Do you keep a log book on your mill?

[DocGP]

As title says, do you keep a record of production etc?  What type information do you log in?  

I see many of the old hands list how many 1000 board ft they have milled.  Just wondering what you are tracking.  I know the hour meter will keep me in tune with maintenance.  So far I have been logging bf, species, blade type, lube type, and any particular troubles.   For me, it is a way to help me get better and (hopefully) learn from my mistakes.

Thoughts? 

Doc

[doc henderson]

neat idea.  I am a hobby guy and have no idea.  some actually have serial numbers on the bands and log how many hours board feet they have sawn, and how many sharpenings ect.  @Tom the Sawyer 

[Nebraska]

Sometimes  I write notes on the sawmill shed ceiling  in pencil if I think about it,  Date, species bf etc... I had grand intentions  of  keeping notes but unless I saw something  for someone else, anymore, nope..
I did keep the first board I sawed though, I branded it with dad's brand and attached it to the wall of the shed.
You will saw circles around me with that woodmizer.  2-300 bf at a shot is enough for me to process at a time by myself. Most of the time its one log here one log there type of thing. If I needed to justify  its existence  I would keep track, but it pays for itself  in returned sanity benefits.   

[doc henderson]

@Nebraska so are you saying it is only half paid for?   :D 8)

[Nebraska]

Yeah if that....but I'll keep working at it.  ;)

[YellowHammer]

No, not specifically.  I only keep tabs using the hour meter for routine maintenance. 

I inventory our packs of wood throughout their life cycle, from green to sold (net tally vs gross tally, expense vs profit) but it's more fair to say I track the wood, and the money, not the sawmill any more than I log the use on the edger or planer.  As part of that we also track mill expenses like any business.   

So all that comes together to tell me anything I need to know, from bands bought to oil changes to tires put on the truck and trailer.  

I do it all through software. 

[Tom the Sawyer]

DocGP,

I do track my production.  I use a small database to track date, log number, log time, species, # of pieces, thickness, width, length, notes (live edge, flitch cut, quartersawn, cookies, etc.), calculated board footage, and calculated milling fee.  For an average appointment, data entry takes 5-10 minutes but I don't have to worry about math errors and the database allows me to sort by any field, calculate reports, trends, total board footage, milling times, over a job, a month, a year or many years.

[doc henderson]

Tom was it you that told me you track blade life with serial numbers engraved on the blade?

[alan gage]

Yes, I keep a running tally of every log in my head. I commit them to memory and then file them away. Now if I could just remember where I filed them...

Alan

[terrifictimbersllc]

I keep a numbers (Mac excel) spreadsheet of name, date, board feet, engine hours, cut type, species, and usually total charge and overall time for each job. Also have some of this on an invoice for every job. Good for tracking productivity to review occasionally.

I stopped tracking blade sharpening wasn't worth the time it took, for what I got out of it. I can easily guess how many times a blade has been sharpened from its width. Main reason to measure that is to judge whether a metal strike blade is worth saving.

[GDinMaine]

I don't keep track of production numbers, as I saw by the hour. If I spent time measuring and scaling each log, it would be just for my own benefit. Wouldn't feel fair for the customer to pay for the time. 

I do however keep a log for maintenance and items to be replaced. That way, when I shut down for the winter I know what I need to work on. I make note of even the smallest of things to take care of. Needles to say, anything, that requires replacement or repair to keep the mill operating properly, I fix over my weekends. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   Yes - I am anal about mine and have been since the day I got my mill. See attached. I do mine on an excel spreadsheet and start over at the start of each year. 

   Actually I start each year with a new folder (Next one will be 2021 - pretty catchy hey!) and start over with all my other subfolders for expenses, income, history, customer logs, etc.

[WDH]

Since I got my first mill in 2001, I track production by day by engine hours sawn, species, and board feet. 

[Southside]

Gonna have to tell the DOT cop that my log book is on the mill.  Wonder if that will work?  :D  

[Tom the Sawyer]

Doc H, yes I still serialize my blades and track sharpenings, amount of set, board feet, reason for changing blades (metal hit, wave, dive, rogue tooth, etc.), why it was taken out of service, etc.

As for my milling production data, data entry for 4 hours of milling only takes about 10 minutes and costs the client nothing.  When milling by the hour I only charge for actual milling activities, not for figuring a bill or eating lunch.  Driving, setting up, log prep or other labor have their own rates and are not considered milling by the hour.  No 'by the board foot' or 'by the hour' minimums... a benefit of ala carte pricing - everything pays its way.  Certainly doesn't fit everyone's business model - works great for mine.

[Chuck White]

I've done a few upgrades on my mill, and I just "note" it in the appropriate section in the owner/operator manual!

I do the same thing when I replace brushes, bearings, etc.

[SawyerTed]

I log all of my production, expenses, maintenance each day by date and customer. As others do mine is software based.  

[WV Sawmiller]

   I do not log the type and quantity of bands used as I may change profiles several times during the course of a sawing day. I may set aside a blade that is getting too dull to cut through a big hardwood log but still cuts fine in a smaller softer wood. I do not even separate resharp vs new blades. I just keep them separate by hook angle and am slowly consolidating on to one 4* DH WM blade. Estimating blade usage would require more detail than I have time available to record and analyze such as size, wood type, cleanliness, metal strikes, etc. I just send them back when dull.

[Sixacresand]

There is a app on my phone which is handy to record expenses, payments, dates, job notes.  And take photos of invoices, receipts, tally sheets, etc.   Plus all of this is saved  on Icloud in case I lose the phone.    Pretty scary!  A hard copy can be printed out if needed.  

Other than that, it's in my head.  

[Brucer]

I'm really good at computers and databases -- and lousy at data entry. So I keep a manual log with a pencil and a LBB (little black book).

My LBB is 4" x 6-3/4" and has a hundred pages. Fits in my shirt pocket.

Each entry has the date, start time, engine hours, time out for lunch & breaks, finish time, and engine hours -- all down the left side of the page. On the right I list my production for each customer, plus whatever I cut for stock. I need the production numbers to charge my customers anyway.

At the bottom of the entry I list my working hours and engine hours for the day, plus the total board feet.

I keep it as short as I can so I usually get 2 days on a page.

At the back of the book I keep a record of each fuel change, along with the engine hours, and board feet cut that year.

New book every year, with the year written on it in white marker paint.

These numbers let me forecast how long each job will take and give me an idea of my backlog.

And when a customer comes along and says, "Can you saw me another timber the same size as the one you did two years ago.", I can actually come up with what he wants ;D.

[moodnacreek]

I have to keep tract of the incoming logs and where they came from for the state. Also write on the wall when I greased the important mandrel bearings [ sawmill, edger , slab saw and mud saw]  Lumber orders in book in house, current, in progress orders on chalk board in mill.

[Crossroads]

There is a app on my phone which is handy to record expenses, payments, dates, job notes.  And take photos of invoices, receipts, tally sheets, etc.   Plus all of this is saved  on Icloud in case I lose the phone.    Pretty scary!  A hard copy can be printed out if needed.  

Other than that, it's in my head.  

If you don't mind, which app do you use?

[Sixacresand]

There is a app on my phone which is handy to record expenses, payments, dates, job notes.  And take photos of invoices, receipts, tally sheets, etc.   Plus all of this is saved  on Icloud in case I lose the phone.    Pretty scary!  A hard copy can be printed out if needed.  

Other than that, it's in my head.  

If you don't mind, which app do you use?

Crossroads,
Spending Tracker.  I downloaded it from one of the  app stores.  I was pretty cheap (free or less that $5).  
Good luck, John