Looking to start milling bussiness partime

[mitch95100]

:help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help:
Hey i am looking to start milling part time for some extra dough.
I am looking at starting with my dolmar 7900 and the granberg 24" chainsaw mill
I already know i need slabbing brackets, ripping chain, wedges, ax, and am going to get the HD air filter kit for the dolmar,ect.
Could any of you guys tell me what else i might need
Mabey prices that the boards are going for.
Oak
Hickory
Cedar
Cottonwood
best way to store them and best way to sell em'
Even some tips from the smart guys
Thanks for the help

 

[mtngun]

Could any of you guys tell me what else i might need

A portable bandmill.

best way to store them and best way to sell em'

Don't cut until you have an order.

 

[deeker]

A portable bandmill.


Don't cut until you have an order.

Short, sweet and dead on.

 

[smokinj]

The hardwood you have there really does not bring much per board foot. csm you will work that saw to death just to break even. Csm you can make a little if your working with wood that cant be bought through a normal mill opreation. You really cant compete with average milling stock. 7900 a good cross cut saw but trying to make money with it as a csm its going to take it tough. (hobbiest csm and taking it easy it would be fine)

 

[mitch95100]

The hardwood you have there really does not bring much per board foot. csm you will work that saw to death just to break even. Csm you can make a little if your working with wood that cant be bought through a normal mill opreation. You really cant compete with average milling stock. 7900 a good cross cut saw but trying to make money with it as a csm its going to take it tough. (hobbiest csm and taking it easy it would be fine)

I can also use my 066 and also I do have walnut and other hard woods like that
Truth fully I want to do it as a hObby/ and sell what I make

 

[gemniii]

I can also use my 066 and also I do have walnut and other hard woods like that
Truth fully I want to do it as a hObby/ and sell what I make

Your 066 would do better, but the main problem is getting buyers. Wood is CHEAP now. I just spoke to a Lowes manager from NC who was bemoaning that noone is building houses. So the furniture market is also down.

And remember you normally have to stack and dry wood for a long time before it's ready for sale.

If there was money to be made in it every high school dropout who could make an effort would be doing it. It's only slightly harder than cutting trees down and a lot safer.

 

[smokinj]

I can also use my 066 and also I do have walnut and other hard woods like that
Truth fully I want to do it as a hObby/ and sell what I make

Walnut throw's a whole new spinn on things. Both saws will serve you well. Stick with the walnut and look into the wide stuff people love it 20inch and over. This is stuff must mills will not have and 2 live edges just adds to the hard to find lumber. Hope it helps and keep looking for the BIG Wide stuff.

 

[discounthunter]

you need people willing to buy the wood before you even go any further.


if you cut wood then say post it on CL ,you are selling green(wet) rough cut wood thats worth about the same as firewood. it doesnt matter what species. if your going to try to make some money start collecting crotch pieces,burls or and possibley curly or figured ones.

 

[TraditionalTool]

Could any of you guys tell me what else i might need

A Bandsaw mill...hopefully you weren't looking to get rich with your chainsaw/ganberg...

 

[rarefish383]

There just happened to be an article in the paper this week of a local small miller making good. He gets most of his logs free from local Tree Services. The big, ugly, knotty stuff that doesn't split well and they have to pay to dump. It has taken him years of doing this as a hobby to where he has built a rep for having desirable wood that can't be found any where else. Take your Walnut for instance. When cut it will have a very light sap wood and darker heart wood, let it sit for 10 years, and it will turn dark brown all the way to the live edge. He actually burries his in saw dust for a couple years. Like mentioned above, don't cut till you have an order.

Two logs I planked up last year were nicely spalted. Spalting is a process caused by fungi in the wood as it starts to rot, making desirable lines, patterns and colors in the wood. Make sure you use a respirator when milling possible spalted wood, the fungi can cause possible fatal lung infections.

On a whim I put 4 little pieces cut from one plank in a local farm auction just to see what they would sell for, and got $45. If wood is spalted with nice patterns you can sell it on Ebay. Small pieces for turning Pens or making handles for Knives.

The guy in the news paper article uses a band mill for most of his work. The big slab of Walnut shown looks to me to have been slabbed with a CSM. The article said Washington Redskin, Chris Cooley, just bought 3 of his tables to put in his Art Gallery.

A good sawyer can look at a log and tell how to turn it to get the best yeild out of it. When slabbing for tables and benches, slab furniture in general, it can take a more artful eye to get the best cut, not caring about yeild.

Good luck with your endeaver and keep us posted, keep pics coming too, Joe.

 

[pwoller]

I started milling for wood for myself to build stuff with. I ended up with some extra 2 inch thick oak slabs about 2 feet wide and 8 foot long. I put a add on clist and sold it in a day. The buyer saw some fresh cut walnut and said to call him when it was dry. Since then I cant keep enough wood for myself, I guess what I'm saying is that there is a market in my area for big wide thick hardwood. I'm not saying it will be the best way to make a living but it covers expenses and a little more.

 

[mitch95100]

Ok guys thanks for the help.
Currently I have a job that makes more than enough money for me to live comfortably. I am looking at milling this for some extra spending money for more saws and my saw collection to do in the summer, ect. So if i get the mill and use my saw. I already have buyers that dont want a semi load of wood just some boards to make shelves, cabinets, ect.
So will the smaller mill work for this application or not?
also i need some average prices so i can get this rolling.
Thanks

 

[pwoller]

I have just been throwing a number out depending upon how much I would want to keep it for myself to use. Depending upon thickness, wood type, length, ect. 50-100 a slab for 4 or 5 foot 2 inch thick walnut. Oh and its kiln dryed, most people here want it that way.

 

[mikeb1079]

i actually think this is a fine idea as long as your expectations are reasonable. what i mean is, chainsaw milling is hard, and it's wasteful, and it's slow. this is why some of the fellas are telling you to purchase an entry level bandsaw mill (typically 3 to 5k). your not gonna be making thousands of dollars with an alaskan mill. but why not slab up some hardwood logs and throw up an ad on craigslist? around here it seems like fresh cut lumber doesn't bring much at all (too wet) so you'll probably want to stack and sticker it for awhile. also, you should consider building yourself a solar kiln to dry your slabs faster and more completely. there's many plans online that i've seen, and i don't think it would cost much. as a very general rule of thumb, i've noticed around here (wi) that dried lumber on craigslist usually brings around half the going rate of retail. for example, if walnut brings 7$ a bf at a lumber yard, you may be able to get 3$ a bf or so. but as pwoller mentioned slabs can be different, in that they're unique. i've never sold any but i'd guess that the best way would be just trial and error. consider your time, the size and rarity of the wood, and throw out a ballpark figure. if you get no responses you can always adjust your asking price. i say go for it.
good luck!

 

[redoakneck]

Good advice here. I have been doing this for a few months and went to a local fine wood store and asked them what they would buy. They mainly want walnut and cherry, and if you are csm sell thick slabs 6/4(1.5") or larger so you don't kill yourself with the small stuff. Go big, wide and thick. They really want spalted or burled stuff that has neat grain patterns.

I would go to a 36" mill so you can mill up to 30" wide. I am using a 7900 also and I can not stress how important it is you keep a SHARP chain or you will be real, real slow!! I have a power match plus 36" bar and had a water jet guy put a 5/16 hole in the center of the nose sprocket bearings. You may want to buy 2-3 extra noses and have them all done at once in case you need back-up. I did 3 total.

If you are going to mill other types of wood you may not be able to sell it quick. I have a bunch of sycamore slabs and they look really cool but not much of a market.

I use the woodland pro ripping chain and I like it. Trying to re- sharpen it down to 5 degrees.

where are you located????

 

[redoakneck]

I started milling for wood for myself to build stuff with. I ended up with some extra 2 inch thick oak slabs about 2 feet wide and 8 foot long. I put a add on clist and sold it in a day. The buyer saw some fresh cut walnut and said to call him when it was dry. Since then I cant keep enough wood for myself, I guess what I'm saying is that there is a market in my area for big wide thick hardwood. I'm not saying it will be the best way to make a living but it covers expenses and a little more.

How much you get for those oak slabs??? Red or white oak??

I have some 3" thick, 28" wide 8'+ long ash slabs I may sell.

 

[mitch95100]

Good advice here. I have been doing this for a few months and went to a local fine wood store and asked them what they would buy. They mainly want walnut and cherry, and if you are csm sell thick slabs 6/4(1.5") or larger so you don't kill yourself with the small stuff. Go big, wide and thick. They really want spalted or burled stuff that has neat grain patterns.

I would go to a 36" mill so you can mill up to 30" wide. I am using a 7900 also and I can not stress how important it is you keep a SHARP chain or you will be real, real slow!! I have a power match plus 36" bar and had a water jet guy put a 5/16 hole in the center of the nose sprocket bearings. You may want to buy 2-3 extra noses and have them all done at once in case you need back-up. I did 3 total.

If you are going to mill other types of wood you may not be able to sell it quick. I have a bunch of sycamore slabs and they look really cool but not much of a market.

I use the woodland pro ripping chain and I like it. Trying to re- sharpen it down to 5 degrees.

where are you located????

Iowa

 

[mitch95100]

ok heres the million dollar question.
WILL IT WORK???
Im on a tight budget
im also not looking to get rich on this job mabey to make 1000 a year working hard
Appreciate your help
Mitch95100

 

[pwoller]

How much you get for those oak slabs??? Red or white oak??

I have some 3" thick, 28" wide 8'+ long ash slabs I may sell.

The tree was black oak, a red oak lumber I guess. I got 50 a slab, bu tthe real intrest and money was for the walnut.

 

[pwoller]

ok heres the million dollar question.
WILL IT WORK???
Im on a tight budget
im also not looking to get rich on this job mabey to make 1000 a year working hard
Appreciate your help
Mitch95100

Sure it will work if you have people that want to buy what your alaskan mill can do but a bandsaw mill cant. Thick wide slabs.