Trip to a lumber yard

[Lee Schierer]

I needed to pick up 12 feet of 5/4 x4" red oak I need for a project I'm working on. While I was there I looked at several dozen large 2" thick slabs of hardwood trees they had on display. Here are three samples.
This one shows a black walnut slab that is 3-3-1/2 feet with and 12+ feet tall next to a hickory slab that is over 2 feet wide and a bit taller than the black walnut.
20230424_141539.jpg
This is a tiger maple slab that is a bit over 30" wide.
20230424_141551.jpg
This one is a slab of figured black walnut 18-20" wide
20230424_141530.jpg

Next time I go out there, I will take my good camera instead of my phone.

[Steve Eure]

What's wrong Lee? Having to change to a camera instead of your phone because of all the slobber on it from drooling over those slab pics? Haha! BTW, that's all I can do with the price of lumber anymore.

[Jamie Buxton]

Prices????

[Dave Zellers]

Prices????

Yeah, exactly. I see those too and the prices are obscene. Sometimes 4 figures.

I think the market is geared toward someone with money, a sander, and woodworking aspirations.

"Look, honey! I made a table!"

[Dave Zellers]

OK, just zoomed in on the "figured walnut slab" for $78. Good Heavens- you live in a very different market than I do.

[Lee Schierer]

What's wrong Lee? Having to change to a camera instead of your phone because of all the slobber on it from drooling over those slab pics? Haha! BTW, that's all I can do with the price of lumber anymore.

No, I took the photos without checking them and for whatever reason, they weren't focused very well.

OK, just zoomed in on the "figured walnut slab" for $78. Good Heavens- you live in a very different market than I do.

Yes the lumber yard dearly loves their thick slabs. I paid $27.35 ($2.30 per ft) for 12 feet of S4S 5/4 x 4" kiln dried red oak, and that was a lower price than the other lumber place I called that was $3.90 per foot and was 2-3 weeks out.