milling ?

[treeman82]

I have a question for you guys with mills, or for those who take their wood to people with small mills.

I HAD been taking some of my good wood to a local guy with a mill. Here's my history and I'd like to see what you guys have to say.

Last year I took down a bunch of large red oaks and a cherry tree for this one customer of mine. I referred the local guy, and he went over with his portable mill... took all of the cherry, and half of the oak. Apparently he left a bunch of really nice oak boards though.

Last fall I cut down a black walnut.. brought 2 small logs (10 & 17" butt diameter?) over to his house... delivered, he gave me $20 for gas. I asked if I could get a few pieces of it... went over this spring to get some and he gave me 3 pieces... but they had bark on both sides... so there was a lot of trim work to do still... whereas the stuff he kept for himself was quarter sawn with no bark or anything. He did also give me a piece of oak, a piece of ash, and a piece of poplar to go along with the 3 pieces of walnut.

This summer... (the last dealing I had with him) I took some cherry over to his place... said I'd need some of it back. The biggest log was about 32" at the butt, and roughly 9' long... BIG piece. nice clean log with no knots. Then there were about 8 other logs of varying sizes... Couple of weeks go by and he calls me up to come and get the stuff... he had quarter sawn most of the big sucker for himself, and perhaps took 1 of the others for himself all sawn up nice. He gave me 2 slabs off of the big sucker, but on one of the sides... so lots of sapwood, and then he gave me 2 other logs just straight sawn.... all bark on everything. Some of the others were kind of small, so I don't know what he did with them... He said they weren't worth messing with... shorter logs (6') but straight, or something longer with a smaller diameter... 8"???

I don't mean to sound greedy or anything, seeing as how I'm no carpenter anyways... but I was wondering what is the normal way to split up wood in this type of situation?

 

[deeker]

I cut up two large walnut trees earlier this year. He delivered the logs, and I had to cut off the big branches. At least closer to the trunk.
Thick bark, and it had a few nails. I pulled it off his trailer, and onto the mill and cut them up. He did not want them edged, so he got back boards that were flatsawn.

The customer is always certian of no nails. Wrong!!! 95% of the time. Customer buys the blades that are broken, teeth knocked off from his metal free logs.

The split??? 60% me 40% him. When I cut down and haul the trees it is 75% mine. Or I charge $45 an hour.

Always discuss the split or fees before cutting is done. Help pulling off slabs reduces time. As in "tail end" work.

Several options are available.

Kevin Davis
Ruff Cutts

 

[BlueRider]

the old time traditional split for when you take the logs to a small sawyer is to pile the boards in 4 equal piles. the sawyer picks a pile. the log owner picks two piles and the sawyer take the last pile.

 

[woodshop]

...I don't mean to sound greedy or anything, seeing as how I'm no carpenter anyways...

Quite the opposite, from what you are saying it's the sawyer in this case that is being greedy. Just because you're no carpenter or woodworker doesn't mean you shouldn't get a fair share of some of the premium stuff from the logs you bring him. Maybe you're taking those boards to a woodworker who will make something for you... maybe you'll sell them to a woodworker... maybe you just want them because you deserve them. If he is taking your logs but not giving you a fair share of the good stuff from them, tell him that, and tell him he can find somebody else to bring him premium cherry logs from now on. I like the 4 equal piles deal Bluerider refers to. Of course if this guy gets to pick the first pile, make sure they are EQUEL piles.

Another thing to think about... instead of giving somebody lumber, which most times they don't really want or need, and instead of giving them money for the log because many times it's a win win situation where I'm clearing away a log they might have had to pay somebody to do, IF it's a really premium log that I'll get several hundred feet of premium cherry or walnut from, I often offer to make something from my woodshop for them. Even though I had to spend a day milling it, in exchange for 500 bd ft of top grade cherry (well over a grand even wet off the saw here in PA), I'll gladly spend 6 more hours in my shop making them a small table or something. I have found that if I do that even if there are several people asking to take the log (usually firewood cutters), I will get it if I want it.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have a question for you guys with mills, or for those who take their wood to people with small mills.

I HAD been taking some of my good wood to a local guy with a mill. Here's my history and I'd like to see what you guys have to say.

Last year I took down a bunch of large red oaks and a cherry tree for this one customer of mine. I referred the local guy, and he went over with his portable mill... took all of the cherry, and half of the oak. Apparently he left a bunch of really nice oak boards though.

Last fall I cut down a black walnut.. brought 2 small logs (10 & 17" butt diameter?) over to his house... delivered, he gave me $20 for gas. I asked if I could get a few pieces of it... went over this spring to get some and he gave me 3 pieces... but they had bark on both sides... so there was a lot of trim work to do still... whereas the stuff he kept for himself was quarter sawn with no bark or anything. He did also give me a piece of oak, a piece of ash, and a piece of poplar to go along with the 3 pieces of walnut.

This summer... (the last dealing I had with him) I took some cherry over to his place... said I'd need some of it back. The biggest log was about 32" at the butt, and roughly 9' long... BIG piece. nice clean log with no knots. Then there were about 8 other logs of varying sizes... Couple of weeks go by and he calls me up to come and get the stuff... he had quarter sawn most of the big sucker for himself, and perhaps took 1 of the others for himself all sawn up nice. He gave me 2 slabs off of the big sucker, but on one of the sides... so lots of sapwood, and then he gave me 2 other logs just straight sawn.... all bark on everything. Some of the others were kind of small, so I don't know what he did with them... He said they weren't worth messing with... shorter logs (6') but straight, or something longer with a smaller diameter... 8"???

I don't mean to sound greedy or anything, seeing as how I'm no carpenter anyways... but I was wondering what is the normal way to split up wood in this type of situation?

I'd say the "biggest" problem is, you didn't TELL the sawyer what YOU EXPECTED back out of the logs. You left that up to him, and he did what he wanted...

Sooo, next time tell him, "How about i leave you these logs, but here's what i want back (tell him) and then say, does that sound fair to you?" If he says NO, try to come to and agreement or move on...

DM

 

[Husky137]

:agree2: :agree2: :agree2: :agree2:

 

[Backwoods]

Like has been said here earlier, tell him what you expect. When you both come to an agreement, ask to get it in wrighting. This will help him to keep his word, and take pictures and measurements of the logs as well and make sure he knows you have the pictures and measurements.
Like Deeker stated the days of a 50-50 split are mostly gone, however if you deliver that ups your anty in the deal.
I prefer to divide the logs up rather then divide the wood up, then mill the customer’s logs the way he wants them, and my logs the way I want them. You pick a log he picks a log kinda thing works real well for the most part and if one log is way better quality and both want that log divide it up.
I also try to make something out of the log for the person I got the log from just to give them a memento of the tree.

 

[Burlhunter13]

sounds like you got the really really short end of the stick...you actually kinda got robbed in my book...if you delivered all of those logs and he gave you that little....

If I am milling for splitting the wood, with no cash involved...then I normally do a 50/50 split mixing nice and ok looking boards. (I like that idea of stacking in 4 piles and letting the sawyer pick first and the customer picking the second two and the sawyer gets the last. Thats fair.) If I have to drive far to saw the log then I automatically get 2/3rds of the log.
If there are several logs then I will be more reasonable with the split if I have to drive.

Now if there is cash involved then I will work out a better deal of a split, or no split at all ( all wood to customer). It all depends on how much money and whether or not the log is delivered. In any case, I try to be as fair as possible. Thats how you build good relationships with the locals and everyone goes home smiling.