“I quit my 20+ year career in the restaurant business and took a full-run at a total life change. Today, I make my living sawing with my TimberKing 2000. And business is great!”
“I bought my first sawmill — a TimberKing 1220 — when we were building our home. It served me nicely as we milled up 30 or 40 posts plus window and door trim. We sawed Eastern Red Cedar for closet linings, exposed beams, and one whole bathroom. We sawed live edge planks for bathroom countertops. I even got my hands on hand-hewn American Chestnut beams and turned them into mantle pieces. Then I started sawing for others.
Very scary…but he took the leap anyway
I left my 20-year restaurant career and took a full run at a life change. I sold my 1220 and bought TimberKing’s 2000. It gives me more versatility and larger-scale production capabilities. And it opened up the mobile sawing market for me.
I have to tell you; I absolutely had fear about making a career change! Going from an industry I knew well into full-time sawing was a very scary proposition. But fear, in my mind, is what keeps us from pursuing our dreams and passion. It can squelch our dreams. Having gone through my big career change, my advice is take the plunge! Start off part time and get things going, grow slowly, and pursue what you love.
The heart my operation is my TimberKing 2000 portable bandsaw mill. Its fully hydraulic operation aids in loading, turning, and sawing logs up to 20’ in length and up to 36” in diameter. This mill is capable of producing precise, accurate, and quality lumber in a relatively short amount of time. Timberking is America’s oldest and most trusted bandsaw mill manufacturer.
I learned to saw on the 1220 and knew it was a bulletproof little machine. So I knew TimberKing and wanted a bigger one. Looking at other mills comparable to TimberKing’s 2000, the 2000 stood out because of the heavy construction, the 4-post head, hydraulics, plus the simple and straightforward design. I got another TimberKing because they’re a cut above the rest. Plus, I was already well aware of the service TimberKing people give you. When you call, you’re guaranteed the person you talk to knows exactly what’s going on with your mill. Quality customer service was my ace in the hole.
“Today, I make my living with my TimberKing mill”
Sawing’s my full-time gig and I make my living sawing with my TimberKing 2000. I run it nearly every day and it cuts as well today as the first board I cut. It’s strong as an ox and the setworks make it easy to saw great lumber.
I’m flexible in my operation and do all kinds of sawing. I saw and sell dimension lumber, turning blanks, live edge slabs, and more. I go on site to saw for people. I make materials you can’t get at a lumberyard. I saw whatever my customers want. I avoid waste as I’m sawing. I bundle the slabs off Eastern Red Cedar logs as project wood for birdhouses and whatnot. Hardwood slabs go into my woodstove or I give them away as firewood. Sawdust – I put it onto a food plot and plow it under. As it decomposes, it helps retain moisture and adds nutrients to the soil. Then I ending up harvesting the deer and turkeys that come to feed there.
Every operation I do adds profit margin
I have a 725 Woodmaster Molder/Planer, too. I use it to surface live edge countertops we couldn’t do before. Every operation I do adds profit margin and we really put the Woodmaster to work.
Business is great and keeps getting better all the time. I have plans to add a dry kiln to my operation and I’d like to start making furniture.
Why saw BEFORE you get an order?
“Custom sawyers don’t usually saw logs into material until someone places an order. They’re afraid if they saw 1 x 8’s that the phone might ring for 2 x 6’s and such. We took in four tons of white ash logs and immediately sawed every one of them. Later, client bought several of the live edge slabs. He needs a countertop now. If his countertop was still in my log then he’d find somewhere else to get his countertop.
My point is don’t overlook the little bitty jobs as they can lead to bigger jobs. And keep in mind that as a sawyer we’re in the business of selling lumber. Logs on the yard are simply that, but lumber that is sawed, stacked, and ready for purchase is money on the yard. I can’t tell you how many times a client will come to our place for one item and leave with more than they came for. They’ll notice different stacks and different species and immediately begin thinking of a project. This can’t happen if all your lumber is still in a log.”
Chad’s success secrets
In any business, but especially sawing, you have to stand by your word — it’s your most valuable asset. When you’re doing on-site sawing, remember you’re on the landowner’s property and you should act accordingly. Never let a wood product leave your yard if you’re not happy with it. Find a specific market and take aim at it. Engage local woodworking clubs — this can be a great relationship. Always give ‘lagniappe’ (say ‘LAN-yap’) – that’s Cajun for ‘give something extra.’ Toss in a few extra boards or turning blanks. Or give your customers extra service. It’s the cherry on top. Create a web presence; you have to have a web presence. The first job you get from your website will pay for the website.
TimberKing equipment is outstanding and their service is second to none. I just don’t know what they could do better.”
— Chad Fletcher, TK 2000 Owner, Good Wood Sawmill , Pontotoc MS
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