Cherry/ Black Walnut board/foot cost
jwcamelshump
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hi folks,
I’m trying to help my Dad out. He has the chance to buy some cherry & black walnut and isn’t sure if it is a good price. An older gentlemen is getting out of woodworking and has some rough cut air dried cherry and black walnut. He is asking $1.50 a board foot. Is this high or low for West Virginia area? I like to know from folks what some of the going rates are. He has to drive a few hours to pick it up, so we are weighing the costs…
I’m usually over on the Fine homebuilding side so forgive me.
Thanks a bushel,
Jon
Replies
what a rip-off! (my price that is).
Even for rough milled I'd say if it is good wood then it is a bargain. Those two woods go for $7+ a BF here in Richmond VA.
Since I'm from the Morgantown area, I'd be interested in what part of of WV you are from.
Long story. My dad lives in SW Virginia, but my Aunt who is helping a friend sell off shop equipment and rough milled is in Parkersburg. I don't know many details. I'm in Vermont believe it or not.
Shucks, I was hoping to find someone a little closer. Looks like I'm alone in WV. If this doesn't bring them out then I guess I really alone.
I just paid $5.25 for peruviun walnut kiln dried rough 4/4 stock yesterday.
buy,buy,buy!!
In short, YES!, that is a good price, as long as the wood is flat and doesn't have any, or more than you want, knots.
Alan - planesaw
I'm not in WV but the price sounds great to me, even if the boards are not first and seconds or select. Cherry ,4/4 F&S are $8.75 here,walnut I believe is $5.25 for 4/4 F&S.
mike
At that price. if it's not ratty. buy all that you can aford. Then let me know .
Seriously, it's a great price if it's decent wood. What is the board configuration, quantity and price if you sell it. I will be in East TN for two weeks in late March and I would fill my F-150 supercab-8' bed to the max-9400#GVW. and I am not too proud to go home with the tailgate tied down and red flags flying.Pat
What you really need to know is whether the lumber is graded lumber or boards milled from someones back yard. When you buy graded lumber your paying for getting good boards ( meaning you can use the whole thing). Back yard lumber is a mixed bag - meaning possibly only half of it is usable. Some boards will have the pith or sap wood or worse, bark and powder post beetles in it. I have five shelters full of lumber milled from back yards and I frequently go through many boards before I find enough boards to do my project. But thats OK cause I didn't pay much for it.
I typically pay about .50 per bf to have it milled here in eastern Virginia. I wouldn't pay more than 1.50 bf for ungraded lumber but you have to look at the boards and to know whether or not you're going to get usable lumber. Good luck. whort
I just took 3 walnut and 2 cherry logs to the mill a couple of weeks ago. I think it came out to about 200+ bf. At .40/bf to saw and .40/bf to kiln dry, I figure I'm getting it a LOT cheaper than buying from a lumber supplier. Of course you have to count on a significant chunk being less than desireable but with a planer and jointer and some time, I'll be better off in the end.
If your dad has the ability to square it up, I think it's a deal he aught to jump on.
How serious is he about woodworking? Often times wood that professionals and others might disregard as unusable might be just fine for the weekend woodworker like myself.
At some point I hope to be good enough to be picky about exact grain and figure. But until then, I'll feel more comfortable ruining cheaper wood.
On that note, I'm going back to the board to post a question regarding kiln vs. air drying. Hope to get some response.
Kurt
That is a good price , even here in Michigan . You better buy all of it at that price.
I can't have it milled myself for that price.
Furniture builder for 20 yrs +
I bought 700 board foot of cherry and 300 board foot of black walnut from a farmer for a buck per board foot who had it in a granary. I would say 1/3 of the cherry was good for the wood stove because it was stacked wrong where it couldn't breathe and the walnut was all good. The going rate here in central Wisconsin for both woods are around $5 per board foot, I am happy. This week I am looking at another 500 or so board foot of walnut.
Hopefully it was sacked correctly and the wood isn't rotten.
Jim
I saw a nice stack of cherry in Lime Springs, Iowa, Saturday that was at 6% (so they said) and planned on both sides to 15/16" for $4.50 a board foot.
I just got two quotes on walnut last week. A mill outside Lexington, KY wanted $4.25 bf, and a place in Ohio wanted $4.50.
No help on the cherry.
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