Hi all, new to the forums, considering the profession. Any tips?

[Bulldogg]

Hey guys, great forum. I’m new here (sorry if this belongs in the general forum and not welcome) and I’ve been considering taking up this sort of work, maybe not as a lifetime career but at least as something semi-long-term to make a living and was wondering if anyone has any pointers, suggestions or warnings on how to go from just an idea to a cashing the first paycheck.

I’m 25, with a decade of woodworking experience so far, grew up on a farm in a landscaper family… so as far as the physical operation of a mill goes, I can more or less take a new machine and make it look like I know what I’m doing right off the bat, and actually know what I’m doing by the end of the day. The business side I don’t really have any experience with at all.

I think the first thought when wanting to get into a profession is to find someone established and work for them, though I tend to lean away from that it’s not out of the question. But is it a pipe dream to think you could get a decent saw and start making a meager living? (Meager at 25 means there’s no mortgage, and no kids so what I would have to be able to make to sustain a living is relatively low, $1k a month would be sustainable)

Money is very tight, but if it were for a long term income like this, I think I could get a hold of enough to start myself out. What is the bare minimum you would need in terms of equipment and licensing without causing yourself to struggle with a sub-par setup?

Thanks for any help,
Ray

[Stevem]

Welcome to the Forum.  We're all a little crazy here, just some more than others.

Yes you can.  But I think most people (at least here) have eased into the business.  Where you at?

Disclaimer:  This is my opinion.  I don't need to saw to earn a living.

Some basics in starting any manufacturing business:

1.  Identify your market.  Who you gonna sell to and what are you going to sell.  The more defined you can be the better chance of success.  You can't compete with Lowe's, Home Depot or even the local lumber yard selling 2" x 4's to the home building industry.  Just can't do it.  Are you going to primarily cut hardwoods, soft woods, or both.  Are you going to just saw boards as a service or sell your sawn lumber to the public? 

2.  Identify your source of raw materials.  Where you going to get logs.

3.  Try and find a niche that fits you and the area your in.  Your area somewhat defines what your going to have available to cut.  Some people specialize in selling wide boards or specialty cuts to high end housing (fire place mantels) or figured woods to hobbyist or long timbers, just custom sawing,  etc, etc.  Lots of niches.  Some make their niche the only thing they do, other just lean strongly toward it.  I know a fellow that the sawing is only used to feed his other business because he can't buy what he needs.  Has to cut it himself.  Another I know just cuts one kind of wood, Pacific Northwest black walnut.   I think diversity is good, some don't. 

4.  Equipment (the saw) you buy should fit what your doing and you never have enough equipment.  In general the more you spend on a saw the more capabilities it will have.  But you may not need capability beyond a certain point.  You can always upgrade saws if that would make you more money and that is what you want.  Lots and lots of variables. 

Try and find a local mentor that is willing to help you.  Somebody that's basically doing what you want to do.  Small saw millers, in general, love to help others with knowledge and share their experience.  That's what this forum is all about.

Here's a link to a fellow that started in this business making fishing tackle boxes out of figured maple he bought at a local hardwood mill.  He now does over $1,000,000 a year selling woods that he saws.  The "Instrument Wood" is a new thrust in niche marketing,  He imports a lot of his logs in containers. http://www.cookwoods.com/ 

Usable saws start at around $5000 and go up (way up) from there.  Low end would be a chain saw mill at around $2000.
   
 

 

[mike p]

FIND A SAWER in the area hang out & help him or her for a while
my advice is hire or trade out the sawing with an established sawer . spend your energy & $ on a kiln .
around here theres lots of mills almost no kilns, and people only want kiln dryed wood or else they think its allmost worth less
there is 6 band mills that i know of with in a 25 mile radis of me & 2 circle mills only one kiln. and its not open for out side bissness

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

I have sawing for over 25 years.  What  Steve and have offered is great advice.  Marketing research is an excellent idea.  I did such for three years and also for a mill to purchase.  I settled on a Mobile Dimension because I wanted to specialize in dimensional lumber, in the beginning.  I have since broadened out from there. 

[SDB777]

I am not a sawyer....
I cut my own, mill it in the field with a Stihl 390 w/24" ripping chain and an Alaskan Mini Mill G777....I've got less then $670 into it.  Doesn't sound like much, but I've paid for the saw and the mill on my first 'cut day'!  Buying a $5000+ bandsaw mill would be nice...don't get me wrong.  But I would need for it to pay for itself quickly!  I have all those things that you say you didn't have(mortage, one kid in the house, car payments, insurance, etc....).

I'm not sure if there is someone that is close to you to 'learn the ropes' from, but that's what I would look for.  One reason, you don't want to compete against someone elses 'area'(not at first).  It would be like competing against WalMart...that wouldn't be very profitable for ya!?!?  And two, just being around a running mill...being run by someone that knows what they are doing would be like standing next to Einstien trying to learn math.
Offer your assistance for free to the guy/gal, and tell him you'd like to learn.  Most people love to share their long-learned knowledge, and they probably wouldn't refuse the help either.

Not even sure if there is a 'license' necessary to have a mill?  Guess if you were to have employee's working for you, you would need something...insurance and such.  But that would probably be further down the road, and by then you'd have a really good idea of what exactly you would need.

Finding the logs will probably be pretty hard at first, but all it takes is one person to bring that first log...then I think it would snowball by word of mouth.  Tree trimming companies, powerline management/city or what have you could/might be a possible source for logs, but would you be equiped to go get them or would you need to pay them something to bring them to you?  And once that log is at your place, are you going to be able to move it...a 24" Red Oak log that is 24' long isn't light!!!  Then again, you might want to go with a portable mill?



Scott (just my two cents...not worth much) B