What are your local woods?
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24 July 2013 at 7:28 pm #15227
Thanks, Ken, I will! I can see myself making regular trips and buying wood just because it’s there even if I don’t necessarily need something specific for a given project haha..
[quote quote=15224]Found a new source hardwoods from a local sawmill/lumber dealer….[/quote]
@cpetersen1970 – Wow. Those prices are great, and it is refreshing to see a place that lays out the prices in one easy list. Wherever I go, I have to ask a guy behind a counter for the price of each item, which is tedious when I am trying to weigh all my options at the lumberyard. I also suspect that a few places make up prices on the fly.I was just looking at an old 1988 survey yesterday regarding harvested hardwoods in California. Oak (probably 6 or so species) comprised 52% of all California Timberlands and 81% of all Woodlands. I did not know that there was that much Oak in this state. Pacific Madrone is second on the list at 15% and 8% respectively. The rest is mostly Eucalyptus, Alder, and Big Leaf Maple. No specific mention of Walnut, which I thought grew on the north end of this state.
They also had some interesting 1985 data that showed that overall, the Eastern US has nearly 10 times the amount (million cubic feet) of hardwood growing stock on Timberlands than the Western US.
The Hardwoods of California’s Timberlands, Woodlands, and Savannas
30 July 2013 at 5:03 am #15475So my trip to the sawmill turned out even better than I had hoped. I came home with a beautiful curly maple board which was my main reason for the trip; a 4/4 8″ x 7′ plank with wonderful figure, very flat, straight and mostly clear for $20 , as well as a nice haul of walnut and some beautiful short pieces of cherry and hard maple that will be great for drawer sides, boxes or other small projects. When I asked about some beech (thinking about making a jointer plane) he said he had some, but turns out he didn’t have a piece big enough for my jointer; but he told me I could have a nice beefy, smaller slab of 8/4 beech 8″x 19″, on the house. Guess I’ll have to make a couple smaller planes instead 🙂
The walnut he had was in his discount pile as it was all short boards less than five feet long but it was priced so low I almost asked him if the prices were a mistake. I spent $28 for the six larger planks, 8/4 roughsawn stock totaling 16 bf. The rest of the walnut in the picture, some nicely figured 4/4 stock S4S totals about 8 bf and cost me another $15.
The cherry shorts is all 4/4 S4S stock 3-5″ wide and 20-30″ long is nearly 100% clear. The maple shorts, S4S 8/4 stock 3-4″ wide and 18-24″ long is mostly clear with a just a couple knots in the whole batch. The cherry is upwards of 10 bf and the maple about 8 bf; I got both piles for $10.
Needless to say, I will be going back soon and often. 🙂
I plan to use the walnut for my tool chest, but I am clearly a glutton for punishment as I am going to have to resaw those 8/4 planks to make the panels for the carcasse of the box. Oh well, I can always use more sawing practice, haha…and the price makes it sooo worth the extra effort.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.30 July 2013 at 9:16 am #15487Very beautiful find Chris, fair price)I always looking for off cuts in my local lumber yard)let the lumber stay in your shop for 2 weeks.Good luck with sawing)
30 July 2013 at 2:24 pm #15522That is a great find Chris! Congratulations!
Does anyone in the Atlanta area know of a good Hardwood dealer? I need to find a decent deal on some Iroko.
30 July 2013 at 3:43 pm #15579If anyone else lives in or near southwest Michigan, here’s the website for the sawmill…
and their facebook…you should see the burly oak boards he has right now, wow!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hickory-Oak-Sawmilling-and-Lumber-Company-LLC/119539808122121
Nice stash Chris-
[quote quote=15475]When I asked about some beech (thinking about making a jointer plane) he said he had some, but turns out he didn’t have a piece big enough for my jointer; but he told me I could have a nice beefy, smaller slab of 8/4 beech 8″x 19″, on the house. Guess I’ll have to make a couple smaller planes instead[/quote]
I still have a slab of 8/4 Beech, 4/4 IPE and 12/4 Maple that I bought 3 years ago to make a set of planes. I haven’t embarked on that journey yet…in part because I am too cheap to buy a new plane iron. 😉
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