Should I hire a portable bandsaw miller for my logs?

burdman_22 · February 08, 2021, 09:40:19 PM

I dont know what is available in my area (northern Alabama) as far as people offering to mill logs. But I'm being given 10-20 oak logs with the biggest being about 36 inches. I have a chainsaw mill, but that many logs would take me months.

Would it be worth much to me to hire someone to travel to me and mill my logs? (No idea what portable bandsaw mill operators charge, nor do I know what lumber goes for or how to sell it)

WV Sawmiller · February 08, 2021, 09:53:02 PM

Do you need or have a market for the lumber? If yes to either I'd guess yes but I am not an unbiased respondent. If no, why do you even ask?

Trackerbuddy · February 08, 2021, 10:42:01 PM

Yes.
What are you going to do with all that oak lumber ?

terrifictimbersllc · February 09, 2021, 04:26:44 AM

Guessing you'd pay 30-35 cents a board foot for the sawn lumber. Worth it if you use most of the lumber, not so much if you dont, in that case you might be better off buying just the lumber you need instead.

You already know from chainsaw milling whether you would like to saw up 10-20 logs up to 36" diameter. Just adding up the cost of a longer bar, new chainsaw, chains might seem like a good idea but deep down you know it isnt. :D :D :D You still would have to do the work and if you're alive afterwards maybe your new saw head won't be. :D

burdman_22 · February 09, 2021, 06:29:34 AM

So my dad builds log cabins for a living, and there are lots of people building log cabins where my parents live (6 hours away). I'm in the process of building a cabin, and have another smaller one coming up after that. I could use some of the wood in the smaller cabin. The wood i dont use i thought I might be able to sell, if anything probably to my dad since he uses a lot of lumber anyways. I just didn't know if there was enough margin for making anything when paying someone to mill for me (I know almost nothing about lumber prices.)

I've decided though that I might just leave them stacked for a few months and mill what I feel like on my own, and then come spring I might pay someone depending on how much is left.

Sugar · February 10, 2021, 02:24:08 PM

Maybe split the logs with a band mill owner? If a lot of building is happening close by, the band mill owner would probably be glad to work a deal like that. You get your dimensional lumber and they would have some inventory to supply the local builders with. All the money would come from someone else and you get lumber that you need.

Greyhound · February 10, 2021, 02:58:36 PM

A major factor in my decision of mill vs. firewood is the quality of the logs. If the logs are clear of knots and other defects, pith centered, etc. that makes me lean toward bringing in the miller.

Magicman · February 10, 2021, 03:18:52 PM

There are several ways to find a sawyer. The Forestry Forum's "Extras" above has a "Finda" and Wood-Mizer's website has a Find a Sawyer under Services. That plus a Google search should find sawyers.

I just referred a job in Northern Alabama using Wood-Mizer's service.

WV Sawmiller · February 10, 2021, 05:31:42 PM

Quote from: Sugar on February 10, 2021, 02:24:08 PM
Maybe split the logs with a band mill owner? If a lot of building is happening close by, the band mill owner would probably be glad to work a deal like that. You get your dimensional lumber and they would have some inventory to supply the local builders with. All the money would come from someone else and you get lumber that you need.

You can make such a proposal but don't be surprised if he is not interested. If you made me use a proposal and if I had a need or market for the lumber I might agree but I would expect you to bring the logs to me. My last "sawing on shares" experience worked out okay but I wasted too much time and transport going to and from the customers site and now my policy is they bring me the logs before I saw anything. Once here we would divide the logs into 2 equal piles and flip a coin to see who got which stack. I'd saw his into his cut list then saw mine when and into what I needed.

burdman_22 · February 10, 2021, 08:14:55 PM

I found a person that will saw for me. He expects he could do about 10+ logs for me in a day, which will end up running me close to a grand and net me about 2500 bdft.

I'm not going to get anything milled until spring or summer, so I'll just seal the ends of the logs and wait a few months. By then I'll have a rough idea of the quality cause I'm stabbing the bigger stuff with my chainsaw mill.

The sawyer did take my info as he is interested in using me or passing me clients for my chainsaw milling operation. I can handle logs up to about 54 inches, where as he can only do live edge up to 28.