Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Backyard Lumberjack]

It does depend on location.
Down here cut and split firewood is going for $150 a cord, plus whatever for delivery...... so I don't bother with it much, and only sell what we make as a bi product of our sawmill activities.

like BlueBell ice cream....

use all we can, sell all the rest

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

LOL. It was most definitely worth the risk of going to BC for a spell.

since i skip and hop this thread, doubt i will be missed.... too much!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

KK, in answer to your question, there is more profit to be made in lumber if you have the right equipment, but firewood is easier and there is ALWAYS a market for it. But cutting, splitting, storing to season, and delivering ... it is a lot of work. If you are not doing it because you like doing it, you aren't doing it!To sell logs they have to

Then there is the cost of the epoxy, and urethane ... and none of it lasts if left outside!

then there is the 1040 and Other Income Section...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Well, they said it would be cold, and when I let the dog out at 11:00 pm it was 2 below 0 F, but it was also snowing, which they did not predict!

my dog got out!!! one of my pups... bit ago went to ck on him, all ok, so i gave him a C! (ccokie) and left gate in where hs stays indoors ajar. he got out! .... and came to see me. guess he 's his Daddie ~

now sacked out on carpte! nose less than 2" from my foot....

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

A firewood business is a lot simpler, than a sawmill biz.... plus more people buy firewood than lumber.....That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
The reasons I have a sawmill are.....
First off I like to eat, so I gotta do something for a living, and I've been a sawmill guy since the late 80's
Also.....
I like lumber... I'm always building stuff... firewood's too cheap around here....and I hate to see good sawlogs chopped up into firewood.

For me, I really like to do both firewood and lumber because I can maximize the value in the logs, and I enjoy not wasting stuff. And because I'm a builder I can take a tree and turn it into a finished product, which is downright good fun in my estimation.

not down here! new construction framing and such rampant! like a virus! both here and rural, too. always seeing a new culvert being set up along the FM!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I'd say that it depends on your local wood and what people are using it for. Like Sawdust said, building lumber has to be graded and stamped, so I don't know anyone selling dimensional lumber that they milled. Most of the profit seems to be in selling hardwood lumber to woodworkers and softwood slabs to hobbyists. Selling slabs isn't a business for me, but I've made good profit selling cedar and redwood slabs off from time to time. These were just some slabs I did with an Alaskan, so definitely not high-volume.

I have the opportunity to harvest a bunch of walnut, but the logistics of it, is putting a damper on my enthusiasm.

few years back there was a busy wood mill out along one of the state hiways... big logs! power was a V8 truck engine...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Here's an example of what I was saying about taking trees and making something outta em.
I cut and logged these cedars on my sister's place....
View attachment 1054867
Then we sawed em into lumber...
View attachment 1054868
And built their deck outta em.
View attachment 1054869

fancy!!!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

hey kid!, u tracking the inbound trek of your new skidder? location?

Id imagine its somewhere off the coast of Canada right now heading North

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Id imagine its somewhere off the coast of Canada right now heading North

thanks for the update! going N is encouraging!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I'd say that it depends on your local wood and what people are using it for. Like Sawdust said, building lumber has to be graded and stamped, so I don't know anyone selling dimensional lumber that they milled. Most of the profit seems to be in selling hardwood lumber to woodworkers and softwood slabs to hobbyists. Selling slabs isn't a business for me, but I've made good profit selling cedar and redwood slabs off from time to time. These were just some slabs I did with an Alaskan, so definitely not high-volume.

I have the opportunity to harvest a bunch of walnut, but the logistics of it, is putting a damper on my enthusiasm.

There are no building code restrictions on building with rough cut in our borough.

 

[bob kern]

Well this old fart s scrounged out and headed for the house. Don't know how much you miss a teenager til they ain't there!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

this thread is like life up on the farm... the work never ends, only the day ends...

noon rushing in. 56f . need to ck in and the get with it...

can't wait to see the kid's new saw mill, too!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I think both are like logging. Have you heard the saying; if you want to make some money logging, you start out with lots of money.
With all the equipment you're buying, it appears you'll be making some money . I just hope you're paying cash.

All my equipment purchased has been payed in cash. No Im not rich! I sold my Bristol commercial salmon fishing permit to invest in my new enterprise, and it will be a profitable one. Getting to old to bust my a** on the deck kf fishing boats and I really only want to fall timber out of camps part time, a month or two here snd there. Not year round

I STIHL have a few items to buy too. So managing my funds while STIHL having coin fir operating costs, taxes, insurance, taxes, bonds, taxes, licenses, and taxes, has been a headache in itself, and did I mention taxes!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I had a good spot on a local crab boat for the Kodiak Tanner Crab season that's going on as we speak, but I got Covid and had to give up my spot. Then the fleet went on strike. By the time the fish buyers settled on a price. I was over Covid, but my deck hand position had already been filled. I'll be missing out on about 10k that I definitely could have used!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

A firewood business is a lot simpler, than a sawmill biz.... plus more people buy firewood than lumber.....That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
The reasons I have a sawmill are.....
First off I like to eat, so I gotta do something for a living, and I've been a sawmill guy since the late 80's
Also.....
I like lumber... I'm always building stuff... firewood's too cheap around here....and I hate to see good sawlogs chopped up into firewood.

For me, I really like to do both firewood and lumber because I can maximize the value in the logs, and I enjoy not wasting stuff. And because I'm a builder I can take a tree and turn it into a finished product, which is downright good fun in my estimation.

Yeah I think I'm just going to do both. Firewood is selling for 400 a cord here. Lumber is outrageous too.

 

[SS396driver]

Going in search of the possible tree or trees that caused the power outage last night . Usually they are pretty close as I live in the woods .
The CTD started right up cranked a little slow but it’s still only 5 degrees out . I’ve never plugged in the block heater since I’ve owned the truck

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Well, they said it would be cold, and when I let the dog out at 11:00 pm it was 2 below 0 F, but it was also snowing, which they did not predict!

I don't think its gotten below 20° degrees here on the Island all winter. Sounds like you guys are having a rough winter over there on the East side!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Well I can't do any business negotiating until Monday. So I think I'll go trolling for some winter Kings today or tomorrow gentleman.


My always faithful "aft lookout"


Port and starboard "lookout" slacking off not standing a proper watch!

 

[GrizG]

my Dad did not reload to save $. he did it for the ballistics!! and when i say Magnum loads, i mean Magnum loads...!

watched The Gunfighter flic last nite. a young G Peck, never misses, cerca 1950! a catch theme... shty ending... though

I worked up loads for my rifles and was more concerned with hunting accuracy than absolute power… shotguns and handguns consistency and reliable feeding. Hitting woodchucks at 300+ yards, soda cans and bowling pins at 100 yards with 38s, and upland game birds… though I did shoot I’d estimate 200k at targets too which reloading supported. I used to load 38s for about 4 cents per round and wore guns out.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I worked up loads for my rifles and was more concerned with hunting accuracy than absolute power… shotguns and handguns consistency and reliable feeding. Hitting woodchucks at 300+ yards, soda cans and bowling pins at 100 yards with 38s, and upland game birds… though I did shoot I’d estimate 200k at targets too which reloading supported. I used to load 38s for about 4 cents per round and wore guns out.

Now that's what I'm talking about!!!