Hi All: I don’t drive anymore so for the most part I get my lumber via the internet and UPS(or beg a ride to the one local hardwood source). This has not been a completely successful proposition. Today received 20bf of cherry that was supposed to be “defect free”. Now I’m still pretty much a beginner but I believe cupped boards, 2” cracks, even though closed on the good side and shipping damage due to less then great wrapping are somewhat less then “defect free”. Should ”defect free” mean two good sides? What have others experienced with their internet wood buying? Such a pain to rewrap and send back what do you do? Should I try to negotiate for a partial refund? What internet source do you all trust/have the best luck with?
Thanks, KDM
Kenneth Duke Masters
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
Replies
Ken,
Try http://www.curlymaple.com for curly maple. That guy has the absolute best maple, hands down. A bit expensive, but has photos of each board. He also sells some figured cherry. Also, I have had great luck with Groff & Groff in Pennsylvania for regular unfigured cherry. I called and asked for six 8ft boards all heart and no knots, minimum 10" wide. I told them I was making two tables, most of the boards would be for the top, so to please be mindful in selecting lumber that was a close match. I received some of the nicest cherry lumber I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. I live in southern Mississippi, the cherry around here averages 6" wide and minimum sap 1 face. We get all the crap the guys up north don't want. By the way, the shipping was very reasonable, and they shipped me 8 ft boards (rough) via ups. Rick Hearne is in the same area (Hearne Hardwoods) but I think he has a $300 minimum to ship. No minimum at Groff. Can't say enough nice things abou them. Also try sandy pond hardwoods (also in PA). Those guys get very specefic about figure types and sap/heart. And they have some very nice stuff!
Good luck. I'm curious to know where everyone else shops.
Lee Hingle
I can vouch for Groff & Groff. I'm lucky, I live 1 hour away from them. I use to live in Southern Cal. The cherry there was like the stuff off of pallets compared to what I get in PA. They are great guys. Last time I was there, they threw in a piece of quilted maple for 1/3 rd the price, since I was making a big order. Really nice guys. Will dig around for the best boards. Glad to hear their doing it via the 'net.
Hey, I live in southern Mississippi and I've been there 3 times to buy lumber. I have a brother that lives in Arlington, VA. so everytime I go to see him, we make a run up there. You are absolutely correct, they are super people to deal with.
Lee
I feel your pain,
I have now started dealing with Gilmer wood. http://www.gilmerwood.com
Wonderful people, honest and you get to see every piece before you buy. reasonabley priced, compared to some locals that get twice as much for the same quality figured wood. I ordered a figured maple piece the other day and before shipping, Mark called me to let me know that someone left out that it had some pinholes (9) in a certain area from post beetles and did I want the wood or not as they would not miss represent there products. Very nice people to work with and they stand behind what they sell. Give them a try I think you will like it if you are looking for highly figured wood.
Just my .02cents worth.
Mike K
Edited 8/17/2005 9:45 am ET by MiKro
Mike--
Of course the wood from Gilmer had pinholes. Take a look on the home page and see who they hired to pull orders!
Never thought about the dog !!!! ROTFLAMO!!!!!
MK
Looks like my OLD FRIEND.. Sure miss him.. Really lovable dogs them Goldens..
I'll second Gilmer Lumber. I live close enough that I'm able to get there two or three times a year and believe me when I say that the web site does not even come close to showing the stuff they have.
Great people, good fair prices and beeeeutiful wood.
I envy you LOL:))))))
mk
These guys are not cheap but are great.
http://www.pinecreekwood.com/
You can get some salvaged Old Growth lumber from them - they cut and dry their own wood.
For the bad wood you got, call up the company and let them knwo what happened and find out what the return policy is - they may request you pay shipping back or they may not. if they are reputable they will ffer a refund. If they do not, advise them you will be posting your experience with them on a few woodworking forums and then post a follow up here with their web address and company name so we can all benefit from your experience.
1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Edited 8/17/2005 8:56 am ET by Ricks503
http://www.gobywalnut.com
I was at Dr. Goby's place yesterday looking at the stuff he has listed (and the stuff he does not), you will definetely get what you expect from him and he is a very nice person. I couldnt imagine much better of a selection, and in my personal opinion its hard to find much prettier black walnut than Oregon black walnut.
Kenneth
Most eBay sellers consider a negative rating a very bad thing to have on their record and will work closely with you to avoid it. Communicate with your seller and let them know your disappointment. Perhaps they will offer to replace.
I made a few purchases of wood on eBay when the prices sounded great. However I quickly came to the realization that most of them made their profit on the "shipping and handling charges" which quickly blew away any low prices that I thought I was getting. I rarely look for wood there now, unless I am looking for something difficult to find.
Woody
I also have been searching the web for wood, specifically Honduran mahogany. The only crowd from whom I have bought wood is http://www.gilmerwood.com. I agree with the fellow who recommended them. They are super to work with!
Anyone have any great places to go for Honduran mahogany besides gilmerwood? Please let me know. Thanks.
UpDate: I talked to the place I purchased the lumber from and they are coming by tomorrow to replace it!! They were a bit reluctant and it seems their decision was made on the fact that 20bf wasn't enough to hassle over. If anything transpires at the exchange I'll report on it later. KDMKenneth Duke Masters
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
I don't know what "defect free" means. It is not a lumber grade.
I buy from 2 places on the internet now. Both have high prices and reasonable good stock. I buy in lots of 200-400bdft and that is about the least they will sell.
GHR; What places? I'm starting a list of places Knotheads are recommending. This is what the ad says for the place I'm talking about:
All lumber packs will contain a minimum of 10 B/F or 25 B/FLumber will be 3" to 7 1/2" wide x 4' lengths, surfaced 2 sides, ripped 2 edges. All stock defect free.
I believe this should mean no cupping or cracks and one side perfect; is that reasonable? KDMKenneth Duke Masters
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
Has anyone bought lumber from http://www.internetlumber.com? Their prices seem to be good but that sometimes reflects the quality of the product.
I am still searching for a great source for Honduran mahogany. The membership chairman of our local woodworker's guild told me, "Ya can't get it." I don't believe him. I think my best source so far is http://www.gilmerwood.com but not sure. Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks form the sunny south!
I have seen recent catalog sheets (printed off the internet) from an Atlanta supplier to pattern shops that listed Mahogany 1 to 4" thick, 12 to 36" wide, and 10' lengths. All straight, flat and perfectly clear, S2S .... just what a pattern shop would need. They also had sheets on basswood and maple, as well as poplar and sugar pine. I'll bet a search can come up with the name, or a call to Highland Hardware would yield a contact.
I have considered them for Queen Ann tea table top material .... column and leg stock as well, but there's a number of projects above it on the list. You gotta be prepared for the fact that it will be pricey, although I don't recall being scared away! If you want figured lumber, I suspect you will have to look elsewhere (or in their trash dumpster).
Another supplier south of Boston is http://www.downesandreader.com/exotics.html
Good Luck,
John in Texas
For anv kind of stable wood,especially mahagony.contact Freeman Supply Co. in Toledo Ohio.
They specialize in materials for the patternmaking industry. I have bought Hond mah in thickness up to 16/4.They are not likely to furnish figured lumber,because the pattern trade requires great stability in it`s materials.
work safely ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬~~~~Nurture people, not products~~~~
Thanks for the tip on the Honduran mahogany. I will make a note of that. My plans are to make a pedestle (2) dining room table thus I will need 16/4 lumber for turning. I have my to scale pattern drawn out and it's ready to go except for the lumber.
Thanks for the response. The large wood supply house here (South Carolina) only carries African Mahogany. I recently made a hanging display cabinet and the resawn 4/4 boards glued up for the back are ugly in my opinion - the grain is straight and striped - not a pretty thing. I was assured that the wood is quartersawn.
Daisy:
Go to [email protected] Ask for John Gindlesperger. I have been retired for many years and have not bought from them in a while,but I`m certain that you will have no problem.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬~~~~Work safely
Thanks, You're so great to help like this! While not new to Fine Woodworking magazine, I am new to this message board. Everyone has been so helpful. Thanks again.
Daisy,
I was looking for some swietenia mahogoni, Cuban mahogany, not long ago, but the project got put on hold. I suspect thats what your looking for, rather than swietenia macrophylla, Hondouran mahogany, which is much more common and very easy to find. If you want to try veneering, http://www.joewoodworker.com sells some. Absolutly the best service possible. I bought my vacuum press as a kit from him, and I HIGHLY recommend him. I got a lead for some lumber in Florida that was downed by a hurricane, and there are these folks, they sell swietenia mahogoni, http://www.bluemoonexoticwood.com/index1.html
Good luck!
SteveSteve
Hey Steve,
Thanks for the info, but now I'm really confused. I had wanted swietenia macrophylla (?sp), honduran mahogany. I thought all the mahogany grown in the south pacific was luan but suppose I'm wrong and I've never heard of the cuban mahogany. The last project I did (a wall mounted display case w/ door, lock and key) was made with African mahogany. I was so disppointed with the grain - very deep straight grained stripes, not pretty at all. I have drawn out my plans for a two pedestle dining rm table about 8' long, so veneer is not what I want. Also I could glue up some 8/4 boards for the pedestles but would rather have 16/4 for turning since I will not need many bd/ft for them. I've seen some nice looking boards on http://www.gilmerwood.com - the prettiest yet. I think maybe I will give them a call.
Thanks again for the info - much appreciated.
Daisy Jane
Daisy,
You shouldn't have any problems finding the lumber you are looking for. There are some huge pieces of the mahogany you're thinking of out there. Best of luck, and just be sure you know about the shipping costs up front. There are a lot of different "mahoganies", and every one of then is different. If you want to get some more info, there are some great resources out there.
Steve
cuban mahogany is NICE! But I think it is all goen.. I had some LONG ago..
To you patternmaker and All who have offered suggestions:
THANKS! Now off the the websites. And the wood couldn't possible cost as much as the $12,000.00 dining rm table I want to reproduce. :)
3 reasons why I don't postsupplier names:You don't buy lumber in large enough quantities to be a profitable customer.You complain too much to be a profitable customer.You want to pay too little to be a profitable customer.
Ken,
I don't know how you feel about figured Maple but here is a link to some of the pieces I have from Gilmer Wood. I have plenty others for mundane stuff. LOL:)
http://www.mikrovisions.com/wood
It's a large file but, click on it to bring it to size and see the figure.
I beleive though that you are more into wanting more board feet? If so call them I'm sure they will work with you. My projects are very specialized and require particular detail to figure and composition and do not require as much in board feet as they do appearance.
Good luck on your hunt for what you are looking for.
Mike K
Finale: The manager came to my house and replaced the batch. He also after looking at the original boards said I was definitely correct and the mistake was theirs. So hats off to MacBeath in Berkeley for great service. KDM
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
Good for you Ken; internet commerce can't be successful without customers like you. MacBeath spends a ton of $ to advertise and the owners/managers need to know about problems in order to fix them.
T
here's 2 that i buy from pretty regularlyhttp://www.eisenbran.com/
http://www.cookwoods.com/have always gotten good material. eisenbran is especially fast.jerry
Jerry: Ordered some Bocote and a few other misc. boards from Cook Woods, they are closer to me so the shipping won't be too bad. I'll try your other recommendation next time. KDMKenneth Duke Masters
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
I can vouch for Cook Woods, good folks who represent their product accuratly, and have a nice selection of beautiful lumber. Reasonable shipping too. I bought pomelle sappele and I will use them again.
SteveSteve
Another great place to check out for highly figured wood is http://www.nwtimber.com
I have ordered figured walnut from Lewis Judy at NWTimbers. Always nice stuff. Nice people to deal with. Have also ordered figured Oregon walnut from Goby. Once Nice lumber but maybe whoever I talked to on the phone just was having a bad day or maybe my order was too small BUT whatever.
Should ''defect free'' mean two good sides?..
Just me so tell me to piss-off if you have to..
I 'think' most place state 'defect free ONE side'..
But I HAVE been wrong before!
If the seller stated "defect free" at the time of purchase and did not qualify it as only one face, then that is improper to my way of thinking. Most consumers are not aware of all of the National Hardwood Lumber Grading Association rules or much o the lumber industry jargon. The more you ask, the less there is a chance of losing a customer, just to make a quick buck. Any grade of lumber can have some amount of defects based upon many factors that the average consumer would prefer not to see in lumber that they purchase. Sap wood is not considered to be a defect in Walnut and Cherry, as an example, but no one wants to buy it! The NHLA grading standards for FAS Walnut have been modified to now allow 5" widths, instead of the 6" minimum, which is the norm for FAS grade lumber.
I feel it always best to ask as many questions at the time of purchase as possible to ensure a smooth and satisfactory deal for the customer. The more input the seller receives, the better the chances of maintaining a long term customer.Michael Mastin
Curly Woods
Figured Hardwood Lumber Sales
McKinney, Texas
Toll-free: 866.Mr.Woods
This is copied from the web site of the place in question: As I have said they took care of the problem with my batch of cherry, quickly and with a smile. KDM
Packs are all 4' lengths. Clear one face or better
Lumber is top grade; free of defects surface planed; 1"=13/16" 2"=1 3/4" Kenneth Duke Masters
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
Hey I have ordered wood from Curley Woods. Real nice plain sawed and quarter sawed oak. Prices good. All ways first class wood. Easy to talk and deal with.
Cutomer from Victoria
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