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Rough Sawn Lumber - Board Foot Prices

woods

I probably did it wrong.
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Pricing out a woodmill. Seeing if its worth it or not. About $3800.

Got ten trees, pine, that will need to come down. They're within striking distance of the house. Six of them have to be 100'. Four are about 80'.

Circumferences range from 63" to 28".

Using a few calculators and Excel, I've got a total of 7414 board feet. Now that's a rough estimate.

I clear an area for a shop, I probably have another thirty 50'rs with circumferences of 20" to 40". So not as big as the ones by the house. But, we'll ignore those for right now.

Got a little online calculator here for board foot costs. I only found one CL listing and it had pine at $.65/board foot. But its over a month old.

$.70/board foot, 7414 board feet, and it comes to ~$5200. Call it $4500 on the conservative side.

That sound about right? :confused:
 
I own a sawmill, and have access to nearly constant log supply. Granted most of it is ponderosa pine which doesn't make the best dimensional lumber because of the amount of knots.
If you are making dimensional lumber, its not worth it, even with a 2x4 at $5-6.
I think the only place it makes sense to own it and justify it is on 1x boards for siding or other stuff.
Another consideration is stacking and drying the lumber, it eats up room and takes time. Im in CO where its pretty dry and it takes 3-4 months to dry it.
I did just build a play house for my kids exclusively with lumber from it, worked great but I never dried any of it. I dont really care if it twists and comes out of square on this thing.

I enjoy doing it which is how I justify owning it. It roughly takes me an hour per log to load and mill it so it is a little time consuming, you will have a lot of waste in each log, that is one thing that surprised me. Handling the logs would be miserable without heavy equipment, I use a skid steer or excavator with a thumb to load the logs. Rotating them on the bunks can suck, my mill sits on the ground and its easy to accidentally move the entire mill off its supports when you rotate a log. I need to pour a concrete pad and anchor it down, or build a trailer for it to make it mobile.
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a lot of the sawmills have around a 30-36” limit but the larger logs you can cut slabs with a chainsaw mill until it fits in the sawmill. its a lot of work but if you already have equipment to move the logs and space to sticker them to dry it’s worth it.

5 years ago I took down a few walnut trees. I spent about $ 400 between the chainsaw mill, ripping chains and fuel. I also spent a few hundred for materials to build a solar kiln after the wood dried outside for a year. the amount of walnut I got out of it, I would have paid $4-5000 for so it was well worth it
 
I own a sawmill, and have access to nearly constant log supply. Granted most of it is ponderosa pine which doesn't make the best dimensional lumber because of the amount of knots.
If you are making dimensional lumber, its not worth it, even with a 2x4 at $5-6.
I think the only place it makes sense to own it and justify it is on 1x boards for siding or other stuff.
Another consideration is stacking and drying the lumber, it eats up room and takes time. Im in CO where its pretty dry and it takes 3-4 months to dry it.
I did just build a play house for my kids exclusively with lumber from it, worked great but I never dried any of it. I dont really care if it twists and comes out of square on this thing.

I enjoy doing it which is how I justify owning it. It roughly takes me an hour per log to load and mill it so it is a little time consuming, you will have a lot of waste in each log, that is one thing that surprised me. Handling the logs would be miserable without heavy equipment, I use a skid steer or excavator with a thumb to load the logs. Rotating them on the bunks can suck, my mill sits on the ground and its easy to accidentally move the entire mill off its supports when you rotate a log. I need to pour a concrete pad and anchor it down, or build a trailer for it to make it mobile.




Souther front range?
 
I own a sawmill, and have access to nearly constant log supply. Granted most of it is ponderosa pine which doesn't make the best dimensional lumber because of the amount of knots.
If you are making dimensional lumber, its not worth it, even with a 2x4 at $5-6.
I think the only place it makes sense to own it and justify it is on 1x boards for siding or other stuff.
Another consideration is stacking and drying the lumber, it eats up room and takes time. Im in CO where its pretty dry and it takes 3-4 months to dry it.
I did just build a play house for my kids exclusively with lumber from it, worked great but I never dried any of it. I dont really care if it twists and comes out of square on this thing.

I enjoy doing it which is how I justify owning it. It roughly takes me an hour per log to load and mill it so it is a little time consuming, you will have a lot of waste in each log, that is one thing that surprised me. Handling the logs would be miserable without heavy equipment, I use a skid steer or excavator with a thumb to load the logs. Rotating them on the bunks can suck, my mill sits on the ground and its easy to accidentally move the entire mill off its supports when you rotate a log. I need to pour a concrete pad and anchor it down, or build a trailer for it to make it mobile.




Pretty much the exact thing I'm looking at. Actually, thats the exact woodmill I was looking at.

Just looking to have some rough sawn on hand. I can dry it for a year, fine. Stack it up separated and whatnot. Use it for perhaps small sheds, greenhouse, chicken coop, etc. Couple more deer stands perhaps. That sort of thing.

I've got an L series Kubota. Backhoe has a thumb on it, but I also plumbed in a third function on the front so I could eventually do a full size grapple.

I do see it becoming another project though. $3800 didn't seem like that much. The wood processors I was pricing out were about $15,000. So in comparison, this is doable.

I'm on 20 acres of dense forest, so I do have somewhat steady access to wood. I mean, I'm not going to clear the whole lot. Which was the other thing, once I clear the area for the shop, and take down the ten close pine trees, I'm not sure if there's a use afterwards.

Just hate to have all the pine trees come down and not have anything to do with them. Camp wood perhaps?
 
Pretty much the exact thing I'm looking at. Actually, thats the exact woodmill I was looking at.

Just looking to have some rough sawn on hand. I can dry it for a year, fine. Stack it up separated and whatnot. Use it for perhaps small sheds, greenhouse, chicken coop, etc. Couple more deer stands perhaps. That sort of thing.

I've got an L series Kubota. Backhoe has a thumb on it, but I also plumbed in a third function on the front so I could eventually do a full size grapple.

I do see it becoming another project though. $3800 didn't seem like that much. The wood processors I was pricing out were about $15,000. So in comparison, this is doable.

I'm on 20 acres of dense forest, so I do have somewhat steady access to wood. I mean, I'm not going to clear the whole lot. Which was the other thing, once I clear the area for the shop, and take down the ten close pine trees, I'm not sure if there's a use afterwards.

Just hate to have all the pine trees come down and not have anything to do with them. Camp wood perhaps?

Its a good mill, definitely on the lower end but works fine for what I need from it. Go with the higher HP engine, I think it comes with a 9hp, and I went with the 14HP, still easy to stall out in a wide cut. Buy lots of blades for it, you learn quick to lower your bunks after hitting one. It is also amazing the shit that is inside trees, I cant believe how many nails I have hit on trees that were no were near a fence.
I enjoy it, no way to justify it other than that. I look forward to a day I can go mill lumber and make something from the wood that came from my property. I would be probably be time and money ahead to buy it.
 
I gave up trying to justify purchasing anything, I just buy it if I want it, fuck it, we're only here for a short time. If I had to justify anything I probably wouldn't have anything fun!
I would however take the time and mount it on some concrete whether piers or pad. Your first project can be building a roof over it.
 
I only have a chainsaw mill, but I have a friend with a big mill. He sells at 55-75 cents a foot. I have done a lot of projects where I could not mill enough, so I get it from him. I have traded labor before too. I don't think he makes much doing it, but he inherited the mill and it runs on an old vw engine. It is a lot of fun and rewarding to do and make stuff from the wood... my neighbors always say how it is amazing that my adirondack chairs and tables and other benches and chairs came from my trees... and from start to finish. I like it too... it isn't amazing, but it is gratifying somehow.

The harbor freight mill is 2K and probably almost as good as that one.. just a thought. Some of this stuff is JUST for the learning and knowing and doing... making money is awesome, but making your own stuff is a hell of a lot more fun than golf or some other activity that could eat 3800.00 in a summer.

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Yep. Wasn't sure which way to go. Circumference or diameter.

just that in the op you used circumference and not more commonly understood diameter. tells me youre already sold on it and looking for confirmation.

so just buy that damn thing already!


i've got no interest in milling wood, but of all the people i know who do and have bought mills. none have regretted it. also only one i know used theirs to directly make money,(it was ~ $25k, hyd log loader, a router thing for some reason.. fancy stuff) and as soon as the machine was paid for it was only used for personal projects. sort of a hobby time relaxing-ish thing. his property also exploded with sheds and storage areas all over since lumber was practically free. aint nobody got time for dry, build sheds green, gives them more character later on
 
just that in the op you used circumference and not more commonly understood diameter. tells me youre already sold on it and looking for confirmation.

so just buy that damn thing already!


i've got no interest in milling wood, but of all the people i know who do and have bought mills. none have regretted it. also only one i know used theirs to directly make money,(it was ~ $25k, hyd log loader, a router thing for some reason.. fancy stuff) and as soon as the machine was paid for it was only used for personal projects. sort of a hobby time relaxing-ish thing. his property also exploded with sheds and storage areas all over since lumber was practically free. aint nobody got time for dry, build sheds green, gives them more character later on

Build it with vertical boards green... following season, add the the battens:grinpimp::grinpimp::grinpimp::grinpimp:
 
just that in the op you used circumference and not more commonly understood diameter. tells me youre already sold on it and looking for confirmation.

Naw, the reason I started with circumference was because I have all the numbers written down on a scrap piece of 2x4 on my desk right here. :laughing:

Me and the kiddo went outside and I had him hold the measuring tape momma uses for her quilting and I got the numbers.
 
I don’t think you’ll have much luck selling pine boards, especially that aren’t kiln dried. You might have some to farmers and stuff with how expensive lumberyard prices have gotten.

The guys with sawmills here hate sawing pine due to all the sap and resin that burns onto the blade and gums everything up.

If you’ve got acreage where you’re always building something, it’s probably worth it to just be able to go grab lumber out of a stack that didn’t cost you anything.
 
Buy it, drop your trees and mill them, stack and stick em in a covered area with air flow, and sell the mill.

Then, when you're short 25' of lumber that you milled, you can pay extra for different lumber that doesn't exactly match what you have.

It's a perfect plan. I've seen it work 3 or 4 times.
 
One advantage of having your own mill is you can slow it down , rotate the log and have really nice lumber at the end where you don't need to have a power plane or a grinder with 24 grit to true stuff up. Nothing like getting 8 2x4's that look the same and can use for skis or a giant rocking chair! And if you're into using old, distressed,reclaimed wood you can build some awesome furniture too .
 
just that in the op you used circumference and not more commonly understood diameter. tells me youre already sold on it and looking for confirmation.

so just buy that damn thing already!


i've got no interest in milling wood, but of all the people i know who do and have bought mills. none have regretted it. also only one i know used theirs to directly make money,(it was ~ $25k, hyd log loader, a router thing for some reason.. fancy stuff) and as soon as the machine was paid for it was only used for personal projects. sort of a hobby time relaxing-ish thing. his property also exploded with sheds and storage areas all over since lumber was practically free. aint nobody got time for dry, build sheds green, gives them more character later on

It’s also easier to measure circumference than diameter precisely if you are an oaf.
 
The Amish and Mennonites around here sell pine boards to farmers...A friend who an arborist gets quite the pile of logs..He hires a man with a portable saw to come over to do the cutting.I have helped him and got a nice load of boards, all hard wood, mostly oak and maple...The sawman get pissed when the logs have large embedded nails or barrbed wire...
 
Build it with vertical boards green... following season, add the the battens:grinpimp::grinpimp::grinpimp::grinpimp:

I think that you are fairly local to me so if your friend is as well, I would be interested in buying some rough lumber directly so long as its dried. No storage to wait on it
 
You thinking of cutting dimensional lumber or true size (2x4-2x6-ect)

My father cuts and builds out of true size, and it’s beefcake!
 
I could see myself trying out freehand chainsaw milling some timbers some time
2x stuff... don't see much point in it, even current prices are fairly cheap if you're figuring on the cost of buying and running a band mill along with the amount of time you gotta throw at it to get trees turned into lumber
if it's a hobby, then sure, then that isn't so much throwing time away as it is just doing something you enjoy

just got done burning so much 1x that was a rotten barn roof that I'd be just fine with never seeing more of that shit
gimmie plywood and sheetmetal
some of it was 1x22" big goddamn tree
 
You thinking of cutting dimensional lumber or true size (2x4-2x6-ect)

My father cuts and builds out of true size, and it’s beefcake!

building code in a lotta places around here says if you're using 'ungraded' lumber it's gotta be full dimension
kinda sucks because you've gotta get longer than normal screws and nails
 
Those of you who have sawmills, what are some features about it that you certainly like, and what are some things you wish that it had? I am collecting parts to assemble a mill because I enjoy building stuff, and I already have a lot of the materials in possession to build one (bearings, large bandsaw wheels, etc).
I caught the part about going with the higher HP engine on the woodland mills type machine, and the watching out for the bunks and nails, etc. Have a metal detector on hand and don't doubt that my trees are full of nails and barbed wire from the 200 plus years of stuff going on here.
 
I have a mill, like already mentioned you need machinery to handle the log

I have done a large project and that is about it. I need a 2x4, I just go get one from the hardware store for a couple of bucks

You will go though more blades than you think
You will find every staple in the tree, and every .22 bullet that was ever shot in the county:laughing:

There is a learning curve to get the most out of your log

and like everything else, the neighborhood will expect you to move your whole set up to their house to get 12 boards out of the one blow down that they have, and you should do it for fun if you don't you are a jerk
 
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