Lumber question.

[Kent E. Matthew]

I have got a couple of projects ready to move on. My question is do you have any tips for buying lumber to keep the cost down. I have a planer and jointer. It just seems to me in this market lumber price should be going down.

[Prashun Patel]

Buy rough

Cruise Craigslist for 'hardwood lumber'

Look into mixing woods. Maple can be relatively cheap, and can be economically and tastefully accented with more exotic woods without competing with them for attention.

Don't overlook poplar for parts that won't be visible or will be painted.

Don't overlook oak. It's cheap, stable, and accepts finishes well.

Cherry and Walnut boards can be had considerably cheap if you're willing to incorporate or deal with sapwood. Personally, I LIKE a little milk in my coffee...

[Kent A Bathurst]

The best trick I've learned over the years for keeping lumber cost down: measure at least twice, then cut once.

[Terry Sparks]

I have been using more and more reclaimed lumber over the last few years and that has saved me alot of money, especially when it's very cheap and quite often free.

[Van Huskey]

I have got a couple of projects ready to move on. My question is do you have any tips for buying lumber to keep the cost down. I have a planer and jointer. It just seems to me in this market lumber price should be going down.

Craigslist can be a goldmine but like a gold vein you will incounter some fools gold. As for price, in times like these the mill quotas are lowered and less wood is cut, this prevents the price from dropping off the charts and saves the wood for times when the economy and demand support the price.

[Brian Tymchak]

Use locally harvested wood. It costs money to ship that stuff around the country and those costs end up being paid by the consumer.

Also, the thicker the board, the higher $$ per bf. (You would think that the extra milling to cut the wood down would raise the cost on thinner boards.. But, no..) I bought ash recently for a project. 4/4 ash was priced about $2.80 bf and 8/4 ash is priced about $3.38. So, if your project calls for 3/4 thick stock, don't think that starting with 8/4 and cutting it down will be more cost effective.

Lastly, my local wood supplier of choice will offer 10%, 20%, 30% off the advertised $$ bf if you buy in bundles of 100 bf, 250 bf, 500 bf respectively. So, if you can find a supplier that will offer those kinds of deals, it may be a good idea is to buy a bundle, use some of it, stick the rest on the racks for the future.

Brian

[Stephen Edwards]

Buy rough

Cruise Craigslist for 'hardwood lumber'

Look into mixing woods. Maple can be relatively cheap, and can be economically and tastefully accented with more exotic woods without competing with them for attention.

Don't overlook poplar for parts that won't be visible or will be painted.

Don't overlook oak. It's cheap, stable, and accepts finishes well.

Cherry and Walnut boards can be had considerably cheap if you're willing to incorporate or deal with sapwood. Personally, I LIKE a little milk in my coffee...

What he said! CL is a never ending source for hardwoods around here, often at very good prices.