Tired of big box store junk Lumber

[drchristian]

I am tired of buying the twisted bowed crap at Lowes and Home Depot. No matter how carefully I try to buy straight stuff, once I get it home and it sits in the shop a few days it is a mess. Of course it is already dimensioned so I don't have a lot to work with. I have a Dewault planer and a 6" Northstate Jointer with a total 42" bed. I have never purchased rough cut lumber before so I feel like a idiot going to a sawyer because I don't know what to ask for. I am building with mostly pine until I get my skill level up to work with more expensive wood. What do I need to work with rough stock and dimension it. My planer will handle 13 1/2 width but my jointer is limited. I am thinking of buying a 8" Powermatic spiral head jointer. I am retired so money is scarce as with most of us retirees. Will this be enough to work with rough cut lumber? Also, are there any woodworking clubs in the Concord Kannapolis area that I could hook up with to learn from fellow woodworkers?

 

[JackLeg]

I know where you're coming from! Rick DeNardo in Mooresville is an excellent source and an honest guy to do business with.

You're probably better off buying KD lumber also. Sawmill run is usually high in moisture content and will need to dry for quite a while. I'm over near Albemarle and usually have a good supply of cypress which has been in my solar kiln and is suitable for most outdoor projects like swings, Adirondack chairs, planters, etc. If I can help just give me a shout.

 

[Jeff]

I too have been there and done that like many of us. If you buy rough cut lumber many of the sawyers/suppliers will surface it on 4 sides (S4S) for an extra $1/bf. That's cheap compared to buying a jointer and planer to get there. I have a DeWalt 734 planer and a table saw but I still buy most of my stuff at S4S nonetheless.

I have never purchased rough cut lumber before so I feel like a idiot going to a sawyer because I don't know what to ask for.

A primer for starters...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2FNYJMkP-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcHaAgomDls

...and a price list as an example...

https://hardwoodstore.com/lumber-prices

 

[Jeremy Scuteri]

Your planer is more than adequate for most tasks required for typical woodworking. I got by with a DW734 for a long time and it did everything I asked of it without any issues. Larger planers with spiral heads are an awesome luxury, but not strictly needed to get the job done. Your jointer might be a bit on the small side (depending on what size pieces you work with in your projects). In theory you can use a sled with your planer and avoid the need for a jointer to surface faces. The edges can be jointed in many different ways (router table, hand plane, tablesaw sled, straight edge and hand held router, etc.). That being said, I would not go without a jointer for myself if I didn't have to.

Myself, I would opt for a used 8" jointer or a new Grizzly 8" jointer if I didn't like the used route. If I was being budget conscious and buying new, I would get a similar sized Grizzly over a Powermatic every time, no doubt in my mind. The used market changes things and you might find a used Powermatic for a good deal.

I don't really care for the option of having the lumber S4S at the time of purchase because I work very slowly and the lumber would probably sit around for a year before I used it. At that point, it is best to square and flatten the lumber yourself. Sometimes this procedure is even repeated.

 

[KenOfCary]

You've already gotten a lot of good advice, but check our articles section for sources of sawyers in your area that can provide rough cut lumber. Any of these sources will be superior to what you can get in the big box stores. Also check out our advertisers in the left hand side of the website. All will be very helpful to you.

 

[thsb]

I just bought cedar at Jack Murdoch's place and can't imagine how much it would have cost at a big box store. I will have to put some work into it but not that much. I have used Hardwood Store of NC to get s4 lumber (and even had them glue some things up for a big table) and that was a great deal too. The only problem with getting involved with these places is that you risk buying wood even when you don't particularly need it.....

 

[Drew]

I started with less expensive rough cut lumber. Rough cut red and white oak, poplar, or even maple won't set you back that much. You can do a ton with a six inch jointer.

 

[junquecol]

Do some research and you will find that you can joint boards as wide as 9" with your 6" jointer. Your jointer has to have a rabbeting ledge, which most do. You will have to fabricate a replacement guard to use instead of the "pork chop" that comes on most jointers, and a shim for the in feed table.

 

[beloitdavisja]

Curious if anyone's been to Kluttz Lumber in Concord? I keep seeing them on craigslist saying they have various hardwoods in stock. Link here: http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mat/5544474122.html


I need to get out to Rick's place at the woodworking source to check it out soon. Seeing lots of recommendations on here for him.

 

[Charles Lent]

I frequently buy from Kluttz. It's close (8 miles) and convenient to me. If I was buying in hundreds of board feet at a time I might find better deals elsewhere, but for the smaller amounts that I usually buy the convenience makes them a great choice. They have a complete shop in the building, so if you need something cut or planned, they can do that for you too. They have all of the Domestic hardwoods plus mahogany, and possibly others, plus pine and fir. I recently bought a 3' long piece of 8/4 mahogany from them. They cut it from a longer piece for me, and it was all that I bought that day.

For common construction and treated lumber I buy from Gullege lumber in Kannapolis. The quality of their lumber is way better than Lowes and Home Depot, and the moisture content is much lower, so it stays straighter and flatter after you buy it. Their prices are also very close and sometimes lower than what you would pay at Lowes and Home Depot. I have sent many friends there and all were very happy with what they bought from them.

Charley

 

[CrealBilly]

Perhaps I'm a little bias because I have a sawmill. But the only time I buy BORG lumber is for construction like framing, decks, etc... I've looked at Menards because they carry all sorts of hardwoods but I've never bought any. All the BORG hardwood lumber I've seen is flat sawn. I like rift or quarter sawn for wood working. Beside all the 1 by is really 3/4" and the 2 by is 1 1/2". This leaves you no room to work the lumber should it move around like all wood does.

I've learned to mill (joint/plane,etc) lumber as I need it and glue it as soon as its milled.

 

[pviser]

I'm with Drew. I use poplar for my utility grade pieces: rough cut KD 8/4 stock from my hardwood supplier. Then I mill it to my desired dimensions. Of course, poplar also has a long history of use as an interior wood in fine woodworking.

 

[CrealBilly]

I too have been there and done that like many of us. If you buy rough cut lumber many of the sawyers/suppliers will surface it on 4 sides (S4S) for an extra $1/bf. That's cheap compared to buying a jointer and planer to get there. I have a DeWalt 734 planer and a table saw but I still buy most of my stuff at S4S nonetheless.



A primer for starters...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2FNYJMkP-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcHaAgomDls

...and a price list as an example...

https://hardwoodstore.com/lumber-prices

Jeff i found time to watch the videos you posted those are really good for a newbie - thanks for posting them I'm sure they both will be useful.

 

[Tarhead]

If you stack and sticker the SPF lumber as soon as you get home and wrap ratchet straps every 2 feet for a few weeks you'll have a better chance of getting it to stay straight.