How much should I charge?

I think that's what it's gonna get in soon as I can see it again!

 

What brand and model mill is that. It looks like it works well. I may need one of those.

 

Alaskan MK-III Mill 48" Chainsaw Mill | Granberg International

The buyer of my slabs is supposed to contact me this weekend. I cut 2 more trees worth last weekend because the others were buried in snow and I didn't want to dig them out. Since this guy is close to my friend, who's family owns the orchards, I'm going to ask $100. Everyone else from here forward will be per slab and not as cheap.

 

$100 for all those slabs? Wow pretty good deal for that guy.

 

$100 for 4, or 1 tree worth.

 

Dear Wood Wolvering -

I mill down here in Virginia with a 36" Alaskan Mill (I got the aux. oiler and love it) and here's how I charge customers.

1. $40/hour to position and move the log and resulting boards.
2. $85/hour to run the sawmill. If I hit metal, rocks, pipe, bullets, chain link... that's on me.

But - I always ask them up front - what's their budget for me to mill out benches and or boards. That get's them thinking and that's good. You will be surprised what some people will pay. $100 per board (8' x 10"x 5/4") for a Oak tree from their property is not unusual here abouts.

Many of my customers want benches. For a 8' red oak bench I charge $85. Usually, a log can only yield two "perfect" benches - the top and the bottom. If it's their log, I'll charge them $170 for the two benches and take the rest home to board out.

From my side of the table (bad pun) I'm always thinking about cutting out 12" boards that will easily fit through my planer, I use my biscuit cutter to marry them together to build table tops and I am always on the hunt to buy old (cool) table leg sets when my wife and I are out in the country at antique stores.

Last bit of advice - double your prices to saw out Hickory. I did that last summer for a lady and the boards turned out GREAT - but the work was back breaking.

Forgot to mention: An old sawyer told me once to ALWAYS use "stickers" from the tree you just cut. It reduces staining and so I do it - cause I hate sanding...

Stuart Herder
- Go Raiders !!

 

How thick are your stickers? I primarily use 7/8 for stickers. Super important to sticker the ends of the slabs. Looks like nice slabs! Good luck