Making Furniture Out Of Home Depot Dimensionsal Lumber
GalaxyGlue
| Posted in Wood and Materials on
Hi all,
Starting a side business making custom dog crates similar to the ones below (made by another company). I buy used tables on the cheap from the various classifieds for the crate tops and much of the carcass and doors. However, I can’t get enough used wood to make the crates.
I want to keep costs down and I’ve been reading up on using douglas fir 2×4’s and 2×6’s from Home Depot and Lowe’s. I guess they don’t carry the kiln dried anymore, however. Or I can’t find them anyway.
I know it’s usually wet and needs to acclimate before working it. Just curious as to the various opinions and thoughts on using big box store dimensional lumber for not so fine furniture.
As always, any info/advice greatly appreciated.
Replies
If you're in the south you can buy southern yellow pine, which is really a great wood to use and cheap also. Other areas should have another wood that would work. Your projects are made from short pieces and painted. Wood movement will affect short pieces less and paint will obscure differences in the wood you use. Box store lumber seems perfect. Buy as much as you can afford and have room to store, sticker it and let it acclimate. Select the boards that seem lighter in weight - those are driest. 2x12s are the best quality boards - buy them and cut out the knots.
No dimensional construction lumber would be suitable for such products in my opinion, though it is kiln dried no attempt is made to keep it dry during shipping and storage and it will twist and bow something terrible. Another thing against construction lumber is it is a record highs right now and 2x4's have doubled in cost over the past 12-14 months. A 10 ft long 1 x 12 #2 common pine board is currently $41.73 in my area or $4.17 b.f. I can purchase poplar for $2.50 b.f., Ash $2.95, Birch $3.50, soft Maple $3.55, Red Oak $3.45 and the list goes on. Big Box stores are the last place you should be buying wood. Find a local hardwood dealer and see what other options are available first. For paint finishes poplar is ideal and half the cost of lumber from HD, Lowe's, or any other Big Box Home Center and it will be stored better and more stable.
Sure you can use it. Sticker it for a few weeks. It was kiln dried at some point & wet b/c it is stored outside.
You have to examine for twisting, bowing & for stress.
Nice dog houses, I’d put a slanted roof on them and hinge for easy access to clean.
2x construction lumber, even if flat & true needs to be processed to get square corners so even if it were less costly the loss comes back in time spent and material wasted.
Also, most 2xs house the pith, making the odds of nice flat material less likely after drying. Consider that your products will weigh a ton from using lumber twice as thick as needed.
I wouldn't. Get kiln dried poplar or whatever is cheap in your area. Far better wood, and apt to be lower in price.
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