What do customers want & Yellow Birch

[Saiso]

So, I don’t have a mill yet but have been dealing with our local mill guy quite a bit the last 3 years. All he mostly mills and sells are the most common building materials. I plan to sell some softwood logs to him throughout the summer to make a few bucks but my question is the following.

My best friend recently left his mechanic job to be a stay at home father while his wife goes to work. He plans on cutting on the side (some on our land) and some on my in laws. We’ll be sharing firewood until he’s caught up (just starting) and then eventually will try making a few bucks on what ever we can.

He’s very artistic and he has a big garage so he also plans on making crafts and different things. So for those who have a saw mill, may I ask what other projects or dimensions customers have asked for?

We’ll be making small stuff like candle holders, birdhouses, snowmen out of birch, etc etc.

Today we took a walk on my land (where we’ll be cutting 2 wide trail systems to fit the truck) and we’ll be encountering some Yellow Birch that will be cut. Has anyone milled/requested YB specifically? I don’t want to use it for firewood as we’ll be cutting a lot of Red Maple and White Birch so I’m trying to get ideas outside the box.

I also understand certain forks and deformities may bring in extra money. What have you guys done with such things?

Not that we’re trying to make a fortune out of these odd projects but he has the garage, time and desire and I have the land, so I think it’d be a great opportunity to work with different species and our local mill.

My in laws also plan on opening a small store in a couple years so we will be able to sell some things there too.

I may be asking a lot but I truly appreciate anything and everything. This place is filled with knowledge!

Thank you thank you!

 

[rarefish383]

Our animal Vet, and good friend also raises race horses. She is constantly replacing 30-50 year old 1X6X 1inch thick Oak fence boards. I brought home 600 of them and made sliding barn doors out of them.Most of my milling stuff is Red Oak which I make benches and mantels out of. I lucked into some Meta Sequoia that some turned into mantels and benches too. Some of my benches are mortise and tenon, and some are more rustick fire pit benches. I level a spot and put down 4 12X12 concrete pavers on each end, and set a big Oak round on top of them. Then I level a guide board and cut a notch half was through each round and then set the slab in the notches. One friend just built a timber timber framed home and the fire place is flat stone from the floor half way up the wal. She put a 6" mantle under the gas firepalce and a 9" mantel over it. Here's a couple pics of some past projects. Mortise and tenon bench, was really very easy to make. This one is Tulip Poplar.

Sliding barn doors.

Small swinging barn doors.

Fold up cabin table.

Oak mantel befor mounting

 

[rarefish383]

Meta Sequoia Mantel.

Ax rack out of Fir.

Logging truck bird feeder.

Squirrel play ground.

 

[rarefish383]

Live edge mantel with bark on, Red Oak, you can see the small mantel about a foot off the floor and the bigger one on top.

Close up of top mantel.

 

[rarefish383]

Almost forgot the fire pit bench.

 

[Saiso]

Really nice!

 

[Marine5068]

So, I don’t have a mill yet but have been dealing with our local mill guy quite a bit the last 3 years. All he mostly mills and sells are the most common building materials. I plan to sell some softwood logs to him throughout the summer to make a few bucks but my question is the following.

My best friend recently left his mechanic job to be a stay at home father while his wife goes to work. He plans on cutting on the side (some on our land) and some on my in laws. We’ll be sharing firewood until he’s caught up (just starting) and then eventually will try making a few bucks on what ever we can.

He’s very artistic and he has a big garage so he also plans on making crafts and different things. So for those who have a saw mill, may I ask what other projects or dimensions customers have asked for?

We’ll be making small stuff like candle holders, birdhouses, snowmen out of birch, etc etc.

Today we took a walk on my land (where we’ll be cutting 2 wide trail systems to fit the truck) and we’ll be encountering some Yellow Birch that will be cut. Has anyone milled/requested YB specifically? I don’t want to use it for firewood as we’ll be cutting a lot of Red Maple and White Birch so I’m trying to get ideas outside the box.

I also understand certain forks and deformities may bring in extra money. What have you guys done with such things?

Not that we’re trying to make a fortune out of these odd projects but he has the garage, time and desire and I have the land, so I think it’d be a great opportunity to work with different species and our local mill.

My in laws also plan on opening a small store in a couple years so we will be able to sell some things there too.

I may be asking a lot but I truly appreciate anything and everything. This place is filled with knowledge!

Thank you thank you!

Where in Canada do you you live?
I live in a very country oriented area of Ontario (North west of Kingston, North of Belleville) so lots of country crafts are popular.
There's lots of more modern log cabins and such here and lots of woods around me with just about every species of Eastern tree available.
But lots of people are wanting some more modern items these days and are buying slabs for mantles, benches and shelves. Also for tables and bench tops.
If you google what is selling best or just search on Etsy or EBay for wooden hand made products it gives you an idea of what's selling.
I like cool, unique stuff like home made lamps, knife holders, cutting boards, shelves and wall cabinets myself.

 

[Saiso]

Where in Canada do you you live?
I live in a very country oriented area of Ontario (North west of Kingston, North of Belleville) so lots of country crafts are popular.
There's lots of more modern log cabins and such here and lots of woods around me with just about every species of Eastern tree available.
But lots of people are wanting some more modern items these days and are buying slabs for mantles, benches and shelves. Also for tables and bench tops.
If you google what is selling best or just search on Etsy or EBay for wooden hand made products it gives you an idea of what's selling.
I like cool, unique stuff like home made lamps, knife holders, cutting boards, shelves and wall cabinets myself.
View attachment 728717 View attachment 728718 View attachment 728720 View attachment 728721

New Brunswick here.

Thanks for the ideas!
Yeah, I’ll get a little stock of certain slabs for potential tables/stools.

 

[Marine5068]

New Brunswick is beautiful.
We have lots of relatives near the coast, Richibucto and Rexton area.

 

[Eckie]

Marine...that knife holder is beautiful! What kind of wood is it? Are there small individual magnets behind each blade, that are covered and hidsen by the blade? Nice work on the tables too!

 

[Saiso]

New Brunswick is beautiful.
We have lots of relatives near the coast, Richibucto and Rexton area.

Not very far from me! Grew up in Moncton but live in Neguac. Richibucto/Rexton is roughly in the middle