Sawing and Drying

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Cutting Slabs

11/3/15       
Elkrut Member

I haave a Lucas Mill & a Tree Service, A customer has hired me to remove his tree & haul it away. Now he wants me to cut a slab for him out of his tree & kiln dry it. I have been paid for the tree removal & hauling of the log. My question is, I have no clue how much to charge to cut a slab for him & how much to charge to kiln dry it for him. I have my own kiln. The log is Sycamore, 42" wide, cut 2" thick 8' Long. How much per Slab from Midwest.

11/3/15       #2: Cutting Slabs ...
Den Socling  Member

Website: http://www.vacdry.com

Charge big bucks. That is going to be mighty heavy and hard to dry. Have him sign an agreement that you aren't liable for drying degrade.

11/4/15       #3: Cutting Slabs ...
Texas Timbers

I agree with Den about the liability, and you can't use a standard per-BF drying rate because drying slabs are a different animal than dimension lumber. Sycamore can be a bear to dry and depending on where in the tree you took the slab that will determine how much, and in what way it moves during drying.

If you centered the pith on both ends as I suspect you did in order to get the great qtr sawn flecks that syc gives, you will have to deal with however the pith itself decides to self destruct. If you took the slab off center it will want to cup (and whatever else it decides to do) -- bottom line is you are not going to end up with an 8/4 flitch or slab once dried and jointed on one face (and even less if the bottom is thickness planed to parallel the top) and he needs to know that going in. He also needs to agree that if it wrecks itself beyond feasible workability you cannot help that either.

11/4/15       #4: Cutting Slabs ...
Eric

May I suggest that you charge by the hour of effort to get the board cut and dried for the customer? You will spend time caring for this board as it is cut and dried, and that is usually valuable to a customer. If you take the time to explain this to them, (and how it will take time away from your normal money-making activities like grade sawing, etc.) they will often volunteer to pay you a nice rate. You just need to figure out what your time is worth so that you can propose and / or decide whether the rate they are willing to pay is what you are willing to accept. I charge 60 dollars per hour for my sawing services. I have plenty of business to keep me busy, but I occasionally lose jobs to my competitors in the area too. And I'm OK with that.
Best of luck...

11/8/15       #5: Cutting Slabs ...
Stevem

FWIW

I haven't had good luck drying sycamore, some real problems but the tree was very burly and every burl spot just collapsed and that was just air drying. Twist and turns going every direction. Lots of work for little return. Glad I got paid for the sawing!

2" is rather thin for an 8' slab, 3-4 inch would be a lot better and if you cut it be sure the ends are sealed on a fresh cut.

I charge double my regular sawing charges for slabbing or a livable hourly rate with a minimum of four hours on a mobile job with my Lucas.

On drying, a year or two of air drying with LOTS of weight before the kiln might be a better approach, explain degrade in drying and get a deposit of half expected charges.

As a turning wood sycamore is awesome,

11/12/15       #6: Cutting Slabs ...
Elkrut Member

Thanks for all your input, Lots of great advice.


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)