New sawing venture

Peter Drouin · June 20, 2025, 06:23:22 AM

I jumped my prices up. Sell less lumber and make the same $$.

customsawyer · June 20, 2025, 06:23:32 AM

Most of these are pretty large operations. I don't think a lot of folks realize how tough the lumber market is right now. The lumber is moving, but at very low prices. I don't mind being tired. I don't mind being hungry. DanG being both at the same time. I would rather go fishing.

Peter Drouin · June 21, 2025, 06:00:16 AM

Quote from: customsawyer on June 20, 2025, 06:23:32 AMMost of these are pretty large operations. I don't think a lot of folks realize how tough the lumber market is right now. The lumber is moving, but at very low prices. I don't mind being tired. I don't mind being hungry. DanG being both at the same time. I would rather go fishing.

It is slow. I have more customers bringing me their logs to cut. And that's ok. Just give me more Hot Rod time.

Stephen1 · June 21, 2025, 07:24:25 AM

When people complain about the price.....it's time to raise them.
I have 2 house projects to saw of Board and batten. I have sold a few slabs for table tops to some carpentry shops , so that a good sign. It's also good because both shops are a 1st time visitors to my place, they like what they saw with hardwood lumber in racks.

Bruno of NH · July 08, 2025, 06:34:06 PM

This is still working out great . I haven't ruined only 3 to 4 bands . I have been sharping ones that get little damage. 16 peny and under nails don't bother the band much. Can be sharpened again. Screw not so much. The bad is they don't saw pine in the summer. They offered me hardwood logs. I don't really have a strong market for hardwood.

Hilltop366 · July 08, 2025, 07:37:21 PM

Quote from: Magicman on June 19, 2025, 05:44:11 PMthey screwed up sawmill ordering for the legitimate buyers.

I suspect if you are in the sawmill selling business "legitimate buyers" are the ones with the money or good credit.

SwampDonkey · July 08, 2025, 08:17:55 PM

It's like most any venture. Take weaving as one of those ventures. It all looks enchanting and you get to make your own cloth. Then when you get one and you start to understand you're not the weaver in your dreams. It's a lot of work and new knowledge to be gained before you can make great cloth and have the gumption to stick with it and want to repeat the process of setting up, weaving and maybe selling something or just donate product. There are lots of idol looms out there from folks that decide weaving is not their thing or inherited ones or folks that can't continue because of health or age. Everyone deserves a chance.

Magicman · July 08, 2025, 10:27:22 PM

Quote from: Hilltop366 on July 08, 2025, 07:37:21 PM
Quote from: Magicman on June 19, 2025, 05:44:11 PMthey screwed up sawmill ordering for the legitimate buyers.
I suspect if you are in the sawmill selling business "legitimate buyers" are the ones with the money or good credit.

I understand, and yes they were legitimate in that they were buyers and paid the refundable down payment. These "buyers" were ordering multiple sawmills with the intent of reselling and making big bucks. Wood-Mizer, etc. had no choice but to accept their orders knowing the intent of many of them.

My definition of a legitimate buyer is someone ordering a sawmill with the intent of sawing. These buyers fell into the 18 month waiting period because of the artificially choked supply line.

This same artificially choked supply line caused stores to have to ration toilet tissue. Legitimate if you say so, but I have a different term for them.

barbender · July 08, 2025, 11:44:41 PM

I'm 100% with the Magic Man on this one. Opportunistic vultures is what they were.

GAB · July 09, 2025, 09:41:10 AM

Quote from: barbender on July 08, 2025, 11:44:41 PMI'm 100% with the Magic Man on this one. Opportunistic vultures is what they were.

Many of us just love it when "Opportunistic vultures" get burned.
GAB

Andries · July 09, 2025, 11:05:35 AM

Bruno, can I ask which band profile are you using?
Most of my hardwoods are sourced from an arborist and wondered if you found which band resharps best, after a 'repairable' metal strike?

barbender · July 09, 2025, 12:28:06 PM

Andries, blades like the WM 7/39 turbo that I prefer, don't do as well with metal strikes with their tall, pointed teeth as blades that have a shallower profile.

Hilltop366 · July 09, 2025, 01:07:48 PM

Just a different point of view but I didn't say so, however apparently the mill companies did as they accepted the orders and could have easily said "one per customer" or " due to high demand we reserve the right to limit orders" which is tough to do when you are in the selling business. The "make hay while the sun shines" would apply to their side of the equation.

Around here I have seen the same thing with Lobster fishing boats a few years back where fishermen would order a boat long before they needed to in order to hold their spot in the build list. Some were offered and some took money just for their spot on the list, the highest I heard of was 60k for a spot. The boats were running around 1mil then. I also know of a guy that sold his spot on the Robinson helicopter build waiting list for 100k.

Supply vs demand is a crazy thing sometimes.

Bruno of NH · July 09, 2025, 01:42:55 PM

The 7/39 is OK with soft nails like galvanized, I'm finding.
Like I said screws or bolts your done , no matter what I have on for a band.
Silver tips are softer steel they fair better than double hards

Magicman · July 09, 2025, 01:53:30 PM

Quote from: Hilltop366 on July 09, 2025, 01:07:48 PMJust a different point of view but I didn't say so, however apparently the mill companies did as they accepted the orders and could have easily said "one per customer" or " due to high demand we reserve the right to limit orders" which is tough to do when you are in the selling business. The "make hay while the sun shines" would apply to their side of the equation.

Around here I have seen the same thing with Lobster fishing boats a few years back where fishermen would order a boat long before they needed to in order to hold their spot in the build list. Some were offered and some took money just for their spot on the list, the highest I heard of was 60k for a spot. The boats were running around 1mil then. I also know of a guy that sold his spot on the Robinson helicopter build waiting list for 100k.

Supply vs demand is a crazy thing sometimes.

There is nothing wrong with your examples but they are irreverent to the situation where folks were trying to capitalize on someone else's misery.

Hilltop366 · July 09, 2025, 02:21:50 PM

It's the same thing, some lobster fishers were pushed into repairing/rebuilding their boats when they should be replacing and upgrading and others had lost their boat and had to buy an older one and repair it because the list for new was several years long. It was also not so easy to find a boat shop to repair a boat either. Meanwhile others have a year or two old boat and have their name on the list for a new one that would not be needed for several years beyond that so they sold their spot to someone that was in more need capitalizing on the others misfortune.

SwampDonkey · July 09, 2025, 02:49:14 PM

Speaking of lobster. This year Sobeys grocery is selling processed lobster meat for $40.00 per 180 gram bag. Too pricey. This is the whole pieces. I won't buy any unless it comes from PEI anyway. Some outfits are processing lobster in Quebec and they include leg meat, I don't want that at all. PEI lobster is claw meat. Last year it was $22 a bag and that is too much but we bought some. I know the fisherman do well to get $6 a pound live. Atlantic Superstore has frozen canned lobster, but it is minced like for making a chowder, $10 per 350 g can.

Bruno of NH · July 09, 2025, 05:36:51 PM

It's funny how the nice clear pine logs get the most nails in them.
A nice 30" butt log , 5 nails and one piece of plumbing strap. Still got many nice 8ft 1x12. Cut off the hardware and got 7ft .
The pine is selling right now.

Hilltop366 · July 09, 2025, 05:49:22 PM

Quote from: SwampDonkey on July 09, 2025, 02:49:14 PMSpeaking of lobster.

$23 for 229 grams and $13 lb for live at a locally owned store, I can usually get fresh haddock for 5 or 6 dollars a pound there too.

Bruno glad to hear you are finding some success lately, I know it has been a bumpy ride. Sorry for getting so far off track.

Now back to regular programming.

cutterboy · July 10, 2025, 07:41:29 AM

Bruno, glad to hear that your lumber is selling. Are you selling it green off the mill or do you sticker it and air dry it for a while? The logs you are getting, are they green and pitchy or dried out enough so that the sap isn't a problem?

Bruno of NH · July 10, 2025, 10:07:22 AM

Sap isn't a problem
They sat in the mill yard a bit debarked.
I sticker it all off the mill and cover it with synthetic roofing paper. List them on market place. When sold we load on truck or trailer all banded up. We try and keep the cover if we can.

jpassardi · July 10, 2025, 12:27:28 PM

Quote from: Bruno of NH on July 09, 2025, 05:36:51 PMIt's funny how the nice clear pine logs get the most nails in them.
A nice 30" butt log , 5 nails and one piece of plumbing strap. Still got many nice 8ft 1x12. Cut off the hardware and got 7ft .
The pine is selling right now

Very true Bruno - shame that the best logs (butt) are where people put metal...