snowdog

Hi guys,
As we are all looking for great prices on wood I thought I would start a thread and get help on what to look for in a sawmill. I moved to the sticks in PA last year and love it. I have seen several saw mills in the area but feel funny walking in to have a looking around. I am not sure what to look for, forget about what the proper etiquette is <laugh>. Should I go get a tin of Skoal and wear my ripped jeans (of course I am kidding , I hope

With that in mind I would like to hear thoughts opinions and suggestions on what I should be looking for when I go wood hunting.

Thanks...

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Drugstore Cowboy

Don't know anything about folks in PA - and the closest I have come to a sawmill was a couple of summers working in a furniture factory with its own lumber yard and kiln.

BUT -- I do know rural people in general especially the blue collar/no collar variety.
And if you go in there in dress slacks and a buton down collar etc. they are likely to assume you are from OSHA or some other unwelcome intruder.

You work with wood - so you have obviously gotten your hands dirty and even scarred -- so I would just - dress accordingly.
Skoal? well - that's probably optional.

AxlMyk

Find out what barn the sawed wood is stored, and browse around in it.. Every mill I've been in lets you do that..

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challagan

Obviously you know what kind of stock ( walnut, oak, cherry etc.) you are after. If you are going to buy from a mill I would invest in a moisture meter so you can test the wood. If you have a planer and jointer you can buy rough stock and mill it at home and save a few bucks. You need to make sure it is reasonably flat and straight, no cracks, checks and a lot of knots etc. If you are going to buy and have them surface it for you then you will definitely want to know how dry it is and buy a few boards at least surfaced 2 sides and see what kind of job they do for you.

corey

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seawolf21

For my woodworking and woodburning hobbies I visit a few mills here and find wood at a decent price. Home Depot and Menards are too expensive. These mills will plane the wood for you cheaply.

Gary

snowdog

So it seems that your all saying just walk in and look around. Now I need to do some research on a moisture meter My wife will love that I am sure (NOT!) <laugh>

challagan

Snowdog... yeah I would just walk in and look around. Get to know them and be sure to be clear on what you are looking for. At one time I was able to buy walnut locally here from a walnut log exporter but they don't allow that anymore. Dont really have a local mill anymore, wish I did.

You could hold off on a moisture meter if they tell you the wood is like 6-8 % moisture content and then let it get accustomed to your shop for a couple weeks before you mill it to your needs. If it is reportedly any higher in moisture then you would really need it to dry out more before milling it up. Find out what services they offer as far as planing and surfacing. Have fun..... those places can be alot of fun and the scrap bin can be a treasure chest for guys like us

Corey

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Mike

Snowdog, The best thing you can do is ask questions. People who own mills will be professionals. They want to make money and that means they are there to serve you. Kiln dried lumber is what you are after, unless they have the ability to air dry it in covered storage. Ask for advice about what type of wood to use for a project, then listen to what they say. Ask about surfacing, can they prep the boards for you to use? Ask about pricing. They should be inline with what other places charge. Once you have gathered information from a couple places choose one you are most comfortable with and give them your business. A bag of bagels or a dozen donuts is a cheap way to garner new friends in the business. When a business knows your name you always get better service and end results.

By the way, Harbor Freight had their moisture meter on sale for $20. I bought one, it works. Nuff said?

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Glenmore

Snowdog I'm an old sawmill hand yes chew and all haha. I look for some one with variety if you have a planner you are in like flint. And if they have a kiln you are a lucky man. The mills I deal with down here in the my area are far and few on different varieties of wood due to the tornado that went through are area right now white pine is the going wood. But I tell you right now that sawmill lumber at least here is a true dimention when I get my rough cut it's about an 1 1/8" thick so you can plan it to a real inch. Went to home depot for the price 3 boards I can bring home a truck load. For what it's worth there. In fact I bought oak red and white for a hundred board ft for 75.00 he had no kiln so I just piled it up for a while and checked it with my moister meter once in a while to check so that it would not warp on me. If you have any more questions pm me.

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