Woodworker, Scott Saylors, turns out miles of molding in his home workshop thanks to his Woodmaster 725 and 712 Molder/Planers.
Georgian, Scott Saylors, told us recently how his “Man Syndrome” kicks in when he wants more and better woodworking equipment. But it’s paying off for Scott and his family: their family business is growing.
“I had a shaper and a friend who had a hardwood flooring business. I started making thresholds for him. I work on the road for the local utility company, four days on and four days off and I decided to take my woodworking business to the next level. I figured woodworking would pay really well my four days off and would make a nice second income.
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I didn’t have 3-phase power in my shop so I couldn’t get a big planer without phase converters and so on. I got looking at the Woodmaster Molder/Planer. One thing that impressed me about the Woodmaster was the versatility. You have four machines in one in a very small footprint.
“Man Syndrome” kicks in
I looked at the 12” Woodmaster 712 but the “Man Syndrome” kicked in: I had to have the biggest and best. I figured I didn’t want the 712 because it’s too small. And I didn’t want the mid-sized modelbecause it’s the middle of the road model. So I ended up ordering the biggest, 25” Woodmaster 725. And I got the ProPack, too.
Turns out I got this first Woodmaster right before the housing market crashed. But due to circumstances and the Grace of God, things started turning around and I started getting big orders. When the economy went down, I had been ready to sell the 725. But as orders came in, instead of selling it, I decided to expand and I got a second Woodmaster, the 12” 712 model.
A FAMILY AFFAIR! Scott and Angel Saylors work together in their home business. They’re aided by their son, Garret. “We do this as a family,” says Scott. “Me, my wife, and our 12-year old son. What part time job can you do that in?”
Family business
I’ve set up a production line. I have the 712 set up as a standalone molder, and the 725 is set up as a gang ripsaw. Lumber comes in the door and I rip it into blanks on the 725. Then I stack it and feed the blanks into the 712 to make them into molding. Then I move the molding into what I call the warehouse area and bundle it and stack it up. When it’s time to deliver larger orders, I take them out through a rollup door and load it onto my one-ton flatbed. We do this as a family: me, my wife, and our 12-year old son. What part time job can you do that in?
Small machine handles deep cuts
My hat’s off to Woodmaster. Even though these are smaller machines, they’re still able to handle the larger, deeper profiles. I’ve had special orders for 3” quarter round and 3” half round. I put the wood on the Woodmaster and it handles cutting 1-1/2” deep. It’s impressive. I’ve started making shoe molding using setups to cut four blanks at a time. I modified the Super-Slick Bedboard that came in the ProPack with some spacers and longer bolts and tweaked it into a setup I use for shoe molding.
I run a lot of really deep casings and profiles. You can slow the machine down, run it at a slow pace, and cut deep profiles in one pass. The molding comes out really smooth. I wasn’t sure it would be smooth because, with the shaper I was used to, you’d get chatter marks. It’s impressive that small machines will do such a big job. I can give my customers the same quality work as someone with a big machine.
“Wood & More” business – flooring, molding, service, and more
I’m making flooring and molding out of heart pine, red oak, poplar, hickory, walnut, and maple. I made some Brazilian cherry molding, plus MDF molding. I’ve made flooring 5” and 8” wide, some of it with a 1-3/4” face. Older houses have narrow flooring like that.
Garrett gets into woodworking with one of the family’s two Woodmasters…under Dad’s close supervision, of course.
I call my business “Wood & More” because I work with other materials like MDF. I was skeptical about molding MDF because the machine’s RPMs have to be slower than when you’re molding wood. The guys at Woodmaster told me it would do a good job and gave me the parameters I’d need to work within to turn out a good product, like using carbide blades for MDF. I didn’t have to go in blind and make a costly mistake. I’ve cut probably 65,000 linear feet of MDF molding.
Commercial & residential customers — very little advertising
My customers are a mix of commercial and residential. I sell to one flooring company and a hardwood supply that sells to the public. They send me a lot of odd and end jobs – 50 sq. ft. of flooring up to 10,000 – 15,000 linear foot jobs. I advertise every now and then on craigslist.com and sell to someone who’s looking to do something in their home as cheap as they can. A lot of it is word of mouth.
Custom pattern knives
If a job calls for a custom knife, I often have a customer pay for the knife and material, and I keep the knife. That gives me sets of knives I can use in the future and builds up my variety and help others at the same time. A lot of molding companies charge you a custom knife fee, charge you per cut, charge you running and materials, and before long it’s beyond the reach of where your normal, hardworking American.
Whenever I need something for my Woodmaster, or I’m at a loss on how to do something, I pick up the phone and call Woodmaster. The guys there have a plethora of knowledge about the machines and they always have an answer for me.
Scott and his son, Garrett, mill their own lumber on their TimberKing 1220 Sawmill. Many woodworkers find sawing is a great way to slash their lumber costs. And when they process their own wood further in their Woodmasters, they add value at every step.
I always wanted to get a sawmill. That “Man Syndrome” set in again and I got a TimberKing Sawmill. I knew Woodmaster and TimberKing are sister companies. I got great customer service from Woodmaster and I knew I’d get it from TimberKing, too. New sawmills were out of my price range but I put it in the Good Lord’s hands. I came across a man who wanted to sell his TimberKing 1220 and I bought it. It was 14 years old and had sat out in the weather but with a little TLC it cuts straight and purrs like a kitten now.
My future plans? As in any business, I want to see it grow. I hope to build a small dry kiln and take trees from people’s trees from their yard and turn it into lumber. I hope one day this business is big enough to have a standalone shop and retail to the public. Nothing fancy of big, maybe give people a way to get away from big box stores without feeling like they have to be a contractor to get a good price. My father was in business for many years and I want to follow in his footsteps: serving the public and helping others.
Talk to Scott
I’d be willing to talk to people about my Woodmaster and TimberKing story. I’d explain to them the pros and the cons.
The biggest thing I support to the day I die is Woodmaster and TimberKing are made in America by American workers. That’s something that as a country we’re losing sight of. The craftsmanship Woodmaster puts in its machine is 100%. They put their heart and soul into it. I wouldn’t have any problem recommending anybody to purchase the machine. If you were to tell me you’re looking at buying a Woodmaster, and you’ve got the need for it, it’s money well spent.”
Editor’s Note: Many of our owners have volunteered to speak with folks who’d like to know their candid, hands-on experience with their Woodmasters. If you’d like to speak with Scott or another of our owners, please call us at 1-800-821-6651.
— Scott Saylors, Georgia, Woodmaster Molder/Planer & TimberKing Owner
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