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Is this a good price?

3K views 22 replies 17 participants last post by  roman 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I found 300 bf of 16/4 rough sawn quarter sawn white oak for sale and the guy wants $6 a bf if I take all. I am in the northwest Pennsylvania area. Is this a good price?
 
#6 ·
QSRO-pay for the glam. You should expect near perfection showing the medulary rays. Look at each board. I bought QSRO in Oregon two years ago. It was shipped from Indiana. The mill had it marked for Stickley (Highly Regarded Manufacturer of Craftsman furniture). It was cut full measure (rarely seen today). It netted out at over 90% useful yield. It is the most beautiful WO I have ever seen. If you are in love there is nothing we can say. Price is reasonable but for a guy like me I'd be sure I was in love first. Steve

Take a peek: Very Reputable Dealer www.thehardwoodconnection.com
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
12/4 or thicker oak is much more expensive than thinner boards. I paid $8/bf for 12/4 red oak from my local lumber supplier, so $6/bf for quartered white oak is a pretty decent deal, for my local area. The northeast seems to differ pretty greatly in hardwood prices from the west coast, though, so YMMV.

Edit: I should say it was $8/bf for 12/4 FAS red oak.
 
#11 ·
4" think lumber will be a bit more. How wide is it? That will make a difference to. I would say $6 is ok, but unless its really wide, it's probably not a steal.

You said its dried. Air dried or Kiln dried?

Condition makes a difference to. Make sure it straight.
 
#12 ·
If your in NW Pa, find you a local Amish Sawyer. They charge rock bottom prices. I found one just west of Greenville PA in Oh. Another question to ask is are you willing to resaw 4" thick material? That would be a hassle and a half. Dried WO 16/4, 9' long, 8" wide is going to weigh around 100 lbs.
 
#15 ·
Jeff,

That is almost a steal! I quartersaw white oak. 4" thick quartersawn white oak is the creme de la creme. I charge $5 - $6 per BF for 9/4 (2 & 3/8") based on the amount of figure. It takes really big trees for thick quartersawn lumber, there can be a lot of degrade, and it takes much longer to dry.
 
#20 ·
I'm paying $2 a BF for 4/4 in Chattanooga, planed on all sides, kiln dried. If I go into North GA, to a big lumber yard, I can get 5/4 for $1.10 a BF, rough sawn, air dried two years.

$6 a BF for what is essentially a 4X4Xwhatever width sounds pretty reasonable to me for white oak, as long as it is air dried. Right off the log, forget it.
 
#21 ·
Also, that's interesting, I used to live in the NE Pennsylvania region, for about 20 years. Clarks Summit area. Where is your stash located at?
(No worries, we got so much oak down here in SE Tennessee, not worth me running for it.)
 
#23 ·
I might add, that 16/4 timber is somewhat difficult to find but is of little use when building Stickly/Mission/Craftsman type furniture as the edges will be flat sawn, while faces remain 1/4 sawn…..most high end Stickly furniture, the posts are mitered all the way around so that 1/4 sawn wood is always visible.

That said, I can think of a gazillion reasons to buy it. The only thing better then 16/4 material…….is 18/4 and up : )
 
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