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Step right up and beat those high lumber prices!

Started by alan gage, May 25, 2021, 12:20:44 PM

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alan gage

Are you tired of sky high lumber costs? Well, friend, have I ever got a plan for you. For a just a small $50,000 initial investment* you too can thumb your nose at the lumber yard and be on your way to building independence.

Just imagine: instead of wasting away your weekends relaxing with family you could spend all day in the hot sun sawing questionable salvage logs into 2x6's. They might have a few more knots than you expected and some of them might fall apart when you pick them up but you can't make omelets without breaking a few eggs. And don't let sawing through a few nails get you down. Not everyone can joke that they're lumber comes pre-nailed. Just smile, throw that blade in the garbage, and put on another one.

Sure, some of them might be a little thicker and thinner than others and they might not be perfectly flat and straight but that just adds character, and everyone knows character wood is worth extra.

Now I know there are some naysayers out there who will say perhaps you'd be better off to just buy the lumber and then spend those same weekend hours actually working on your building project. After all, they'd say, you can buy a lot of 2x6's for $50,000. But I can only guess that a man who would say something like that would be a lily livered Corolla driving vegetarian. You're not afraid of a little hard work now, are you?

And just imagine the feeling you'll have at the end of a long hot day when you step back and look at that pile of 2x6's you made. But don't head off to bed quite so soon because now it's time to take another close look at those boards as you stack and sticker every single one of them. Yes, it's quite a feeling.

And not only do you get the satisfaction of making your own lumber on sunny days you also get the satisfaction of maintaining your equipment and sharpening blades on rainy days. What's that? You didn't think you'd have to do much maintenance to new equipment? Well who said anything about new equipment? $50,000 doesn't go quite as far as you think when you need to buy a sawmill, a skidloader to move logs and lumber, a drying shed, truck and trailer that can haul logs, bigger chainsaws, and some land where you have space for all this. What you get is a bunch of worn out equipment that needs repairs but that just goes back to the wonderful challenge of it all. Think how much you'll learn about your equipment and how intimately you'll know it. It's a special feeling you just don't get when you buy new.


What's that you say? What about grading and stamping to keep the inspector happy? Well, yes, I suppose it's true that you won't be able to use these boards in all the applications you might have initially wanted. But there are plenty of things you can use it for. Like blocking. Or shelves.

And some places that wouldn't let you use that lumber in a house might let you use it to make a storage shed. Which is great because now you've got a big pile of lumber and you need someplace dry to store it before it gets ruined. Well this will kill two birds with one stone! You can use all this lumber to build a storage shed to hold the lumber. At which point you'll be all out of lumber so you get to start all over again. Better go find yourself some more logs.

And now here it is 3 years later and you've finally got everything in place and a stack of well organized lumber that you sawed your very own self so you can finally build that tree fort that started this whole adventure. So what if your kids are too old now to think it's cool and your wife is filing for divorce because you've been neglecting her and the kids and spending all the savings so you can saw your own 2x6's. At least you have the satisfaction of knowing you did it all yourself.

Yes friend, you too can be a lumber maker. What are you waiting for? Jump on the train!

*initial $50,000 investment does not include kiln, planer, or extra spare time.
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

Don P

What no beetles? Better go out and look at that fine pile then go grab some burgers and marshmellows for the bonfire.

DennisK

Just came in from the garden, grab a beer to put against my burnt ears. 86F in May is not right. Chainsaws are staying in the truck or shop, just got a fresh batch of gas this morning on the way to the shop, it'll evaporate before I saw! Thanks for the heads up and reminder  Alan. :D

Nebraska

Hey you could add some hobby farming onto that too. Alan  😉 

Tacotodd

Trying harder everyday.

GAB

Mr. Gage:
You were doing pretty good, however somewhere you missed the part about the spouse complaining about sawdust in the house, also missed the part about the complaints concerning the slab pile being an eyesore, the noise generated by the machine, and other misc. stuff.
Why with lots of pictures you could probably write a kids book Bestest Seller.
GAB
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

offrink

Quote from: GAB on May 25, 2021, 08:08:29 PM
Mr. Gage:
You were doing pretty good, however somewhere you missed the part about the spouse complaining about sawdust in the house, also missed the part about the complaints concerning the slab pile being an eyesore, the noise generated by the machine, and other misc. stuff.
Why with lots of pictures you could probably write a kids book Bestest Seller.
GAB
Hey! I like lots of pictures too!

Sixacresand

Thanks for the encouraging post, Alan.  The only sawmill regret I have is that I didn't have one fifty years ago.  
"Sometimes you can make more hay with less equipment if you just use your head."  Tom, Forestry Forum.  Tenth year with a LT40 Woodmizer,

Tacotodd

Trying harder everyday.

Resonator

And always have that springtime fresh scent! (Totally covered with pine pitch).
With your pockets always full! (Of sawdust). :D

You don't have to be crazy to try to make a business out of sawing lumber... but I find it sure helps. ;)
Under bark there's boards and beams, somewhere in between.
Cuttin' while its green, through a steady sawdust stream.
I'm chasing the sawdust dream.

Proud owner of a Wood-Mizer 2017 LT28G19

DDW_OR

also include:
bad neighbor tampering with equipment
bad neighbor calling cops
bad neighbor getting other neighbors to call county on you

"walkers by" stealing
Yellow jacket nests
rodents in equipment wiring
"let the machines do the work"

mike_belben

yeah that was my first thought of trying to do anything at all back in springfield mass.  code violations notices in the mailbox with $200/day fines.  cease and desist. 
Praise The Lord

Tacotodd

Trying harder everyday.

Stephen1

Great read. 
I have my friend I sold some KD pine slabs for his kitchen table, he gave me an extra $100 as he figured I do not charge enough. 
Of all the steps in getting his table made , he said I have the most invested ... truck, sawmill, forklift, bobcat, trailer and then the kiln, and the shop to put some of it in. 
The carpenters had a planer, and a sander. 
There is nothing easy or inexpensive in running a sawmill. 
80% material handling, %20 sawing!
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

alan gage

Quote from: GAB on May 25, 2021, 08:08:29 PM
Mr. Gage:
You were doing pretty good, however somewhere you missed the part about the spouse complaining about sawdust in the house, also missed the part about the complaints concerning the slab pile being an eyesore, the noise generated by the machine, and other misc. stuff.
Why with lots of pictures you could probably write a kids book Bestest Seller.
GAB
Yes, I'm sure you're right. But since I'm not married with children my imagination didn't go quite that far. I suppose there's a whole nother level of joy I'm not familiar with.
QuoteOf all the steps in getting his table made , he said I have the most invested ... truck, sawmill, forklift, bobcat, trailer and then the kiln, and the shop to put some of it in. 
The carpenters had a planer, and a sander. 
There is nothing easy or inexpensive in running a sawmill.
I'd started writing another paragraph where the guy was going to show his (now ex) wife a thing or two by using his lumber to build himself a new house. But first he just needed another 100k so he could build and outfit a wood shop first.

Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

GAB

Quote from: offrink on May 26, 2021, 08:08:32 AM
Quote from: GAB on May 25, 2021, 08:08:29 PM
Mr. Gage:
You were doing pretty good, however somewhere you missed the part about the spouse complaining about sawdust in the house, also missed the part about the complaints concerning the slab pile being an eyesore, the noise generated by the machine, and other misc. stuff.
Why with lots of pictures you could probably write a kids book Bestest Seller.
GAB
Hey! I like lots of pictures too!
I did not specify any age so if you want in - come on in.
PS. I also kind a like pictures.
GAB
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

Woodpecker52

Forgot about the "Blue Stain" pine that eventually turned to "black Mold" or the barn filled with unmarketable live edge no one wants anymore.
Woodmizer LT-15, Ross Pony #1 planner, Ford 2600 tractor, Stihl chainsaws, Kubota rtv900 Kubota L3830F tractor

HemlockKing

Sign me up! Better slave for myself than someone else. 
A1

Tacotodd

Trying harder everyday.

Southside

Man - y'all need to get some milk cows... That is where the real fun and adventure is.  Makes the sawmill look like childs play.   :D
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Tacotodd

I can see that. Too much work for me  :embarassed:
Trying harder everyday.

Beavertooth

I have had a sawmill for 16 years and I did build my house using the lumber I sawed.  I still saw for other people all the time but there is no way I would saw up my own lumber now and build anything. That would take a crazy person  :D :D   Anything I build for myself now is strictly all metal now. Its way cheaper, a whole lot easier, faster,  and a whole lot better. I don't know why all these crazy people want me to saw up logs for them but each to his own.  :D :D :D 
2007 LT70 Remote Station 62hp cat.

farmfromkansas

And what's wrong with driving a Corolla?  Bought one for my wife 4 years ago, best car we have ever had.  And what's wrong with 40 mpg?
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

HemlockKing

Quote from: Beavertooth on May 26, 2021, 06:43:45 PM
I have had a sawmill for 16 years and I did build my house using the lumber I sawed.  I still saw for other people all the time but there is no way I would saw up my own lumber now and build anything. That would take a crazy person  :D :D   Anything I build for myself now is strictly all metal now. Its way cheaper, a whole lot easier, faster,  and a whole lot better. I don't know why all these crazy people want me to saw up logs for them but each to his own.  :D :D :D
Steel is rising too. Best dust that mill off  :D
A1

HemlockKing

Quote from: Southside on May 26, 2021, 04:58:47 PM
Man - y'all need to get some milk cows... That is where the real fun and adventure is.  Makes the sawmill look like childs play.   :D
With the price of everything, seriously considering it  :D
I'm starting with just chickens first though  ;D
A1

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