sawmilling for a first timer

[redcedar]

  I have been in the logging business most of my life, about to get in the sawmill business also, leaning toward cook's mp 32 .  Hoping to cut for neighbors and myself.  Have a good bit of eastern red cedar, some scattered in the woods that have been down for sometime due to  storms at different times , but the heart is still go od . If I were to cut cants and put them to the side and later cut them up as to what people needed is that feisable? Also what are some of the rates for custom sawing by the 1000 or by the hour.  any and every suggestion would be great Oh yeah, I have never sawn any lumber, would deffinitely start out on my own logs first before I would consider cutting for anybody else, also keep my logging business, am a one man operation, so far!!

[Chuck White]

RedCedar, welcome to the Forestry Forum!

You'll find that the rate for custom sawing varies from one area to another.

Up here, most that I know of get anywhere from $150.00/1,000bf to $185.00/1,000bf.

But.........there are those (even here on FF) that wouldn't even start their mill up for those prices!

So, check around your area and see what they are getting.

This is the best info I can give you.

[sigidi]

Hey there Red Cedar!!

Welcome to the forum 8)


I can't help you out with US specifics, but I'm very interested in the numbers Chuck put up...

1,000bft = $150 so that is being paid on sawn volume right, not log volume?

I have a figure of 424bft to the cubic metre, (we work in metric down here) so that is just off 2.4 cubic metres of sawn boards for $150
Down here I've been charging $175 per cubic metre of log (not sawn product) and everyone I talk to on the Aussie forum reckons I am undervaluing myself. A little while ago I made the decision to shift to $200 per log cube.

Recently priced a job and charging as above (compared to the fella buying the timber) for the price he could buy his joists and posts, I'll mill his bearers, joists, posts,(6x6) decking (250sqm) verandah beams, rafters and roofing battens, pretty bloody good saving huh? Here's his logs;

[Don K]

Welcome to the forum, redcedar.

Where I live the going rate is about $300 a thousand.

Don

[Magicman]

redcedar,  Welcome to The Forestry Forum.  Prices here range from $160 to about $250 per Kbf.  Some sawyers charge different prices for 1" and 2".  I charge the same per bf no matter what the thickness.  I cut Cedar and beams by the hour.  Market bulletins, newspapers, etc. should have saw prices for your area listed.

I don't saw my cedar into cants.  I just leave the logs whole and saw what the customer wants when they order.  To me, sawing cants would mean double handling.  Plus the cant will weather on the outside.  To make all of the lumber look new, you would have to saw it again.  Waste.

[Chuck White]

I can't help you out with US specifics, but I'm very interested in the numbers Chuck put up...

1,000bft = $150 so that is being paid on sawn volume right, not log volume?

Correct sigidi, that price is for the sawn lumber, not log scale!

[fishpharmer]

Welcome to forestry forum.  Can't help you with prices.

What part of the world are you from?

[KyTreeFarmer]

Hey redcedar
We were all first timers at one time or another. Can't help with prices as I just saw for myself, but welcome to the Forum. Lots of good information here.
KTF