Big J
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Everything posted by Big J
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No apology required Ben - I'd rather folk were realistic, even if it was negative. I think I'm just trying to justify new toys! B_S - Trak-met (company from whom I'm purchasing my mill) do a very solid looking processor with a rapid cycle time, high production rate and 25t splitter.
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Little effect here. Generally agree with major points though.
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Sawmilling isn't taking off bigstyle as such. I'm still a one man band with about 40hrs a week of contract/casual labour, but business is pretty good. I'm just drawn to firewood processors - also the numbers element (how many bags can we do per hour, can we beat that etc) appeals to the autistic streak in me! Nothing is every to comparable or quantifiable in sawmilling.
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Good price on the douglas and nice mill too. I take my time on dimensioned stock usually. For that kind of really tiny stuff on smaller timber I'm usually 4 cubic metres in a day. Can't see the point of rushing at £300 a cube. Have a new mill coming in September and I'd hope to get up to 8-10 cube per day, but not really that bothered!
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Stacking means handling though. Loose means you never have to touch the firewood. Briquette seller: payback would be complete after about 1340 cubic metres/650 tonnes. That's assuming I do none of the labour myself and just hire folk in.
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Needs to be minimum £3 for the rail and £5 for the post. And that would be roughly cut from lowish grade larch, not 24ft douglas. Douglas of that quality needs to be minimum £350/cubic metre off the saw for dimensioned timber.
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I got a quote for sawn timber to Gloucestershire the other day for £700 a load, which I thought was excellent.
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Near Edinburgh sadly! I would think that I'd be able to get 48 bags to an artic, or thereabouts. Just trying to gauge demand. I hate dealing with the public, and my sawmilling business is now angled towards larger sales, less frequently. I'd do the same on firewood....
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Hi all, Another (hopefully not, but probably) daft business idea to run past you fellers (pun intended). Looking at things to fill time and make money, much like everyone, and don't object too much to the idea of wholesale softwood firewood. We've got all the kit required to do a firewood properly but for the processor. I've done the sums for production costs, and the question is, would there by much demand for artic loads of 1m cubed ventilated bags of unseasoned softwood at £33 a bag loaded to a lorry? Not really interested in doing hardwood. Opinions, positive or negative would be much appreciated!
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I am glad! It makes you cry the stems that get ringed up/hacked up because of people sadly not being clued up. I'm not saying it's anyone's fault, only that I'd urge any cutter to post a couple of photos of a stem that they think is possibly unusual. You might be surprised of it's value. Anyway, I'm OK for elm at the moment. Looking at three loads next Monday in Morayshire
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Hate to think of the lovely stem they were butchered off of.
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Trak-met TTS 800 standard, with lots of modifications. Static, 30kw main drive, 10.5 x 1.35m log capacity.
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Hoping you rabble might be able to help me on a species identification. Had five lengths of an oversized softwood come to the yard a couple of months ago from near Elgin. It was a windblown tree, looked a bit like a spruce from the others around it (the blown tree had already been snedded and cut to length). I've had about 10 different timber professionals look at the tree and some also the sawn timber, and we none of us really know what it is. There is little smell from it, no resin, minimal blue stain (and it's been down for a while). It's very heavy for it's volume and very hard. Also seems to have a stunning figure. Anyway, it's all milled now, 1.5, 2 and 2.5", but we still have no idea what it is. My best guess is European Spruce. It's come from an estate, so it could be something obscure. Jonathan
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Carl Butler, Nelson Butler timber. They are fairly local, near Horncastle and I am certain will take it (assuming it's not hollow). £1500 to £2000 in that first length, quality dependent, though a very large HIAB would be required to move it as it will weigh 11 tonnes.
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The sawmill is now sold! Many thanks for those who got in contact.
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I was joking (to a degree!). Nice looking set up, but a little oddly proportioned. Sort of like mounting a Howitzer to a rowing boat.
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Surely with a crane of that size on it, anything you'd be able to carry legally an be under 3500kg would be liftable by hand?!
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Not wych elm I don't think. Sapwood band much too wide, heart too dark. Nice work though
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Update - the mill will be fitted with a brand new replacement engine in the next week or two. The original has always been a bit of a Friday afternoon special, right from the start, so no such issues for the new owner of the mill. I would imagine it would have around 100-125hrs on it by the time it is sold.
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I wholeheartedly agree that Steve needs to make a living out of Arbtalk, because I'll be honest - I wouldn't be where I was if not for Arbtalk. We all make some percentage of our living from this forum. It is excellent. We talked a while back about premium membership, for those who both enjoy using arbtalk as a social entity but also for work. Larger PM inbox, free use of a an improved arbtrader, that sort of thing. £100 a year would be a bargain and something I'd happily pay.
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2800kg, or thereabouts.
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Thanks mate. It has been a very good machine, but time to get something bigger. Will go into more detail about new mill once it's touched down.
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I would understand it if it were a trailer, chainsaw, chipper or indeed anything else run of the mill. But given that a sawmill is such a complicated bit of kit, lots of questions would need to be asked and answered in order for folk to have a fair idea of what they could be getting. I'm just wanting to save having to repeat myself lots of time in various emails/messages! Steve, thanks for reinstating it, it's much appreciated.
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No, I posted a thread here to advertise it. Really dislike Arbtrader - it's not suitable for selling unusual items, doesn't notify you of when you have messages and given that the whole buying process of the mill was done publicly on the forum, it made sense to sell it in the same way. I was also not informed of the removal of the thread, or given an opportunity to save the text.
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It will most likely take more than 4 weeks to dry larch beams of that size. If you are desperate, we could get them fairly dry in that time in the vacuum kiln (just outside Edinburgh) and I'm up north with an empty trailer at the end of next week, going as far up as Aviemore.
