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  #1   Report Post  
slindars
 
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Default Are woodcrafts wood prices fair?

How are the prices at Woodcraft for lumber? I'm getting ready to buy
some wood for my 1st real woodworking project. I will probably use
Oak, Maple, etc, nothing fancy. I'll be building a set of TV trays.
I've seen the selection at HD for comparison. Since I don't have a
full shop and tool selection I might just buy S4S or S2S for now. I'm
in Broward County, FL in case anyone has any local recommendations.

Thanks
  #3   Report Post  
Gary A in KC
 
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I think the best answer is "it pays to shop". I've found wood at Woodcraft
half the price of what I pay at a couple of lumber yards I go to. I've also
found similar lumber that's twice as much as other lumber yards. No real
rhyme or reason to it as far as I can see. When I need wood I shop a couple
of places and go with best quality for the money.
Biggest problem I have buying wood at Woodcraft is my local one has a lousy
selection. I don't often buy there, but have recently bought some gorgeous
quilted maple that no one else carries locally.

Gary in KC

"slindars" wrote in message
om...
How are the prices at Woodcraft for lumber? I'm getting ready to buy
some wood for my 1st real woodworking project. I will probably use
Oak, Maple, etc, nothing fancy. I'll be building a set of TV trays.
I've seen the selection at HD for comparison. Since I don't have a
full shop and tool selection I might just buy S4S or S2S for now. I'm
in Broward County, FL in case anyone has any local recommendations.

Thanks



  #4   Report Post  
Bob
 
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"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
slindars asks:


still on the high side. Go to www.woodfinder.com and type in your

location and
the kind of wood you're looking for.


Your mileage may vary. I live in Houston, 4th largest city in the US.
Woodfinder gave me 8 locations over 180 miles away, one dealer that's large
wholesale only, and Rockler, the highest price place in town.

Bob


  #5   Report Post  
Bob G.
 
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On 30 Nov 2004 18:20:16 GMT, otforme (Charlie Self)
wrote:

slindars asks:


How are the prices at Woodcraft for lumber? I'm getting ready to buy
some wood for my 1st real woodworking project. I will probably use
Oak, Maple, etc, nothing fancy. I'll be building a set of TV trays.
I've seen the selection at HD for comparison. Since I don't have a
full shop and tool selection I might just buy S4S or S2S for now. I'm
in Broward County, FL in case anyone has any local recommendations.


Woodcraft prices are going to be lower than those at HD or Lowe's, but they are
still on the high side. Go to
www.woodfinder.com and type in your location and
the kind of wood you're looking for. You can also check out places like Steve
Wall's Lumber--he's in NC, IIRC, but he ships all over and has very reasonable
prices and a good rep.

Charlie Self


===============
Yesterday I was in HD buying some electrical stuff and the guy ahead
of me in line had perhaps 6 sheet of 2ft x 4 ft of 3/4 inch plywood
and about a dozen 6 or 8 foot pieces of s4s red oak...assortment of
1x6's and 1x8's ...

I almost fell over when his bill came to $487 bucks..

Today I am still shaking my head... UNBELIEVABLE !

Bob Griffiths







  #6   Report Post  
Edwin Pawlowski
 
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"slindars" wrote in message
om...
How are the prices at Woodcraft for lumber? I'm getting ready to buy
some wood for my 1st real woodworking project. I will probably use
Oak, Maple, etc, nothing fancy. I'll be building a set of TV trays.
I've seen the selection at HD for comparison. Since I don't have a
full shop and tool selection I might just buy S4S or S2S for now. I'm
in Broward County, FL in case anyone has any local recommendations.

Thanks


Woodcraft is usually on the higher side of fair. If you need 30 bd. ft.,
look for a better source. If you need a 4' piece, they will cut it for you
and hte price is very reasonable for that.


  #8   Report Post  
Ba r r y
 
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 21:37:10 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:

Woodcraft is usually on the higher side of fair. If you need 30 bd. ft.,
look for a better source. If you need a 4' piece, they will cut it for you
and hte price is very reasonable for that.


I'm with Ed.

The Woodcraft Ed is probably talking about (Manchester, CT), is
probably the same one I shop at, which happens to be about 2 miles
from the millwork shop (Harris) I usually buy my lumber at.

Even though Woodcraft is more expensive, if I need something that fits
in the car, I'll grab it there and be on my way. The time savings
over the millwork shop is worth the 10-15% higher price. Usually the
stuff that ends up in Woodcraft's limited stock is good stuff, no
junk.

If I need a bunch, it's off to Harris, The Wood Rack, or CWG, a.k.a
the hardwood dealers and millwork shops.

Barry
  #9   Report Post  
Steven and Gail Peterson
 
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Go to www.woodfinder.com and type in your
location and
the kind of wood you're looking for.


Your mileage may vary. I live in Houston, 4th largest city in the US.
Woodfinder gave me 8 locations over 180 miles away, one dealer that's
large
wholesale only, and Rockler, the highest price place in town.

Bob


It gave me one 24 miles away, and various further distances, including some
in VA and I live in NC, the furniture capital of the country if not the
world. When I lived near Washington DC, I had several within 15 miles. I
still am not happy; NC has to have a bunch of hardwood suppliers.

Steve


  #12   Report Post  
slindars
 
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I'm down in Hollywood. Constatines looks like a good place. I was in
there onece but only glanced at the hardwoods. Both are close to work
so I'll check them out on my lunch breaks. Thanks
  #13   Report Post  
 
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 21:15:22 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote:

On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 22:39:37 GMT, wrote:

On 30 Nov 2004 09:55:25 -0800,
(slindars) wrote:

How are the prices at Woodcraft for lumber? I'm getting ready to buy
some wood for my 1st real woodworking project. I will probably use
Oak, Maple, etc, nothing fancy. I'll be building a set of TV trays.
I've seen the selection at HD for comparison. Since I don't have a
full shop and tool selection I might just buy S4S or S2S for now. I'm
in Broward County, FL in case anyone has any local recommendations.

Thanks


Location is critical for domestic hardwoods. Here in Arizona
Woodcraft's prices are in line with our other major hardwood dealer --
Woodworker's Source. Both have local stores and some things are better
at one that the other, but generally the prices are pretty much the
same.


Where in AZ are you? In Tucson, both Stewart Lumber (when they have
hardwoods) and McEwen (on Toole street) have better prices than either
Woodcraft or Woodworkers Source.


I'm in Phoenix, on the west side.

In Phoenix, there is a supplier near the airport and Chandler Hardwoods.
I think the one near the airport is American Hardwoods (or something like
that). I don't know about Chandler hardwoods, but when I corresponded via
e-mail with the one near the Phoenix airport, their prices seemed pretty
good (for AZ).


Does anyone remember the name of the place near the airport? There
used to be one down on 35th Ave or so, south of Thomas, but I think
they're gone.

--RC

... snip


Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine?

  #14   Report Post  
Kevin Daly
 
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The Wood Rack, or CWG, a.k.a
the hardwood dealers and millwork shops.


Where are these 2? When I'm stocking up I go to Harris (115 mile round trip)
so it needs to be a decent amount of wood. I haven't found any decent lumber
yards in my area (Seymour).
TIA

Kevin Daly
http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/page1.html
  #16   Report Post  
Jim Wilson
 
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RC wrote...

Does anyone remember the name of the place near the airport? There
used to be one down on 35th Ave or so, south of Thomas, but I think
they're gone.


Are you thinking of Woodworkers Source? They're at:

3441 South Palo Verde
Tucson, AZ 85715

Around the 42nd St intersection, IIRC.

Jim
  #17   Report Post  
U-CDK_CHARLES\\Charles
 
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 16:11:56 -0500, Bob G
wrote:
Yesterday I was in HD buying some electrical stuff and the guy ahead
of me in line had perhaps 6 sheet of 2ft x 4 ft of 3/4 inch plywood
and about a dozen 6 or 8 foot pieces of s4s red oak...assortment of
1x6's and 1x8's ...

I almost fell over when his bill came to $487 bucks..

Today I am still shaking my head... UNBELIEVABLE !


For SWMBO's Christmas present last year, a contemporary coffee table of
red oak, I spent $400 on lumber, though that includes *mumbles* worth
of mistakes.

For her Christmas present this year, a small entertainment center of
Cherry (veneer plus locally sawn trim pieces), I'm spending roughly the
same amount on lumber. The trim for this piece uses roughly the same
amount of cherry as last year's entire project.

Borg charges for red oak 8x what I'm paying for Cherry.



  #18   Report Post  
mac davis
 
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On 30 Nov 2004 18:20:16 GMT, otforme (Charlie Self)
wrote:

slindars asks:


How are the prices at Woodcraft for lumber? I'm getting ready to buy
some wood for my 1st real woodworking project. I will probably use
Oak, Maple, etc, nothing fancy. I'll be building a set of TV trays.
I've seen the selection at HD for comparison. Since I don't have a
full shop and tool selection I might just buy S4S or S2S for now. I'm
in Broward County, FL in case anyone has any local recommendations.


Woodcraft prices are going to be lower than those at HD or Lowe's, but they are
still on the high side. Go to
www.woodfinder.com and type in your location and
the kind of wood you're looking for. You can also check out places like Steve
Wall's Lumber--he's in NC, IIRC, but he ships all over and has very reasonable
prices and a good rep.

Charlie Self
"Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity
has made them good." H. L. Mencken


I tried woodfinder and I'm guessing that it only lists places that pay
them to be listed..
I'm in central Calif. and it lists the closest place as one in
Sacramento... 150 miles away!
I can't believe that there are no closer hardwood suppliers..
  #19   Report Post  
patriarch
 
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mac davis wrote in
:

snip

I'm in central Calif. and it lists the closest place as one in
Sacramento... 150 miles away!
I can't believe that there are no closer hardwood suppliers..


Try these guys, if it's any closer to you. Firends of mine recommend them
highly.

The Woodsman, Custom Milling/Drying, 2701-A North Alpine Rd., Stockton,
209-931-3293. Figured hardwoods from the "urban forest" milled and kiln
dried on site. Exotics also available.

Patriarch
  #20   Report Post  
Charlie Self
 
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mac.davis notes:


I tried woodfinder and I'm guessing that it only lists places that pay
them to be listed..
I'm in central Calif. and it lists the closest place as one in
Sacramento... 150 miles away!
I can't believe that there are no closer hardwood suppliers


I think you're right about the paid listings.

Check the Yellow Pages for cabinet shops. Call one and ask who their supplier
is.

Charlie Self
"Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity
has made them good." H. L. Mencken


  #21   Report Post  
 
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On Wed, 01 Dec 2004 15:21:08 GMT, Jim Wilson
wrote:

RC wrote...

Does anyone remember the name of the place near the airport? There
used to be one down on 35th Ave or so, south of Thomas, but I think
they're gone.


Are you thinking of Woodworkers Source? They're at:

3441 South Palo Verde
Tucson, AZ 85715

Around the 42nd St intersection, IIRC.

Jim

That's a little far from Phoenix. :-)
Seriously, I know (all too well!) where the Woodworkers Source stores
in the Phoenix area are and I try to avoid those neighborhoods when I
can. The last time I went to WS was to their new store up on the
frontage road by Bell Road. I only spend 2X my budget, but I scored
this incredible plank of African Mahogany!

--RC

You can tell a really good idea by the enemies it makes

  #22   Report Post  
John McCoy
 
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(slindars) wrote in news:19a4bcad.0411300955.5dee3ee5
@posting.google.com:

How are the prices at Woodcraft for lumber? I'm getting ready to buy
some wood for my 1st real woodworking project. I will probably use
Oak, Maple, etc, nothing fancy. I'll be building a set of TV trays.
I've seen the selection at HD for comparison. Since I don't have a
full shop and tool selection I might just buy S4S or S2S for now. I'm
in Broward County, FL in case anyone has any local recommendations.


Being also in Broward, I can say you're not in a real good place,
I'm afraid.

Woodcraft varies from pretty good to really expensive. They have
sales from time to time that are a good deal.

Constantines is pretty much useless; they cater to folk doing
veneering and marketry and mostly sell small/thin stuff.

General Millwork & Hardwood (or General Hardwood & Millwork, I
can never remember which way it goes) down behind Lesters Diner
will probably be cheaper than either, altho they play it mighty
sharp on measuring which I don't like. They'll surface wood for
you (probably at a somewhat ungenerous price).

Down in Coral Gables there's Shell's Ace; they have a good selection
of S4S which has recently gotten a lot more expensive. Probably
still cheaper than Woodcraft, tho. There's also Medley Lumber in
(predictably) Medley; their prices are good but they're not really
retail, they kind of expect you to buy a couple of hundred BF or
more at a time.

Over toward Ft Myers in a little middle of nowhere town called Alva
is Alva Hardwoods; their pricing is pretty decent but their location
is inconvenient.

And that's about it for down in the pointy end of Florida.

John
  #23   Report Post  
John McCoy
 
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"Bob" wrote in
ink.net:


"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
slindars asks:


still on the high side. Go to www.woodfinder.com and type in your

location and
the kind of wood you're looking for.


Your mileage may vary. I live in Houston, 4th largest city in the US.
Woodfinder gave me 8 locations over 180 miles away, one dealer that's
large wholesale only, and Rockler, the highest price place in town.


I can attest that for the OP's question, Woodfinder will be completely
useless. It won't give him any of the three more-or-less local
retailers, or the big wholesaler, but it will give him a couple
of wholesalers of Ipe decking and tropical hardwood flooring.

John
  #24   Report Post  
Jim Wilson
 
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RC wrote...
That's a little far from Phoenix. :-)


Doh! I skipped right past "I'm in Phoenix" part. Pays to read...

Jim
  #25   Report Post  
Mark & Juanita
 
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On Wed, 01 Dec 2004 15:21:08 GMT, Jim Wilson
wrote:

RC wrote...

Does anyone remember the name of the place near the airport? There
used to be one down on 35th Ave or so, south of Thomas, but I think
they're gone.


Are you thinking of Woodworkers Source? They're at:


Nope, (in Phoenix),I just checked the Yellow Pages (they even advertise
in Tucson -- tells you what Tucson lumber prices are like).

It's
American Hardwoods
1401 E Hadley Street
1-888-838-2388


  #26   Report Post  
mac davis
 
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On Wed, 01 Dec 2004 17:38:14 GMT, patriarch
wrote:

mac davis wrote in
:

snip

I'm in central Calif. and it lists the closest place as one in
Sacramento... 150 miles away!
I can't believe that there are no closer hardwood suppliers..


Try these guys, if it's any closer to you. Firends of mine recommend them
highly.

The Woodsman, Custom Milling/Drying, 2701-A North Alpine Rd., Stockton,
209-931-3293. Figured hardwoods from the "urban forest" milled and kiln
dried on site. Exotics also available.

Patriarch


well, about 50 miles closer, anyway.. thanks..
  #27   Report Post  
slindars
 
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Well I went over to Woodcraft last night and bought some wood. This
is my first real woodworking project, so I did not want to overboard
on the price/bdf. The monthky special was Red Oak @ $3.90 a BDF and
that is what I went with. Got 13 BDF for around $48. I think this
was a good price.
  #28   Report Post  
Edwin Pawlowski
 
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"slindars" wrote in message
om...
Well I went over to Woodcraft last night and bought some wood. This
is my first real woodworking project, so I did not want to overboard
on the price/bdf. The monthky special was Red Oak @ $3.90 a BDF and
that is what I went with. Got 13 BDF for around $48. I think this
was a good price.


I can buy it for $3.25. I have to buy a full board usually 10 feet long.
Did you get a fair price? Not bad. Consider that the only time I can get
to my supplier is Saturday as they close at 5. Woodcraft is open evenings
and Sunday.


  #30   Report Post  
Charlie Self
 
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John McCoy responds:

Don't know where you are, but Steve Wall Lumber is selling Select red
oak for $2.60, #1 common for under 2 bucks.


He's in Ft Lauderdale FL. $3.90/bf is a decent price down here.
Ordering from Steve Wall would put it around $3.20 or $3.40/bf
after adding in shipping from NC to FL (assuming 100bf shipped
truck freight)(plus Woodcraft's stuff is probably S4S, and Steve
Wall charges 0.10/bf or something like that for surfacing)


You're assuming on the Woodcraft lumber, not a good idea. I bought some
directly from the warehouse and from the Parkersburg retail store, and none of
it was S4S. It was all S2S.

Jeez, $3.90 is awful. I just checked with a guy I try to go through to get
lumber. He pays around $2 a BF for both red and white oak, $1.50 for poplar
(and will be bringing me about 160 BF of poplar shortly [when it stops raining
long enough for my shop door to be reachable by wheeled vehicles instead of
boats and tracked vehicles]; that poplar is about the prettiest I've ever seen,
in widths from 10" to 16", flat as a--er, um--board, white, with maybe one knot
per 14' length).

Charlie Self
"Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself
and a wreck of his country." Ambrose Bierce


  #31   Report Post  
jo4hn
 
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Charlie Self wrote:

Jeez, $3.90 is awful. I just checked with a guy I try to go through to get
lumber. He pays around $2 a BF for both red and white oak, $1.50 for poplar
(and will be bringing me about 160 BF of poplar shortly [when it stops raining
long enough for my shop door to be reachable by wheeled vehicles instead of
boats and tracked vehicles]; that poplar is about the prettiest I've ever seen,
in widths from 10" to 16", flat as a--er, um--board, white, with maybe one knot
per 14' length).


Grumble. The latest (on-line) price for s4s poplar at the blue borg is
about $3.75 a bf. And that is for 1x3x4' stock. You suck. I have put
off driving to a couple of local hardwood lumber yards (Peterman and
Reel) or "contractor yards" because I'm lazy, it is a bit of a slog and
the web sites are rather poor. When I can get rift sawn FAS white oak
from Hartzell shipped to the boondocks for a bit over $4 a bf, I'm
wondering whether I shouldn't use the oak for drawer sides and the like.
Oh and doug fir (select) is cheaper but not by that much ($2.66).
Enough whining I guess. Snuffle.

mahalo (and a barely audible grumble),
jo4hn
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Charlie Self
 
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jo4hn responds:

Jeez, $3.90 is awful. I just checked with a guy I try to go through to get
lumber. He pays around $2 a BF for both red and white oak, $1.50 for poplar
(and will be bringing me about 160 BF of poplar shortly [when it stops

raining
long enough for my shop door to be reachable by wheeled vehicles instead of
boats and tracked vehicles]; that poplar is about the prettiest I've ever

seen,
in widths from 10" to 16", flat as a--er, um--board, white, with maybe one

knot
per 14' length).


Grumble. The latest (on-line) price for s4s poplar at the blue borg is
about $3.75 a bf. And that is for 1x3x4' stock. You suck. I have put
off driving to a couple of local hardwood lumber yards (Peterman and
Reel) or "contractor yards" because I'm lazy, it is a bit of a slog and
the web sites are rather poor. When I can get rift sawn FAS white oak
from Hartzell shipped to the boondocks for a bit over $4 a bf, I'm
wondering whether I shouldn't use the oak for drawer sides and the like.
Oh and doug fir (select) is cheaper but not by that much ($2.66).
Enough whining I guess. Snuffle.


$3.75 for POPLAR! That wouldn't be popular poplar around here. It is the
dominant tree, and one local lumbering/sawmill operation no longer cuts it
because of the price. Can't make any money.

I like $1.50 much better. I don't know what the local borg branches charge any
more. They're 30 or more miles away, and the last time I looked, some rather
nothing red oak was going for what amounted to a bit over $8 a BF. I had just
unloaded a second pick-up (real pick-up, not the S10 I now have) load of green
red and white oak mixed...at half a buck a BF. Log run, but what the hell. I
can squeeze FAS out of enough of it to beat 8 bucks by a divisor of at least 4,
maybe 5.

Just got a bit of a line on what may be nothing more than a rumor, or that may
be gone by now: a stash of 50 year old black walnut, chunked up in someone's
barn. With my luck, the bugs have done away with it by now.

Anyway, the youngest daughter wants a bookshelf. I saw a few boards in that
poplar that have great white/green/black coloring, so I'm going to use a water
based poly finish to retain as much color as possible. I'm wonder if all the
green and black will go anyway. Tulip poplar has some wondrous greens, blacks
and purples when first cut, but usually loses the tints quickly. This stuff,
though, is kiln dried to either 6% or 8% already and has been stacked for a few
months. So it's worth a try. She doesn't like it, I can always stick it in the
office.

Charlie Self
"Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself
and a wreck of his country." Ambrose Bierce
  #35   Report Post  
Ba r r y
 
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On 07 Dec 2004 22:20:26 GMT, otforme (Charlie Self)
wrote:

Ah. Eastern Westchester County. No wonder it's high.


Right!

The county now stretches almost to Kittery, ME. G

Barry


  #36   Report Post  
Charlie Self
 
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Barry responds:

Ah. Eastern Westchester County. No wonder it's high.


Right!

The county now stretches almost to Kittery, ME


Jeez, it's a good thing I left when I did...45+ years ago. It was over-priced
and over-taxed then, but it wasn't over-all.

Charlie Self
"Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself
and a wreck of his country." Ambrose Bierce
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