New (ish) to milling

[Ben scott]

Hi gents,

been milling for a few years after getting a chainsaw mill for a 15th birthday present (am now 17) and i am an avid woodturner and training to be a furniture maker 

I am currently running:

-Peterson WPF ( 2006 model with 22hp Honda) 

-stihl ms880 with 36" bar (50" bar on order as I've just upgraded from a ms461)

was just wandering on how you guys would price logs that you buy... and where you buy them from 

have bought logs of ash, beech and oak at £50-£60 per m3 and not sure if that's a good deal 

I would also be interested in how people price wood that they sell...

always up for new contacts to find wood in the Kent and Sussex area ( specifically looking for hardwoods 16 inch plus)

really happy to be joining your community 

thanks 

ben scott

 

[Johnsond]

Cracking set up.

For 17yrs old Ben  it looks like you are doing just fine as is bud 👍. 
 

[topchippyles]

Welcome to the forum and nice setup for a young lad.Local tree surgeons good place get logs 

[spuddog0507]

Hi and welcome your logs that you are buying at £50-60 a cube are a cheap deal for you, dont knock it or think some one is having your pants down because there not, spruce saw logs at the moment are nearly £100 a tonne roadside, I was offered well over £100 a tonne for some smallish Elm that where in 12fs and diameater from 16" - 26" so £50-60 is cheap, just keep buying if in at that every one is happy,,

[Big Beech]

Their will always be varying parameters.

Majority of big outfits will be selling timber for biomass and chipping it.

I, therefore only pay just over what they would get for it. However as soon as you show interest their ears prick up and think its worth a fortune as someone wants to buy it. Negating the fact that it needs collection, milling stacking and drying and any defects the timber may present when cut is all at my risk. At that stage unless I really fancy the timber  I walk away, let them have there £10 a cube for chip out of it!

I recently wanted some timber which was over a 3 hr round trip therefore would cost me in collection over £400 in my time excluding timber costs. I offered him 100 for the stem, he laughed and said it was worth more in firewood. Fine mate crack on, I then here through another source it was just loaded by a grab lorry and dumped at a recycling centre.

I am in Sussex and have spoken with alot of the big contractors with a few more enquiries in going, good bits iam finding hard to source mind as its all plain stuff.

[timbernut]

Admirable setup and work ethic from someone so young![emoji106]
So is £100-130 the going rate for any timber over say 10” top diameter that’s relatively good for milling?

[Rough Hewn]

Hi gents,
been milling for a few years after getting a chainsaw mill for a 15th birthday present (am now 17) and i am an avid woodturner and training to be a furniture maker  was just wandering on how you guys would price logs that you buy... and where you buy them from 
have bought logs of ash, beech and oak at £50-£60 per m3 and not sure if that's a good deal 
I would also be interested in how people price wood that they sell...
always up for new contacts to find wood in the Kent and Sussex area ( specifically looking for hardwoods 16 inch plus)
really happy to be joining your community 
thanks 
ben scott
 
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Hey Ben,
Welcome to the wonderful world of sawmilling.
And the problems we all face.🤣[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]
You’re paying a reasonable price already for logs.
As for selling timber....
Piece of string question.
Depends on so many factors.
Google is your friend here.
You look like you’ve got the hang of milling though[emoji106]
Nice work.[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

[Rough Hewn]

Their will always be varying parameters.
Majority of big outfits will be selling timber for biomass and chipping it.
I, therefore only pay just over what they would get for it. However as soon as you show interest their ears prick up and think its worth a fortune as someone wants to buy it. Negating the fact that it needs collection, milling stacking and drying and any defects the timber may present when cut is all at my risk. At that stage unless I really fancy the timber  I walk away, let them have there £10 a cube for chip out of it!
I recently wanted some timber which was over a 3 hr round trip therefore would cost me in collection over £400 in my time excluding timber costs. I offered him 100 for the stem, he laughed and said it was worth more in firewood. Fine mate crack on, I then here through another source it was just loaded by a grab lorry and dumped at a recycling centre.
I am in Sussex and have spoken with alot of the big contractors with a few more enquiries in going, good bits iam finding hard to source mind as its all plain stuff.

Yup.
So many pieces of overpriced firewood......
That’s why I travel hundreds of miles for logs of quality.
Find a local forester is your best bet.
As they will actually know what they’re selling and it’s market value, as opposed to the
“highly valuable black walnut “ scenario.
[emoji106]

[trigger_andy]

10 hours ago, spuddog0507 said:

spruce saw logs at the moment are nearly £100 a tonne roadside,

Prices have gone mental lately. Up my way the local Haulier (Harold Taylor) is asking £80 + vat a ton for Larch Firewood grade delivered.  Saw Logs are over £100.  

 

Ive shook hands on over 100t of Larch. Cherry Picking the 10" Plus Saw Logs at £35 a ton delivered, in Cash.  He actually said £30 but I offered the extra fiver a ton as he was delivering them and stacking behind my Log Deck. 

 

I'll be taking everything else as well at that price. Just waiting on him getting his felling License and they'll start to trickle over my way on the back of a Tractor and Bogie. 

[openspaceman]

47 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Just waiting on him getting his felling License and they'll start to trickle over my way on the back of a Tractor and Bogie. 

How will you be establishing the weight?

 

In the past it was easy with sawlogs, run a length tape along them and a Qgirth tape around the middles and either tag the end and write the volume in a book or paint the volume on the end.