In this video I begin the process of thinning out our woodlot and use a Wood Mizer LT15 sawmill to turn nice pine logs into true 2x4 lumber, and put the lumber up for sale locally.
People think that lumber is free, but they never consider the time, effort, and true costs of production for an independent saw milling operation like yours, $5 a piece sounds cheap for good clean sticks like those, but you know what the local buyers are willing to pay. Thanks for your time and effort in sharing your lifestyle with us, you always have something interesting on the go even if some things seem a bit mundane always worth watching.
Wes you have the most amazing work ethic!!! And I'm very impressed by how you are teaching your son (so adorable) to have the same attitude towards work. I am constantly on the look out for your videos, they are really well done!!
Wes, take the 2 bolts out of the chute and reinstall them with the head of the bolt inside the chute. You might have to get longer bolts but the bucket will hand from them.
I have a lt15 wide and i learn something new from your videos everytime i watch them. ive never met you face to face but i feel like we're friends we have so much in common. you turned out some nice 2x4's i didnt realize it before i got my mill but you are not actually getting a bad deal when you buy lumber from lowes considering the work, waste kiln dryed ect. its still something cool about slicing your own bread though ha ha. Come see us if youre ever in central Virginia.
My mill is also on wheels, makes it so easy to move then do sawdust cleanup with the loader, I’ve tried the bucket hack, it’s a pain and also throws the sawhead off balance if it starts to swing. That’s some nice lumber.
My instinct is that 6x6 would be a better profit margin - Less work, and good heavy foundation timbers are expensive. But you undoubtedly know your business better than I do.
For sawdust collection, I’d get a bucket with a hole in the bottom Secure a burlap bag to the base of it And use the bucket as a bag filler. Secure the bag with a ratchet strap and/or a bungee tie down. Then you can fill bags of sawdust pretty easily, and the finest dust will escape out the burlap. You might also get polypropylene rice bags from restaurants for free to fill. Dog food bags are also good. If the bag mouth is less than the bucket diameter, make an extension with a bleach bottle or something similarity shaped (a killing cone?) Best!
Well Wes, $700, with 12 hours into it, that`s almost $60 per hour, I don`t know what a saw blade cost`s you, but that`s pretty good money my friend, not only is it handy for all your needs, but you can profit from it. I have seen mixed videos on buying a mill, and how fast you get your money back, with mixed reviews, you have the tractor, so puttng another log on the mill is cake, I see people do it by hand with the ramps and a come along, it`s a lot of work, you have land and trees, another big factor, I see people buying logs, which digs way into the profit margin. This is a way to generate easy money for you, $ 58 an hour, it`s a no brainer my friend, love the videos buddy.
Another positive, aside from $600+ revenue, is knowing your property trees don't have nails to ruin saw blades. My great aunt, Janet Gardenia, always said it's best to cut your own. 👍👍👍
A 55 gallon open top drum, a shop vac head mounted on a metal plate to seal the drum, and some shop vac tubing would reduce how often you needed to empty it, and be easily transportable. You need a pellet maker to recycle the sawdust and wood planer shavings, upgrade to a pellet stove for home heating? Or sell them to family and friends for friend prices. Another chore? Yep! But a very useful one.
Hey Mr. Green Jeans !! Ok, I can start my day now that we've had an appearance from the Junior Supervisor and visits with the piggies !! YAY Oh, and yes, the boards are important too.
¡Qué video tan increíble! Realmente me sorprendió ver cómo puedes convertir la madera en algo tan hermoso y útil. ¡Es inspirador ver tu habilidad y creatividad en acción!
Wes I'm glad that you finally set up a sawdust collection system... you may even be able to sell it to home gardeners or for chicken (or other small animal hutches) .
Nice lumber Wes 👍 I'm with U brother on cooler weather 🌡️ coming !! Here in Vicksburg,Ms. Next Friday the high is gunna be 77 and at night 🌃 it's gunna be 58 low !! I can't wait Bro. God Bless 🙏💟 y'all and stay safe........ :)
I hear very faintly the strains of The Waltons theme song as I watch trees from the property being milled into lumber for income to pay the mortgage on the homestead. Only thing missing is a grandpa helping daddy. 😄
You are selling 2”x4” for what we pay for 2x2’s in NE Ohio. Your material is a great deal. Regarding the sawdust, could you reverse the sawmill direction to have the sawdust discharge towards the outside of your shed.? Alternatively, what have you done with the bags from commercial purchased feeds; could the bags be used to collect the sawdust? There are several sawmills in western Pennsylvania that sell their sawdust for animal stalls & betting. Perhaps your pine sawdust would sell too. Wishing you and your family a blessed week filled with gentle seasonally appropriate weather and restful evenings together. Peace brother
Hello Wes. If the folks that buy the lumber are close by, they are getting a good price as well as not having to drive to the nearest big box store. They are also getting true dimension wood that can't be bought at the bb store. Have good days!
I enjoy your videos, it is great that your Pastor can use those off cuts. I was just thinking that for me it would make sense to trim off the hinge wood prior to cutting the log. After the log is boards there are a whole lot of cuts needed to square the boards compared to one cut to clean up the log. Just a thought, God Bless
Awesome video. So funny your kid popped up out of no where on the next morning footage. He was like surprise lol. If you don’t like the 2x4 with little stuff left on them can you sell them for 1.00 less or something. I kinda feel like true 2x4 at 5 bucks is pretty cheap. I know it’s not stamped and lots of places won’t let you build a home with it but it’s still good id sell it even if it was the last pieces to go someone will buy it for barn or shed.
No I haven't. I don't think there's much demand for that in my area. I have a friend that's already laid claim to more off cuts for that exact purpose.
When cutting pine, what do you use to prevent pitch build up on the blade? Sawing with Sandy experimented with using ATF and seemed to have some improvement but still getting some build up. I want to try the bucket method as it is a pain to clean up sawdust on the ground. I try to either compost my sawdust or use it as mulch in the garden.
I'm using dawn dish soap and water. I have used diesel in the past, and it works like a champ, but I really got concerned about all the aerosolized diesel that I was breathing. The dish soap and water is not perfect, but it works pretty good for smaller logs like these. If I get buildup, I'll take a jug of diesel and pour a little onto the running blade and it cleans it instantly.
I know that RU-vid wants videos to be about 15 minutes. Have noticed some very successful RU-vid channel go for a 45 minutes an hour even longer. I wish your videos for about 45 minutes to an hour long I always take an interest in them.
You say you’re selling the wood, these are true 2x4’s Are those In high demand where you are? I don’t think you can get those in the store by me. I don’t think I have ever seen one being sold in stores. Only seen them in old construction.
Mr. Wes, how do you like your long tooth grapple? Ever wish you had a shorter toothed grapple? I only ask because I’m leaning towards the long tooth like you have.
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