Anyone own a bandsaw mill?

Fisch · #1 02/09/12, 10:55 AM

We have an abundance of dead and dying ash trees on the farm and it would be a shame to burn the ones that could be useful lumber. Does anyone own a personal bandsaw mill to use on the farm? Is it a worthwhile proposition to have one handy when needed? I know of several sawyers that will contract their services for anywhere between 35 and 75 cents per board foot. I'd have to have a lot of logs cut ahead of time to make their trips worthwhile and I could have years of logs available both here and at my neighbors. I'd like to build some fences, gates, sheds, lean-to and eventually a bigger hay barn; would be be farther ahead cutting my own vs. buying lumber or having it milled by someone else? What are your opinions?

haypoint · #2 02/09/12, 11:39 AM

That 35 and 75 cents per board foot is quite a spread. I've seen places charge up to a buck a board foot.
I love to cut lumber with a bandsaw mill. But they are slower than a circular saw mill. But you get a couple extra boards and less sawdust with a bandsaw mill.
It is not worth it to buy a mill just for your arounf the farm projects.

By the way, you can't take that Ash north across the Mackinac Bridge, so nix any thoughts on making any projects at the hunting camp. Emerald Ash Borer.

There is a mill near Beaverton that is real cheap, but you are talking about hauling the logs yourself, too. Where are you?

No mill will stand mud in the bark or logs drug in the mud. So, skidding this winter isn't likely since Michigan didn't get much snow this year.

You should be able to attract a bandsaw mill to set up at your place if you have 20-30 logs in a single pile and help pull the slabs and lumber off as they are cut.

Fisch · #3 02/09/12, 12:05 PM

I am about midway between Saginaw and Alma, southwest of Midland about 45 minutes. I know there are some guys around here, but most of them require you to drive them there. I did talk to a guy from Birch Run and he is around .35 per foot and he is portable. He is just very limited to when he is able to do the work. I could easily get some logs accumulated to have done this fall, but like you said, lots of mud to contend with. Neighbor has a device to skid with his tractor that would keep them pretty clean. I need to determine whether I save much cutting my own vs. buying lumber. There's a mill not far from here that I can buy farm grade lumber pretty reasonably. Like I said, I have the basic resources here that would be a shame to burn. But if it costs me more to go that route, I'll end up burning it and buying if it that's more feasible. I really need to build some cheap storage for hay and equipment and there's lots of lumber sitting around out there in the woods.

Ramblin Wreck · #4 02/09/12, 04:07 PM

I've usually paid 50 pbf here for sawing when the sawyer has brought in a portable mill. Now I haul logs to my brother's Woodmizer mill down the hill and the sawing is free. All my outbuildings are sided with boards from these type mills. I've done very little framing with rough lumber though.

Ozarks Tom · #5 02/09/12, 04:39 PM

I'd say do the math. Figure the amount of bf lumber you'll need for your (and maybe other's projects), and compare to a used Woodmizer. At .35 pbf it doesn't take much lumber to justify having one on site to use when you have the time. They hold their value well, and when you're done - sell it.

Many years ago I bought an LT40 for $3800. Cut mesquite for 2 years, and sold it for $4200.

just_sawing · #6 02/09/12, 05:52 PM

I have owned 7 Sawmills as to date. A sawmill has been a good mix for me but most people that purchase a mill made the wrong decision. A mill is probably the least expense of the purchase. If you are not pulling the lever the machine is not making you money. You might be better to hire your wood cut.

Fisch · #7 02/09/12, 06:13 PM

That's what I was thinking. If I was able to buy a decent one for a reasonable cost, I could use it at my own pace and sell it when I was done with it. I could even do some work for others to take in some cash, but I really don't want to get into business doing that fulltime. However, if I were to buy one, I'd have to keep it busy to justify the expense of it. Nothing worse than spending a pile of money on something that sits around a lot.

I need to assess whether it's important to cut the logs on an as needed basis versus cutting a bunch at one time with a scheduled sawyer. I tend to work on things when I have the time; I don't particulary like being tied to someone else's schedule.

I will schedule some work anyway to see how they operate and get an idea what kind of bang for the buck I can get. It's not like I'd buy one tomorrow (though there is a nice Hud-son model for sale at an auction here on Saturday)

nc_mtn · #8 02/09/12, 06:39 PM

There's nothing like sawing your own lumber though. I would't do without one, and I only saw occasionally, mostly for myself.

TnAndy · #9 02/09/12, 06:56 PM

If you have timber/logs ( because it's near impossible to get logger to bring them to you ), and plenty of projects, I think a small bandmill is the finest investment you can put on a farm.

I bought a new Woodmizer LT40 in 1991, and wished I'd bought it years earlier. The mill has paid for itself several times over, and I could sell it today for 50-60% of what I paid for it. I figured amortizing it over a million board feet, the cost of my sawn lumber at about a nickel a board ft. When you have a mill, you simply won't believe how many projects you'll find to do. I'm sawing a BUNCH of white oak right now to run about 1000' linear ft of fence around my garden and orchard this spring....I'll need about 4,000 linear ft of 5/4 x 6.

jwal10 · #10 02/09/12, 10:19 PM

I built mine. Portable bandsaw. Aluminium rails, 5 hp honda motor. I can cut 16' logs. I paid for it in 1 week milling walnut and maple burls. The prettiest wood comes from an old growth douglas fir that was felled 40 years ago and left in the woods. No knots. Woodwork and flooring....James

solidwoods · #11 02/10/12, 07:54 AM

You need to look at:
How much board feed of logs do you have.
How many bf do you need.
How much do your local mills sell suitable types of lumber at the grade needed.

Sounds like you have the ability to do the logging.
Used mills are everywhere because people can't sell them.

If you purchase a mill you could also mill other woods from your property and also mill logs that you purchase from a logger.
Here white/yellow pine is about $.25bf delivered, red/white oak .50bf med grade.

If you have the desire/need for more income you could also use your #3 lumber to make outdoor furniture or pallet cants or do milling at home for locals or mill some of your timber into RR ties.
You will also be having allot of fire wood from tops/limbs/mill slabs.

I'm N. central tn. Mills here sell ash for about $.45bf for #2 and mills here charge $.20bf you bring the logs to them. Some portable millers charge as low as $.20bf. to mill at your place.

Sawmillexchange.com is a good place to see prices.
jim

fishhead · #12 02/10/12, 08:24 AM

Ash is beautiful wood. I would think that it would sell for quite a bit once dried and planed.

haypoint · #13 02/10/12, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

Ash is beautiful wood. I would think that it would sell for quite a bit once dried and planed.

If you have any Ash trees, you'd better get a plan of what you want to do with them. The Emerald Ash Borer is headed your way. Already killed millions in Michigan, now in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wissconsin. May already be in Minn.

TnAndy · #14 02/10/12, 03:14 PM

Ash....table and benches all out of one log. (Walnut inlays/wedges )

Anyone own a bandsaw mill? - Homesteading Questions

How many of these would it take to pay for a saw ?

texican · #15 02/10/12, 09:39 PM

I've had a small (woodmizer lt-15d18) for a little over a year. Figure I've cut enough lumber to pay for a 1/4 of it, already, and really haven't cut that 'much'. I've got almost literally an unlimited supply of logs off my place and the neighbors...

Wish I'd been able to afford hydraulics, I could cut a whole lot more.

I went 'new', as I had the money at the time.... I know I could sell and not lose much...

A lot of bandsaw millers will cut on halfsies! I did this with a local guy for a decade, till he retired. I bought a mill the next year. A month after buying it, he unretired and got another mill... hope I'm that tough at 78.

Jolly · #16 02/11/12, 07:54 AM

Location is everything.

Down here, good ash is hard to come by, as it works much better than oak, but gives much of the same look. I've seen guys pay very dearly for 1C type lumber.

I have a friend who builds spec houses for a living, with the occasional custom home. He has access to a woodlot with some older ash and cypress. He bought a small mill just for those trees, the lumber from which he uses for cabinets or other "special" projects in a house.

texican · #17 02/11/12, 12:00 PM

Ooooh, to have access to good cypress!

I have to wait for cypress to die naturally, before I can harvest off the nearby timber company property.... and we all know they rarely die. I've got about a dozen dead trees I can 'get'....... it's just hard dragging em out of a swamp, with a regular tractor.

Of course, I probably have at least 6K bf of cypress in the barn... including quite a bit of 18" wide planks... figure they'll make nice cabinet doors.