Slab values

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pwoller

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For those that sell slabs of milled wood what do you usually charge for them? I have some 8/4 walnut that are 30 inches wide and 5 foot long. Kiln dryed. Looking for an approximate value.
 
I get $4.50 for air dried walnut(18 inches and wider). More for crotches and less for major defects. Don't short change yourself CSMing is hard work.
 
Thanks for the replys guys. 5 a board foot seems fair. It is alot of work.
 
Air dried walnut is generaly regarded as being more valuable than kiln dried. With walnut kiln drying tends to muddy the color. Walnut it prized for its streaks of various browns and redish tones. When you muddy those wonderful tones it has less visual interest and less value.

I am assuming based on your being in Indiana that your walnut is juglans nigra. If so it is very nice and desirable but is lower in value than some of the other species such as juglans hindsii. If your walnut came from another location you may want to list where it came from since there are several types of walnut native to the US.

Most people charge a premium for wide boards. 30" wide usually comands a nice wide board premium. Some sellers also place a premium on figure. so you might start with a base price of $5/bf and then add a premium for size and possibly a second premium on some boards for spectacular figure.
 
Here is one with just mineral spirits on it.

IMG00024-20110205-0006.jpg


Even for kiln dryed I think its nice.



IMG00026-20110205-0010.jpg
 
For my run-of-the-mill wide flitches I get $7/bf and for the really big/nice I charge $10/bf and have been selling them with no problem. Where else are they going to get this kind of wood? Home Depot, Lowes???? Some very unique pieces I will even charge more.
 
This made me think of another question. Not to highjack this thread but where/how do you guys sell your slabs? I attend college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and have been selling to some of the guys in the architucture college. But it just small boards and high figure pieces. So $30-$50 bucks a pop. But where are the markets for these big big slabs? Thanks.
 
This made me think of another question. Not to highjack this thread but where/how do you guys sell your slabs? I attend college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and have been selling to some of the guys in the architucture college. But it just small boards and high figure pieces. So $30-$50 bucks a pop. But where are the markets for these big big slabs? Thanks.

A lot of my sales come from local mills that give out my #. I'm always sending them people who need boards. I tried the craigslist thing but 90% of the emails I get are guys wasting my time. I get the rest of my sales from word of mouth and repeat buyers. I get guys that will travel 4-5 hours for a slab.
Sometimes when I'm milling a log I'll post an ad on craigslist and sell right from someones front yard. I've had pretty good luck doing that and it cuts down on the handling of the slabs.
 
A lot of my sales come from local mills that give out my #. I'm always sending them people who need boards. I tried the craigslist thing but 90% of the emails I get are guys wasting my time. I get the rest of my sales from word of mouth and repeat buyers. I get guys that will travel 4-5 hours for a slab.
Sometimes when I'm milling a log I'll post an ad on craigslist and sell right from someones front yard. I've had pretty good luck doing that and it cuts down on the handling of the slabs.

Betterbuilt-That "selling out of someones front yard thing" is brilliant!- but roughly what do you get for fresh cut green stuff like that?
 
Betterbuilt-That "selling out of someones front yard thing" is brilliant!- but roughly what do you get for fresh cut green stuff like that?

Most people will fall in love with a piece of lumber especially when they watch it come off the log. They are there when it gets flipped over. The color of a slab is at it's best right then not to mention they haven't cracked or warped yet. I can usually get them to help move slabs around until they find one they want. If they help I'll usually charge $3 a bft or give them a round number(50,75,100, you get the gist). I did a ash last year and the slabs were 17 feet long. I was about to cut them in half so I could move them. A guy pulled up and helped me move them so I cut him a deal on a few smaller slabs. I got gas money and some help moving those beasts.
This was a small one.
betterbuilt-albums552-165615.jpg
 
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For my run-of-the-mill wide flitches I get $7/bf and for the really big/nice I charge $10/bf and have been selling them with no problem. Where else are they going to get this kind of wood? Home Depot, Lowes???? Some very unique pieces I will even charge more.

Anyone know of interest in Sequoia slabs? rough sawn, 9' length, 4" thick, 24-36 width ???
Please message me, must sell.
 
Finnish sanded slabs 8.00 bf and up.

I will give a flitch to owner as payment for a log. They often want the top slab for a bench so it's no sweat of my back.

I'm new to actually selling anything but I have set these rules of thumb.

Raw & green: 3.00 per bd ft
Air dried below 15% (EMC around here is 14%): 4.00
Flattened/planed: 5:50
Flat, kiln dried below 10%: 6.50
Flat, dry, sanded: 7.50
Flat, dry, sanitized, sanded, finished $8.50 and up.

A lot depends on your customer. Are you selling "wholesale" to someone who is going to re-sell it - or - are you selling "retail" directly to the end user?

I sell to a countertop retailer/fabricator/ installer. I cut to template countertop less than or equal to 24" wide 1.25" thick sanded oak or pecan. My customer finishes. I get $50.00 per linear ft and he charges $100.00 per linear ft installed. If his customer wants a big, wide island, it's $25/$50 per square ft. No islands ordered yet.
 
I will give a flitch to owner as payment for a log. They often want the top slab for a bench so it's no sweat of my back.

I'm new to actually selling anything but I have set these rules of thumb.

Raw & green: 3.00 per bd ft
Air dried below 15% (EMC around here is 14%): 4.00
Flattened/planed: 5:50
Flat, kiln dried below 10%: 6.50
Flat, dry, sanded: 7.50
Flat, dry, sanitized, sanded, finished $8.50 and up.

A lot depends on your customer. Are you selling "wholesale" to someone who is going to re-sell it - or - are you selling "retail" directly to the end user?

I sell to a countertop retailer/fabricator/ installer. I cut to template countertop less than or equal to 24" wide 1.25" thick sanded oak or pecan. My customer finishes. I get $50.00 per linear ft and he charges $100.00 per linear ft installed. If his customer wants a big, wide island, it's $25/$50 per square ft. No islands ordered yet.
How do you sanitize?
 
For my run-of-the-mill wide flitches I get $7/bf and for the really big/nice I charge $10/bf and have been selling them with no problem. Where else are they going to get this kind of wood? Home Depot, Lowes???? Some very unique pieces I will even charge more.


I agree, the local lumber yard ain't gonna have them, particularly with live edges. Rustic is in and comes at a premium price. I would contact a builder that builds Barndominiums that are looking for rustic lumber for there builds.
 
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