in the Carolinas will chime in soon.

Herb

[Ianab]

Only thing that a humid climate could cause a problem with is staining or mould on species that are prone to that. In a colder climate, the wood can slowly dry without mould or fungus growing. In a warm dry climate, it dries fast, before fungus can get started.

How much of a problem depends on the species. Durable and decay resistant species like Cedar, Cypress or Walnut aren't prone to stain, and are therefore easy to air dry. Pine or similar can be an issue in a humid climate. Best thing is air flow through the drying stack. A good breeze to maximise the drying that you do have, so stack so the air can get at the stacks.  You need to get that excess moisture out of the wood quickly. Once it gets down to ~20% moisture it's "air dry" and the fungus can't grow any more. It may only dry to 15% in a humid climate, but that's "dry" for that area.

Ian

[WDH]

I agree with Ian.  You have to know your wood.  In the hot and humid South, walnut and cherry are a breeze to dry.  It is hard to mess them up.  Maple, hickory, pecan (it is the    :D), and pine need extra air movement, which you can supply with a simple box fan blowing parallel to the stack to keep down gray stain and mold/mildew. 

Oak is fairly easy, just take it slow, no fans or excess air movement or you can ruin it from too fast drying.  Just let nature take its course. 

The Spring and Fall are very good air drying times.  Just don't crowd the stacks.  They need space on all sides to breathe.  The stain prone woods need more space and maybe a little help with air movement.

[samandothers]

Welcome Josh!
I fall in that beginner category about 5 months ahead of you.  I have an LT35 and have cut only a few hundred board feet also.  Great folks here to learn alot from.  Searches are handy too.

[fat olde elf]

Hey Josh ! Welcome !! I will make you the same offer that I did to Samandothers a few months ago. I am 29 miles east of Charlotte and operate a manual mill. Send me a personal message and I would be glad to show  you my equipment. I have been at this for 10 years and the Forum is a great place for info and new friends.  Let me know if I can be of any help to you.

[EZland]

Josh these guys are great on this forum.  No question is never too dumb, ask everything.  and if you do not believe it watch them ask each other even if they been in the "business"  for years.  I am working into a business, from a wood working hobbies.  Right now to me it is just another wood working tool, but milling or furniture business is a business.  Make a plan.  The mill is tool of the trade.  Do you research. 

Where is my market?  Is it a service or product?  Product you have to store and sell.  Service you get paid for by the piece, hour or whatever.

Product, where can I get it.  at the source or delivered. 

Equipment, how much, too much, finance, or not  Sawdust lover hit some key points on equipment. 

Are you a one man operation or employees.

Make a business plan,  outline, etc.  It will help you take the advice and put it in a organized manner. 

Key a great attitude, in business people remember that far longer than job messed up. 

I am not trying to sound like a know it all, just some dong the same research.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

And Welcome to The Forum Josh  ;) ;D ;D ;D 8) You have chosen a dang good mill to start out with  ;)  ;D as people have said we are hear to help Mate  ;) ;D ;D 8) 8) 8)

Regards Chris

[drobertson]

When you get the kiln running, start with a small batch first. I would make a top plate with stickers that match your stack, and have it weighted to match or slightly exceed a complete bundle for the kilns' capacity.  Then go through the process, keeping notes and times of temps. Trial and error is the only way to perfect your conditions.  I would be very selective on the grade you dry, meaning go for the clearest of stock possible, allowing some room for pin knots, the size of your thumbnail or so,,then move on from there,   you can do it,
just remember, this is why when one buys finished dry oak, it takes a thick wallet. unless it is given to them by dad.

[josh]

When you air dry the wood,  what is a good height for the stack to be off the ground?  Is there a something that should be down on the ground like a vapor barrior, gravel, or something else to make sure the bottom row doesn't get mold and stained?

[WDH]

The stack need to be about a foot off the ground.  A vapor barrier, like thick plastic, on the soil would do fine.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

As Danny said 12"+ is ideal I achieve that with two 8x6" timbers the length of the stack you want to make and 4x3 to 6x3" on edge every 2' I screw them down to the timbers so I can pick them up with the loader in your climate I would not make your stacks wider than 40to48" wide 36" would be good too in your climate  but it all has relation to how high you want to go  ;) where i ran a h/wood drying op I had 40+ acres  that was stacked 20' high on 6' wide packs but we had good drying conditions too  ;) and a good Air Dry Yard (stack)is always on Gravel it keeps it drained and dry as well as making it easy to control grass/weeds you dont want your nice stack 12" of the ground with 2' of grass around it  ;) :D

Regards Chris