I have a Woodmizer LT15 and plenty of access to logs(oak, walnut, pine) but I have no time. I've been building my house for going on 5 years and working 7 days a week is getting old(5 days building houses and weekends building my personal house). Somewhere along the line I have developed a case of OCD.
There are several people around here with larger mills. Is there a going rate for dropping off logs and picking up lumber? Say I cut and deliver the logs and they mill them and I take 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, ect?
I basically want to end up with enough 17' 5/4x5 oak to do my floors(2,200 sq ft of so of 3/4x4) some 4x8 pine, and a lot of 1x8x13 and 1x3x13 pine to run B&B siding on my 40x68 shop and finish siding my 40x60 pole barn.
That manual Woodmizer is just too time consuming for a one man show that is building a house, shop and pole barn.
Back in the day we had a firefighter that would cut on halves. Hoping that is an accepted practice.
Now and then I will do something on shares - if I want the logs - but they have to be something special, not sure what others will or won't do. I don't see you getting back more than 50%.
Sometimes it 60/40. 60 to the mill,
What could you buy the lumber for in your area? What could you cut, transport and sell the logs for in your area?
I'd think that would determine the percentage to offer/accept.
Basically ask if they buy logs, and do custom sawing. If yes to both, then you should be able to do a deal. Likely it wont be a % split, because logs have different value to the mill based on size, quality and species. But if they buy some of your logs for 40c a bd/ft, and will also saw your logs for 40c, then in effect you could sell them 10 logs, and they could saw 10 of yours, and the balance evens out. Maybe they pay 30c? maybe they pay 50c, and that would change the %. Maybe you sell them some more valuable cherry and walnut for better money, and get them to cut the lower value red oak and pine for your own use?
All you are really doing is selling some of your logs to pay for the sawing service on some other logs. Heck you don't even have to do the deal with the same mill. You could sell some logs to one guy, take the cash, and hire someone else to saw for you with the money. A mobile sawing service might make life easier as you then don't have to transport the logs and lumber, they turn up to your yard with a high production hydraulic mill and saw for the day. You are left with a big pile of lumber to stack up for drying.
I do a good bit of sawing on halves, mostly for neighbors. I make 2 piles of logs and he chooses who gets which pile. No room for dis-agreement, gotta keep neighbors happy.
The going rate will be the deal you make with the sawyer in your area. The going rate here in NC may not be the same as in Georgia. Usually it is a per board foot OR an hourly rate.
Sawing on shares is possible but it depends on the sawyer's business model and/or need. I sawed a job a couple of weeks ago where the owner hired an off bearer. The off bearer divided the lumber into two 50-50 stacks, I picked the stack I wanted. We felt that to be fair and I wanted the lumber. Depends on the sawyer and the customer what the percentages are - 50/50 or 60/40 are typical around here.
You might be able to take 2x the logs you need sawn and get your half cut into your cut list. Basically paying the swayer in logs. This is what was mentioned above. If there's a difference in the value of the logs versus value of sawing, you work out what's agreeable to both parties.
I appreciate all the information folks. I'll let you know what I get worked out.
I've done halves in the past and would say that one thing to really look at is you and whoever you get to saw for you to come to a complete and very clear agreement on whos logs are whos unless your logs are all VERY similar on quality and sizes.
I had a couple guys bring in a couple good sized loads of russian olive and cedar and unload them, then when I got there try to poke their chests out and tell me which logs were their pile. They knew they were busted when I started laughing, then all three of us took a look at the logs and decided to split "their pile" and most of the rest got left right there until I finally gave them away. 100% my fault for letting them unload before the rules were clear.
That little deal almost had me making a sign reading, "Any logs dropped off without prior agreement are considered a donation."