Couple milling questions

[STLfirewood]

I have the option to cut some dunnage for a company. They want 2 1/2"x3 1/2" oak pieces 102" long. They are a piping company and use them to stack and ship pipe. They usually buy 2 tractor trailer loads a year. I'm looking for another way to make some money without have to punch a time clock and I would have to leave the farm except for delivery. They want to pay $3.25 a piece banded and delivered. I have a skid steer with a pretty heavy lift to load so that isn't an issue. The have a fork lift to unload. I have a woodmizer LT15 to cut on. Am I wasting my time trying to do this? I'm not looking to get rich just to make decent money. I will have a lot of 1" lumber if I do this. Has anyone ever sold to a pallet mill? I'm sure they don't pay much but it could be another source to get rid of some wood. Also is there a website or a book I can read that will show me the best way to get the most lumber out of a log. Right now I just square a cant up in 4 cut and make boards out of it. I leave some really thick slabs. It's not a big problem right now because I turn them into firewood and sell them. But if I could get more for the lumber I would. Thanks Scott

 

[Cody Colston]

I just bought this publication... https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?itemID=20490

There is a chapter on how to saw logs for grade and yield. Woodmizer sponsored it.

 

[STLfirewood]

Thanks for the link I'll have to check that out. Also forgot to mention I have a logger that will supply all the logs. He charges me $180 a thousand for saw logs and $240 a thousand for tie log delivered.

Thanks Scott

 

[1953greg]

2.5x3.5/12x8.5= 6.2bf/cant
at 18 cents/ft you wil have bout $1.12 in each for the wood
at 24 cents/ft you wil have bout $1.49 in each for the wood

so if you can handle 17' logs you will immediately save 1/4

i havent milled logs w/ those size cants but i think it wil be hard to get 100% out of the logs
i would guess 85%, maybe.

so that would make the cost 1.32 or 1.75 bux

IF you did 100/day that would be $150-190/day minus operating costs
maybe clear $100-140/day.

 

[MHouse1028]

i think you would probably do alrite..and as long as you find an efficient way to do it i say go for it plus you can't beat working at home..this is how many small operations grew into big business this exact way :msp_smile: