"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
Perhaps more of a carpentry question than a woodworking one, but there are
plenty of fart smellers in here so I figure somebody ought to know...

My wife has been after me to get started on the ol' pergola project that
we're hoping will fend off that hot Austin sun while we're trying to enjoy
a cold Shiner Bock on the back porch... I've been figuring to make it out
of Red Cedar, but I haven't really priced the stuff until today. I'd like
to use 6x6 posts for the verticals, but of course Lowes Depot doesn't
carry anything but 4x4s (which I noted were about $15 for an 8-foot post).
My wife called around today for pricing on 10-foot 6x6 posts and couldn't
find anything for under $80 apiece! Does that sound right? Geez, now I'm
thinking those 6"x6"x10' "YellaWood" posts for $20 don't look so ugly
after all... Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Be glad you're not pricing redwood.
We just completed fabricating and replacing fixed-plate redwood window
sills in a master suite for a 1965-built Frank lloyd Wright style home. The
4X4 clear heart redwood posts were not only structural but had been
rabbetted to accept the ~32X74 1/4 inch plate glass windows. The old posts,
rotted at the bottoms (along with the surrounding sill pieces) were 3-3/4
square and, of course, the replacements were but 3-1/2 square. I made up
the 1/4 inch difference by making the rabbets 1/8 inch less in width. Had
to adjust the dimensions of the outside corner post but made it work.
The tough part (for the homeowners) was laying down $13.50 bd/ft for the
four 4X4X16 ft. posts which we turned into eight eight footers. 2X10 clear
heart redwood to make the 7-7/8 wide sills was $17.95 bd/ft. Saved a little
by gluing up a 2x$ and 2X6 to get back to the original 7-7/8 width.

Swingman, Leon, that may be my first and last visit to Clark's.

Dave in Houston