Download flier & registration form here.

With the downturn in the lumber market and diminishing log values, custom milling, drying and marketing your own lumber products offers many opportunities for increasing the value of your timber resources. It also comes with many challenges. Understanding the logistics of each step in the manufacturing process, from stump to finished product, will help you determine whether small-scale manufacturing is for you.

The purpose of this one-day program is to help participants determine what level of wood manufacturing is appropriate for them, and what steps may be more appropriate to outsource. The program will:

• Introduce manufacturing techniques appropriate for small-scale operatorsto improve their ability to saw and dry quality lumber;
  

• Discuss start-up and operational costs

• Provide an overview of a small-scale sawing & drying operation;

• Provide tips for marketing wood products

• Allow networking and information sharing with other participants whohave similar interests.
  

This seminar will provide useful information for a wide audience, including: small woodland owners, small mill operators, wood manufacturers, and others.

Topics to be covered include:

• Understanding log/wood qualities
  
• Small-scale drying techniques
• Small-scale sawmilling 101
  
• Preparing green lumber for drying
• Sawing for value vs. volume
  
• Avoiding common drying defects
• Lumber grading & measurement
  
• Niche marketing wood products