Post by: 4x4American on February 23, 2015, 08:25:16 PM
what do yawl think is a good way to price out rough cut bartops? Around here they're real popular in pine, and the prices are all over the place. I called up 4 different mills today. I asked how much a rough sawn bartop edged on one side, about 24-30" wide, sawed 3" thick and 8' long went for. Here were there responses: 1) $25 (but can only go up to 20" wide), (2) $17.50/linear foot (3) $80 (4) We're no longer in business due to a fire.
So you can see they're sorta all over the place.
I have a customer who wants one with just those specs, and he wants it to be knotty. So I have to go lookin around for one special log for it. And when I find it I'm just gonna slab it down through.
Post by: Stevem on February 23, 2015, 09:03:29 PM
Did the customer want it dried? Planed? Sanded? More money!
And consideration needs to be taken of what the log will cost you!
Post by: Kirk Allen on February 23, 2015, 10:17:28 PM
Post by: furu on February 24, 2015, 10:53:40 AM
Post by: backwoods sawyer on February 24, 2015, 03:56:56 PM
I would have to agree. A rare or somewhat hard to find item should bring a premium in pricing.
Getting the right log is a good portion of the value, other wise it is $.30 bft for the whole log to be milled up and you are looking at a 3o-36 log to get more then a couple slabs with one milled edge.
I do find $3. bft interesting as I have been selling kiln dried walnut slabs for $3. bft. and barn aged hardwood slabs for $2 bft.
Green off the mill saves a lot of handling.
I may have to make some adjustments in slab pricing ;D
Post by: Kirk Allen on February 24, 2015, 05:08:30 PM
Select walnut I will get $2-$3 a bf off the mill. No less than $4 air dried.
Post by: 4x4American on February 24, 2015, 07:31:12 PM
I haven't even located the log for it yet. These type bar tops are very common around here especially in pine. I wish that the other local mills charged more!
Post by: Tom the Sawyer on February 26, 2015, 12:03:08 AM
When I provide the log for a custom milling project, and they take the entire log, I'll give them a price per actual board foot for the log + normal milling fees. Price depends on what I have in a particular log. For example, in these circumstances I've sold walnut for $1.50 p/bf. A 24"x8' log should yield at least 200 bf. They pay for what it actually yields. Milling may average .45 p/bf depending on thickness so they take the whole log for $1.95 p/bf + tax. That is the most cost-effective way for them, 200 bf of walnut (to their specs) for $400. I recover the cost of the log, transportation, milling and profit - nothing left to deal with.
If they are just going to pickup (or pick out) a single plank then the price per board foot is quite a bit higher, at least $5 (anonymous dried 8/4 walnut around here is $8 p/bf and higher). They buy a plank that figures 30 bf (8/4x22"x8' live-edge) or $150. That covers what I paid for the log, transportation, my cost of milling and a bit left over for profit. I still have to sticker and stack the rest of the wood. Each thing I do to the lumber after milling it should be adding value (increasing the price). At some point it will sell, more profit - kind of like the interest at the end of a CD.
Post by: 4x4American on February 28, 2015, 09:02:05 AM