The Cold Hard Truth About Running A Sawmill Business

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Nail puller from video amzn.to/3YkloS5

[@WideCutSawmill]

I was just going to ask lol thanks. 👊🏼

[@jjbiggmann5576]

what is the name of the music, at the end of the video, please...??

[@danielharsh7698]

A really good tool. I have used one for more than thirty years.

[@javajeff3772]

At first I was thinking “man, I can’t believe he is not going to run a metal detector over that log”, but after you explained it, it makes perfect sense … at least to me.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks

[@mrwaterschoot5617]

i hate to say it is a crap shoot. a better term is a educated calculated risk. nate has enough experience to guess where metal is or is not. he has his specialty band saw blade. that he has tools to sharpen or regrind a damaged or dull blade. some wood mizer operators chose toss a blade if it hits metal. if it is for a customer project the cost of dealing with metal in the wood is factored in the cost. so it depends on the business model of the business. i suspect the cost of nate's band saw blade sharpener and setter cost many thousand of dollars. nate controls the quality control and he can make changes quickly. wood mizer sells their own band saw blades. they sell band saw blade sharpeners and setters. and they have a resharp business line. different strokes for different folks and business models. the owner operator choses the best fit for their business. water is a fairly low cost lubricant that freezes in the winter and that is why he adds windshield washer fluid fluid for water and an anti freeze component. diesel lubricant does not freeze either but diesel vapor is not healthy to breathe and diesel fuel is not that good to be absorbed in the wood. and diesel is flammable in the right conditions.

[@GrumpysWorkshop]

idk, if it was 2+ ft up the log, totally agree, just send it. But in this case it was 4" in - would've been really nice to just chainsaw off 8-10" not hit metal.

[@michaelharvey7613]

Thank you so much. I do not know why this is just so relaxing to watch. God Bless you and yours.

[@gerdriechers8426]

Being a young lad I watched a rift- or gangsaw hitting a large piece of a grenade (they said from WW I !). The whole saw came apart and two of the heavy blades were destroyed. Thanks god nobody was hurt but it took a day to get the saw together again. These sawmills were common in Germany, Austria and parts of Switzerland and Italy. Today they use large circular saws. Speed is king. Thanks for your videos. By the way as an old carpenter I would recommend - next time - use the middle as a beam or large post for your traktor garage.

[@dennisatkins9837]

Closing shots were outstanding!

[@robinredman5192]

Gorgeous scenery with the drone. Real perty y'all 😁. Thank you for educating us on why you do what you do. I'll probably never do any saw milling, but if I were to, I would be armed with a whole lotta good knowledge. God bless you sir. John here, from the back-roads of Northeastern Tennessee.

[@mishawakafire]

I had a nail puller just like that about 35 years ago when building my house. it was great and lost it in moving around. Didn't know they still made it so I am ordering one today,

[@bobstovall9570]

I just bought my first sawmill. It may be my last but, then again, this may be the start of a great adventure. I'm looking forward to learning from you about developing a business around my mill. 'That Metal Detector tip is one of the most useful and practical I've come across. I just so happen to have one of those nail pullers that I bought for demolition of buildings for salvage lumber, another great tip.

[@stevencroon]

I love my Garrett metal detector for scanning the logs before and during sawing to pinpoint metal! Has saved me many a blade.

[@stephaniemize321]

Beautiful scenery!

[@allanb9360]

Thanks again for this and the last video. You choice of music is frankly great

[@alanatolstad4824]

I love watching your metal detecting hunts!---Those drone shots always give me a lump in my throat.

[@Curmudgeon1]

Even with the stain in the wood, those blocks would make some nice carving blocks. Great work Nathan!🤠

[@geraldjones2099]

I remember my DAD had one of those nailpullers back in the 60s,he said he got it from his DAD, just some history

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Thanks for sharing with us Nathan, good job milling today. Fred.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks 👍

[@kurtheinen2139]

Just some fyi, I have a metal detector that didn't cost thousands of dollars, and I can pinpoint within an inch of where the metal is, and how deep it is. That being said, I'm not saying go out and buy one, but I'm sure there is a group near you that would gladly come out and detect your logs, for a fee for gas and maybe a beer. Just a thought. I do an arrangement for a sawyer where I charge a small fee, plus 1 dollar a log. Like I said, the new detectors are so much better now, and generally under 5 bills for one that would work. But your method works, just clearing that up!

[@gregbozard3319]

Nathan, absolutely beautiful scenery and music in your closer

[@donaldadams5342]

Wow, There is some really nice lumber from that log Nathan. Always interesting hearing you explain your processes for working around problem spots in a log. Cheers, Don from South Australia.

[@raymedlin2811]

I believe you're spot on about traditional metal detectors usefulness in determining metal contamination in logs. Waste of money. But there may be an answer to your problem. I bought one and it's been an amazing home tool for me. It's called a Wallabot Plus. It actually pinpoints metal hidden in between walls and behind wood. It's like an xray of your wood. I found mine on Amazon on sale for less than $120. I love your show. Thank you for sharing your story. Kind Regards, Ray

[@vincentnail2881]

Nice machine man. You're right, you know the metal is there somewhere. But you have to keep going. Thanks for sharing.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

You bet

[@diedredunham7383]

Like always, that wood is beautiful! Thanks!!

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thank you

[@texasjetman]

Nice save Nathan. I saw a clip on Instagram and wondered if we were going to get to see that log on the mill. Very pleasant closing music. I may need a cup of coffee now.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks buddy

[@ChiefBridgeFuser]

Beautiful wood, along with your ability to create beautiful visuals and show the boring technical goodness.

[@robertr4193]

You got some nice wood out of that log. Some of it has some real nice grain patterns in it as well.

[@petermoller8337]

From Australia your hard wood drops their leaves in winter. Gum trees are hard, sometimes drops leaves in summer.😊

[@brucebello2049]

Brilliant video Nathan, I love that you supported another small mill and the lumber you got from the can’t, also the closing drone shots and soundtrack was superb, thank you, happy to support your shorts although I must admit I’m not a fan of them

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks 👍

[@michelem9341]

Wow! Bruce! Can you explain better. I didn’t pick up on this at all.

[@johnchiffy1619]

Thanks Nathan for the entertaining videos. Very much enjoy watching you saw that white oak today, beautiful wood. Keep the content coming. :)

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks 👍

[@benrudman3917]

Nathan had the most expensive and most accurate metal detector woodmizer makes. 💪 I know my lt50 works like a charm at finding any metal in a log. I appreciate you as always buddy. -Ben

[@paulbarr3981]

My Father had one of those nails pullers in the fifties. I still use it.

[@Jwoodard9101]

Man I have one of those mail pullers from the 1890’s can’t remember the manufacturer but I think it was made in NYC. Still works great

[@judithfairchild8620]

I enjoyed your explanations and watching you work around the problems. Your scenery shots are so beautiful. Thanks for including them.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thank you very much!

[@owenmyers88]

Great video Nathan. Enjoyed hearing how you were going to cut the log. Not that I will probably own a saw mill someday, still nice hearing why and how you approach things.

[@DavidMcCabe]

loved those parting shots!

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

So glad!

[@jimcorbett3764]

I love the look of oak- nice boards!

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Me too!

[@ronbraasch7675]

Nathan, could you do a small segment showing you sharpening a blade?

[@TimSeburn]

Really knows milling and clearly enjoys what he does. Beautiful countryside!

[@grassmanfive]

I just noticed at 15:30 in the video that your saw dust exhaust tube is plugged up. just sayen.

[@rustyjames6312]

Nathan , I have managed a band mill for over 30 years now and I have to tell you that I could feel my blood pressure go up when I witnessed your opening cuts on that nice size log. I know you realize how hard a true White Oak is to come by now. Get yourself a way to edge the 4 inch 4/4 boards you left in those slabs. You know , over run !

[@jamesa5720]

If you are so skilled, why don't you post a video instead of criticizing a guy willing to share like Nathan.

[@brentsmith981]

interesting and very useful commentary on the mill and procedures

[@waltmooredanwilson8754]

Thanks for sharing your video. I enjoyed watching. Take care and God Bless.

[@urbanlumberjack]

Really inspirational setup you’ve made. If there were sawmills like this across the country think of the stability in lumber supply we would have! The economic impact would be amazing.

[@do_regan]

Eliminating the US's large duties (tariffs) on Canadian lumber would also increase the stability of the US lumber supply by incentivizing the creation of more large Canadian sawmills.

[@jameshynes-petty6573]

@@do_regan Canada is undergoing regulations that prohibit that. If the forest service still did meaningful landscape management activities we wouldn’t need to import any lumber

[@inqwit1]

Briliant. Can hardly wait for the pole barn raising. Oh, and it's hard not to love oak.

[@SeansWoodBarn]

Funny how this video foreshadowed all the changes you have made recently!

[@intensemojo]

Great information in this one. Just catching up to it, grateful for the simple lessons.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Glad it was helpful!

[@michaelmurphy3131]

Nathan, I really enjoy your presentations. Very informative. I know that you have explained what you do with the slab wood before, putting it on the burn pile. As a suggestion, could this work to Bruno's advantage? Have him (with your supervision) cut and bundle up the slab wood and then sell the bundles as campfire wood. He could put 80% into an educational fund and have the rest for spending money. There might be many benefits to him earning his own money.

[@kevincameron8437]

Great job of explaining things to us. It truly is an art and you are doing great things with some great lumber. Thanks for sharing.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks 👍

[@paulgreen2863]

Thank you for the video. I am having trouble understanding what a cant is and how to build one. After watching this video I think I got it. It will work better with larger logs. Thanks a gain. Yes I am new at milling.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

You can do it!

[@timdwyer8004]

That is some gorgeous quarter/rift sawn at the end. Great stuff.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks 👍

[@willhill7293]

I didn't see that part I guess. It looked to me he was flat sawing 90% of the time.

[@sumnerkinney2166]

I thought the blades were more like $130. Thanks Nathan. You are the BEST!

[@boooshes]

That is about right for carbide tip depending on the length

[@taylorlindsey4931]

My blades are double edged blades, cutting going down the track and cutting on the return........ they are $300 bucks a blade.....minimum 5 blade order!! Lol.

[@retiredteacher724]

Another informative and fun video! We loved every minute! We too love the drone footage which takes our breath! Is that your little stone cottage at the end?

[@bobblackhand3201]

I agree with you on the stain in end grain like that being metal. I grew up with a LT 40 hydraulic used as a portable mill, so I know all too well about steel in wood. I don't know if you pull your mill out to clean your building but around 13:20 the frame can be seen moving up and down as the head rig runs. In our experience (fathers and mine 30 years) this is caused by there being too much weight on the tires, give those jacks one more click. Your mill is way newer than ours (1987), so I don't know if they still click or not.

[@secretwoodproject]

I got some of those wide ends that my sawmill I go to in Ohio throws out and I have made a couple of coffee tables out of them.

[@snobear41]

Hi Nathan, I have a question, I have noticed many of your logs are "well seasoned" is that a planned move on your part, or just how they come to you? - Tyler

[@NotSoRemoteAlaska]

No one really realizes just how much it takes to run a sawmill until they have one of their own. I have a couple metal detectors. Like you said they will tell you their is metal in the log but do not pinpoint the location. Even the big mills will discard a full log if they think it has metal in it. Your explanation was spot on.

[@HotrodRon74]

well nice looking wood anyway...thats cheap for blades,,not bad...never new that,,i thought they were costly...guys use to bring there saws in at the tyler county fair grounds in Wv...,,and cut walnut...i seen a lot of blades go down,,,,there...this was years ago..but farmers were happy with the wood....the first thing i think of is bob wire,,,i seen so many wrapped around trees on the farm as a kid...we had beach trees up here,and you see some of the shotgun marks on the trees...they cut them all down,,what a shame...they were all nice den trees...oh well i guess you just have to put your mind in what you got...stay warm Nathan

[@alfadoofus]

Nice video. I was wondering if you changed your strategy once you got lucky finding that nail ?

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

I did by one cut,

[@jamesvanpelt7418]

Awesome video, it's funny, I'm a professional tree man and when I hit metal with my chainsaw I get mad but when I hit metal on my sawmill I shrug my shoulder and get another blade. From Fla.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks 👍

[@Toto-is8ci]

Cloud drone at the end was spectaclar!

[@PracticallyMint]

Nathan, curious if actually finding the nail like you did here will cause you to alter your cutting strategy afterward - in other words, once you pull that nail, does it make you comfortable enough to go ahead and saw through the area? Or does it just make you cautious because nails tend to come in multiples?

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

I stayed cautious

[@vincepresto759]

Nathan Just a thought for you of ur Saw Dust ! Build a long trough as long as it needs to be to get a tract bucket or a three side Ben and use forks too lift, make just the width of a Snow Shovel and may have to experiment on the side heights and every so often push out the trough into the Bucket or Ben and may keep the pain of clean up dust everywhere ! Just a thought from the Presto’s in Missouri

[@stephenstevens6573]

What is the stone building you flew over with the drone, Nathan?

[@markrothenberg9867]

Love the channel. Great information. Don’t agree about not using a metal detector. I’d be able to tell you the approximate depth and location with my $150 or $800 metal detector and a $120 pin pointer. I think you should rethink your tools. Time changing a blade and getting a new blade sharpened might be worth $300 to $500 in loss time. Just say’n…look at your per board cost and what tools make you better and faster. You already know the LT70 has made you more productive than your previous saw, as well as the tractors.

[@gdreclaimed5442]

Have you ever looked into Carbide blades? I have one on my shop bandsaw and it lasted for 2 years of heavy use, I cut a bunch of nails with it as well.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

I will check it out

[@johnaddis1022]

Good looking boards I love your mill wish I could afford one like it. My son and I recieved one each of the nail pullers for Christmas of 22, you are correct nails not so bad I have a sharpener and blade set also fence staples pretty rough but a lag bolt will break the blade then you turn the air blue and chainsaw around the bolt and have some short boards think the tree held a deer stand platform at one time and someone proabally hacksawed the bolt off right against the bark to get the stand down, just my best guess

[@stephencorsaro954]

You can get a portable veterinary X ray machine for about 800-1000 dollars on line.

[@seangrey3505]

A Whites coinmaster is about 125 and pretty much any detector tells you the depth except hand held wands...but they can be adjusted to about .5in to as big as 3 in away so they could help but you have to have them to use them I guess

[@matthewhaaland4004]

We’ll done Nathan! I get the metal detector question all the time.

[@troybreedlove4195]

I mix pinesol and water for lubricating my blade.

[@treecareEdm]

The music at the end of your awesome video 15:40 is absolutely beautiful, Could you please tell me who the artist is and the name of the melody... Thank you in advance...😊

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+ @Tyrone "No Goodbyes" by Amaranth Cove kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJOumXyklrulh9U

[@mikesanders4012]

Having a Timber King sawmill, seeing how you layout your cut strategies is appreciated. Great show

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks 👍

[@richardanderson3005]

I have a wall tie locator that's inexpensive (£120.00). I don't often discard a log but it may end up shorter ! I pass the detector over the log before each pass. Works well for me.

[@bobberryman4654]

Nathen nice video, how long does it take you to sharpen and reset your blades, just as a matter of interest.

[@ronnielloyd4514]

The part that had the nail in it you saw off. You continued to saw the wood into pieces. Could you have used the wood to make shorter boards. Surely you could have found a use for it.

[@edbarailroad7948]

Thanks for explain why you don’t use a metal detector.

[@jbenson9403]

Growing up on a small farm in South Dakota, I'm very familiar with the nail puller you used.

[@michaelmoore1196]

I use my metal detector to save my planer blades .most of the time I use a wood wizard . But i do a lot of reclaimed work .

[@brucegarrett7232]

After you find the nail the blade is compromised do you slow the feed rate some. You got some nice cribbing blocks out of the pith cant.

[@jamessteffens8337]

Enjoy your show. You have the nicest saw mill I ever saw. Jim80

[@billroberts3864]

Nathan, thanks for explaining why you don't go out and buy a big fancy metal detector. Blessings to you.

[@michelem9341]

Nathan: none of this metal stuff makes sense to me but I’m absolutely fascinated to learn about it. Is it possible to do a video to teach this better?

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

I’ll try

[@billcornett2256]

I know carbide blades are pricey but I have seen Matt Ceremony saw thru substantial metal, take no damage,and say that metal isn't much of a concern any longer

[@michaelsilva8854]

Big fan thanks from Virginia! Just out of curiosity could you mill that into flooring with the equipment you have ?

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Yes I can

[@jamesstrickland7776]

Thanks Nathan for another great video. What town in Tennessee do you live?

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

I don’t give that out. No offense Thanks for watching

[@jamesstrickland7776]

@@OutoftheWoods0623 I respect that.

[@ghgh4637]

Nice lumber...how much time too take saw one log thats big until finish...

[@brianmclean7445]

The discarded center looks like it would go good in your wood burning oven in your shop, but I think you would need to make them a more manageable size.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

That's the plan!

[@FiveCentsPlease]

Wonderful video as always. As a music lover, I'd like to know the piano artist in the description just like a couple of years ago when you credited The Eastern Plain. Thanks for your videos.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

Found the answer to my own question. The wonderful piano piece is "No Good Byes" by Amaranth Cove, a name used by composer Gavin Luke.

[@themeat5053]

That Crescent nail puller is atomic. I've been using one ( the old US made were a bit better than the newer Taiwan models) for years. Haven't met a nail I couldn't pull with it.

[@bobcalder724]

Another great video to throughly enjoy. Thank you Who is the artist playing the piano during the trail end of this video?

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+ @Bob Calder I was able to find it with Siri. "No Good Byes" by Amaranth Cove. It is such a wonderful piano piece.

[@bobcalder724]

@@FiveCentsPlease Wow! Thank you

[@briggsahoy1]

Good morning, RB, Nova Scotia.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Morning!

[@5ElementsWoodworking]

Nathan, you left us hanging!!! What are the downsides of diesel as a lubricant?? I feel so incomplete. ,-)

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Gets on my gloves which transfers to clothes

[@jamesrichardson5162]

Would a metal detector work on sawmill timber to find metal in the wood

[@shoe187lb]

Is it true that residential trees tend to have more metal in them? What is the worst area for a tree to come from?

[@ChiefBridgeFuser]

Could you, have you done a video on the bandsaw sharpening/setting process? I'm lazy and haven't looked it up on my own.

[@danielharsh7698]

That is the best tool ever.

[@loubowen6649]

Great job

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

Thanks

[@kevingade5118]

Hi Nathen, one the last two cants is there a reason you don’t cut them together? You explained your cutting plan very well.

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

cants move, and you have to flip them to counter it often, more accurate just to do one at a time, im in no hurry also, I enjoy the process, thanks for watching

[@nikokennedy837]

Do any of the sawmills make cuts going forward and backwards or do they all just go forward?

[@larrydavis2559]

would that board with the nail have made a mantel?

[@mustbsavdbyjesus]

Where are you located? Do you do tours? I have loved oak trees for so long and I am at a crossroads in my life. Considering starting a mill to finish out my life.

[@craigsudman4556]

What about using those cores to store your logs on to get them off of the ground? Great video thumbs up.

[@mikezimmermann89]

Not a bad idea, but I’ll bet that if a Nathan puts a reasonable value on his time, it’s less expensive for him to buy “stickers” than it is to cut them up…

[@craigsudman4556]

@@mikezimmermann89 I didn't mean to separate his sawn lumber I meant to use the big 4x4 core as a cradle to keep the uncut trees off of the ground rather than let them rot in a pile by not getting to them in time.

[@mikezimmermann89]

@@craigsudman4556 Ahh… that makes your good idea a VERY good idea.