[AT] Sawmills

[Billy Hood]

>From: "Spencer Yost" <yostsw at atis.net>
>
>
>To make things simple, folks around charge per carriage pass.  For
>instance, I paid Jake 10 cents per foot for each __pass__ on the mill.
>This method is so simple and fair I have never understood why all sawyers
>


Youhg man down at Mixon has hyd WoodMizer band mill and does a great job.  
He charges .20 for 1x and .18 for 2x material.  If I want beams, he charges 
by the cut like your mill, Spencer.  He does a really good job and he will 
move his mill to your job site for 5k ft or more.  I hauled 3k of eastern 
Red Cedar to him last year with some logs 24-30 inches which is good for 
cedar.  He cut me some really good lumber for projects.  I have built cedar 
chest, some furniture and have lots stacked in the barn.
Some logs were dry stacked for 2 years and some for 24 hours--no difference 
as he uses water to lube the band blades.  He does have a sircharge if he 
hits a piece of steel and he uses a metal detecter first if you suspect 
there might be tramp iron.  Logs from around old homeplaces are usually 
suspect.  I once cut into an angle iron bracket grown completely in a 
Blackjack oak for cordwood.

He will cut dry or wet, and we usually paint the ends of logs with cheap 
latex paint to reduce end checking if they will be dry stacked for any 
length of time.   I scale my logs on the trailer and usually hit close to 
his scale of the lumber stacks.   Two different circle saw mills locally 
charge .25 and they yield less and the quality of the cut lumber is less.
I know there is a small amount more waste with the wider kerf.

Cecil--I looked at a hyd lift 20 foot Timberking mill recently for $5900 
with lots of spare bands and a sharpener.  The owner had heart trouble after 
purchasing the mill for about $16000.  It was 10 years old with Lamborgani 
(sp) diesel engine.  I would enjoy running the mill but am getting too old 
and "sorry" to tail the sawn lumber away from the carriage.  Guess, I should 
have bought it and come to NY and sawed your logs and could pick up ATIS 
friends work on the way home with room and board.
I also know where there is a Sears and Roebuck circle saw mill on skids for 
sale.  Runs off of a flat belt and has old 6 cyl international 500ci. power 
unit.  Could run with flat belt and one of my MM U's.   So many projects, so 
little time
Bear