Milling rates

[Rob D]

I have done similar with a hand winch and found it worked quite well, problem with an electric winch is you only have the one speed which ca be a bit to fast whereas with the hand winch you can pull the mill through at whatever pace you require. What I did was mount it on a fence post driven in near the end of the log so it has a solid anchor point....

 

 

I was thinking that but I will experiment putting a spring in the system or maybe a couple of springs and also I think it depends on where the rope end is attached.

 

 

I've used a hand winch before but I'd really like something that does it for me.

 

[agg221]

I don't do a lot of contract milling, but when I do I'm normally £250/day all in. If it's a long distance I will add mileage and if I bring the Ripsaw it's a bit more but this is more than made up for in the extra yield due to the narrow kerf.

 

I want to know where the trees have grown as then I'll make a judgement on the likelihood of hitting metal/stones. I prefer to take on the risk and add accordingly to the total as then all costs are clear up front, but will add a 'price per damaged item' if the likelihood of repeat damage is high (e.g. hedgerow with a high risk of a lot of barbed wire). Since I own the risk, I keep a couple of old chains which I will put on if the risk is high. The loss is only really the remaining life of the chain, so if it's only got a couple of sharpenings in it then it's not that much cost.

 

Productivity is a difficult one. Timber is priced per cu.ft, with price dependent on species (which doesn't relate much to production volume) but with chainsaw milling the cutting rate is low and set-up time is relatively long (at least if you want to get optimised boards parallel with the heart) so production volume is governed by number of cuts to be made and the size of the butt, and the related factor of cutting pattern which determines how often you have to adjust the mill. Also significant is how straight the butts are. The bigger and straighter the butts are, the more timber you will get per set-up and the faster your actual production. A second pair of hands has a big bearing - if you have to keep stopping to drag heavy lumps around on your own this really hits productivity, compared with slinging the board off and going again.

 

A day on your own cutting small diameter (8-12"), garden-grown low value timber into boards under two inches thick could yield as little as £250 worth of timber (i.e. not actually worth it for a customer to pay you), whereas milling 8"x8"x10' oak posts from clean 3' butts could yield over £2500 in a day. I reckon a good average yield would be around £600/person/day.

 

I concur with the comments on aching afterwards - although I don't find this as bad as I used to - probably because I spend my evenings lugging stuff around anyway. Also with Rob's comment on the time taken to get everything together (and then sharpen it and put it all away again afterwards).

 

Alec

[DM TREES]

I have an oak butt 6 metres long if I cut it in half to

3 metre long and it has a 2 metre circumference

Is that a days work to mill

[DM TREES]

ps that's not me that's ben the brash drag bewley

[Rob D]

You should get that done into 2" boards in a day...

 

 

[Big Beech]

thanjks guys,

 

pretty much along the lines i was thinking. they will be looking for i would of though 4x4"7ft posts as they are looing for general purpose material for whatever and making arbors around the garden.

trunk quantity unknown as of yet, trunk quality should be high as they are woodland oaks, essentialy thinnings i suppose of 20"+.

[burrell_]

that lump of oak u would mill that in half a day mate

if u was just starting in milling and took ur time over learning u would do it in a day little things u learn like

if u have more than 1 trunk to mill take the first cut off every trunk u have to mill saves to setting the depth up 2-3-4 time etc

if the customer wants 2-3and 4 inch bords etc and u have 3 trunks say run a 2 inch cut on all 3 trunks the same with 3inch and 4 inch bords hope that make sence

just saves time setting the depths

before u get to site try work out what size bar u will need and put the mill together when ur at home for some reasion it always seems quicker at home than on site

[burrell_]

u got a mini mill big beach if ur putting wood into 4x4 posts instead of moving the 2ft-3ft slabs just move the slabs of wood 5-6 inchs of the trunk wood and rip the mini mill down it saves with the heavy lifting and u have a 4x4 post straight away for lifting

chainsaw milling can be a hard game so try to make it easy on ur body why u cant

[Big Beech]

yeh got the mini, just awaiting a straight edge and she`s ready.

[finky]

M

 

 

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