Selling planks??

[Ian Flatters]

Hi,

 

I mainly sell to local carpenters in my area but my client wants me to mill alot of oak and ash on site and stack, so they can sell it to reclaim costs of the job. Is e-bay any good for this?? I've told them i will stack but not get involved in selling. Any other ideas? Maybe find local saw mills who want it do you think??

 

Any ideas will be greatfully recieved.

 

P.S if i get the job i'll be after another mill Rob (2 sawmills are better than one).

[tommer9]

Are you seriously considering milling large quantities of a customers oak and ash with the 6mm kerf of an alaskan mill???????? You will turn most of it into sawdust mate.

 

Tell them to get it to someone with a bandsaw, or at least slab it with the alaskan and get it resawn by a proper mill.

 

As far as your question goes, I would advise that you dont get ionvolved in the sale of it, unless you can buy it all at a decent price then sell it on yourself.

[Rob D]

I know where you're coming from Tom and if millinging into 1 1/4" or less then a bandsaw is the way to go if only for your poor forearms and elboes! but if Ian passes on the work to someone with a bandsaw what does he get out of it? Other than the knowledge there has been less wastage.

 

If you slab it with the Alaskan, load it up, get re sawn elsewhere then bring it back to the same site I'm still not sure that the saving in kerf will warrant the extra time, handling and transport. This is more a good way to go if the timber is coming off site.

 

(not just saying this either because there may be a mill sale in it!)

 

As far as selling timber - it's the hardest bit and I would leave this entirely to the client to do rather than get involved yourself. Ebay can generate sales in the long run and a load of timewasters in the short!

[tommer9]

You are right Rob, other than the reaction from very peeved customers who see most of their precious wood on the floor in sawdust (i fell foul of this and it was a VERY VERY costly situation....)

I think , Ian, you need to make sure the customer is aware of the fact that there will be a lot of waste. It all depends on how many logs there are and also what thickness planks. As Rob says, under 1.25" you will be losing a hell of a lot out of each log.In fact IMO a totally unacceptable amount, esp if your customer is in this for financial reward.

[Ian Flatters]

Yeah they have been informed that there will be loads of sawdust waste, for them its mainly trying to reclaim cost of the felling im doing. Timber will be milled to 3" in whatever lengths prob around 8ft stored and ratchted down. I know a bandsaw would be quicker and more effiecient but im not getting paid for doing it so i will buy another mill to fit my 395 and pay a subby to use the other one. Eventually i would like to buy a lucas as well but thats all for the future.

[tommer9]

At 3" slabs its not that much of a problem TBH. When i read planks i assumed you meant around the 1" mark. If you cut a 24" log to 1" boards with analaskan that is something like 5-6" of wasted wood!!!

[Big J]

Whilst getting involved with the sale of timber isn't necessarily something you need to worry about, the way forward is to advertise on the private market to hobbyists using Gumtree or something similar, and then also contact furniture makers too. You might get more trade from hobbyists, but furniture makers will take more (though will be much pickier!).

 

You could try: The Norfolk Furniture Makers Association

 

3 inch slabs won't be of much appeal to them though. 1-2 inches shifts better.

 

Jonathan

[Ian Flatters]

Whilst getting involved with the sale of timber isn't necessarily something you need to worry about, the way forward is to advertise on the private market to hobbyists using Gumtree or something similar, and then also contact furniture makers too. You might get more trade from hobbyists, but furniture makers will take more (though will be much pickier!).

 

You could try: The Norfolk Furniture Makers Association

 

3 inch slabs won't be of much appeal to them though. 1-2 inches shifts better.

 

Jonathan

 

Cheers Jonathan, good link:thumbup1:

[john dawson]

I dont know about selling planks, but i could point you in the direction of several "planks"

[Ian Flatters]

Right update: Got the big job, a guy with a woodmiser wanted £400 a day to mill on site and it had to be on hard standing because hes only got a 2wd hilux!!!!! so....i said no thanks. Rob in a couple of weeks i'll send you an e-mail to get a 48" mill and a couple of ripping chains. Think my wrists are going to ache after this job then.