Internet lumber

allen levine

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new york city burbs
Im not sure if anyone here needs this bit of info, but I found it interesting after crunching the numbers, if my numbers are correct ofcourse.

Ive priced hardwoods around here. Thats Long Island, NY.
Im going to use Red Oak as my example because thats what I just ordered.

Home Depot-difficult to find any red oak thicker than 3/4 inch, Lowes doesnt carry anything thicker. But, they both have similar prices.
HD approx 2 bf, cost me 20 dollars for 6/4 x 3.5 inches wide(2x4)48 inches
Its all S4S, which I need since I dont own a planer and straight edging rough stuff, well, not too good at lumber preparation at this point.
Lumber yard-selection in 6/4 is very poor,at least for long and wide pieces, which I found a bit troubling. and its all rough, so I have to pay for planing, straight edges, and that puts it small amount over home depot prices, but not much more.
Seems once you jump over 4/4 lumber, the price shoots way up.(especially if you want wide boards, like a 10 inch width)
Internet company-approx 8.50 a board foot, S4S, 6/4 by 9.5 inch width.
Shipping to me, I chose a company closer to the north east, ran 28 bucks.
This is an expensive proposition, but until I figure out how to get thick wide hardwood cheaper, Im stuck.

After I crunched all the numbers, I bought the wood from the internet company.
It came out to approx 5 dollars more, with shipping, since locally, I have to pay sales tax which is over 8.5 %.
So for the 10 board feet I bought, it worked out 5 dollars more, but, I didnt have to drive anywhere, and since gasoline is at over 4 dollars a gallon, I figured I might be ahead a few pennies.
The lumber came right to my doorstep, it was packaged carefully, and it was a beautiful piece of lumber.
I think Id pay 5 dollars for any huge piece I buy that saves me tons of time, gasoline money, and is put on my doorstep for me.
Just sharing this experience.
Please dont tell me how inexpensive red oak is near you, Im already fighting myself over these prices.
 
As you progress in the art, especially if you can get together with other local woodworkers, you'll find out where to go to find guys with barns full of wood at ridiculously cheap prices compared to the borgs. This will be rough cut lumber, so it will require a jointer and planer. Maybe it would be wise to save up half of your woodworking budget towards a jointer and planer - keep an eye out for used equipment. Then the other half keep buying surfaced wood to make stuff with.

Where abouts in LI are you? I bought my radial arm saw (RAS) from a guy in the south middle part of LI (Mastic Beach I think). He deals in previously enjoyed machinery either to make his living or as a heavy supplement to his day job.
 
I can relate somewhat, Allen. I live on the edge of a big city, but the hardwood suppliers are few and far between. And the good/big ones aren't open on the weekends, so I'm stuck buying lumber from either Rockler or another nearby hardwood store, and paying full retail for it. At least turning wood can still be found for free (or nearly so). I still buy a fair amount of my turning blanks online, though.
 
As you progress in the art, especially if you can get together with other local woodworkers, you'll find out where to go to find guys with barns full of wood at ridiculously cheap prices compared to the borgs. This will be rough cut lumber, so it will require a jointer and planer. Maybe it would be wise to save up half of your woodworking budget towards a jointer and planer - keep an eye out for used equipment. Then the other half keep buying surfaced wood to make stuff with.

Where abouts in LI are you? I bought my radial arm saw (RAS) from a guy in the south middle part of LI (Mastic Beach I think). He deals in previously enjoyed machinery either to make his living or as a heavy supplement to his day job.

Im in western nassau county, almost on the Queens border.
My main issue is space. I share the work area with a car, and 30 years worth of other things, bikes, coolers, outdoor things. I put up a shed when I started this, and Ive since built a shed for just the snowblower and power washer cause the machines took up way valuable floor space.
Right now Im just not sure if I can fit much more equipment along with space for wood.In just over a year, Ive filled alot of cabinets with all kinds of related tools and accessories. I built a wall of cabinets since I promised my son space to store alot of his equipment,(computer biz), and its getting tight.(and my immediate needs, I really need to get me a decent mitre saw, one of thenew versions thats also crosscuts up to 15 inches. And my tablesaw has seen better days. both inexpensive, Id like to upgrade these first, since I use them so much)
 
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I can relate somewhat, Allen. I live on the edge of a big city, but the hardwood suppliers are few and far between. And the good/big ones aren't open on the weekends, so I'm stuck buying lumber from either Rockler or another nearby hardwood store, and paying full retail for it...

Vaughn,
Have you tried Austin Hardwoods - Just across from the train station in Santa Ana?
 
I've been rather pleased with the ordering hardwood over the internet.

I've bought both from Internet Lumber and Steve Wall. They both have UPS bundles, which are about 20bf that can ship by UPS. Not sure the UPS guy likes it that much though :D

For smaller projects it seems to work out pretty well, and from my recollection when I ran the numbers, it was a definite saving over the borg and other hardwood dealers out here on the west coast, even with shipping.

It'd be an even better deal if I just bought a couple of hundred board feet and had it shipped out motor freight...
 
things just got alot worse for New Yorkers.
They passed a law now that all internet sales have to charge NY state sales tax, meaning amazon, etc.........not good, not good at all.
 
my son explained it to me. He said any company that has a presence in the NY area. Amazon, ofcourse, some of the big computer and electronic internet companies, but most likely the small lumber companies I order from wont have to charge tax since they have no real presence here.

I guess Ill have to see.
 
The more I read threads like this, the more I'm happy I live where I do. Lots of free wood/lumber. No tax on internet sales. No 'codes' telling me I can't, or must, do this or that.
BTW, I will not buy Home Depot lumber anymore. (even if my free, or cheap, sources dry up) HD uses automated handling equipment that often puts quarter sized indents on the surface of the wood. This requires planing to remove. Then you have wood nearly a 1/4" thinner than you purchased plus the time and effort required to clean it up. Rotsa Ruck complaining. You will be lucky to get an "I'm sorry."
 
Please dont tell me how inexpensive red oak is near you, I'm already fighting myself over these prices.

Okay, but it's real hard to resist.... :eek:

And I agree with others - poor quality at HD. Very hard to compare those prices.

Lumberyards around here offer planing services also. Hmm, I forget how much it is, but 25cents a bdft seems to pop into my head. Maybe it was 50cents.

It's not too hard to build a TS jig for edge ripping rough wood. So you could consider S2S wood instead of S4S, and save some money.

I also agree with talking with other local ww'ers. My last score of Red Oak (no I won't tell the price, as you asked) was advertised on a local Canadian forum, and a local ww'er had too much of one species and wanted to get rid of it. A buddy and I each grabbed 100bdft of 5/4 lumber, and it was practically clear. Gorgeous stuff, I have to admit, and I generally prefer Cherry/Maple/Walnut. But no, not the 10" wide stuff you were talking about

...art
 
Well... I couldn't resist to post here, I honestly envy all of you.
You have such a wide scope of woods to choose from , and so many different tools and tool suppliers, and overall so good prices on most woods plus the possibility of having them shipped all over the country at a reasonable rates that makes me hate were I live in regard to that.

If anytime is anyone interested in comparing wood prices most problably you'll find that you are in woodworker's heaven.

As a token and general info. Here wood is sold by cubic meter, that doesn't mean that you have to buy a full cubic meter but when I see the gorgeus woods that you use/find there and the cost is between $50 and $150 at the maximum I go nuts:bang::bang::bonkers:
 
I would think there are alot of exotic and beautiful species closer or home grown where you are.
Im sure alot of the prices have to do with import tariffs and port fees.(always based on demand for a product)
 
I guess I fall into the catagory of Art and Frank and some others, as this area (northeast US) is flush with fairly cheap hardwood if you do a little digging. Even though I live pretty close to Philadelphia, a big city, all I have to do is drive an hour or so west into the rural areas where there are many local sawmills that will sell you kiln dried oak/cherry/walnut etc relativly cheap compared to retail lumber suppliers. Even cheaper if you buy it wet right off the saw and you dry it yourself. As I posted previously, I happen to have a small handheld mill (Ripsaw) and I slice several thousand bd ft of boards a year myself from blowdowns or takedowns. Mostly oak cherry and soft maple, but once in a while I manage to score a nice walnut log. Point here though is that life sure ain't fair when it comes to having a reliable cheap supply of hardwood. Like cheap affordable land... or water... or electricity... locaton location location.
 
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