is it worth it

[AdamL]

Hey, I've been reading alot of posts here and I have been kicking around the idea of buying a CS mill for my 066 stihl. Now I looking at this as more of a way to make extra cash on the side.... I would get logs rough cut them and sell them, now I was just wondering if this would be worth all the time and work. I have loacted a few logs all just over 8 feet in length. we have cherry, red oak, hickory, Ash and hard Maple. Prices for logs are as follows; all approx 16 inch diameter. Cherry:$40, Redoak: $35 Ash:$25 hickory:$ 15 and hard maple:$20.
Online I found a log rule quick chart and according to that a 16 inch diameter log 8 ft long is about 80 br ft total, now there will be some loss(the edges and also the width of chain and bar on every cut) I would hope to retain 60% of the volume to convert in to useable lumber so that would equal to 48 bd ft. so the intial cost per cherry log would be about .84cents per bd ft. Is this a good price???? What does rough sawn lumber typically bring, I've checked online and found ready to use top quality to cost around $6.00 per bd ft, I'm not looking to get rich but I don't feel like wasting my timer either... Thanks for any input.
Adam

 

[mtngun]

Not all of the boards will be "top quality," so your $6/bf figure might be wishful thinking.

If there were easy money sawing logs, a bandsaw mill would quickly pay for itself.

Chainsaw milling can be a hobby, or it can be a way to make lumber in a wilderness type setting. I don't see it being a moneymaker unless you have some very unusual wood -- very large slabs, burls, etc..

 

[BobL]

Hey, I've been reading alot of posts here and I have been kicking around the idea of buying a CS mill for my 066 stihl. Now I looking at this as more of a way to make extra cash on the side.... I would get logs rough cut them and sell them, now I was just wondering if this would be worth all the time and work. I have loacted a few logs all just over 8 feet in length. we have cherry, red oak, hickory, Ash and hard Maple. Prices for logs are as follows; all approx 16 inch diameter. Cherry:$40, Redoak: $35 Ash:$25 hickory:$ 15 and hard maple:$20.

I honestly can't see how anyone can make much money out of CS milling if they have to pay for logs. If you want to make money then a bandmill seems like a much better way to go.

 

[AdamL]

I know the wood is no were near top quality pricing, I guess I don't want to buy logs, mill them, and then not get what I even paid for the logs in the first place.... If I could double my money that would be great triple is even better, I have checked out bandsaw mills, but I don't want to bite off that much to start with. It's not like I have to buy the saw since I already have a large enough one, I have several length bars and I can buy stihl skip chains at work for about $10 a loop. so my biggest investments would be the mill followed by the logs. I have a few other locations to get wood from that would be cheaper or even free, but I guess I was just curious if I was wasting time an money, by buying these logs.

 

[mikeb1079]

hey adam, i'll do you one better. since we're neighbors, why don't you come up to madison sometime (ill be milling next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after...) and check out my rig. i run an 066 with a home built alaskan. you can try some csm'ing before you decide to buy one or not. better yet, if you like the csm thing, i'll build you a home brew milling jig for a case of guinness. i've got plenty of steel at the shop, and it don't take long to make one.

use this:

to make these

 

[huskyhank]

A ready supply of free logs might help you make a little bit of money, even then its a lot of work for not much return.

Check around on prices in your area for 5/4 rough green lumber of the species you have access to. I suspect you'll see that there's not much profit to be made there. That kind of material is a commodity and I doubt you can come close to even paying for your tools and gas.

Think about ways to cut something that people are buying but that is not readily available or very expensive. Then you might make it worth doing for money. You will have to add value to the wood by your labor and/or brains.

 

[Ted J]

I honestly can't see how anyone can make much money out of CS milling if they have to pay for logs. If you want to make money then a bandmill seems like a much better way to go.

Adam,
Are you a woodworker?

You can always make somthing out of the logs you mill and sell what you make. Start off making benches of something... it's a thought.

I wouldn't pass up an offer like Mike made... better have him make the milling jig before he drinks that Guinness though. :jawdrop:

Ted
:greenchainsaw:

 

[BlueRider]

That $6/bf wood is dry and is the best out of the log. it takes a year for a 1" thick board to dry and there will be some loss due to drying defects. green fresshly milld boards will fetch about $2/bf. the hard pard will be finding a market for the boards. Most woodworkers do not want or anr not able to store the boards for over a year before thay can be used.

The only way to make money with a chain saw mill is to use the wood you mill to make something and sell that or if you can find some thing unusual such as 36" or larger trees in a species that is in demand such as walnut or cherry. eand for those large trees you will want to slab them out at 2-4' and each slab will weigh several hundred lbs. these thick slabs will take 1 year/ 1' of thickness to dry and will not get you much more than the $2/bf untill they are dry then they will be worth premium dinero.

 

[AdamL]

I haven't done alot of wood working but I have been checking out some ideas as far a tables and such. We have two walls in our house of cedar shake which looks very nice, I would like to redo alot of the trim work in the house as well. As for the nice offer Mike made I've already contacted him. Couldn't pass on an opportunity like that

 

[mtngun]

hey adam, i'll do you one better. since we're neighbors, why don't you come up to madison sometime (ill be milling next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after...) and check out my rig. i run an 066 with a home built alaskan. you can try some csm'ing before you decide to buy one or not. better yet, if you like the csm thing, i'll build you a home brew milling jig for a case of guinness. i've got plenty of steel at the shop, and it don't take long to make one.

Rep'd you for that.

 

[BobL]

Rep'd you for that.

I tried to rep mike but couldn't so I tried to rep you for repn mike but couldn't do that either!

 

[huskyhank]

I tried to rep mike but couldn't so I tried to rep you for repn mike but couldn't do that either!

I got him.

 

[rarefish383]

hey adam, i'll do you one better. since we're neighbors, why don't you come up to madison sometime (ill be milling next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after...) and check out my rig. i run an 066 with a home built alaskan. you can try some csm'ing before you decide to buy one or not. better yet, if you like the csm thing, i'll build you a home brew milling jig for a case of guinness. i've got plenty of steel at the shop, and it don't take long to make one.

use this:

to make these

Mike, you da man, Joe.

 

[mikeb1079]

better have him make the milling jig before he drinks that Guinness though

amen to that!

thanks for the good words fellas. but you know i couldnt let a neighbor go on without knowing how cool and fun it is to mill your own lumber. i'll post some pics when adam and i get together.

 

[jimdad07]

hey adam, i'll do you one better. since we're neighbors, why don't you come up to madison sometime (ill be milling next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after...) and check out my rig. i run an 066 with a home built alaskan. you can try some csm'ing before you decide to buy one or not. better yet, if you like the csm thing, i'll build you a home brew milling jig for a case of guinness. i've got plenty of steel at the shop, and it don't take long to make one.

Rep sent. Another example of good people on here.

 

[jimdad07]

Adam,
Are you a woodworker?

You can always make something out of the logs you mill and sell what you make. Start off making benches of something... it's a thought.

That is what I am doing as a side line. Trying to get a good stockpile of good hardwoods milled and drying for next year, in the meanwhile, I am getting my redneck wood shop set up a little better for working in. Ted is right, start off on simple things and you can slowly teach yourself the ins and outs of woodworking. What is nice about milling your own is that you can afford to learn a lot cheaper than buying lumber (except tools).