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First bandmill, storage and pricing

Started by Rochsawyer122, February 24, 2020, 04:42:00 PM

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Rochsawyer122

Hi everyone! New to the forum so my apologies if this has been covered a million times. I'm still trying to figure out how to navigate the site. I recently purchased my first bandmill an HM122 by woodland mills. I initially bought it to make my own lumber for some projects, small cabin, pavilion wood sheds and such. No sooner do I start milling for myself and I've got people that would like things as well! I'm not complaining! Anyways if I am to start making some for others I want to make sure I'm making a quality product. I've been stacking and stickering with 1" pieces in between the boards and covering the top with a tarp trying to allow for good airflow without leaving it to exposed until I build a storage area. Mostly been milling red oak, spruce, and hemlock over the past week or two that I've been using it. So my questions are is there better temporary storage solutions? If there are a few people I know wanting a little bit of lumber here and there should what should I be charging per board foot? (I'm located in new haven county of CT) I want to be be fair but competitive in what the normal range should be. Also I would imagine it depends on if I provide the wood and what species it is or if they bring me something to mill. Thank you all! 👍

terrifictimbersllc

Suggest you forget tarps. They're not waterproof with respect to standing water on them.  They're high maintenance and you have to engineer something to keep them from covering the sides of the pile and restricting that critical airflow.  3/8 CDX plywood and sheet metal roofing much better.  Even 15# felt is better.

Learn everything you can about sawing and drying lumber. Using lumber yourself really helps with this.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

SawyerTed

Welcome to Forestry Forum!  

As far as what to charge, you will hear everything from 20 cents/board foot to as much as $1/ board foot.  My situation is a little different since I operate as a portable sawmill and lumber business.  I calculated my costs to operate, added a percentage for my wages and used that to set my rate of 36 cents per board foot.  

I have a customer who builds covered racks.  They are 48" wide by 14' long.  He can load it with up to 12' lumber.  They look like firewood sheds.  I believe he has 6 or 7.

Basically he builds a deck. Puts posts on the corners 48" tall and a metal shed roof.  The roof is hinged on the back and light weight so he can fold the roof back to load it with a forklift.  He uses landscape fabric to make a curtain around the shed once it is filled with lumber.  The landscape fabric provides shade, sheds rain/snow and breathes.   
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

farmfromkansas

Sawyer Ted, any chance you could post a pic of your customers drying shed?
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

SawyerTed

I'll ride by tomorrow and take a photo.
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

Rochsawyer122

Nice thank you for the info guys! I'm definitely going to be looking into building myself some more permanent storage to keep my lumber dry and out of the weather. I appreciate the info as I get started with all my projects I was milling some white cedar the other day and it seemed to react strangely. Maybe some tension in the grain. I cut a piece and it didn't hold my measurements one it was cut. It had me stopping and rechecking my track for level, and the power head but it was all right on the money. I noticed after that the wood was actually springing up about a 1/4" from the time I started cutting it till I got to the end of the log. None of the oak hemlock or spruce I've cut had done that and didn't know if that's common with certain species or if it's just the nature of the grain or how I was cutting it. 

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: Rochsawyer122 on February 25, 2020, 09:51:30 AMI was milling some white cedar the other day and it seemed to react strangely. Maybe some tension in the grain. I cut a piece and it didn't hold my measurements one it was cut

Every log is different.  You need to asses the log and learn from it.  Was the pith off center?  Were the growth rings different thicknesses on each side of the pith?  Did you split the pith (don't do that!)?  Did the log come from the side of a hill or the edge of a field?  Was it a "leaner"?  Maybe the log just had a bad day! :D  Just wait until your lumber dries!  You'll see some more action then.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

RichTired

Which brings me to this question; if you dry a straight piece of lumber and it drys crooked, why doesn't a crooked piece dry straight?  Is this some more of that physics stuff? Or the Chaos theory?
:)
Wood-Mizer LT15GO, Kubota L2800, Husqvarna 268 & Stihl 241 C-M chainsaws, Logrite cant hook, Ford F-150 Fx4

Richard

SawyerTed

It's because Murphy is only casually interested in drying lumber.  He seems to be overly interested in my sawing though.  He follows me around enforcing his law! :D :D
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Doeslyr

Quote from: Rochsawyer122 on February 24, 2020, 04:42:00 PM
Hi everyone! New to the forum so my apologies if this has been covered a million times. I'm still trying to figure out how to navigate the site. I recently purchased my first bandmill an HM122 by woodland mills. I initially bought it to make my own lumber for some projects, small cabin, pavilion wood sheds and such. No sooner do I start milling for myself and I've got people that would like things as well! I'm not complaining! Anyways if I am to start making some for others I want to make sure I'm making a quality product. I've been stacking and stickering with 1" pieces in between the boards and covering the top with a tarp trying to allow for good airflow without leaving it to exposed until I build a storage area. Mostly been milling red oak, spruce, and hemlock over the past week or two that I've been using it. So my questions are is there better temporary storage solutions? If there are a few people I know wanting a little bit of lumber here and there should what should I be charging per board foot? (I'm located in new haven county of CT) I want to be be fair but competitive in what the normal range should be. Also I would imagine it depends on if I provide the wood and what species it is or if they bring me something to mill. Thank you all! 👍
Find you a old round Trampoline, half it now u have 2 half moon pieces. U will be able to figure it out from there.

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

donbj

Quote from: Rochsawyer122 on February 24, 2020, 04:42:00 PMI've been stacking and stickering with 1" pieces in between the boards and covering the top with a tarp trying to allow for good airflow without leaving it to exposed until I build a storage area.
I've had real good results with lumber wrap. At the mill I worked at in the past they would unwrap product to turn the wood into a different product and leave the wrapper out for anyone to take. You can cut it to the desired length/width to allow side air flow. Lumber supply stores sometimes have it to give away as well. It really keeps the water out. Just throw a couple slabs on to hold it down and you're good to go. 
I may be skinny but I'm a Husky guy

Woodmizer LT40HDG24. John Deere 5300 4WD with Loader/Forks. Husky 262xp. Jonsered 2065, Husky 65, Husky 44, Husky 181XP, Husky 2100CD, Husky 185CD

SawyerTed

As promised but a day late.  These are photos of one my customer's lumber drying rack.  He has several that are designed to hold about 1,000 board feet.

They are nothing fancy, just a platform with a hinged roof.

You can see one of his firewood sheds in the background.  The lumber rack is an adaptation of the firewood shed.



 

 

 
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

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