Starting a new venture

[newfenture]

Hi 

I have been looking through this forum and have had lots of good feedback from other members.  So I have just joined and I am looking for advice about what I need to have legally to work my Lucas mill on other peoples land.    I know about insurance, but is there any requirement for operating certs that I should have?

I don't know if I am in a good position or not, but I have been asked to price a job to cut a Silver spruce which is 16ft long and has a butt over 5ft.  Any advice how to price this job?

I am up in the west coast of Scotland if it makes any difference to my query's.

Any help would be great

Thanks

[Stubby]

6 hours ago, newfenture said:

Hi 

I have been looking through this forum and have had lots of good feedback from other members.  So I have just joined and I am looking for advice about what I need to have legally to work my Lucas mill on other peoples land.    I know about insurance, but is there any requirement for operating certs that I should have?

I don't know if I am in a good position or not, but I have been asked to price a job to cut a Silver spruce which is 16ft long and has a butt over 5ft.  Any advice how to price this job?

I am up in the west coast of Scotland if it makes any difference to my query's.

Any help would be great

Thanks

Mmmm . I hope someone on here who does milling will come and help you with  your question . Perhaps put it in the Milling part of the forum ?

[Big J]

Join the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers. Loads of smaller scale mills across Scotland. Training days, sawmill visits and a plethora of other benefits for £100 a year. When I was up there, it was literally the only advertising cost I had and I got loads of work through the Association. 

 

Secondly, no certificates specific to milling. Just make sure you have your basic chainsaw ticket and ideally emergency first aid at work plus forestry.

 

Thirdly, on a butt that size, you've around 215 hoppus foot in it. It'll take around a day to cut, so a rate of £300-350 would be reasonable.

[trigger_andy]

56 minutes ago, Big J said:

Join the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers. Loads of smaller scale mills across Scotland. Training days, sawmill visits and a plethora of other benefits for £100 a year. When I was up there, it was literally the only advertising cost I had and I got loads of work through the Association. 

 

Secondly, no certificates specific to milling. Just make sure you have your basic chainsaw ticket and ideally emergency first aid at work plus forestry.

 

Thirdly, on a butt that size, you've around 215 hoppus foot in it. It'll take around a day to cut, so a rate of £300-350 would be reasonable.

Interesting. I see the sight but never thought much of it. I'll be buying a Portable Mill next week so Im guessing it will be worth joining as well?

 

Quite fancy a Lucas Mill as well. That will have to wait though.  

[Big J]

2 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Interesting. I see the sight but never thought much of it. I'll be buying a Portable Mill next week so Im guessing it will be worth joining as well?

 

Quite fancy a Lucas Mill as well. That will have to wait though.  

Really useful and knowledgeable bunch of people. I learned loads and loads and I like to think I helped others too. 

 

 

[trigger_andy]

Just now, Big J said:

Really useful and knowledgeable bunch of people. I learned loads and loads and I like to think I helped others too. 

 

 

I guess when you join up it opens the site up a bit more? 

Good place to source wood in the round?

[Big J]

1 minute ago, trigger_andy said:

I guess when you join up it opens the site up a bit more? 

Good place to source wood in the round?

Possibly. I didn't really use the website. It's more about the face to face meetings with other sawmillers and the contacts you make through that. We'd all pass work around, as in if you couldn't do a job you were asked about, you'd pass it on to the sawmill you thought most suitable. I got tens of thousands of pounds worth of work that way. 

You also have your listing on the website and get a fair bit of traffic that way. It was the only advertising I ever did and it was more than enough.

[trigger_andy]

Awesome, thats really good to know. I intend to mill for myself, friends and family but if I can make a little cash on the side then all the better. 

[newfenture]

Thanks for all the info.  

Big J,   I will be following all your advice as it is exactly what I wanted to know.  Thanks.

Lots of good feedback from other members,  thanks as well.

[Rough Hewn]

Don't pay extra for milling with public liability insurance, but get it put on.
They tried it on with me, until I explained it's safer than felling.
I charge £325 a day for Alaskan milling.
Different densities and moisture content can effect milling times drastically.
Good luck
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