What’s YOUR plan for retirement? We talked with TimberKing owner, Dave Prescott, recently. “Some people buy a boat or a camper when they retire,” he said. “I prefer a sawmill!”
“I’ve worked in agriculture for nearly 40 years. I’m the branch manager at a grain elevator in Burlingame, Kansas but I’m getting close to retirement so I bought a TimberKing 1400 sawmill and I’m moving right along with it.
Right now, sawing is a side business I call ‘Custom Cut Timbers.’ I plan to turn into a ‘cash cow’ income when I retire. I’m not looking to get into a high-volume lumber business; I’m making things like wood slabs and materials for craftsmen, artists, and ‘crafters.’
Teaming up with others
I’ve teamed up with other people who make things. James Welch, a firefighter friend of mine, makes wooden signs. I supply him with wood slabs. Another friend, Lynn Robinson, is a chainsaw sculptor. I supply him with wood for his sculptures. He’s called “The Tree Slayer.” We’re all kind of in this together, and growing together.
I get a lot of business from flea markets and word-of-mouth. I go to flea markets and street shows and sell the wood products I make to ‘crafters.’ I make slabs, dimension lumber, and chunk wood for lathe turners. People buy my wood for other things, too, like flooring in cargo trailers, barn reconstructions, and more. And I make garden benches, though, so far, I’ve just given them away.
I’ve always created and built things — mechanical things, rustic furniture, and more. An interesting job I’m working on is sawing honey locust wood that’ll become a 30-foot long, 36” wide, live edge country table for a couple who’re renovateing a barn into a reception venue. Another job was sawing a big burr oak log, 20’ 2” long, 40” diameter at the base. I finagled it and cut the width down a bit in order to saw it. It made a beautiful bar top.
Dave gets his trees for free
I have easy access to timber. I have 60 acres of native trees so I can pick and choose the ones I want. Too, people always come up to me and offer me trees – free if I cut them down.
I do love sawing and this kind of work. When you run a sawmill, you never know what texture, color, and grain you’ll find inside a log. It’s always interesting to see what you can make out of the wood you’re sawing.
I ran a friend’s TimberKing 2000 with no problem. I liked it, and I liked TimberKing’s 4-post head system. I did a lot of research online. I’m only 80 miles from where they build them in Kansas City so I figured it would be easy to get down there or get them to come here if need be.
I only wish…
The 1400H model has some hydraulics and was a good fit for me at the time though I’d like to have hydraulic loaders and log turners. At home, I load logs with a tractor but when I take my mill to shows, I don’t have a good way to load logs.
My suggestion for those who’re thinking of getting a TimberKing: get acquainted with the saw. Work with someone who owns one. Get experience, then evaluate what you need in a saw and get what you need from the start. You’ll regret it if you don’t.
(Editor’s note: Many TimberKing Owners are happy to talk to you about their mills and many will show you their mills in action. Email or call 1-800-942-4406 for details.)
Another suggestion: never saw with a dull blade. I’m picky about that. I asked TimberKing’s advice about sharpening. I got one of their sharpeners and I sharpen all my own blades.
Thanks, TimberKing, for putting out a good sawmill and taking care of customers like me. TimberKing is test-proven and you see them all over the place!”
— David Prescott, TimberKing 1400 Owner, Burlingame KS
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