Replies

1. 
   BG | Feb 23, 2003 05:45pm | #1

   DIY,

   You need to find a hardwood supplier in your area.  It is usually a bit cheaper...not by much.  Also, depending on area that you live in, you can find someone who cuts trees and wants to sell slabs...

   If you indicate where your located others can chime in...

1. 
   mattsanf | Feb 23, 2003 06:10pm | #2

   Great question. Does anyone know of a good source for cherry near Pittsburgh Pa?

   Thanks!

   Matt

1. 
   TomS | Feb 23, 2003 06:50pm | #3

   There is a 'Woodfinder.com' that may be of assistance. 

   The best way to go about this is to find someone locally that buys large quanities of material and locate their source.  Try calling a local high school and see where they get wood.  After buying thousands of BF every year, shop teachers usually have a pretty good idea of where to get a deal and have some insight into the quality available.

   You may also want to 'go in' with someone (or several) and buy in quantity.  Price breaks are given around here at 500, 1000 and 2000 BF.  Check local woodworkers clubs or carving clubs.  Carvers are sometimes easier to find and may be a link to other woodworkers.

   TomS

2. 
   RW | Feb 23, 2003 11:03pm | #4

   If you happen to be lucky enough to have access to some trees you want lumber from, portable sawmill owners might be in your league for cutting what you want as well. If you don't have the wood, they're still an outlet you might look into. Guy down the road from here is often less than half the price locally. I can get oak, red or white, cherry, elm, hackberry, sycamore, walnut, ash, . . . the stock varies throughout the year. You get what they sell. If they grade it, you'll pay by grade just like anywhere else. The local guy sorts it very unscientifically. Two grades, nice boards and not so nice boards, but even at that, the "nice" category he lumps everything from #1 on up, and for $1.25/bf on red oak, nobody's complaining.

   You'll probably only get rough sawn & kiln dried. If you want it strait lined and surfaced, additional charges on everything. That's where it pays to have good saws & a jointer, planer, etc.

   " To the noble mind / Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind" - Wm Shakespeare, Hamlet, III,i,100

3. 
   fdampier5 | Feb 24, 2003 08:41am | #5

   You might get ahold of Woodmizer.  they will have a list of those with their saws near you and if you check with a few of them you should be able to find some great deals on wood.. Buy yourself a planer and jointer and you are on your way to affordable wood..

     PS the drying part isn't real hard either and you save another chunk.

     sawmill prices around here are 80 cents a bd.ft. for oak, ash, hickory, hackberry, elm and several other woods.. Cherry hard maple and black walnut may be a little more..

     Now that is green, rough, at the mill. so go borrow someone's pickup and bring home 500 to 1000 bd.ft. of some wood..

     don't worry about grades.. first you'll have enough wood that you be assured of getting at least 30-35% FAS grade the rest will be lower grades, however If a piece you need is only 18 inches a  board that will only grade #2b  will yield three or four pieces of perfect ood that size. 

    drying it is just a matter of some time.