Do it now or wait?

[hillsman]

Hi all, I'm new here and have a question for the group. I have decided I will be getting a sawmill but the question is, do I do it now or wait?  Should I wait until I have the best location on our property and build an elevated platform or put down something temporary so I can start sawing. I have zero experience with band saws but have used my chainsaw mill enough to get the bug about turning lumber into useful material. The only plans I have for lumber right now is a firewood shed and then an open sided building around the saw mill.  I am in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia so leveling the terrain can require both time and $$.  We only have 6 acres so this will definitely fall into the hobby category.  I'm thinking this will be a stationary setup but a trailer option may be possible.  If I had to put a number on my budget it would probably be $4-$6K.  Thanks for your thoughts

[btulloh]

Do it now.  Make a temporary setup and start sawing materials you need for the permanent setup, etc.  Being able to produce 6x6, 4x4, or anything you need is a big bonus. Turning cull logs from clearing your site into something usable really helps the process of developing your site.

[Old Greenhorn]

Do it now. The first mill is a very iterative process as even though you are already making lumber, this is going to be different for you. There is little way you can know ahead of time what exactly you want to do to prep your site. You will learn a lot as you do it, and no doubt given your experience, you will learn fast. All that Btulloh said is correct and having a stack of 6x6's already handy when you are really laying out your site will be as handy as a shirt pocket.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Congrats and I know you will enjoy the mill. I would suggest you go visit any local mills in operation and watch the mill in use and talk to the owner and pick his brain to see what works for them and any suggestions they have and especially what would they would do different if they were setting up a new mill now after they have sawed a while.

[thecfarm]

Welcome to the forum.
I only saw for myself. I did not get the trailer package.
Do it now!!!!!!
Get yourself a Logrite cant dog or peavey.
Sponsor on the left, nice people, made in the USA. 

[rusticretreater]

Do it now. Prices will only go up.

One of the things that happens is the evolution of your milling site.  Folks move their mill and support equipment all the time.  As you expand, more changes are needed.  Plus as your knowledge and needs grow, so will your outlook.  My place now isn't close to what I originally envisioned.  And I still change my mind every month or so.

[hillsman]

Thanks for the input, I would really like to see a mill in operation.  How do I find a sawyer in my general area? We are just north of Lynchburg VA.  There is only so much you get from videos. I'm kind of leaning now towards a Woodland Mills HM122 or 126 right now.

[Old Greenhorn]

Gee sorry, there are no sawyers in VA. :D :D :D :D

 Just a joke, they are everywhere. Somebody here may pop in and tell you they are close and invite you over. Otherwise keep your eyes open. There are 5 sawmills on my 3 mile road (that I know of) but you can only see one from the road and that would put you on a private road with a short tempered landowner. ;D
 You could also look on Craigslist for "lumber" or "live edged slabs" and you will find where these guys are milling and selling. Woodmizer also has a sawyer network that may list sawyers in your area.
 Let this thread sit for a bit and give the fellas and gals a chance to find it and respond. Most of our members are hard working 7 day a week types and they don't check the forum every day. We are generally a helpful group for folks that appreciate a little help.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I'm about 3 hours (150 miles) or so from you and do not set up on a permanent site but if you're ever over you're welcome to swing by. Tom's suggestion about the Pro-Sawyer network on the WoodMizer site is a good start. They would be WM mills but the sawing procedures and such would be the same. Do not go watch anyone with a hydraulic mill if you plan to buy a manual mill or you may be spoiled and have to have one. (Just joking - go watch all you can.)  You can cut just as good lumber on a well set up and tuned manual mill as a hydraulic one - you just have to work harder and it may tale longer.

Go to the Extras here on the home page and look for sawyers listed here on the FF who may be near you.

   

[kelLOGg]

I'm about 2.5 hours from you. Glad to show you mine. 

[dougtrr2]

Do it now.  Whether you do this as a hobby or a business, it will be an evolving process.  

For you experienced sawyers,  how many of your mills are in the exact place and configuration as the day you bought it?  I am guessing none.  Sometimes you don't know the best place or configuration until you try it for a while.

Doug in SW IA

[WV Sawmiller]

   As I mentioned earlier, my mill is mobile and mounted on a trailer so I tow it with my truck, tractor or ATV and saw in several locations around my place. In fact a few times I'd have logs too big to drag to the mill with my undersized tractor and equipment so I'd just bring the mill  to them to saw them where they lay.

[kelLOGg]

I spent the first 5 years after purchasing my manual Mp32 sawing and modifying it with electric assists. It has held up well and is as good as the day I bought it. I am a serious hobby Sawyer but if I were to make a living sawing I would go hydraulic. As it turned out it was a good call. I have never wished I had bought anything else. 

[SawyerTed]

Asking a bunch of sawyers if you need to buy a sawmill is like asking a car dealer if you should buy a new car.   :D

With a small acreage (6 acres), I'm in the wait camp.  Hire a portable sawyer/mill a couple of times.   A competent sawyer can produce a large quantity of lumber in good logs in a 6-8 hour day.  

If you still have the sawmill bug after hiring some sawing and helping at the mill, get a mill.  

If your sawmilling inclination is satisfied, you will have several thousand dollars to use for something else.

Those few hundreds spent on hiring a portable mill will pay for themselves in "on the job training" if you decide to buy a mill and could educate you on the realities of sawmilling.  

[Iwawoodwork]

Depending on the density/density/number of trees you have on your acreage you may have plenty of wood to supply a hobby sawyer. I have 6 acres here od fairly dense 50–70-year-old Doug fir and there is way more material than this non serious hobby sawyer can make a dent in. I also get my firewood (3-4 cords year) from this acreage. My ground is steep side hill and I have to make flat areas for structures like my mill shed and woodshed. My mill is trailer mounted and I the height for less bending and a good working level for me. Yes, get a mill, it is very rewarding feeling to make lumber out of logs, but with a manual you will work hard and production is slow but much better than a chain sawmill. 

[beenthere]

No images of your setup in your gallery. We like pics.. (hint, Hint).

[Wallys World]

Hillsman, I am in Evington, southwest of Lynchburg. About 30 minutes from you. I have a Woodmizer LT28 and support equipment. You can give me a p/m and we can get something together about coming over.

[Cedarman]

My LT30 has never moved more than a few inches.  It is now bolted to concrete.
Been in this spot since 1996.  It is electric of course.

[hillsman]

Thanks for all the advice, I especially liked SawyerTed's comments about asking you all if I should buy it now.  Wally World has invited me to see his setup sometime and I really appreciated that. My September is pretty full but I hope to have the sawmill before the end of the year if not sooner. You all have been very helpful and I'm sure as I continue down this path I have more questions for the group. This weekend I plan on leveling off the temporary mill site #1. Thanks again