Looking for milling services

[BuckeyeDennis]

I'm finally ready to start on the paneling for my secret-room project. The material for the paneling is a big stack of 4/4 rough-sawn cherry boards ... about 400 board-feet of it. That stack is currently sitting in my garage. Unfortunately, winter is finally arriving here in Central Ohio, and I really want to park my car in the garage. Not to mention finish the secret room.

The rough-sawn boards will produce 6" wide shiplap boards. That's too big for my Shopsmith jointer (as a practical matter), and using a planer sled to face the boards would be terribly time-consuming. I did buy a 6" jointer with a 61" bed to give me the necessary capacity, but it's an antique that's still awaiting restoration (and a rotary-phase converter, for that matter). Plus, as pointed out in another recent thread, that cherry just might need to be finished with a thickness sander.

So I'm looking seriously at outsourcing the high-volume millwork. Problem is, I'm having a heck of a time finding someone to do millwork on lumber that they didn't sell you. A couple of hours with Google and Craigslist only turned up three or four candidates in Central Ohio, and they are all large commercial operations that probably wouldn't be interested in this job.

Does anyone have any ideas for how I might go about finding a shop to do this millwork job?

[ERLover]

I would at least contact the 3 you mentioned and not discount them just because they are large. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

[rjent]

I'm finally ready to start on the paneling for my secret-room project. The material for the paneling is a big stack of 4/4 rough-sawn cherry boards ... about 400 board-feet of it. That stack is currently sitting in my garage. Unfortunately, winter is finally arriving here in Central Ohio, and I really want to park my car in the garage. Not to mention finish the secret room.

The rough-sawn boards will produce 6" wide shiplap boards. That's too big for my Shopsmith jointer (as a practical matter), and using a planer sled to face the boards would be terribly time-consuming. I did buy a 6" jointer with a 61" bed to give me the necessary capacity, but it's an antique that's still awaiting restoration (and a rotary-phase converter, for that matter). Plus, as pointed out in another recent thread, that cherry just might need to be finished with a thickness sander.

So I'm looking seriously at outsourcing the high-volume millwork. Problem is, I'm having a heck of a time finding someone to do millwork on lumber that they didn't sell you. A couple of hours with Google and Craigslist only turned up three or four candidates in Central Ohio, and they are all large commercial operations that probably wouldn't be interested in this job.

Does anyone have any ideas for how I might go about finding a shop to do this millwork job?

I will ask this, just as a devils advocate .... Does the stock have to be cut to 6 inches? Could you cut the stock to 4 or even 3 and get the results you need and do it in house. I know it will make a lot more shiplap joints to do, and cause some "loss" because of more joints, but you have the equipment to do it .... Would it be that much more trouble/expense compared to the expense/trouble of farming it out?

Just food for thought (FFT)

[BuckeyeDennis]

I would at least contact the 3 you mentioned and not discount them just because they are large. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I'll for sure check with the big boys if I need to. But I had hoped to work with a small shop out here in the countryside. I'm not exactly eager to tow my little half-ton fold-up utility trailer (with 25 year-old tires), loaded with 3/4 ton of cherry lumber, on big-city freeways!

Actually, one of the big millwork shops is fairly close, and easily accessable by surface street. But they cater to high-end builders, and I suspect that they will be expensive.

[BuckeyeDennis]

I will ask this, just as a devils advocate .... Does the stock have to be cut to 6 inches? Could you cut the stock to 4 or even 3 and get the results you need and do it in house. I know it will make a lot more shiplap joints to do, and cause some "loss" because of more joints, but you have the equipment to do it .... Would it be that much more trouble/expense compared to the expense/trouble of farming it out?

Just food for thought (FFT)

Hate to tell you Dick, but that FFT acronym is already taken. Fast Fourier Transform

As for the board width, I'm going for a vintage look in the secret room. And few things say "old-timey" like really wide boards. You can still get them, but it's an expensive proposition these days. Just this morning, I was searching online for shiplap design ideas, and stumbled across a vendor that sells 6" wide cherry shiplap. For $17 per linear foot! I've also seen it much cheaper, but still around $10 per board foot. So far, I have a total investment of $0.50 per board foot in that stack of rough cherry, and I'm hoping to keep it below $2 per board foot finish-milled.

Shoot, if I could use the $17 per linear foot price to cost-justify with SWMBO, a brand new 8" jointer with carbide-insert helical cutters would be a complete no-brainer! Let's see ... with a 25% scrap rate, we're talking 600 linear feet of 6" board, times $17 is $10,200. Time to call the Powermatic dealer!

[jsburger]

I will ask this, just as a devils advocate .... Does the stock have to be cut to 6 inches? Could you cut the stock to 4 or even 3 and get the results you need and do it in house. I know it will make a lot more shiplap joints to do, and cause some "loss" because of more joints, but you have the equipment to do it .... Would it be that much more trouble/expense compared to the expense/trouble of farming it out?

Just food for thought (FFT)

Hate to tell you Dick, but that FFT acronym is already take. Fast Fourier Transform

As for the board width, I'm going for a vintage look in the secret room. And few things say "old-timey" like really wide boards. You can still get them, but it's an expensive proposition these days. Just this morning, I was searching online for shiplap design ideas, and stumbled across a vendor that sells 6" wide cherry shiplap. For $17 per linear foot! I've also seen it much cheaper, but still around $6 per linear foot. So far, I have a total investment of $0.50 per board foot in that stack of rough cherry, and I'm hoping to keep it below $2 per board foot finish-milled.

Shoot, if I could use the $17 per linear foot price to cost-justify with SWMBO, a brand new 8" jointer with carbide-insert helical cutters would be a complete no-brainer! Let's see ... with a 25% scrap rate, we're talking 600 linear feet of 6" board, times $17 is $10,200. Time to call the Powermatic dealer!

Well, you haven't bought one yet? A perfect opportunity.

[rjent]

Hate to tell you Dick, but that FFT acronym is already take. Fast Fourier Transform

Oh, that's not the only one There are more than 20 at least: http://www.acronymfinder.com/FFT.html

Which, is what makes TLA's and FLA's such a PITA

[ERLover]

Oh come on now I feel rediculed!!!!
Love to see pics of the secret room when done and the secret entrance way.
So now the "Man Cave"is dead and it is now a secret room?
Or is the secret room off of the man cave?
When you dont have a SOWMBON, your whole place is a man cave/secret room, but above ground with windows.

[tdubnik]

I would consider posting an ad on Craigslist for the milling. You might find someone with capability in a home workshop near you. I know I could do it in my shop with no problem.

[wa2crk]

When I was a young guy (a long time ago) my rationale for buying a new tool was this; if the tool cost less than having someone else doing the work for me I would buy the tool. In the long term I would actually save money and still have the tool to use on other jobs. I considered it a win, win situation.
Bill V