selecting rough lumber

[Bob Johnson2]

Does anyone care to share how they select rough lumber at the mill or yard? I'm interested in maple in perticular but the actual species probably doesn't mater much. I currently just eyeball the edge of the bds for being straight and look for obvious defects that show up through the rough extrerior. I am often suprised to find I miss a lot. Is this the norm?

[Ted Shrader]

Bob -

In addition to sighting down the edge to reveal any bow, I look for cupping and twist. Then check for where the board was in relation to the center of the tree based on the grain orientation. Get them all cut the same way. It is hard to match grain in a glued up panel using a rift sawn board and a quarter sawn board. In some species the difference is really pronounced. Then look the over for any sap wood, knots and other defects.

All the while keep the cut list in mind. There are nice boards that have some defects that can be cut around. Take a piece of chalk to mark the various pieces so you can figure it out when you get back home.

Also keep in mind if you want any figure in the boards. There are some really pretty ones that get by every now and then.

Last - go to a yard that will let you pick through the pile. You don't have to take the first few that come off the stack. After you have picked through, neatly re-stack and sticker. When you come the next time, they will be much more accommodating.

Regards,
Ted

[Steve Cox]

If I am needing to be particular about the boards, I try to find some that are "skip planed" or "hit and miss", that is, they have been planed lightly which removes lots of the fuzz and lets you evaluate boards more carefully.

[Alan Turner]

In addition to Ted's comments, I take a hand plane with me, just a small block plane, and I will carefully plane a small area to expose the grain and color. If I can't see the growth rings, I will cut the end by 1/4" as well. You want to avoid the pith of a tree s the wood right around the center will not be good. It will be radially checked, and perhaps twisted as well. Like Ted, I take chalk, sometimes several colors if it is a large piece I am shopping for. My yard permits me these luxuries; check first, of course.
Alan

[joseph j shields]

If you are looking at Maple.... be aware of "sticker stain"

This is common on the lighter woods especially maple.

This is a dark stain caused by the sticks placed bewteen the boards as they dry. On some boards the stain can be so deep that you can't use them.

I'm fighting some sticker stain on some maple now.... I beached some of it out. Hope I can save it.

To avoid it..... look for the stains... a dark strip (a couple of inches wide) the goes across the width of the board.

Hope this helps.....

-jj

ps I love Maple.... especially soft maple.... with lots of curl & figure... don't let the name fool you... its not really soft

[joseph j shields]

One more thing.... if some of the wood is surfaced.... take a rag and wipe some mineral spirits (or a little water) to get a idea how the wood will look finished.... this is especially true with figured pieces. BUT ask the yard first.

-jj

[lou sansone]

If you are looking at Maple.... be aware of "sticker stain"

This is common on the lighter woods especially maple.

This is a dark stain caused by the sticks placed bewteen the boards as they dry. On some boards the stain can be so deep that you can't use them.

I'm fighting some sticker stain on some maple now.... I beached some of it out. Hope I can save it.

To avoid it..... look for the stains... a dark strip (a couple of inches wide) the goes across the width of the board.

Hope this helps.....


-jj

ps I love Maple.... especially soft maple.... with lots of curl & figure... don't let the name fool you... its not really soft

FYI stickers need to be dry first and this will not happen. if in doubt, ask the sawyer if they use dry stickers or simply off cuts of the logs.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I tend to work some of the "defects" into my work. I like knots and etc. So mainly I am looking for cupped, twisted or bowed boards.

[Richard Wolf]

Jeff, you are a lumbermans dream.

Richard

[Jim W. White]

I've been working on the weekends off/on over the past year at my local hardwood place. It helps pay for the hobby materials and I just love the time spent there. They stock over 60 species of rough sawn/skip-planed lumber of exceptional quality.

Interestingly enough, while it's certainly appropraite to try to match boards for color, or to look for a special peice now and again for a special application ...for the most part, the time folks spend "picking out just the right peices" is usually inversely proportional to their experience and woodworking skill.

The guys that are trully gifted at their craft, rarely pick over/leave out more than half a dozen sticks from the top of the stack in the course of pulling 25-40 bd/ft. Of course a large portion of that can also be credited to the high quality of wood the owner brings into the place!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not meaning to sound judgemental; as I find it quite enjoyable to meander through a skid of lumber looking for the handful of boards that just seem to scream to you "take me home." Just make sure you spend just as much time re-stacking as you did looking

Confessed wood junky!! ...I collect wood for "future projects" like some of you collect hand planes.

...Jim in Idaho

[lou sansone]

thank you jim White ... I agree with you completly

After several years of this I have finally settled on this method of buying wood. It may not be the most fiscially responsible way to do it but here it is.


I get my rough lumber in 2 ways, either buy the logs and saw them on my mill. In that case I keep it all and dont pick through it. I have been a little pickey on logs, but nothing more that about 20 minutes of the sellers time. This does mean that I have to buy at least 500 bd feet to make it worth the time.

the other way is to simply by the "log run" ( log run is going to have a variety of grades in it like FAS and #2 common - most folks are not going to try to sell you #3 ) from one of my sources and I don't pick through it at all. Once you start picking like that the price really goes up. Again, this means that I have to buy the pile. Again this means that I have to take between 500 and 1000 bd feet. But because I don't waste his time with picking through the pile it makes the purchase pretty reasonable. Have I ended up with nice firewood? not really all that much. Sure there is some junk in the pile, but 90% is real nice.

I have sold some of my lumber to other folks, and I let them take their time and pick through it. But I am not trying to make a living doing it. It is more of a social thing with other ww's.

Well that is what I have found works best for me.

have fun and just tell your wife that it was a really good deal for the whole truck load!

[dave vedder]

The old-timer that owns the lumber yard that I go to lets me pick through all of the wood. I tend to spend some time picking up boards and eyeballing them so that I look like I know what I'm doing. Then I just grab the boards that look good and put them in the truck. This usually ends up with a few more trips to the lumberyard to get what I really needed in the first place. One thing I did learn though, was to get a moisture meter. I had some trouble building a cradle because I used some oak that was a bit damp and joined it with some really dry wood. Oh well, It's all part of learning I guess.

[Bob Smalser]

FYI stickers need to be dry first and this will not happen. if in doubt, ask the sawyer if they use dry stickers or simply off cuts of the logs.

I wish it wuz that simple.

[Fred Hubert]

The old-timer that owns the lumber yard that I go to lets me pick through all of the wood. I tend to spend some time picking up boards and eyeballing them so that I look like I know what I'm doing. Then I just grab the boards that look good and put them in the truck. This usually ends up with a few more trips to the lumberyard to get what I really needed in the first place. One thing I did learn though, was to get a moisture meter. I had some trouble building a cradle because I used some oak that was a bit damp and joined it with some really dry wood. Oh well, It's all part of learning I guess.

Dave, where in NH are you getting your wood? Highland, Goosebay, Northland, somewhere else? Haven't been to any of them yet personally, just looking for a recommendation...

~ Fred

[lou sansone]

I wish it wuz that simple.

hi bob.. this is the generally recommended approach and the one the I use and many other sawyers use. It seems to work for me. I take it from your comment that you feel different or have some other perspective on this problem. I would be glad to hear your views on this and maybe learn somthing in the process.

BTW I do understand that sometimes even with dry stickers you still end up with stain. A case in point is how I got my hickory flooring for my shop. The mill I bought the hickory from probably process a couple million feet per year and they certianly know a lot more than little o'l me. They had about 1500 bd feet with light sticker "shadow" on some of the boards and had to basically sell the wood for the price they paid on the stump. In thinking about my comment that all you need is dry stickers, it did sound kind of pompus and in fact there are exceptions to the rule ( which you will hopefully point out ) . I simply have found that dry stickers help to minimize most staining problems IMHO.

lou


thanks
lou