How do you really make a living?

[UNCLEBUCK]

This is very interesting to read , I have been a commercial pilot, over the road trucker , musician in a country/rock/bluegrass band, log cabin builder but failed, through it all I have always had a love for sawdust and finally got the old circular mill working great , its not full time but a great sideline . I make and sell arts and crafts to a company called "sportys" in batavia,oh. going on my 5th year and that is also a sideline , custom baling once in awhile, other than that its green acres all the way here on the farm , I thank my parents for buying this farm 35 years ago because I could never afford it at todays climbing land prices .

[logman]

I worked at a sawmill in my teens running a debarker and
at a plywood plant shovelling chips from under the chip
mill.  Spent 11 years in the Coast Guard.  Worked as a
boat mechanic for a couple of years including working
for Md DNR Marine Police as a mechanic.  I work at a
university in Md as a maintenance mechanic right now.
I'm finishing up a timber frame home and am trying to
get a timber frame business going.  I have a WM LT 30
that I haven't been able to use as much as I'd like to.

[RMay]

OK ever one this is a good time to fill in & update the member biography on your profile  ;D

[Geoff]

We're full time.  Everyone (especially me) seems to like hearing about what equipment the others use, so here goes.

Wood Mizer LT40
Wood Mizer Edger

Hardy forestry trailer
Igland skid winch
ICS dry kiln (5 mbf)

Shop built log deck
Shop built green chain

A couple of Belgian horses for skidding  (Maggie & Amos)

Three full time employees, plus myself and a part time book keeper.

All in all, after 15 years in the business, I still learn something every day.  By far, the best part of what I do is meeting the people.  We just laugh at how interesting the people are, and how diverse their backgrounds and occupations are.

We manufacture and sell just shy of a half million feet per year, mostly in small quantities.  Products are pretty limited to hardwood lumber and white cedar.

It is great to see all the folks here, and slip in once in a while to see how everyone's making out.

Best of luck to all...

Geoff

[Frank_Pender]

Bruce, I have tried the Press more than once.  It ran me around $40 for three weeks and got no calls.  I reckon I have to keep theblasted ad in there for than three weeks at a time and perhaps some farm folks will eventually see the ad. :D

[hawby]

I'm a metrologist at a LARGE pharmaceutical company. ( I calibrate the test equipment that Oakiemac uses ;D) I'm about 24 weeks from retiring and going fulltime in wood.Ive had my LT40 for a couple of years. I have just about got to the point that my knees don't knock when I open a nice log.
I too love the mystery of each cut, to see what beauty is hidden in that wood.
Yep its hard, long days, but I sleep better when I run the mill than when I set through a meeting all day. I have sawn for some real charachters so far and I have really enjoyed the interaction.... but I imagine I will need to buy logs and saw grade like most every body else around here just to make ends meet.
It was nice finding out what the rest youse guys are doin.

[smwwoody]

I turn loggs into lumber ....

You mean there are other ways to make money?

Woody

[stumpy]

I'm new to the forum and new to sawing. I'm semiretired and just started sawing but hope to do it as a part time business. I own a cabin in Conover and am building another. We decided to get a mill instead of buying the lumber and hopefuly get enough work to have a part time business.

[TN_man]

I work fulltime in a radiological chemistry lab (nuclear stuff). We have an 80 acre farm where we raise feeder calves and have a few cow/calf pairs. I am a member of the American Angus Assoc. and would like to build a herd of registered cattle. My wife and 15 yr old son do most of the farm work since I get on the sawmill right after I get home from work :. We started out cutting lumber for our house but have enjoyed cutting so much that we are looking into doing more of it. I have told my wife about Bibbyman's wife running the mill while he is at work, she is not so sure she could do it with a manual mill :(. I have been able to rescue several trees from being cut up for fire wood and have considered following Kyle and Scott's example and do "tree-cycling". Have enjoyed reading what you guys do and this whole forum. I have been one of those guests for awhile, but I decided to join in. ;) Thanks Jeff

[Haytrader]

Wecome TN_man

So you decided to jump off the fence, huh?

 ;)

[Frank_Pender]

Chisel and Bruce, as far as the self promotion idea of a feature, I do not like tooting my own horn in that manner)
the Capital Press did one on me another fella a few years ago.  I got lots of verbal coverage, but the picutures they took did not show up in the paper.  The other fella got all that coverage.  :'(   Perhaps it is time for another "feature". 8)

[Paschale]

I'm glad I saw this thread!  After visiting the pig roast, I became much more interested in knowing more about the people here on the forum.  As for me, I'm a musician--my job is playing trombone in the Grand Rapids Symphony.  I'm also an adjunct member of the faculty at Western Michigan University where I play in their faculty brass quintet.  I do some teaching here at home as well as at Hope College.  I taught at Michigan State for a year and a half, and decided that being in an orchestra is too much fun to stop know.  I really enjoy it, and it's the fulfillment of a life long dream.  Woodworking is just another outlet for creativity and is strictly a hobby right now.  I hope to eventually become skilled enough to do some custom work, but for now, if I can mill my own wood, and build my own furniture and cabinets, I'll be a happy camper!

Dan M.

[stevareno]

My Father and I own a hardwood business together.. We don't own a sawmill but we do have a molder, slr, gang rip, chop line and planers ect.... We mostly process components for the cabinet industry.. We also make hardwood flooring and moldings..  I always feel like I'm on the verge of making alot of money but we just make a decent living for the most part.. A new vacuum kiln from Dennis at PC Specailties is our newest adventure.. We're in the process of hooking everything up..

I don't post very much but I check into the FF daily to see what the new topics are.. It's interesting how many of you guys saw part time.  This wood business is addictive.. We started out a few years ago with the idea of making frame stock for cabinet shops.. We figured a 4 head molder and a slr should do it  (yeah right).. We ended up with a small factory..

It's good to meet you guys,
Steve
Blakeman Hardwood Mouldings, Inc.

[Buzz-sawyer]

Like wise good to hear from ya!!

[jeepcj]

Hey Guys! I am retired Navy, Work full time at a golf course, have regular bush hog customers, cut cedar logs and have them cut into boards. Do a little oak also. Don't own a mill yet, believe I could treat people right and do a good job at it and enjoy doing it. Live on 150 acre's on north side of lake Charles, near Powhatan, AR. Need something, drop a line. Charles

[TomFromStLouis]

Well, I just now discovered this thread and enjoyed my 20 minutes reading about everyone.

Sorry to dissappoint ppete, but not only do I not make my living sawing, I do not even own a saw!

Day job: sales. Started an urban log reclamation business this year with one full time driver and I subcontract the sawing. It is mostly a log business; the small percentage we decide to saw keeps me out of my shop (woodworking hobby got me to this point). Been slingin' around a lot of boards though.

[redpowerd]

this is a cool thread.
i notice a few of us are/were farmers at some point. thats what i do up here in senic northern new york. farmin is a way of life for me, not only a job.
up before the birds in the morning, usually to work on an otherwise sweaty afternoon job, like throwing hay, stacking and rolling logs for the saw or firewood, picking rocks, ect.
then its off to milk my brothers 42 holstiens, one jersey, and one ashiyre.
the rest of the day is mine, i make most of the household income from corn and soybeans. studied crop science at SUNY cobelskill for a few years and went on as a full time crop scout and assistant agronimist at agway, but the family farm got in the way, and agway was going belly up anyway, so here i am working for the cows and the corn.  after our feilds are in, i am usually taking care of other farmers tillage needs. then we custom combine in the fall.
work on all the equipment, keeping it in good running order.
allthough it seems the feilds get bigger as the days get shorter, i do manage to keep the sawmill running thru logs on a weekly basis. hoping to find more time to run it thru farm efficency, hired labor, and better convienientces. i do my own logging, for the saw and heat. have about 50 acres of old timber, and many miles of hedgerows that will give way to bigger feilds.
at the moment im cutting lumber for a heifer facility, my new cabin in the hemlock hollow, and the handiest goat barn to finally come off my drafting table.

[moosehunter]

I am 1/2 owner of a four bay auto repair garage. Been fixin cars and pick-ups for 24 years ( golly-gee, I don't feel that old!). Started sawing with my Norwood in may of this year. My wife and I will be building a house with our own wood in a few years.
 I got a saw mill becouse I have twenty acres of red pines that I could not give away. So we will build our garage with the red pine and use hemlock and hardwoods from the other forty acres to build the house. Notice that I wrote more about sawing than wrenching, thats 'cause I like sawing more. 8)
Moosehunter.

[ScottAR]

Welcome Jeep....  Nice to meet a neighbor here...  

[redpowerd]

hey moose, yer usin hemlock fer sidin, right?
i cut mine in adirondack fashon, left the bark on and its still on after two years. if you can get it down and milled real quick.... ;D

[jeepcj]

Hello Scott. You're pretty close by. How are you doing millin around here?  Drop me a line sometime. Charles

[ScottAR]

Actually, I'm just a wannabe at this point.  ;D  I don't own a mill even... I'm just here watchin' and learnin' for the time being.   I do believe there is a market as I do see lumber advertised in the local papers and I see a mill for sale every now and then.    


If/when I get a mill, it'll most likely be for my own enjoyment/lumber.  Swingblade most likely...  

[rpg52]

Interesting thread.  I was raised on a farm (cow-calf), still have part interest in it.  Formal training as a biologist/ecologist.  Couldn't stand urban living, so moved to foothills of Sierra Nevadas and started my wife's business (Veterinary Hospital) 20 years ago.  Have worked consulting on development projects but no longer, teach horticulture part time at community college.  Have always wanted to mill lumber - live in mixed conifer zone - 5 different conifers 3-4 different hardwoods.  Have always hated to see all the local oak cut into firewood, and want to use the small diameter conifers that the local forests are choked with.  Am setting up a small circle mill for my own entertainment and to feed my minor woodworking addiction.  Hope to have it going by next year.  Also want to get a forestry program going for local people, to manage our forests better than they are currently, and develop the local economy.
Ray

[Tam-i-am]

I'm not sure why my husband Kevin didn't post here but here is his story:

Bought a WM Lt25 as a hobby.  Had that for two years and sawed for friends.  Then traded for a  WM LT40 Super because he knew he would be laid off from his engineering position at JDS Uniphase.

Turned his hobby into a full time business.  Sawed full time for two years.  Broke a lot of peavey handles and reengineered the tool.  The new tool took off and LogRite came to be.  Now he tries to balance both sawing and selling/manufacturing tools.

[oakiemac]

Logrite girl,
I saw the logrite cant hook at the roast and I was impressed. In the near future, I'll be buying one especially since I didn't win the one at the roast. >:( ;D