Diversifying into milling to utilise oversize timber.

[topchippyles]

5 minutes ago, david wood said:

i bought recently a oak sign off internet,   21 letters if you count spaces - £240 delivered.     think was just tiny bit shy of 2ft long, 500mm high and inch thick - really stunning engraved letters with i guess a 45 degree chamfer edge into each letter painted black and really well sealed over top.  

 

would i buy again if i needed one - yep no worries, one of the nicest signs i have ever seen.

 

so theres definetly some money in signs

There is and i have hand carved out a few which hit the £300 mark. Cannot put a time on those so its £20 an hour job 

[Big J]

Very interesting thread

 

Firstly, your location is going to be a bit of an issue unless you're prepared to deliver further afield. I don't use the terms "arse end of the south west" or "middle of nowhere" every day, but I think in your case they apply ?

 

Anyway, beams, cladding and rough fencing are a good entry point into the market. Rustic oak beams can be very lucrative, but require a lot of drying and it's stock tied up for years unless you sell green. I'd do both. 

As regards softwood, I'd cut beams out of either douglas or larch, or even western red cedar so long as it wasn't structural. If you're ever offered lawsons cypress, it's rather hard to cut, but has a beautiful colour and aroma and it's strong and dense. 

 

I'd get a lorry load or two of good softwood in, mill it to a small variety of standard beam sizes and I'd put them into stick. I'd mill all the cladding at 18mm and stick that too.

 

In addition to the mill, if you're intending to focus on cladding, get a board edger. It'll allow you to sell straight edge cladding (larger market) and the offcuts from that are your stickers.

 

As regards the mill, if it's going to be kept at your yard, I'd seriously consider a static mill like the Trakmet. They are much more solid than the mobile mills, and you can't really have too much steel in a sawmill. Their smallest mill isn't expensive and I've seen them personally and they are heavily built. Also, electric mills are much more pleasant to use as they are quieter and there are no fumes. They also cost buttons to run. I presume you have three phase?

 

Look out for an old school edger as the new ones tend to be quite flimsy unless you spend a lot a money.

 

In your area, I'd look at being able to supply all the parts of something like a field shelter or stable. It'll invariably work out cheaper for your customer to buy from you and they'll have the satisfaction of building something for themselves from scratch.

 

If you're in need of some inspiration, I've a friend over near Crediton with a long running sawmilling business and I'm sure he'd be happy to show you around and chew the fat with you about it.

 

 

[arboriculturist]

10 minutes ago, Big J said:

Very interesting thread

 

Firstly, your location is going to be a bit of an issue unless you're prepared to deliver further afield. I don't use the terms "arse end of the south west" or "middle of nowhere" every day, but I think in your case they apply ?

 

Anyway, beams, cladding and rough fencing are a good entry point into the market. Rustic oak beams can be very lucrative, but require a lot of drying and it's stock tied up for years unless you sell green. I'd do both. 

As regards softwood, I'd cut beams out of either douglas or larch, or even western red cedar so long as it wasn't structural. If you're ever offered lawsons cypress, it's rather hard to cut, but has a beautiful colour and aroma and it's strong and dense. 

 

I'd get a lorry load or two of good softwood in, mill it to a small variety of standard beam sizes and I'd put them into stick. I'd mill all the cladding at 18mm and stick that too.

 

In addition to the mill, if you're intending to focus on cladding, get a board edger. It'll allow you to sell straight edge cladding (larger market) and the offcuts from that are your stickers.

 

As regards the mill, if it's going to be kept at your yard, I'd seriously consider a static mill like the Trakmet. They are much more solid than the mobile mills, and you can't really have too much steel in a sawmill. Their smallest mill isn't expensive and I've seen them personally and they are heavily built. Also, electric mills are much more pleasant to use as they are quieter and there are no fumes. They also cost buttons to run. I presume you have three phase?

 

Look out for an old school edger as the new ones tend to be quite flimsy unless you spend a lot a money.

 

In your area, I'd look at being able to supply all the parts of something like a field shelter or stable. It'll invariably work out cheaper for your customer to buy from you and they'll have the satisfaction of building something for themselves from scratch.

 

If you're in need of some inspiration, I've a friend over near Crediton with a long running sawmilling business and I'm sure he'd be happy to show you around and chew the fat with you about it.

 

 

Well I have certainly hit the jackpot with the number and quality of replies to this thread. The choice of mill is always going to be the stumbling block - so many variables as always. I am keen to be able to mill over 5.1 m which is the max for Woodmills, the Logosol may allow unlimited additional sections but have not researched yet.

No 3 phase electric, however as we know generators are not that expensive. I think single with a digital wouldn't cope.

Yes the Trackmet, serious value for money and a large step up from Woodlands or Logosol. Studied one in action at the APF and was impressed. Fair enough, not a Mebor but a hell of a mill.

Which Trackmet did you have in mind given that you had the 1st?

Your idea about field shelter / stable that's creative thinking, I get that !

I am liking the prospects a lot. ?

 

 

[Big J]

1 minute ago, arboriculturist said:

Well I have certainly hit the jackpot with the number and quality of replies to this thread. The choice of mill is always going to be the stumbling block - so many variables as always. I am keen to be able to mill over 5.1 m which is the max for Woodmills, the Logosol may allow unlimited additional sections but have not researched yet.

No 3 phase electric, however as we know generators are not that expensive. I think single with a digital wouldn't cope.

Yes the Trackmet, serious value for money and a large step up from Woodlands or Logosol. Studied one in action at the APF and was impressed. Fair enough, not a Mebor but a hell of a mill.

Which Trackmet did you have in mind given that you had the 1st?

Your idea about field shelter / stable that's creative thinking, I get that !

I am liking the prospects a lot. ?

 

 

I had the TTS 800 standard, but I imported a couple of TTP600 standards too. 

 

TTP-600 Standard

WWW.OLDSTATIONYARDSAWMILL.CO.UK

 

Everything comes down to accuracy with sawmills and accuracy is largely determined by the squareness of the base. A heavily constructed mill bolted to a concrete pad is always preferable to a mobile mill.

 

You can bolt on as many track sections as you like with the Trakmet, so no length limitation other than what'll fit in your yard and on the lorry. We cut up to 7.5m as standard off our sites.

[arboriculturist]

All good advice.

 

Maybe I should act with caution one step at a time, don't try to run before I can walk, don't know the market etc. etc. 

 

Trackmet is affordable but need the genny also and a fair effort getting it all together and time.

 

Buy a self contained Woodlander or a Logosol petrol on trailer and test the water, Still have good re-sale value kept under cover ?

 

Can anyone identify the mill Anton Coaker uses,  posted by Woodworks earlier in this thread?

[topchippyles]

5 hours ago, arboriculturist said:

Well I have certainly hit the jackpot with the number and quality of replies to this thread. The choice of mill is always going to be the stumbling block - so many variables as always. I am keen to be able to mill over 5.1 m which is the max for Woodmills, the Logosol may allow unlimited additional sections but have not researched yet.

No 3 phase electric, however as we know generators are not that expensive. I think single with a digital wouldn't cope.

Yes the Trackmet, serious value for money and a large step up from Woodlands or Logosol. Studied one in action at the APF and was impressed. Fair enough, not a Mebor but a hell of a mill.

Which Trackmet did you have in mind given that you had the 1st?

Your idea about field shelter / stable that's creative thinking, I get that !

I am liking the prospects a lot. ?

 

 

You can mill 20 metres long will any woodlands sawmill if you so choose ? Give your self a wack on the head for posting false information ?

[arboriculturist]

18 minutes ago, topchippyles said:

You can mill 20 metres long will any woodlands sawmill if you so choose ? Give your self a wack on the head for posting false information ?

oooh ? - so the with the static mill can you just keep adding track sections? Not mentioned as far as I recall on their website ?

[topchippyles]

1 hour ago, arboriculturist said:

All good advice.

 

Maybe I should act with caution one step at a time, don't try to run before I can walk, don't know the market etc. etc. 

 

Trackmet is affordable but need the genny also and a fair effort getting it all together and time.

 

Buy a self contained Woodlander or a Logosol petrol on trailer and test the water, Still have good re-sale value kept under cover ?

 

Can anyone identify the mill Anton Coaker uses,  posted by Woodworks earlier in this thread?

Just sold ours 18 months old and they keep their prices believe me 

[arboriculturist]

1 minute ago, topchippyles said:

Just sold ours 18 months old and they keep their prices believe me 

Yes, I remember reading a post. But I cannot remember why you sold it and what you upgraded to if you don't mind me asking?

[topchippyles]

35 minutes ago, arboriculturist said:

oooh ? - so the with the static mill can you just keep adding track sections? Not mentioned as far as I recall on their website ?

Yes keep adding until it gets as long as BIG J equipment ?  (lunch box) His words not mine, Quote they do not call me BIG J  for nothing ?