Getting logs sawmilled

I picked up a clearance pallet of fence boards today for some outbuilding construction. I was thinking that I could use some of these as stickers, but I don't know if the treated wood would stain the wet boards.

Is it OK to use pressure treated wood as stickers?

i have used treated lumber under a pile but not as stickers and had no trouble,,,as for what i use for sticker is 1x2 furring strips like yu use for 12x12 ceiling tiles.. get a few bundles of 8ftrs and cut in half and yur ready to start stickering..

Rick Prosser said:

I picked up a clearance pallet of fence boards today for some outbuilding construction. I was thinking that I could use some of these as stickers, but I don't know if the treated wood would stain the wet boards.

Is it OK to use pressure treated wood as stickers?

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I don't see a problem. Concerning the "wet" sticker's, if you're going to be stacking "rough" cut lumber and plane it later, I don't believe the mold/staining would be much of an issue. The way I dry my lumber is to plane it close to finish dimension right after milling, then stack to dry.

If your fence boards "feel" wet, just set some apart to dry as much as they can before your lumber is cut.... I'd dig through the pile and grab all the "ugly" board to us for the sticker's....

On the other hand....I'm a bit overkill on everything I do, and most ppl who know me carry around those little packet's of salt to keep handy when I give advice...

Randy Wynn said:

Oh yes Rick, there are some worthy logs there no doubt. I just don't want you be disappointed from a low yield. But I can see there are a few good'uns in there. It turns out to be how fast your sawer is or wants to be as to how much you save. I am starting a new deal at my mill. I'm installing a time clock. I'll start the forklift and let it be warming up while I go punch in. From that point on, the bill is running. Now when break/lunchtime gets there I'll clock out then. Also when I new customer stops by. Then I'll bunch out and back in. I have had way more customers beat me down on my price on almost every sale, simply because I'm a good guy. I think the time clock will help alot. Just staple the time card to there bill.

P.S. trim all the limbs as close to the trunk as possible.

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Randy... most sawyers around here(what few there are) charge by the BF sawed... portable bandmills run about .50/bf.... the one permanent band-man charges a tad less....

James Edwards said:

Randy... most sawyers around here(what few there are) charge by the BF sawed... portable bandmills run about .50/bf.... the one permanent band-man charges a tad less....

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Hey James, I have found that I can't make ANY money sawing for BF price unless there big logs. Most customers have a tendency to think a 10 or 12 inch log, is a big log and they always measure the big end. Honestly, It's not worth my time to mill a bunch of sticks for a BF price. Now logs like I just did, would be great for a BF price. However, My price is pretty close. $45.00hr. for milling service and when I sell my lumber I sell it for between $.50 to $.60 BF. According to many varyables, HW, SW, log length, attitude, no it alls, and many others. Sometimes it might even go up to $.70BF for SYP if the person insults me bad enough that I don't care if he buy's or not. This is my game and I'm gonna start playing it that way.The nice guy has left the building.

Interesting inputs Randy...enjoyed that.

Rick...back in the day, when I actually had a real income, I bought a small manual bandmill. I think of it as a woodworking tool. Have never tried to make money with it, and won't, and also have never tried to figure out when it has "paid for itself"...have never tried to figure that out for my jointer, planer and tablesaw, either. What it lets me do is mess with the small stuff as well as the nice big ones. If you're not paying a sawyer you can afford to experiment. Anyway, such a solution probably won't help with your current log pile, but I'd recommend putting it on your "someday when the time is right list", particularly if you'll have logs available to you from time to time. I expect used ones show up for sale now and then. Something that really trips me out is making that first cut, lifting off the slab and seeing what's inside...never get tired of that.

I use the same stickers that Larry uses...furring strips. Cheap, usually dry enough, and long enough to cut to any length you need. I have had staining from using stickers that weren't dry.

Your boards will shrink some in thickness as they dry, and the first planing pass will remove some material as well, so I'd recommend overcutting. If you think you'll be working with final stock dimensioned to 3/4 I'd rough saw to 1"...warps, etc, also contribute to a reduced final thickness. Give yourself some wiggle room. The pain of some thickness being sucked away by the dust collector is less than the pain of looking at a beautiful board that's going to end up thinner than you need.

A lot of my small log experiments end up in the woodstove, but at least they had a chance.

Good luck with that pile...looks like fun.

Cheers.

Randy Wynn said:

Hey James, I have found that I can't make ANY money sawing for BF price unless there big logs. Most customers have a tendency to think a 10 or 12 inch log, is a big log and they always measure the big end. Honestly, It's not worth my time to mill a bunch of sticks for a BF price. Now logs like I just did, would be great for a BF price. However, My price is pretty close. $45.00hr. for milling service and when I sell my lumber I sell it for between $.50 to $.60 BF. According to many varyables, HW, SW, log length, attitude, no it alls, and many others. Sometimes it might even go up to $.70BF for SYP if the person insults me bad enough that I don't care if he buy's or not. This is my game and I'm gonna start playing it that way.The nice guy has left the building.

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whoa Bro... I was just lettin' ya in how they charge up here... I don't care if ya charge $100 hr... that's cool by me. I've found that for me, it's not worth cutting/hauling/unloading/stacking/waiting for a year to use it, for what I can buy it already sliced. the local mill where I buy what wood I buy, charges $1.80/bf for KD red oak- 8-10" wide... I can't do all that labor for that price.

James Edwards said:

whoa Bro... I was just lettin' ya in how they charge up here... I don't care if ya charge $100 hr... that's cool by me. I've found that for me, it's not worth cutting/hauling/unloading/stacking/waiting for a year to use it, for what I can buy it already sliced. the local mill where I buy what wood I buy, charges $1.80/bf for KD red oak- 8-10" wide... I can't do all that labor for that price.

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Man I know exactly what you mean. I wasn't trying to be nasty, it just has a tendency to sound that way as I am no writer and my punctuation and spelling isn't that great, I R A woodbutcher

Ed - Yes, having my own sawmill would be great. That was my first inclination since I will be having trees to process for a long time. Looked at everything from the small bracket add-on to my chainsaw - to the full size bandsaw mills. I like the idea of having one, but without any experience I did not feel I could make a good decision on the right one. I figure I can spend a few bucks to get some logs milled locally, see how things work and how the wood turns out, and them make an informed decision in the future. I might even buy one of the cheap chainsaw bracket thingys to compare with the local sawmill results.

one point that Ed brought up rick is the enjoyment of seeing whats inside..sometimes its the same ole thing and then the next time its something yu can wait to touch and brush of the sawdust.. as for buying your own.. i would have another guy do the buying and have yu do the gettin sawed.. at the cost of owning one of the bandmills yu need to stay right after it to make it pay and then yu done have time to use what yu have unless your retired then yu have alot of free time..but the look at whats inside desire never goes away if yur into wood!!!

Hey Rick, I'm often doing the same thing ya got going there. I have hauled somewhere around 14 logs to a band-sawmill guy this past year. I happen to have a decent cherry on the truck right now about to go in.

I have been thinking of keeping track of what I am spending in sawmill fees and looking at the economics of getting a bandsaw manual mill. My problem has been having access to logs that are to big to move so I either have to split them or saw them on site with an Alaskan style chainsaw mill. sometimes both. This last week a friend called me and wants "real wide boards" 16'-18' long. Minimum width is 16"-18". And they have to be something unusual. I'm sawing a 30" diameter x 19 ' beech right now into 8/4 planks for him. We couldn't pick it up with the backhoe.

So anyway it occurred to me to stick whatever he pays me for these planks into a sawmill account and keep adding to it, and forget about the money until it has grown big enough to get a mill. At the rate he is asking for unusual lumber that day may come quick. The current request is for beech, spalted beech and maple, and elm wide planks. I just so happen to have all of them available. He works on architectural pieces for multi-million dollar homes and it seems those high falutin folks want something the "Joneses don't have"

If you ever sticker up maple I would recommend that you dado out 1/4" of the middle of the sticker where it touches the boards above and below. The stickers would look like an "H" when done. This will keep sticker stain to a minimum in white woods that stain easily.

I also sometimes specify that 4/4 be actually sawed to 4-1/2-/4 or 5/4 because some woods move a lot when drying. Put lots of evenly distributed weight on top of the bunk to keep them flat.

I will saw just about any size log depending on what I plan to do with the lumber. If you are making cutting boards then an 8" diameter log can yield enough wood to be of value. Heck I saw firewood blocks for figured or spalted wood for pen blanks. I would guess that some of those firewood blocks ended up worth around $50 in pen blanks. Hate to burn that.

Rick...

Couple of things. Hold onto the idea of eventually having a band mill...you will get enough enjoyment out of that thing that you'll stop worrying about how it's going to "pay for itself". I agree with Randy that if you think you'll be sawing for cash go for the hydraulics. I just saw for my own shop needs and so didn't go for the extra expense, but as you know those wet logs are bloody heavy. And when you're trying to make a cant that's as rectangular as you can get it, horsing that thing into position for the 2d and 3d cuts will make you sweat (and swear). But I don't mill often enough to worry about it, and at my age I get some satisfaction out of still being able to turn those heavy buggers.

I agree too about the chain mill...last resort, might even turn you off about milling your own stock. Huge kerf...lots of waste. Hard to make consistent cuts. Special chains (have to rip). And probably more bad news.

I will tell you one to avoid. The one I bought. PM me if you want the name. I finally got it to the point that I was satisfied with it, but I had to make many more modifications than should have been necessary. I buy my bands from Suffolk Machinery (Timberwolf), and some time ago I had a long conversation with one of their techs. They have saws from many manufacturers there that they use for testing their products...this guy liked the Norwood. But I guess the bottom line is if a used saw pops up that looks good and the price is right, go for it.

I know a lot of guys would disagree with me, but I think it should be kept under roof. Another thing to think about. Mine is stationary in my barn, pretty well protected, so when I go down to use it after a few months it's not all rusted shut...still works fine.

Good luck with that.

Cheers.

I will spend some more time on sawmill forum to get more info on mill options.

Not planning to mill for money - just for what I might need. Of course, things might change

I have to say that milling for money is probably an iffy proposition in this economy. I'm with you Rick, in the sawing-for-my-own-use thing. I know several sawyers with expensive rigs that are struggling in this current market. They have plenty of sawing but the market isn't paying that well and they are just trying to survive. The only reason I'm sawing with the chainsaw mill is to keep the door open with my friend who needs unusual sizes and kinds of lumber. I wouldn't normally put up with the labor involved. It is hard work, but it's in my blood having worked as a sawyer/logger in my younger days.

Good thing that, reading up on mills on a sawing forum. There is a lot of opinions out there and folks convinced their way is the only way. I myself have come close to buying 3 different mills and things just didn't work out. I can make a case for having 2 types. If money were no object I would own both a band and a swing mill. They both have a place.

On the other hand I have been contemplating building a mill just to save some $ and get something going the way I want. The only thing holding me back is time. I can't figure out how to push the un-busy button!

Paul Downes said:

I have to say that milling for money is probably an iffy proposition in this economy. I'm with you Rick, in the sawing-for-my-own-use thing. I know several sawyers with expensive rigs that are struggling in this current market. They have plenty of sawing but the market isn't paying that well and they are just trying to survive.

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exactly what's happened around here.... case in point: there was a public auction 2 miles from me where they sold several thousand BF of cherry,oak,maple, and very wide walnut...all dried ready toi use... know what the ave price was per bf? the walnut brought .50 bf.... yep, fitty cents... the auction was widely publicized, yet not enough interest was there for the wood to go for more.... and get this, they sold a 20", 5 hp jointer for...... 80 bucks...the economy has fallen here, the demand for custom built cabinets is dead... people really aren't buying even the cheap stuff.. ansd you know WV has as much wood as any state, yet the economy has hit that market very hard.