Where to buy Hard Maple?

[Steve Kinnaird]

I have been told that I can probably buy Hard Maple out of the Carolina's and pay shipping, for less than I can buy it locally here in Central Florida.

Any ideas?

Looking for 30 to 40 board feet of 8/4 x 10" x 12'

[David Ragan]

Just be very specific about everything that you can for the wood.

[Jerry Thompson]

Steve, you might call Hood Distribution in Jacksonville to see if they have hard maple. Their will-call hours are from 8-12. With that many board feet it would pay to shop around.
904-783-0170

[Matt Day]

Have you called your local lumber yards and hardwood suppliers? Maple is shipped all over the country from Appalacia and you surely can find it locally. 30-40 bdft is not a big quantity.

If you haven't done it already, use google maps and search for things like "lumber", lumberyard", "hardwood", etc. that's how I found my local suppliers. Woodweb gave me nothing.

[Bob Vavricka]

The 10" wide by 12' long will come at a premium if you can find it that way. Most hardwood is sold Random Widths and Lengths. Otherwise it should be available at a full service lumberyard. The lumberyard I use has 4/4 hard maple on hand and would get me 8/4 if I asked them to. Of course I'm not in Florida and it may be different there. An 8/4 x 10" x12' would be 20 bd. ft. if I'm calculating right.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Thanks, I will give them a call on Monday.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Yes, I have checked the local lumberyards.
I can get it at $5.90 a board foot. So, I guess the question is, is that a high number.
My brother in NY says it is very high.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Yes, that is 20 bf.
I know that it will come in at random widths. I just used the 10" as an example.
In the end I am hoping to have 30 - 3.25" x 1.5" x 66" boards to laminate into a workbench top

[Steve Kinnaird]

I did some better math and realize that I may need in excess of 50 board feet
Locally that is $295
That seems like a lot to me

[Jamie Buxton]

Yes, I have checked the local lumberyards.
I can get it at $5.90 a board foot. So, I guess the question is, is that a high number.
My brother in NY says it is very high.

That's about what I'm paying, in California.
Lumber prices vary depending on shipping costs. Your brother is closer than you are to where maple grows.

[Jamie Buxton]

Yes, that is 20 bf.
I know that it will come in at random widths. I just used the 10" as an example.
In the end I am hoping to have 30 - 3.25" x 1.5" x 66" boards to laminate into a workbench top

So your workbench top is 3.25" thick, by 66" long, by 45" across?

[Andrew Hughes]

I think you may want to pick your boards for your bench,Look for stock that has the grain running out on the edges,If there's a nice cathedral patten in the middle you may get lucky and the runout on both sides.That way you can hand plane the top flat ESP where you have your dog holes.If your not planning on using it for hand planes or your not a user doesn't really matter.I have a hard maple top and love it.

[Clay Fails]

I just purchased some 8/4 and 5/4 hard maple from a small shop near Rochester NY. Paid $6 for the 5/4 and $6.30 for the 8/4.

My bench (split top Roubo) is also 4 inches thick made from maple like you are planning. Once you have it done you will love it. FWIW, i flattened the top using Marc Spag's router setup. Worked beautifully.

[Jim Matthews]

Hard maple is tricky to work with, if it's your first time out.

Workbenches have been made from whatever was available,
since the first planks spanned two steady rocks.

A professional writer has made his bones almost entirely on using
housing grade Southern Yellow pine from Georgia.

FWIW - I want my benchtop to be from a species that's softe than most of the stuff I'm making.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Sorry type-O
Should be 20 pieces for 30 inch width