Best Saw Mill?

[Stevem]

This may just be academics but thought I'd throw it out for discussion.

What would be the best sawmill to have to start a tie cutting business?
I'm in Oregon where there is not enough hard wood to support a tie mill but we have substantial amounts of soft wood that are suitable.  Two catagories used are D. Fir and Hem-Fir (Hem-Fir is Western Hemlock and all true firs, no pine or spruce)  All of these trees exceed 40" on scale end and are suitable for ties

I see a real opportunity right now because:

1.  Wood stumpage price is down

2.  Chip market is down (generally the floor for wood fiber prices).

3.  Sawmill production is down and therefore available sources are reduced.

4   Equipment prices are falling.

5.  Labor prices are falling

6.  Firewood prices are up (market for waste products?)

7.  Tie market is pretty stable at about $22 per (~$500/m)

I figure you'd have to cut 15-20 ties per day per person.

So, would a portable mill be best or not?   Band mill or circle mill.  Big mill or little?

Crew size would be kept at minimum like two and lowest reasonable equipment investment with the quickest return on investment.

So what's some opinions?

[Kirk Allen]

Circle mill would offer the best production in a days work and since ties are the focus you could box out the heart for ties, assuming thats all they will accept, and shuffle the other parts to a bandmill for grade sawing.

The challenge I have seen with cutting ties is moving them.  Unless you have a smart set up it can be labor intensive. 

There is a sawmill outfit in Farmington, Illinois that makes a circle mill specificly for ties and I thought they promoted up to 100 ties a day from it or more. I will have to check out my lumber mag. and get there add information.
 

[Kirk Allen]

I guess I get to put my own advice into practice now   Should prove interesting to see how it all works out.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

The mill I would have is the one that I and about 10 others are trying to get MD folks to build: the 19 1/2' double edger blade mill.  Ron wanted me to have the first, but I have hoping that a fella in Alaska gets the first one.  I will take the second.  With that mill I could cut an 8 x 12 in one pass and still be able to product a 2" x 2" board as well.

If that was not available and I still wanted to produce ties, I would porbably get the mill that Gia got from Baker, this last week for $50,000.