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How much extra do you buy - rough cut?

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2K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  Charlie5791 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a project (an easel) that looks like it's going to take about 36 bd ft.
The guy I bought my hemlock off of has cherry for $1.50 a bd ft ($1.25 if you take 100 bd ft or more)

How do you judge how much extra to buy. Seems there's more waste with rough cut, but at that price it's 1/3 the price the big orange sells select pine for. I know he air dries. Not sure how dry this is yet. I really need to get a half decent moisture meter if I'm going to keep shopping rought cut :)
 
#4 ·
Since I have to drive into Seattle to get my hardwoods, 85 miles one way and I dislike driving in the city. I always take my truck and 18 foot enclosed trailer and buy as much wood as I can afford at the time. Keeping in mind the several projects that I have cut lists for and at least tripling that. Then I don't need to go back for a good long time. Did I mention that I really don't like driving in the city?
 
#5 ·
cherry at $1.25, buy as much as you can afford. It doesn't go bad.

But if you must, there may be a little more waste, but I've found if its good, sometimes its even les waste.
 
#7 ·
Big honkin' easel, Charlie!

I always buy twice what I need for a project. It gives me the ability to select particular portions of a board for the fine furniture or heirloom types of projects and it covers the errors. For this reason, I'm not a fan of cut lists for projects unless it's plywood.

However, most people probably account for 10 to 30% overage. I make more mistakes than that. :)
 
#8 ·
Rough air dried to finish cut pieces seems to average about 40% waste. That's what I use in my estimations and I don't accumulate excessive amounts. Of course, a lot depends on the cut list. Lots of little pieces mean less waste usually.
DanK
 
#10 ·
Gosh I wish I could find cherry for 1.50 a bf. that's what I paid for the red oak I got a few months ago and I thought I was getting a good deal lol compared to what i paid, that's a steal…
 
#11 ·
I suppose I could buy 100 bf ft and build 2 easels and then sell one. This type would sell for $1100 to $1600 retail. And that wouldn't be in cherry :)
I could sell it for half that and recover all costs plus make a few hundred for my time. Really basically, the cut list starts with 10 6ft 1×6 and a 1×10 (the 1×10 gets cross cut at 74 inches so I don't really need a 10ft) and then there some plywood in the base, but I might do that as solid pieces instead of plywood. Maybe $50 in hardware (knobs, hinges, pulleys, wheels, etc)
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
Personally, I plan for 50% waste, but that's because I am a) Not very efficient, and b) I like to always keep extra wood on hand.

And $1.25/bf for cherry is a steal. I would buy as much as I thought I could safely sneak into the shop without raising the suspicions of the Mrs.
 
#15 ·
If I have cherry out there, you can BET she'll want something made out of cherry. :)

I also have to think about storing it. It's too much weight to stuff up in the trusses. OK, maybe not "too much" depending on where I put it, but let's say it's more than I'm comfortable with unless someone can tell me what's safe to to load onto 2×4 trusses. If they had a 2×6 bottom chord I'd probably go for it. Right now I only put pretty light things up there. Insulation, an aluminum extension ladder, a couple of 10ft boards, some PVC electrical conduit and 1 gutter downspout. . But nothing heavy and usually at the edges near a wall when possible.

100 bd ft at $1.25 would be almost 3 times as much as the plan calls for, with waste, let's call it twice as much as called for. You definitely got me thinking about this. I'd go look at it, but I can't leave here for a few days. I have to get this kitchen floor in. Actually…. I have to finish getting the old one OUT and then get the new one in :)
 
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