# Cheaper wood alternatives



## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

I'm almost done with the Sketchup drawing for the nightstands I'm going to start in a few weeks now that my new Grizzly G0555 bandsaw and Delta Planer are on there way 

Anyways, my wife and I were hoping to use Cherry or Black Walnut for the bedroom furniture. However, after looking at wood prices it seems I can only find cherry at around $5 bd. ft which means the wood alone is going to be more than I would like to spend for the nightstands and then even more when I start the bed frame and dressers. What would be a good alternative?

It sounds like I'll have to do a dye/stain instead with some kind of cheaper wood. Can anyone give me a few good suggestions for a wood that will stain well and resemble Cherry or Black walnut(we haven't decided). Also a good suggestion for stains to use? I'll post the sketchup drawing hopefully sometime this weekend for critique since this is my first design and I'm not sure if I can make some of the pieces thinner and if tennon lengths are long enough or even too long.

Thanks,
Eric


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## Julian (Sep 30, 2008)

Eric, I would keep my eye on craigslist. I see cherry and walnut all the time for $2-$5 in the Chicagoland area.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

Julian, thanks. I've been paying attention to the Indy area craigslist and there was some a few months back but I didn't know how much I would need and hadn't decided on species yet. I think chicago 8 hr drive roundtrip may be too much for me just for getting wood. I think next time I see cheap prices I'm just going to buy!

Socalwood, any suggestions on stains to use?


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## missionworks (Jul 20, 2009)

You might try this guy.
www.woodsbygwgreen.com
I got a good deal on some quartersawn white oak.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Butternut can be stained to be "walnut like" and is very nice to work with, usually run under $3 BF here (usually closer to $2). Maple stained dark can resemble cherry a bit.


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

Wood prices seem to be like gasoline prices, not a lot of logic for the regional prices.

In trip to the mill this week I bought Ash, Rustic Maple, Sassafrass, Basswood and Hickory for between $2 and $2.50 a bd ft. The Cherry and Walnut I bought were $4 and $3.75 a bd ft.

Alder at this mill was $4.95 bd ft.

All of these were in less than 12 bd ft of any one type, 4/4 R1E and under 10" width. Mill was in Toledo, Ohio.

Later in the month I am going to the west side of Michigan and expect to get some Cherry at greatly reduced cost from a different mill.

Steve.


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

I have some of socalwood's alder and it is great! Wonderful straight grain to work with and the natural color is perfect like it is but takes stain rather well.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

Wow. I love LJ. I can write any question and I'm surprised how fast people respond. Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Since I wont be purchasing wood for a couple of weeks I have some more time to look around at prices.


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## rwyoung (Nov 22, 2008)

Have you tried www.woodfinder.com to locate alternate suppliers? You can set the search region by zip code and I think radius in miles.

Since you have a bandsaw and planer (I'd suggest a jointer or at least a few hand planes too) you can deal with rough cut or skip planed wood. The fewer machining steps applied before you get it, the cheaper it will be. Maybe you can find a small sawmill within 100 or 150 miles (or pick your driving distance) and get your wood there.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey Eric
These are all good suggestions In my area black oak and ash, are in the $3.50 Bf range If you what to overcome some blocking issues when you finish you could consider poplar,and pine both around the $1.85 bf in my area. If you buy wood you have to do some more milling instead of buy s4s you can save $ 1-2 BF.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

RWyoung, I have #4,5, and 7 hand planes and for the time being that will be used for jointing until I get a jointer.


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

I can match "Poplar" to "Cherry" and only an expert could tell them apart. If I was not an honest man it would be easy to "rip off" a client. Its inexpensive, strong, machines easily, sands easily, and takes a finsih well. Its density is close to cherry as well. Poplar is also a fast growing tree and often its commercially grown. For customers who are budget oriented, I highly recommend it.

Good Luck.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Eric,

That GO555 you have coming, if you have it fitted with the riser block, and a good resawing blade, can solve your problem. Build yourself a resawing jig, and look at Craigslist for someone posting free wood. I have gotten plenty of free Pecan, Mesquite, Oak, etc… that is sitting and drying, stickered in my attic right now, for no bucks…


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## GFYS (Nov 23, 2008)

Typically…what width is available in poplar commercially?
Oh and Eric…lets see the Model! That way we can compare it to photos of the finished product and see if you made any mistakes…oops…I mean changes.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

Dbhost, I may have to do that. I did buy the riser block since I didn't want to buy nice blades only to regret not having the riser and then buying more blades. So I thought it would be more economical to get it upfront  It's being delivered on Monday and I can't wait. I think I will create a resawing jig for it, thanks for the suggestion. I see a lot of free "firewood" and trees chopped down (you move) on craigslist that I keep eyeing and now that I will have a bandsaw I will be paying much more attention to.

Roman, Poplar or Alder might be the way to go for this project. However, if I did poplar for the nightstands and stained it and then later decided to do the bed frame or dresser in actual Cherry, could I match the two easily?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey Roman
Is your secret for making poplar look like cherry somthing you can share with us. I would like to know since your work always looks so great.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

Haha mics,

I'm sure I will have mistakes….I mean features… as this will be my first big project that I can consider "fine" woodworking. The sketchup is taking a little to finish because I am learnig the tool as I go and I'm so glad to be using it before i start. I am noticing lots of little things that i probably would have never thought of if I didn't sketch it up in detail first. Give me a few days and I should have it up.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

Roman, I would also like to know your secret


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## NathanAllen (Oct 16, 2009)

There are plenty of cheap sources of Cherry and Walnut available in Indiana. If you decide on Poplar you can get even cheaper.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/mat/1424129969.html
From the top of the pile shot this looks like it has some knots, but almost no sapwood visible.

There is also a sawmill that sells on ebay including monitorseller (DAVE'S HOBBY LUMBER) out of Carbon indiana who sells Common Cherry for $1.50 range and 5/4 FAS for $3.50.

There are also downstate Illinois sawmills that sell Cherry and Walnut for around the same price as Big Box stores sell Pine and Poplar.

I've been buying out of Indiana for a few years now, some is common some comes close to FAS but the prices sure beat the $5-$7 I've seen in west Chicago for wood that doesn't need another year to cure.


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## Eric_S (Aug 26, 2009)

Nathan thank you so much for mentioning Dave's Hobby Lumber. He has great prices on cherry and other woods too, I'll have to contact him.


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