Question

[EZ]

So if a sawyer say he charges a $1.00 a ft. Does that mean a dollar a ft for a 12 inch dia log and 2 dollar for 24 inch log. Or is it a dollar for a 12 inch cant, or what. I think I said this right.  ;D
EZ

[ARKANSAWYER]

EZ
   One would have to ponder if it is a running foot, square foot, boardfoot or a bigfoot.   I sell trailer decking by the square foot for it makes it easier for the people to know how much a new deck is going to cost.  I often sell 1x4's by the running foot (linier foot) because they use it for trim and is easier for them to figure out how much they need.   Most of my sawing is by the board foot and I have never seen a Bigfoot. (not yet any way) :D
ARKANSAWYER

[Bibbyman]

I have a chart made up of common lumber sizes - 8' to 16' long (in 2' jumps) and 4" to 12" (in 2" jumps) wide by 1" thick and 2" thick.  Each size has a price of that board.  So when someone calls,  I just grab the chart and we start from there.

We saw our 1" stuff on 1" drops so they are a strong 7/8" thick.  Most people are happy with that.  If they want full 1" we add .05/bf.  We saw our 2" stuff on 1-7/8" so they come out a strong 1-5/8" thick.  Most people like that as they can still use 16d nails.  If they want full 2",  then we add .05/bf.

Unless requested,  the width are all full width - saw cut.

As for prices,  I have a base price per board foot of a 1"x4"x8' board.  I increase the price per board foot as length and width goes up.  Thus a 2"x12"x16' long is more than twice the price per board foot as a 1"x4"x8'.              

		8'	10'	12'	14'	16'
1"x4"		$	$	$	$	$
1"x6"		$	$	$	$	$
1"x8"		$	$	$	$	$
1"x10"		$	$	$	$	$
1"x12"		$	$	$	$	$
2"x4"		$	$	$	$	$
2"x6"		$	$	$	$	$
2"x8"		$	$	$	$	$
2"x10"		$	$	$	$	$
2"x12"		$	$	$	$	$

 

 Sample table

[EZ]

I guess I should have said why I ask about this. A guy called and said he has 3 oak logs and ask what I charge. I told him $.20 a BF, he said that was alot cheaper then the last guy he call. So I ask him and he said he charge a dollar a ft. I was just wondering if this dollar a ft is about the same as 20 cents a bf.
EZ

[Bibbyman]

I guess I misread your first post.  The last post didn't help either.  A dollar a foot don't really don't make any sense until you know a foot of what.  

My brother-in-law often said,  "I know how much but not what of.".  

I never understood that either.

[EZ]

Thats all he said was a dollar a foot. So I guess I'll never know. :'(
EZ

[DanG]

I'll bet the customer never finds out, either. :D

[Percy]

Im confused.......again ;) :D ;D 8) 8)

[C_Miller]

Then there was the pirate that charged a buck-an-ear.

C ;)

My Bad, sorry :-[

[Oregon_Sawyer]

CMiller:

You should be ashamed. ;D

[Frank_Pender]

If it is late in the season and the  ears are still sweet, I would charge a buck-an-ear. ;D

[EZ]

I went down and sawed them logs for that guy. When I was done I ask him if he could explane a little more about this dollar a ft. He said the sawyer will take your logs home, figure the board feet in the logs and bring you right back that amount of bf, for a dollar a BF. :-/ He said the boards will be air dryed for about a month. ??? : I dont know, what do you guys think.
EZ

[Tom]

I think that sawyer has a good thing going.  If the customers are the "gotta have it right now" type then he'll keep it up.

He's swapping his tabulation for the board footage in their logs (on what scale) and providing them with essentially green boards that he probably would market for 50 or 60 cents a board foot, and getting a dollar a board foot for his efforts.

If he is honestly making an even swap then the more power to him. But, it would certainly be tempting to use Doyle and cull high when  figuring to make sure that he comes out on the lucrative end of the deal.

I would accept this very tentatively if I were his customer.

[ElectricAl]

When we custom saw for the local Joe Schmo's. He has to haul to us. But from there the price per board foot is as follows:

.30 saw on thin kerf band saw
.10 stick/unstick
.20 Air dry in special air dry shed
.30 Kiln Dry by schooled operator

.90 KD to 6%, Lumber is tallied green.

Thicker or Quartersawn in more ;)

Sawmill minimum $50
Air Dry  minimum $50
Kiln dry minimum $50

That's right $150 for wasting my time

Done it three times this year already ;D

[AtLast]

OK OK OK...now Im TOTALLY confused!!!!!! ???      :(  ???

[Bibbyman]

May be something to this sawyer's madness after all.  Most everyone that has done custom sawing for someone can tell you the customer doesn't always have the right logs for the lumber he expects or needs.  

I've tried to buy their logs and sell thim lumber that fits their project needs but that never has worked yet.  They want to "save money" buy using their own logs.  But often we can only get about 2/3s at best of the logs turned into the boards they need.  The other 1/3 is something else. (You can only get so many pork chops out of a pig, you know.)

[EZ]

I don't think he's in to big of a hurry. He's building his own house and right now he's still working on the basement.
EZ

[ElectricAl]

Bib,

Good example on the pig ;)


Couple years ago the biggest logger in the area thought he had cut a fat hog when he had a PO for Pine 8" x 8" x Random for a buck per board foot.

A hundred thousand feet of logs showed up. 24" to 36"

Logger thought we could get 4 cants out of each log.

I called the buyer and asked what his plans were.

One side round log home cants. The Pith had to be centered

DanG, got a use for the jacket lumber I asked. No


What do you do with 80,000' of pine jacket lumber?

Logger built a new horse barn :

[Bibbyman]

Had a customer a couple of weeks ago order some 15 5x5s -12' and 14' long to use for post in a pole barn.  We had logs plenty big enough to make 4 or more but knew to keep them reasonably straight I needed to select straight logs and box the heart.  I picked through the pile and got out smallest logs that were nice and straight and had tight hearts.

They turned out well and the customer was very pleased but we had a lot of lumber off'n the sides. I sawed as much as I could into 1x6s as we have a steady market for it.  Turned out,  the customer came back two times for more framing lumber and bought all the side cut 1x6s and more.

Got a call from one of Mary's ol'-farts last evening.  He needs 2 2-1/2"x3-1/2"x14' long.  (Thought maybe we'd have something like that is stock.)  We'll saw'em but there goes another log under the blade just for a couple of pieces.

But when you cut to order,  you tend to make a lot of sausage.  ;D

[KiwiJake]

Here in Kiwi land, it's pretty much a flat rate. $150 per 400 board foot. It tends to fluctuate depending on little time consuming cuts or big sleepers. ie the little cuts take more time so you would charge the full $150 but the big cuts are quick to get your board foot so you can charge a little less.

Then theres always the extra cost specialty cuts, but the average charge around here is pretty much the same.

I'm coming from the swinger angle as they are the majority here. Blade costs are consistant and footage is alot quicker.
  
There are alot of variables with a bandsaw I understand?

[EZ]

Starting to make alot of since now. He's going to use the lumber for trim in his house. The one log, after sawn, I would'nt use the boards for trim in a barn. I'd say after he picks threw the boards he can use, he will probably have to go buy more. So he would have been better off to buy good grade boards for a dollar a ft. O-well live and learn I guess. Thanks for clearing this up for me guys.
EZ