All Replies on Lumber?

For me, in Missouri, I either have a CL source or two or a couple local hardwood retailers. Try not to use the big boxes as a source.

Firebreather,

If you come through Georgia on I-75, let me know. I have a portable sawmill and cut and dry hardwood lumber. I have a good selection of species.

-- Wood-Mizer LT15

I get most of my wood at auctions, and yard sales. But if I get lumber at the store, I stick with lowes.

AJ

-- If I can do it.....so can you! -AJswoodshop

Wood is getting insane in price. I just paid $19.49 at one of the wood boutique stores for a 1/4”X3”X24” piece of bubinga. Guess Ima gonna hafta start using local species for my projects…and digging through scrap piles, or something.

And I missed out on a sycamore around the corner- the guys were just finishing grinding up the last of it when I got home yesterday. Could have grabbed a crotch or something out of the cuts. I need to talk to the local tree people about this.

Where do you live in FL? I buy almost all of my limber @ Hood Dist in Jacksonville. They have a hugh warehouse full of lumber. One can but a huge amount or just one peice. They also have cabinet grade plywood.
PM me if you want more details.

-- Jerry

Ditto what Jerry said- “where in Fl”. There are a few good places, such as Sturges in Vero Beach and Cab makers warehouse in Stuart.

-- Wish I were Norm's Nephew

I live in Okeechobee, Florida. Do you know the prices for some of the lumber. I have a lumber mill I am in contact with in Tenn and they say that i can get OAk,Hickory and Poplur for 70 cent a foot. But I would have to let it dry out for some time before I can use it.

-- God is good..All the time

This site sometimes helpful depending upon what you are looking for. Simply fill in zip code and click what interest you, and click search.

http://www.woodfinder.com/

Another site might also be helpful is looking at sawmills.
http://woodweb.com/

Material thread on Craigs list sometimes helpful finding lumber.

May also find lumber on this site.
http://www.bookoo.com/loc-Florida.html?state=Florida&z=7

Buying green/wet lumber can save you lots of money, plenty of info on sticker, stack, & storage on the web. Many mills & wholesalers sell both green & dry lumber. Higher fuel price raise shipping cost so buying close to home or reasonable drive makes sense.

-- Bill

Watch out buying green lumber… The low price draws you in and the next thing you know the economics kick in and with just a little more equipment, your lumber costs will be even lower. I think the break even point in buying hardware weighed against buying lumber is somewhere between 300 and 500 board feet of any hardwood. To process it for making furniture, you’ll need someplace to dry it, a barn, shed or even a stack in the yard with plywood or scrap wood covering the top will do. Next you’ll need a planner and a jointer to get your wood surfaced and thickness you need for your project. Watch out and don’t even start calculating how much you’ll save if you saw your own logs into lumber… Next thing you know you’ll be a sawmill owner. LOL

I got a quote 5 or 6 years ago to replace the poplar siding on my old two story farmhouse and the prices ranged from $20,000 to, you’ll have to sign a contract and when we finish, we will let you know what the cost was. One reason I bought my sawmill was to mill lumber to replace the siding on my house. It’s drying in the barn now. In a few weeks, I’ll run it through my planer and then cut a rabbit on one edge and a cove on the other. My total cost will be my labor (which I enjoy anyway), some insulation, some paint, and some nails. I’m not looking forward to the painting part.

-- Hal, Tennessee http://www.first285.com

Forida Southern Plywoodin Jacksonville Fl had a better selection than Hood.

I went to a woodcraft store in orlando for the first time today they had lots of nice wood. Not sure if the price was good but we bought some cedar the kind that smells good it was $4.00 a BF. What you see here was $32.00.

-- My theroy in wood working will be. If I'm not enjoying doing it i won't do it.

Found an easier way to locate wood suppliers in my state vice wood finder & wood web sites.
Think key search terms like hardwood or softwood suppliers, and your state eliminates lot of big box stores. No, does not eliminate all internet search chaff does show what is available in your state.

http://hardwoodstore.com/

I have known about this place ten miles from my house, have to call for appointment and once had $250 minimum purchase requirement.

http://www.worldtimbercorp.com/

http://www.walllumber.com/products.asp

I refined that searching hardwood suppliers, county, state.

http://ncforestservice.gov/Managing_your_forest/pdf/timberbuyers_bycounty.PDF

While not all finds valuable to me, simple phone call to place or e-mail that interest me will save time money and effort.

Might give it a try and see what happens.

-- Bill

Most of the hardwood suppliers are faced with a quandry – they are not selling much to the cabinet shops since housing is down. That being said, a lot of the ones around me are beginning to ask their brokers about exotics to make some cash to backfill the losses on traditional species. My local hardwood dealer is now selling things like purpleheart and flamed maple for around $5 a bd. ft., which is pretty good in my book. I’m buying the most beautiful Ambrosia Maple I have ever seen for $4.00 a bd. ft.
And truthfully, I would be very hard pressed to give anyone $4.00 a bd. ft. for aromatic cedar. Of course, I live in SE Tennessee, home to what was once the greatest cedar forest in the country. You can find people giving away the logs, just have to find someone to plank it up for you. I still have three 60-80 footers standing on my inner lawn. Took two others down about three years ago, gave the logs to a fellow for a load of beautiful walnut with a lot of crotch and quilt in it. Also got back one cedar tree planked including mantle stock, But my main source has become a local sawmill that now puts in exotics. WAY cheaper then someone like Woodcraft.

-- Paul, Tennessee, http://www.tsunamiguitars.com

If you’re even thinking about going as far as tennessee to buy green lumber you’d be much better off paying a bit more per board foot to buy lumber from Danny (WDHLT15). He sells lumber that’s been properly (air) dried and is a good guy to do business with…

Good Luck!

Herb

-- Herb, Florida - Here's why I close most messages with "Be Careful!" http://lumberjocks.com/HerbC/blog/17090

I get all my wood from Missouri & Arkansas, but that’s because I live in southwest Missouri. I’ve got good access to the area hardwoods, and run a portable sawmill. I was down in Florida a few months ago doing a sawmill demo. I cut some beautiful cypress & oak while I was there, and brought back enough tight grained, quarter sawn cypress to keep me in string instrument soundboards for years! PM me and I’ll give you my contact info. Stop by sometime when you’re up this way. I’ll supply the logs, and let you run the mill, if you like. You just might decide that you’d rather buy or salvage logs and mill your own lumber there in Fla.
Here’s a walnut crotch I recently cut on my mill. I love it!

-- Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.

In Tampa Associated lumber, Dixy plywood

-- Have a great day.

I am a furniture maker in Nashville and am working on building my supply chain for hardwood lumber. My most immediate need is for live 6/4 live edge slabs, walnut mostly. I am looking to buy dry and green.

Anybody have any good sources in Kentuky or anywhere else near Nashville?

Thanks, Evan

Danny, you still in Perry?

-- Beer, Beer, Thank God for Beer. It's my way of keeping my mind fresh and clear...

Milo,

Yes, I am still kicking!

-- Wood-Mizer LT15