Any place to buy 2x4 SYP in North Carolina these days?

[tarheelz]

Understanding that Southern Yellow Pine availability has been reduced due to lower production levels in southern sawmills, I am still hoping for some luck.

I can get all the 2x8, 2x10, and 2x12 SYP I could ever desire right now from the Orange BORG. As of today (Wednesday) it looks pretty nice too. However, there is no 2x4 (or 2x6) stock in SYP. It's all "whitewood" or other non-descript fir product.

Capital City Lumber in Raleigh tells me they are not stocking any 2x Southern Yellow Pine of any width these days. (They do have 1x boards, untreated 4x4s, and lots of treated SYP.)

I am trying to finish stocking/stickering this lumber to get it drying to eventually build one of those rustic Restoration Hardware knock-off tables my wife wants so badly. A lack of plain ole regular 2x4s is holding me back.

If anyone has a lead on where I can buy SYP 2x4s, please let me know. At this point, I'll travel within reason. I need about 70-80 feet of the stuff.

This stuff doesn't need to be clear. #2 Prime would be awesome. #2 would be fine too.

Thank you, everyone. NCWW is fantastic.


PS - I know in theory I could rip wider lengths but given my lack of infeed/outfeed support (and my general lack of experience in ripping long boards), I've decided that looks too sketchy/scary to me.

 

[Mike Camp]

Perhaps another option would be finding a fellow NCWW with a nice infeed/outfeed table saw (or Festool) setup for ripping long, wide boards to help you out. I do not have such a setup, unfortunately.

Or see if home depot would be willing to rip the wider 2x material down on their panel saw for you.

 

[ScottM]

Did you check with Talbert Building Supply off of the Durham Freeway? I have never shop there but passed by often.

 

[tarheelz]

Is Talbert the old Durham Lumber? I haven't been in there. Time to do some explorin'.

Thanks.

 

[CarvedTones]

PS - I know in theory I could rip wider lengths but given my lack of infeed/outfeed support (and my general lack of experience in ripping long boards), I've decided that looks too sketchy/scary to me.

I would do this with a circular saw. Clamp down a piece of 2x on top of a waste wood table (I suggest a free door from habitat on saw horses; they give away hollow core doors with holes in them and if there are no free ones, there are usually $2 ones) and clamp a straight edge (board, angle iron, whatever) on top at the right spot so that the blade will be 2" off the edge of the 2x when you run the saw. Then you clamp boards up against it and cut 2.125" deep. Slide over, cut again. No measuring on each board, but they will all be the same. You can start and stop during cutting to reposition clamps or whatever. Really not that scary...

 

[jrfuda]

Turlington Lumber in Clinton does only SYP - though I have no idea if they do retail sales, and Clinton's a bit of a drive from Durham:

http://www.turlingtonlbr.com/

 

[farmerbw]

How about 84 Lumber in Raleighwood? Weren't they having a sale on SYP 2x stuff a while back? Then again maybe that means they stopped stocking it...... :eusa_thin

Brian.

 

[bobby g]

Try Tarheel Wood Treating on 54 in Morrisville. I bought nice, untreated, SYP from them years ago. I'd also check with Fitch lumber in Carboro.

bobby g

 

[tarheelz]

Thanks, all. Good ideas.

Called 84 Lumber - No SYP in 2x4 or 2x6. They do have "Spruce Pine" in those dimensions.
Turlington's website says they are stocking 1x and 5/4 in all lengths.

Haven't check on Talbert yet but the Sean at 84 says that lately they are only seeing wider lengths in yellow pine. CarvedTones may have the winning proposal. I'm going to give that a shot. I will post a follow-up (perhaps with photos).

 

[tarheelz]

Bobby,

I left a message with Tarheel Wood Treating. We'll see. Thanks. ("Tar Heel" is two words, dagnabit!)

Checked with Fitch two weeks ago. No go.

 

[bluedawg76]

PS - I know in theory I could rip wider lengths but given my lack of infeed/outfeed support (and my general lack of experience in ripping long boards), I've decided that looks too sketchy/scary to me.

Plenty of folks at NCWW would be willing to help you rip wider boards down to size (myself included, I'm also in Durham). How long 6'?, 8'?, 16'? I don't have much outfeed support but a 6-8' board shouldn't be too difficult on my TS. PM if interested.

Also, 2x's are generally the most crooked/cupped/warped boards of the bunch. That's fine for framing and construction, but problematic for furniture. 10-12" wide SYP in 8'+ from the borg are generally the straightest. That said, they'll still need to be jointed/planed to get them straight and square depending on your needs. And, probably stickered to finish drying before you even begin (some of the borg syp MC ~15-20%).


Sam

 

[thsb]

I haven't been there in 6 months but Talberts has always had it before. You go in and order and then pull around back to load. They tend to have good prices and quality on basic framing wood and roofing shingles, insulation, etc.... but expensive on specialty wood.

 

[tarheelz]

I left a message with Talberts.

 

[Skymaster]

IMHO buy the oversized stock and rip it. Faster,easier,BETTER in the long run. That also gives you the option to cut the the exact dimensions you want

 

[KenOfCary]

Not usually the cheapest place, but I'd bet that Capital City Lumber would either have it or could order it for you.

- Ken.

 

[RoyWarren]

Steve Wall Lumber Co. in Mayodan, NC list 8/4 Yellow Pine at $2.60 bd ft.

www.walllumber.com

 

[petebucy4638]

When I was building in Florida, SYP was the framing lumber of choice after the 10-93 Wind Code was enacted. I would never use a 2x4 in SYP for anything but framing and that pretty much applies to 2x6's too. They are prone to all sorts of defects because of how they are milled and the fact that SYP warps easily. If you want to use SYP for furniture or cabinetry you best best is to rip it out of 2x10's or 2x12's, in some cases 2x8's are acceptable.

The Home Builders Association in Central Florida had Wilkerson lumber mill all of the trim for one of their model homes out of SYP. Even the doors were SYP. The mill foreman gave me a tour of the entire trim package as it was being milled and assembled. He explained how everything was being cut from 2x10's. Even though the doors looked great, the rate of warping after installation was high.

Hoke Lumber in Mooresville carries some beautiful SYP #1 in 2x10 and 2x12.

Understanding that Southern Yellow Pine availability has been reduced due to lower production levels in southern sawmills, I am still hoping for some luck.

I can get all the 2x8, 2x10, and 2x12 SYP I could ever desire right now from the Orange BORG. As of today (Wednesday) it looks pretty nice too. However, there is no 2x4 (or 2x6) stock in SYP. It's all "whitewood" or other non-descript fir product.

Capital City Lumber in Raleigh tells me they are not stocking any 2x Southern Yellow Pine of any width these days. (They do have 1x boards, untreated 4x4s, and lots of treated SYP.)

I am trying to finish stocking/stickering this lumber to get it drying to eventually build one of those rustic Restoration Hardware knock-off tables my wife wants so badly. A lack of plain ole regular 2x4s is holding me back.

If anyone has a lead on where I can buy SYP 2x4s, please let me know. At this point, I'll travel within reason. I need about 70-80 feet of the stuff.

This stuff doesn't need to be clear. #2 Prime would be awesome. #2 would be fine too.

Thank you, everyone. NCWW is fantastic.


PS - I know in theory I could rip wider lengths but given my lack of infeed/outfeed support (and my general lack of experience in ripping long boards), I've decided that looks too sketchy/scary to me.

 

[golfdad]

the Home Depot on hwy 55 in Apex always carried it as well as the store on Capitol Blvd in Raleigh:gar-La;

 

[tarheelz]

Thanks, all.

This past Tuesday I picked up the 4x4s from the folks at Capital City and a mess of 2x12s, 10s, and 8s from the HD on 15-501.

Lumber is all stacked and stickered in the dining room.

I am going to rip down the 2x12s with a Kreg Rip Cut after the lumber has dried a while. (I know when I cut it will likely move again but we'll have to see.)

Pictures of progress to follow.

 

[tarheelz]

Wife is quite understanding to allow the dining table to be moved out and this stack of pine to move in.

Ladder is just an effort at weight.