ronaldtibbs Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I've found online calculators to help me workout the potential board foot in a log and was wondering if any of you have gone the route of log to lumber. Whether you've done the mill work yourself or had it cut into rough lumber for you. Was it worth the effort? Did you learn anything more about the wood as a result of the process? What would you pay per board foot in costs after all is said and done for white ash? Our landlords have a division of forestry within their family business and as such have responsibilities to clear and thin certain regions each year. I have the opportunity to purchase as many white ash logs as I can handle or they will be sold to an energy company, chipped up and used for fuel. They have stacks of these logs that range from 40 to 70cm (1.3' to 2.3' / some larger) in diameter and are 3m (9.8') long. According to my calculations the 70cm logs will yield about 250 board feet. They want 250 krona per log which at today's exchange rates is about $38.72 or about $0.15 a board foot. It will cost me 500 krona ($77) an hour to have a guy come out with his portable saw mill to cut it to my requested dimensions. He can handle up to 1 meter diameter. A lot of this stuff has been dead for a while but remained standing so it's fairly dry and hasn't been exposed to the ground and elements. I guess the part that excites me the most is being able to get some wider planks and slabs from some of the larger logs. Am I being blinded by excitement and getting in over my head or should I just go for it? Any experience and suggestions you may have would certainly be welcome. Cheers! Ronald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick2cd Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 i say go for it! it's very satisfying to watch the wood go through all stages from harvest to mill to jointer to planer to table saw to finished product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab73180 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 i think it is most always cheaper to do the labor yourself. buying your logs might be more expensive as say cutting your own land, but it should still be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I wish I could tell you it will be a lot cheaper, but that really depends on your location and the type of wood. For example, where I live if you have pine or birch it is really difficult to come out ahead unless you have a lot of it. Now if you have a few Black Walnut trees... well, then you can almost retire on the money you can make on those. It sounds like you know how to do the math so you can calculate it out. But, who cares, go for it anyway. Because it is cool to make your own boards. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardnesd Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I say go for it this time and calculate your expenses at the end. I would still recommend having someone dry the lumber for you unless you are going to let it sit for a year or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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