# Woodmizer Bandsaw Mill Feasibilty?



## FJDIII (Dec 20, 2007)

Hello All,

Is there any one here making a living sawing logs on a small scale? I know it would be tough work but my current job has me feeling like taking needles in my eyes would be better. I'm no stranger to hard work as I framed houses for 20 years. An injury left me looking for a new job and for the past 5 years it has been the corporate world for me. We just don't get along. I am not looking to make a ton of money just enough to sustain my family until my children are grown; two boys 9 and 6. I have thought about going pro making Windsors chairs but feel that I would have to move to an area that was flooded with people wanting to spend money on things like that. If there is anyone out there currently in a portable saw mill business I would appreciate your input.. or anyone else for that matter. My plan would be to keep my job and become a weekend warrior until I could eventually break away.Thanks.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Keeping your current job and being a "weekend warrior" is smart thinking. The learning curve doing this can be steep and expensive. Finding niche markets for a small time sawyer is very important. As well as your supply end, you cannot afford to invest too much labor/money in raw material (logs) and have any hope of making out. I too would be available to answer any more questions you have on the subject on the forum or in private.


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## BlueStingrayBoots (Jun 11, 2007)

Wear a big belt, this is some heavy work! and something for your hands and forearms cause they get scrapped pretty bad too. But maybe I need more machinery$ to make it easier.


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## TheWoodButcher (Feb 2, 2007)

It's tuff stuff making it with the mill untill you get it going. Then it's really tuff stuff. I'm finding that just about the time you think your doing pretty good,....... something breaks or you have some kind of emergency that gobbles up all your profit and there you go starting over again. I would love to run my mill full time, but I just can't seem to get enough regular customers to make it full time yet. Also there's alot of bullwork in this line of work. However it's the hardest work I have ever enjoyed.


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## WoodSpanker (Feb 10, 2009)

I imagine it is like any business… as long as you are enjoying what you do, it makes all the hard work worth it. My hat is off to all of you who actually make a living working wood or being a sawyer… Wish I could, but I got mouths to feed, and no time to build up a customer base. Good luck to you. To all of you.


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## JimmieCajun (Apr 12, 2009)

I am just coming onto this website and found that this topic is of key interest to me at this time. I would like to purchase a portable sawmill and begin sawing for hobby and selling lumber. I do not know where to look for an outlet to sell the raw lumber. Can anyone provide guidance?


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## NY_Rocking_Chairs (Jul 20, 2008)

My next door neighbor does saw milling. He also does the logging to keep the mill running, logging for firewood, splitting and delivery of the firewood (about 150 cord a year). They raise deer and sell the pee for hunting purposes. He also does odd jobs and she helps run the place and does medical transcription and they are sometimes waiting on payments every month so they can cover the monthly expenses.

He would never go back to working for someone else though and they love what they are doing. He also gets to go hunting/fishing every morning. Spends alot of time with his kids, etc.

There are always trade-offs.

The wood he mills ends up at the local hard-wood lumber dealers. Sometimes the logs are owned by someone else and the milled wood just goes back to them. Another local mill just does hickory and locust and air-dries it and sells it himself for fencing, etc.


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## NY_Rocking_Chairs (Jul 20, 2008)

Don't forget you will also need to store and move logs. Something like a skid-steer to move the logs and load the mill. The blades on the mill are not cheap and need resharpening. Place to store logs and then the lumber.


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