Wood cost

[Craig D Peltier]

Hi I was nearly floored when I tallied up the cost of wood for two end tables. Poplar wood. 2.5 x 2.5 inch legs the rest 3/4 inch. I purchased @ the Home Depot.The wood was very clean an straight but was wondering if hardwoods at HD are a rip off compared to specialty hardwood stores.
I read something like that before, pine is cheap there but oak an poplar an others arent.I searched the forum but I saw no suggestions on where to buy wood for furniture.
Should I go to lumber yards?
Theres actually a great article by the editor in woodworking magazine called "fight termite barf" THe one on display till April 30th.Has a mirror on front. Talking about cost of custom furniture and the cost of china made furniture.We cant compete and dont plan on making much money from a custom furniture business.Its a funny article.
BTW the cost was $230. Without finishes, sand paper, an draw handles.

[Chuck Schwab]

Out of curiousity I looked at woodcraft and they are selling Poplar @ about $3.75 BF. How much BF did you use for your tables? You can always look around online for wood. I know I found somewhere 20 BF of white oak for a little under $100 w/o delivery fees.

[John Gregory]

I buy poplar for $2 per board foot right now. BUT I have to mill it up using a jointer and planer. The HD stuff is already milled to final dimension. That being said, it is not milled up as precisely as you could it with the right equipment.

[glenn bradley]

I don't know about your geographical location but better woods are always cheaper and better quality at my lumber yard. The yard near me has been around since my dad was a little fella. They have two locations. The "new" one near me has been there since the '20s

[Lee Schierer]

I buy F4S lumber from a local mill for about half the price of HD lumber and the selection and quality is better.

[Tim Malyszko]

Back before I had a planer and jointer, I was buying s4s wood from the Big Box stores for somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-$10 per board foot depending on the wood. Now that I have the tools to properly prepare rough lumber, I buy all my wood at lumber yards in the rough.

For example, a 3/4"x6"x8' board of poplar at Lowe's would run me about $15.00 (approximately $5/bf). For $15 at one of the local lumberyards, I can buy 10 bf of poplar at $1.50/bf - over 3x more wood for the same price.

This is an extreme example since the place I buy rough lumber sells poplar very cheap, but for the most part, wood in the rough costs me 1/3-1/2 of what it would cost already surfaced at Lowe's or Home Depot.

[Roy McQuay]

Hi Craig, I went through the same thing as you, as most of us probably have. You must start looking around on the internet as well as in your area. There may be sawmills near you where you can buy. I have bought some beautiful wood on ebay, but usually not the cheapest with shipping. I look on ebay for something with an appealing figure. I have done very well on woodplanet.com. You register and then post a request for wood and companies and individuals will contact you by email with an offer. Almost any place is better than HD.

[Joe Kaufman]

As a price comparison, I purchased the following at an Anaheim, CA lumber yard yesterday.

4/4 soft maple SEL & BTR - milled = $3.52 bd. ft.
4/4 poplar FAS1F & BTR - milled = $1.77
4/4 red oak FAS1F & BTR - milled = $2.57

The quality of the poplar and oak is equal to HD or Lowes, and half the price. I didn't have to do much sorting to get 22BF of very nice quilted maple.

Joe

[Chuck Schwab]

I have done very well on woodplanet.com. You register and then post a request for wood and companies and individuals will contact you by email with an offer.

This is a cool tip! I'll have to check it out next time I'm hunting for some wood. Thanks!

[Roy McQuay]

This is a cool tip! I'll have to check it out next time I'm hunting for some wood. Thanks!

Chuck, I don't know if it is close to you, but another member here tipped me on hollistersawmill.com It is 15 miles east of York, PA. That is close enough for me to check it out when I need wood again. Their prices look very good.

[James Carmichael]

Craig,

Last time I looked at BORG poplar, it came to around $4pbf. I paid less than 1/2 that for 10/4 s2s FAS poplar from a hardwood dealer about 3 months ago.

If you've got a jointer and planer (or maybe even if you don't), you'll definitely do better going to a hardwood dealer. If you don't have a jointer & planer, you can still use S2S stock from a hardwood dealer, you'll just have to be real picky about your boards.

As for particle board pieces, I like the term "curbside furniture", because thats where it's destined to reside

[glenn bradley]

Anaheim, hmmmm. Would that be Reel Lumber?

[Craig D Peltier]

Out of curiousity I looked at woodcraft and they are selling Poplar @ about $3.75 BF. How much BF did you use for your tables? You can always look around online for wood. I know I found somewhere 20 BF of white oak for a little under $100 w/o delivery fees.

Home depot sells it by width an lengths. Like a 6x8 is 19.85 i.e.SO I dont really know how many BF I used.I bought the widths I needed.Like he legs were three glued up 3/4inch stacked by 4 footers.I think they were like 10 a piece.
Ill look at this woodcraft.
THX

[Chuck Schwab]

Hi Roy!

Hollister saw mill is probably 20 min. drive from me. As much as I've looked for places I've never came across them. I'll need to check them out in the next week or 2. Not sure how close you are to them, but if you wanted me to check anything out for you when I go there, just let me know.

Thanks Roy!

[Craig D Peltier]

I have put 3500 into my shop but havent put money on a joiner or planer.I think joiner will be first, actually dust collection too.So I guess I will have to shop more for now also look online.I always thought the shipping would be outrageous so i never looked.I have a Rockler around here they have amazing exotics.Thank you.

Back before I had a planer and jointer, I was buying s4s wood from the Big Box stores for somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-$10 per board foot depending on the wood. Now that I have the tools to properly prepare rough lumber, I buy all my wood at lumber yards in the rough.

For example, a 3/4"x6"x8' board of poplar at Lowe's would run me about $15.00 (approximately $5/bf). For $15 at one of the local lumberyards, I can buy 10 bf of poplar at $1.50/bf - over 3x more wood for the same price.

This is an extreme example since the place I buy rough lumber sells poplar very cheap, but for the most part, wood in the rough costs me 1/3-1/2 of what it would cost already surfaced at Lowe's or Home Depot.