# Prices



## djg (Jun 30, 2020)

I'm not offering any wood here, so I don't think I'm breaking any rules. If I am. mods just let me know and I'll delete.

I was contacted by a local wood turner wanting some Walnut and other species in log form (18" long max) or processed into half rounds (minus the pith). I told him I could. The question is: what do I charge the guy? He has a 18" swing so I'm guessing nothing less than 12" and up to 24" log diameters.

I don't want to overcharge the guy, because it may be an in for me, but I don't want to give it away at firewood prices. Especially if I process it for him.

So for example, a 16" dia x 18" long log yielding two bowl blanks. Right now I'm only dealing with 'Plain Jane' Walnut. No crotches yet.

Any thoughts

Thanks

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 30, 2020)

For what your describing, processing to get 2 blanks out of a log even plain walnut should bring at least $20 a blank for that size. If he balks ask him to make you an offer on the pair. Walnut goes for about $10 a board foot around here. Large bowl blanks are hard to come by unless you process them yourself.

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## Brandon Sloan (Jun 30, 2020)

This is the process that I try to apply when it comes to pricing. Let’s say it took you an hour to acquire a 12 foot log. Another hour or so to cut it into blanks. You decide you and your equipment is worth 40 bucks an hour. You’ll need to sell the blanks to recoup the two hours of work that you put into them. If you ended up with 16 blanks, the least you would want to sell them for is 5 bucks a piece. This is just a random ass example.

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## djg (Jun 30, 2020)

Brandon Sloan said:


> This is the process that I try to apply when it comes to pricing. Let’s say it took you an hour to acquire a 12 foot log. Another hour or so to cut it into blanks. You decide you and your equipment is worth 40 bucks an hour. You’ll need to sell the blanks to recoup the two hours of work that you put into them. If you ended up with 16 blanks, the least you would want to sell them for is 5 bucks a piece. This is just a random ass example.


Yes as my bottom price I was thinking $10 in the log form, no processing. But after reading what Greg said, I'm thinking that may even be too low.


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## djg (Jun 30, 2020)

woodtickgreg said:


> For what your describing, processing to get 2 blanks out of a log even plain walnut should bring at least $20 a blank for that size. If he balks ask him to make you an offer on the pair. Walnut goes for about $10 a board foot around here. Large bowl blanks are hard to come by unless you process them yourself.


I like the way you think. $20 would be great for a blank. I may process them myself so I can ask the higher price. Also he has a smaller saw than I do and would have to borrow a truck.

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## woodtickgreg (Jun 30, 2020)

10 bucks for smaller blanks is kinda the norm, but for the big ones especially if they are figured you can get a little more. Of course all things are negotiable, especially if there is a quantity. And like Brandon said, what's your time worth?

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## Flacer22 (Jun 30, 2020)

I log quite alot of walnut and have Wal it laying around all the time. Here in log form an 16in log that's pretty nice and straight grain is gonna be worth 2.5-3$ a board foot. So that alone is 14 board feet. So 42$ just for that hunk. Now to get that money u need it to be least 8 feet long and a mill to sell it to but imo. Even on a junk piece of firewood it's still 16in diamater walnut and that's not always easy to get and find then the time associated with processing. Imo 20$ a processed blanks sounds like a good deal 20$-25$ per blanks is my thought

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## djg (Jun 30, 2020)

Thanks everyone. That gives me an idea. Definitely better than I thought. Once I have the blanks processed, I'm going to send him photos and we'll talk price then. I don't want the guy to low ball me when we meet and I certainly don't want to surprise him.

P.S. He wants Sycamore also. Maybe 2/3s the price of HVBW or the same?

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## djg (Jul 3, 2020)

The guy wanted Sycamore too so I cut one round off a 22" dia. log. Here's what I ended up with.

I noodled off center a little so the smallest ends are 9 to 10" deep (radius) and 19" across. Both around 20-22" long.

Would you price these less than Walnut or the same due to their size?

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 3, 2020)

I'd price them less, especially if your trying to earn his future business. It's not like you'll have a lot of time in these, you dont have to dry them or mill them into boards. But I would look into getting some anchor seal if your going to do this more often, seal the ends to help prevent splitting and checking.

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## djg (Jul 3, 2020)

I do have Anchorseal, but I'm running low. These shots were take right after I got home from the log yard. I'm standing four feet up on a log cutting on this log so my end cuts aren't square. The log guy had pushed everything up on a pile to save space so cutting is hard. I plan on cutting square ends tomorrow and then sealing.
Here's the first of the Bk Walnut I'm cutting for him. They're 9" deep, 19" across and 22" long.

I want to send him these photos and talk over price before I cut anymore.

Man if I only had a 066 and a 36" bar I'd be able to cut some nice crotches. I may later just cut the centers of the crotches to manageable pieces.









P.S. Spalting of the sapwood starting?

P.S.2 These are really big chunks. The Sycamore tipped a bathroom scale at 100 lbs. Don't think I can lift that much anymore so they're more like 80 lbs. Walnut about the same.

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 3, 2020)

Nice looking stuff. A woodturner would really dig rough turning those green. Green wood is so fun to turn.

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## djg (Jul 3, 2020)

This was from some of the same tree I posted about in "What did you find". Not from these big rounds, but some of the branches. I may try to tackle them now.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jul 4, 2020)

I just got a 5 gallon of Anchorseal. Better price. When I buy a mill, I'll order in a 55 gal drum of it.

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## djg (Jul 7, 2020)

I've been preparing some Walnut blanks for the guy. Work going slow in this heat. I only get an hour in before I'm soaked. I haven't cut a lot and the sawing is not the time consuming part. It's the crawling over the piles to get to the highly valuable wood and the hauling the chunks out.

I've got several pith sections now and was wondering if anyone ever uses them for something. I'm thinking about cutting out the pith in the other direction and then drying. Ought to be good for something. Around 1" thick quarter sawn Walnut.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jul 7, 2020)

Here ya go...

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## ripjack13 (Jul 7, 2020)

djg said:


> HVBW



Ha! I love that ! I gotta add that to my list....


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## ripjack13 (Jul 7, 2020)

HVBW = Highly Valuable Black Walnut

Done....lol

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 8, 2020)

This might help you with how to cut these big log sections.

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## djg (Jul 8, 2020)

Lot of end-grain cutting there.
I just got back from the log yard where I cut another four 16 inch rounds. Temps in the mid 80s at 8:00 and 45 minutes of work, I'm soaked. Got to love Midwest's humidity. I work slow and I've got to climb over 10 yards of logs to get them out. Finish processing them later today and then I ought to have more than enough for the guy.

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## djg (Jul 11, 2020)

Loaded up today to meet the guy. Had high hopes$$.

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## djg (Jul 11, 2020)

But ended coming home with this. Note the one large Sycamore was starting to split so I didn't feel comfortable selling it to him. All and all not a bad deal. More importantly, he was satisfied and is going to pass my name around to other members of his 50+ member club.





P.S. Thanks to all for your helping me price these pieces.

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## Brandon Sloan (Jul 11, 2020)

Bummer on having to bring some back home with you. At least you got the first sale out of the way. What did you end up selling the walnut for?


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## djg (Jul 11, 2020)

I feel kind of strange saying, but it was over $100. Had some $20 (18"), $15 and $10 (12") pieces. A lot more than if I had sold it as firewood.

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## Brandon Sloan (Jul 11, 2020)

djg said:


> I feel kind of strange saying, but it was over $100. Had some $20 (18"), $15 and $10 (12") pieces. A lot more than if I had sold it as firewood.



You gave him a really good deal. Here’s an example of an online sellers pricing. These are green and dipped in wax. Price doesn’t include shipping.


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## djg (Jul 11, 2020)

Holy Cow! Do people really pay those prices? I'd feel guilty (for a while lol) charging that.
Honestly my measurements might have been a little over. I was just doing a quick check and included bark which I know you are not suppose to do when talking about log volume. Also the smaller pieces had 1-1/2 sapwood on each side and the larger, 2 inches. A person would most likely turn down until they got rid of the sapwood.

But if there is a next time, I may bump up the price a little. Those big ones are heavy. And my vein of HVBW at the log yard may run out.


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## Nubsnstubs (Jul 11, 2020)

woodtickgreg said:


> This might help you with how to cut these big log sections.


Cool video, Greg. I wish I had your ambition. After 30 minutes or so using my chainsaw, my back starts hurting and I have to stop. You did that in 5 hours. I woulda been dead after that....... Keep it up while still young....... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## woodtickgreg (Jul 12, 2020)

djg said:


> Holy Cow! Do people really pay those prices?


People can ask anything they want, doesn't mean they get it. I find that being fair with pricing gets the repeat business. If you raise your prices to much you may loose the customer. And if your trying g to get more customers keep your prices fair, then you'll make it up in volume. Like I said before, all you really have into this is chainsaw time. You just made a decent sale, try and keep that door open. In other words dont get greedy!
Now if its burly wood than that's different, but plain green turning blanks the prices you got are fair, imo.

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## djg (Jul 12, 2020)

Thanks Greg, I hear what you're saying. I was surprised when you originally suggested prices higher than my expectations. And I was satisfied with the sale. And more importantly, so was he. He even said he wanted to stay in contact with me and he'd refer me to other members of his club. So
that's a plus.

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