Got a mill, errrrr a bill

[scogar]

On Friday I pulled the trigger. It has been over the course of multiple decades that I have considered a mill. Unfortunately, I don't currently live in a spot where I can keep it permanently so that always slowed things down. I do have some land in N. Georgia I have expected to retire to and assuming that day and the end of all the BS in the supply chain world actually comes to an end, it can live there.

I chose an EZ Boardwalk 40 with the trailer package and the IGX 800 Honda Upgrade. Thanks to people on this forum for a lot of great advice, esp. most recently TroyC. Last year I had gotten quite serious about TimberKing but found myself walking further and further up the line. It wasn't until someone on this forum mentally slapped me into considering a Norwood that I paused and started rethinking things. Of course, having to wait a year for almost every mill and juggling when best to clear my property with this in mind made this a back burner decision.

Realistically I enjoy cutting wood, but the goal is to use it to build things. So, for me it just doesn't make sense to overspend on a mill even though I sure would appreciate hydraulics. I'm not sure it is the right mill for me, but I'm positive it's not the wrong one either. I don't see myself doing this for others unless it's some form of trade. The goal for me is to use the trees I have and the ones I otherwise get, cut building material, woodworking project material, and price the "free" lumber against the lumber that I otherwise would have bought. I think the lumber money saved will justify the cost over the years. And I know on this forum there is no problem in the justification at all.

So other than a big bill over my head and a long lead time (Oct 2023) I'm excited and I have at least pulled the trigger on getting the trees cut next winter. And now I can finally stop shopping and triple guessing this decision.

[Ventryjr]

Congrats! 🎊🎉   Waiting is the hardest part! 

[WV Sawmiller]

   Congrats on the new mill. Where in N. Ga will you retire? We used to own a piece of land near Ellijay. Actually my FIL was born and raised there.

    The choice of manual or hydraulic is governed by many factors including type and amount of use, your health, size of the logs, support equipment. etc. A small manual mill that is properly set up and used will cut just as good lumber as a big hydraulic mill - it is just slower and a lot more work to use.

[YellowHammer]

Actually, many times the hardest part is making the decision, and all that goes with it. 

 The waiting is something you can't do anything about, its a pain, but out of your hands. 

[thecfarm]

And that is why I have an all manual mill.
I did not even start my last year.
Yes it's more work and time, but I wanted some out buildings. I am trying to save some money.
If I was to spend $40,000 I might just as well buy the lumber.
Well that's how it was 15 years ago when I bought the mill.
My father and me looked for years at mills. He never got to see me sawing. :(
Get yourself a Logrite cant dog or peavey to help turn those logs. Sponsor on the left, made in the USA and nice people.
How will you get the logs from the woods to the mill?
You will like sawing.
I brought in about a foot of gravel to keep me out of the mud. ;D I put those round pads down under the legs.

[scogar]

Where in N. Ga will you retire? We used to own a piece of land near Ellijay. Actually my FIL was born and raised there.

Dahlonega in an area known as Nimblewill, pretty close to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail

[chet]

Scogar, sounds like yer on the right track.  I bought my manual mill 23 years ago. It has far and away paid for itself each and every one of those 23 years. And I very rarely cut anyone else's logs.

[Dad2FourWI]

Congrats on the mill !!!!!

We cut only for our own farm for many years..... and then when the word got out, we started cutting more for others....

We still enjoy opening every log and finding out what is inside.... everything from ants, bees, barb wire, screws and bolts.... and lots of beautiful boards that are now our barns, wood sheds, floors, doors, rafters, joists!

I spend a lot of time behind the mill and we hope you do too!!!!!!

Cheers!!!!! 

[Nebraska]

You made a great choice,  I was very happy with my  EZ Jr mill. The bigger Honda option will make that 40 a great mill.

[WV Sawmiller]

Where in N. Ga will you retire? We used to own a piece of land near Ellijay. Actually my FIL was born and raised there.

Dahlonega in an area known as Nimblewill, pretty close to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail

Don't know about Nimberwill but we visited Amacola Falls at the start of the Appalachian Trail many times. It was funny seeing the cabins with the back porches over a meadow that used to be a lake before they drained it after the broken earthen dam that killed so many folks at the Baptist college IIRC at Toccoa. I had a co-worker who was there and helped pull out the bodies who was affected for many years by the sight. 

[TroyC]

Congratulations on the decision! Waiting till October is tough but July, Aug, September are hot and humid. Learned the hard way. I try to cut when it is cool. You look at really big fans yet?

[HousTony]

Congrats scogar! Your configuration is what I'm looking to make a move on soon, but I'll add a 10' extension.  Drove up to Emden this past Thursday to see the 40 and Jr. in person.  Stanton was very accommodating.

[TroyC]

HousTony, you'll like the extension. I built one as the shipping on it was outrageous. It is nice to slide boards on after cutting while waiting t get enough to sticker!

[B.C.C. Lapp]

Congrats on the mill purchase scogar.   Sounds like you did plenty of research before you made the move.     You know, with the way things are in today's world Oct. isn't all that bad a lead time.  

[scogar]

I got a call from Stanton this week. The mill will be finished midweek next week. It's been close to a year but it's the EZ Boardwalk 40. I have to say I am freaking out now...not necessarily all with joy. I have three piles of SYP and WP like that shown below. There is some red and white oak mixed in. But each of these piles is approx. 20-25 logs. All are about 18 feet long, some a bit more, some less.





The mill is costly - for me. And I have no way to move these logs, and of course the Boardwalk is manual. I know that everyone here suggests/suggested hydraulics but it just was not doable for my budget. Even though I've always wanted a mill - I'm wondering if I made a mistake. I ran numbers on buying 2 by "X" kiln dried SPF from Home Depot. Give or take, the sticks average out to about 75 cents per BF. So cutting 2X doesn't seem to make sense if I am looking at break even analysis on mill vs HD lumber. This is not to say that wood on hand is cheaper than making an HD purchase

1X does run a bit higher...I didn't calculate that out to $/BF but sawing one inch planks for walls, shelves, shop floors, T&G, maybe some molding, etc...that seems like I can get a bigger bang for the buck. I also wanted to make some beams. But I haven't designed the outbuildings at all and won't get to them for at least 2 years if not longer. So cutting 8x8's or other beams doesn't seem to make sense for this batch. I'm thinking if I rent a skid steer for a week at a time, cut each log somewhere to maximize clear wood, the lifts will be a bit easier. If I focus on planks, I don't need the constant rotation that hydraulics would have given me. 

I know I mentioned break even analysis - that is important to me. I don't expect to break even on this batch of 75 or so logs, but it seems like I will need close to 20,000 BF at 2x prices to break even....wow! Again, it is not what' this is all about, but I can't pretend it isn't a factor. And this factor fights against the other - I have wasted so much lumber in trees/logs over my life - I just didn't want to see this wood go to waste too. But as my mama would say, "your eyes are too big for your stomach" - different organs but same situation. 

[TroyC]

Congratulations! The mill is really solid and well built.
I have the 40 also and use a tractor grapple to load it. Can't imaging par-buckling all those logs.......
Renting a skid steer to load is going to add a lot to your cost of milling. The grapple is invaluable in hauling off the flitches.

It would be tough to compete with the big box stores on dimensional lumber with the EZ 40. You'll do fine cutting beams, shelving, and such. You are going to need a really large covered area to air dry all that lumber! Get a Logrite cant hook, I recommend a short one and a longer one for the heavy logs.

I made a turner for mine but does best on 24"+ logs. Still need to do some tweaking.

Get at least a box of blades, I have 2. Stanton sent me the 10 degree Timber Wolfs. I cut mostly pine and they work fine for me. I make firewood from my red oak....... You might want to look into a sharpener and setter.

You can cut 16' with the Boardwalk but the logs have to be positioned really close to the blade. Raise the head and be really careful loading. Cutting is the easy part on a 16' board. If you are not in great physical shape now, you will be soon! 8)

Couple of notes-
1. Never move the mill (or raise/lower the end of the mill) without the head assembly bolted to the frame with the 2 retaining bolts. Level the mill before removing those two bolts.
2. Lower the head near the bottom of travel when towing or transporting.
3. The last board can be cut to 1 1/8". Don't try to adjust the mill to cut 4/4".
4. Make sure the log supports fall flat when you clamp the log.
5. Always leave the blade protector guard down unless you have a real need to raise it. Watch the clamp on the operator side when cutting close.

[thecfarm]

How did you get the logs piled up?

[Southside]

Can you sell some or a decent chunk of those logs and learn to saw with less pressure and a little coin in your pocket?  Once you get the hang of things you can add to the log pile. Yes having more logs to saw than you can comfortably handle is a problem, but having a bunch of lumber you sawed poorly into designer firewood and a bunch of logs you can't get to won't help your enjoyment of sawing either.   

[Peter Drouin]

A HD 2x4x8 is 3.5 bf at .75 is $2.62 each.   Think again.

[Sixacresand]

Hi Scogar,  

A manual mill does nice work.  I used one for years.  
Good luck with your new mill and be careful on those hills. 

[RGRJN]

Scogar,

Next time your up in the area or free, give me a shout. I ain't an expert, but I am on a tight budget also. You could stop by and see what I have set up for moving and getting the logs on the mill. I do it pretty much by myself on my Frontier at 65 years old. I'm in Dahlonega, not far from you. Ben higgins rd (by the dollar general) which is right down the road from the traffic circle going out to Nimblewill or dawsonville towards town. Might give you some ideas about what you could do at your place. ......ajnowak509@gmail.com. I'm pretty free since I just retired so... One idea, for what you'll pay to rent a skid loader on regular basis, you can get a used tractor, doesn't need a bucket(would be nice) using the three point I sometimes use a boom pole to drag to the mill, not ideal in the hills but....Logrite also makes a hand log arch if your in shape

Joe

[scogar]

Thanks everyone for the insights and recommendations. I ran the numbers again, apples to apples, with actual instead of nominal sizes. It is weird to me that there is such a difference between 2X and 1X material from Home Depot. It goes from an average of $1.07/BF (thanks for pointing out the flaw Peter) for 2X to a whopping $5/BF for 1X. That makes a big difference to me. Maybe the calculation isn't important to most on here but I did and do have the desire to see the mill as a value creator vs an expensive hobby in that I doubt that I will mill for others.

I'm leaning toward ordering two boxes of blades from Cook's as they will sharpen and everyone seems to like their blades. Of course with Woodmizer only about an hour's drive it may make sense to have them sharpened them there. I'll have to see what makes sense and if anyone has strong thoughts either way - I would love to hear them. As for the other answers:

The logs were piled by the grader/excavator and he was telling me there just isn't a market for logs at the amounts I have. So I don't know whether I could make a bit of money or not. And I'm pretty ruthless with using things so I think that as long as I can get to a large number before bugs or rot, I won't fret over other possible errors. I'll find some use for all but the most flawed.

I have mentally wrestled over a tractor vs a skid steer and have looked at some old posts but I can't quite figure out what makes the most sense. Presently I'm thinking a skid steer or a backhoe loader for a year or two while I make terrain changes. Once that's done, I would expect something like a Kubota L Series tractor. I am concerned with the hills that we have in North Georgia and I have no experience with any of these types of equipment - yet

[rusticretreater]

Don't go by only the prices of the wood at the box stores, also consider the species.  You will find that a lot of their wood is fast growing pine and whitewood.  Your logs will probably be much denser and yield a much better board, even if not finely sculpted like the box store stuff.

It would be informative to check with some other locations that deal with other sources of wood and you will note a marked increase in either quality, price or both.  Right now, there is virtually no chance of falling to break even with a manual mill.  The prices are insane. You will produce a product that exceeds a similar commercial product in quality and value.

Its kinda like growing your own tomatoes.  There really is no comparison to store bought stuff.

[Magicman]

Of course with Woodmizer only about an hour's drive it may make sense to have them sharpened them there.

Newnan, GA no longer sharpens blades.  I am now using Marty Parsons at Wood-Mizer PA LINK.  I box and take the blades to the USP drop off and then UPS delivers my sharpened blades back.  It's actually a bit cheaper than GA. 

I just got a box back and I am very satisfied.  Took about two weeks.

[TroyC]

It goes from an average of $1.07/BF (thanks for pointing out the flaw Peter) for 2X to a whopping $5/BF for 1X.

I think that 5.00/ bd ft is kiln dried, edged, planed, and what they advertise as #1 Select. I may be wrong......