trigger_andy

That was just a trial run with the new processor. I’ve seen pics with folk making a hat with half the IBC tub.

Clever. I like it. I’ve always used vented bags for my own use but have started with IBC’s.

How do you sell an IBC’s worth then? They collect and you tip into their trailer or you deliver and tip 1-2 IBC’s worth?

All good valid points. Not sure how to put a figure on the Mills daily depreciation? How much is a 5-6 minute drive going to cost in wear and tear? I’m sure that’s all covered in the fiver for fuel to be honest. The Workshop is not directly a Milling Expense. I had it before the Mill and will keep it regardless if milling or not. So say 1/3 of the £100 a month dedicated to the Mill. Just over a quid a day, but since you’ve rightly pointed out that Im not milling there every day I’ll say £3.50 still stands. Im not loading the Timber. I just point to where it is and let them crack on. I’ll have a blether like I always do but certainly not more than 15 minutes per customer. But yes it’s a time cost. Fair enough regarding the Chainsaw. That is a legitimate expense. Add a fiver for that. Im down to £910 profit. I guess I’ll just have to do an extra half hour and knock out another 10 boards to get me back to a nice £1000 profit.

The Mills paid for itself a few times over now. I’ve yet to replace anything on the mill that than a set of Belts a year at about £50. Timber is on-site. Felled on the Estate, I just pick up from my pile and load the Mill with the Avant I pay £60 a day for including fuel. I don’t deliver Timber very often. I’ll not be delivering these boards as I don’t have a way of transporting 5.7m lengths comfortably. I guess I’ll need to be there for collection but I’ll be there anyway. I’ve got the Mill on the Estate I get the logs from. No Business Rates. I do pay £100 a month for the workshop though. So £3.50 for the days milling. Yes, I should have added insurance. Let’s say a fiver. I need to drive to the Estate. What’s a 5-6 minute drive in fuel there and back? Say another fiver. That’s me down to £917-£927 profit. I am swapping the Briggs out for a Honda GX630. How to factor that into the equation for a days milling I’m not sure

They're is a lot of costs you are omitting there Andy. True I actually thought about that later but though it was pointless to edit the post. But since you ask, I guess 8-10 liters of fuel and 2-3 bands that will need re-sharpened. So I guess I could add another £50 to the expenses for the day. I'll maybe get a vented bag filled with the Backs and sell that for an additional £50. The hire of the Branch Logger works out at £7 a bag. So Im back to £930 to£940 for the day. Cant think of any other expenses really? What am I missing?

Two Spruce 6”x1” board orders came in this morning. 5.6m lengths and £10 each. 100 for one order and 30 for another. So that’s £1300 right there. The Spruce is £45 a ton. I doubt I’ll need more than 6t. So that’s £300 give it take. Loader is £60 for the day. I’ll rattle them out in one day. So about £940-£950 for the day. Easy money. I don’t bother with the mobile milling now. Even at £500 a day it’s not really worth it.

Everything’s fluid, little jobs come and go and just now they appear to be a bit thin on the ground. Or perhaps like the Arb industry there’s more and more wasters willing to work for pennies, he’s not. But no matter my milling, not log business will help keep him afloat. His work will pick up soon and I’ll just have to cut back on the orders I take.

I’ve clearly stated since covid hit my brothers business has been affected. There’s no need to frame your retort as a redundant question. I have yet to mock the “concept of arb workers” it’s a legitimate role and a much needed one. I take satisfaction in the work because it’s a beautiful satisfying lifestyle. I love how you justify abusing some kids slightly less than the other mobs do and try and make it sound like you’re the white knight.

Excluding vehicles I think I’ve close on £40k in machinery and equipment. Small change to some here, maybe significantly more than the man & saw type with a few tickets. Clearly not enough to satisfy those who feel I only have a voice here if I slave away 10 hours a day every day of the year for peanuts and keep my head down. I think any work paid from the neck up is worth £200 a day. It’s certainly worth that to me. If I could get another lad in to lighten the load on me and my brother and he was sharp then £200 a day is what I’d pay. Id expect results, quotas and initiatives to be displayed obviously.

Money to be made hand over fist. I’d almost give up the off-shore game to do it full time. But then I can orchestrate a lot of it from a laptop sitting on my arse off-shore. Come home, knock out a week or two in the 4-6 weeks I’ve got off milling where making £350-£400 for 2-3 hours work a day is not unusual. Paying someone in this game £100 a day is just pure greed. So yeh, I’m still concerned.

I am set up myself. Have my own wee budding business that’s building rather nicely. I pay my brother £200 a day for general milling and firewood production. He can easily mill £1000 of timber for me in that day. I take the orders, he does the milling when I’m otherwise occupied, I get the wife to do the books. Second easiest game I’ve ever been in.

I’m on here as I have interests and equipment that covers at least three sub-forums on Arbtalk. I just choose to not make it my main source of income, it does not mean it’s not a source of income.

Likewise Mike. It’s very important that you also understand that. Can’t say it’s not fun watching you guys scrape the barrel and justify earning £2-3 over minimum wage and try to justify it. Paid from the neck down I guess?

Exactly. £2-3 more than someone working in Tesco’s? It’s utterly ridiculous. But the argument seems to revolve around loving what they do to justify the near on minimum unskilled wage.

Conversely I work off-shore mainly to spend more time with the family. I work 80-120 days out of 365 days a year. I’ve done the on-shore thing and I hardly seen the family. Out at 06:30, home at 16:00 then trying to squeeze all the jobs that need doing into a few hours in the evening. No thank you. Endless days out with the kids year in year out suits me far more. Plus I love my job.

I’m not even remotely comparing work. I simply asked if you’d work for less than what Mark suggested. I’ve grown up with family in this industry and wages have always been bad but in light of inflation and the rise of costs it amazes me how little folk in Arb are willing to work for. When I’m home I’m milling and now processing and sell firewood and timber. The money is a nice income that covers all my costs and provides me free timber and firewood but mainly I do it because love the work.

Fair enough. But why sell yourself short? If you’re good at what you do and respected then command the wage you deserve? I’m quite sure you where being facetious when you said you work 11 hours for £80 though.

So that’s a yes then. 🤣

Would you work for less?

Cracking kiln but I envisioned it being so much bigger. I might take the easy option and buy the Logosol Tent offering.

With three threads started on the same subject paying someone £500 a day for communications would be worth their weight in gold. 🤣

Sorry, not really. When Im over next I'll take some pics and get some better info.

I really cant remember, it was in 2020 when I was there, I was more interested in the Chevys and what kinda carb they where running. They where not called Chevy V8's, but thats what the cores where then re-branded. As far as I can remember they each had their own generator bolted into the Crank. Output was monitored in a small control room. I thought I had some pics but all I have is the big old Ash Slabs I got for near on firewood prices as they where clearing everything out to expand the electricity generation expansion. They had huge piles of hardwood logs that the Millers had refused to mill for whatever reason, going back decades, all found a use in the chipper.

A local sawmill to me cleared out their hardwood drying shed to install woodgas generators. They run 3 Chevy V8 based engines at a time and have one in reserve. Very little maintenance from what they told me when I toured the set-up. They chip and fill huge hoppers and power the whole mill whilst making a tidy profit off of it as well,