Custom Milling
Our in-house milling facility converts raw timber, reclaimed stock, and rough-sawn lumber into the exact dimensions and profiles your project requires. Planing, resawing, tongue-and-groove, shiplap, custom moulding, and more — all done at our Beverly Street facility in Boise.
Full-Service Milling
Most lumberyards sell what is on the rack. If the dimension you need is not stocked, you are out of luck — or you are ripping it on a table saw yourself and hoping for the best. Boise Lumber operates differently. Our milling facility is a core part of our business, not an afterthought.
We invested in commercial-grade equipment — a 24-inch planer, a 16-inch resaw bandsaw, a four-head moulder, a straight-line rip saw, and supporting machinery — specifically so we can take any piece of lumber, reclaimed or new, and convert it into precisely what a project demands. No compromises, no workarounds, no settling for the closest standard size.
Our milling team includes operators with decades of combined experience running production wood shops. They understand feed rates, knife geometry, grain direction, and the unique challenges that reclaimed material presents — embedded metal, variable moisture, irregular dimensions, and species mixtures. If it can be milled, we can mill it.
What We Can Do
Six core milling operations cover virtually every conversion scenario, from rough-sawn boards to finished profiles ready for installation.
How It Works
Project Examples
These are the types of milling jobs we run every week. If your project is similar to any of these, we can give you a quick turnaround and accurate quote.
Pricing
Milling is priced per linear foot or per board foot depending on the operation. Simple surfacing (planing) starts at competitive per-board-foot rates. Profile milling — tongue-and-groove, shiplap, moulding — is quoted based on profile complexity, material species, and run length.
Volume discounts apply to runs over 500 linear feet. Repeat orders with the same setup receive preferred pricing because setup time is reduced. We provide firm, written quotes before any work begins — no surprises on your invoice.
Standard turnaround is 3 to 5 business days for most jobs. Rush service (1 to 2 business days) is available for an expedite fee, subject to current shop load. Large production runs and custom knife orders may require longer lead times, which we communicate upfront during the quoting process.
More Project Examples
Beyond the common projects listed above, here are additional milling jobs that showcase the versatility of our equipment and team.
Our Equipment
Our facility is equipped with industrial woodworking machinery built for production runs, not hobby projects. Here is what powers our milling operations.
Species Guide
Different wood species respond differently to milling operations. Understanding these characteristics helps set realistic expectations for your project.
| Species | Machinability | Tear-Out Risk | Surface Quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Fir | Good | Low | Clean, smooth | Mills predictably. Old-growth fir machines better than new-growth due to tighter grain. |
| White Oak | Moderate | Moderate | Excellent | Dense — requires sharp tooling and slower feed rates. Produces beautiful quartersawn faces. |
| Red Oak | Good | Low-Moderate | Very Good | Open pores can raise during milling. Planes and profiles well with sharp knives. |
| Hard Maple | Moderate | Moderate-High | Excellent | Very hard — can burn with dull blades or slow feed. Figured maple requires climb cuts or very shallow passes. |
| Black Walnut | Excellent | Low | Superior | One of the best-milling domestic hardwoods. Clean cuts, smooth surfaces, minimal tear-out. |
| Western Red Cedar | Excellent | Very Low | Good | Very soft — requires sharp edges to cut cleanly rather than crush fibers. Light feed pressure. |
| Pine (White/Ponderosa) | Good | Low | Good | Resin can gum blades in warm conditions. Clean, easy milling when dry and properly conditioned. |
| Heart Pine | Moderate | Low | Excellent | Extremely dense and resinous. Mills cleanly but is hard on tooling. Resin buildup requires frequent blade cleaning. |
| Cherry | Excellent | Low | Superior | Machines beautifully with minimal effort. Burns easily on end-grain cuts — keep blades sharp and feed rates up. |
| Hickory | Difficult | Moderate | Good | Extremely hard and tough. Carbide tooling essential. Interlocked grain can cause tear-out. Slow feed recommended. |
Precision Standards
Commercial milling is about consistency. When you order 500 pieces of tongue-and-groove paneling, every board needs to fit with every other board. That requires tight tolerances and rigorous quality control throughout the production run.
Our equipment is calibrated regularly, and our operators verify dimensions against specifications on the first piece, at regular intervals during production, and on the last piece of every run. Any drift in dimensions triggers an immediate correction.
For applications requiring tighter tolerances than our standard specifications — such as precision furniture components, musical instrument parts, or critical joinery — we can accommodate tighter specs with additional time and care. Discuss your requirements during the consultation phase and we will confirm what is achievable.
Scheduling
Turnaround depends on job complexity, material volume, and current shop load. Here are typical timelines for common milling operations.
Rush service available: 1-2 business day turnaround for qualifying jobs with a 25% expedite fee. Subject to current shop load. Call to confirm rush availability before placing your order.
Pricing Structure
Our milling pricing is straightforward and transparent. Here is how we calculate costs so you can estimate your project before requesting a formal quote.
Profile Library
Our four-head moulder can produce virtually any linear wood profile using standard or custom knife sets. We maintain a library of over 50 standard profiles that cover the most common moulding, paneling, and siding profiles used in residential and commercial construction.
For profiles not in our standard library, we work with a local knife grinding service to produce custom knife sets from your sample piece, scale drawing, or CAD profile. Custom knives are a one-time cost — once ground, they are stored in our facility for future orders at no additional knife charge.
Historical restoration projects are a particular strength. If you need to match existing moulding in a vintage home — crown, base, casing, chair rail, or picture moulding from any era — bring us a sample piece and we will replicate the profile exactly. We have matched profiles from 1890s Victorian homes, 1920s Craftsman bungalows, and 1940s mid-century residences throughout the Boise area.
Bring a sample piece (minimum 6 inches long) or provide a scale drawing. We measure the profile, send specifications to our knife grinder, receive the custom knife set in 5-7 business days, run a test piece for your approval, then produce the full order. Custom knife sets become your property and are stored at our facility for future reorders.
Send us your specs — species, dimensions, profile, and quantity — and we will have a quote back to you within 24 hours. Not sure what you need? Call us and our milling team will walk you through the options.