Shopsmith Forums

I found a desk I am interested in making ( http://www.woodstore.net/bustde.html ) from the March 2013 issue of Wood Magazine.

In the magazine they estimate the cost of the materials at $62. When I priced the materials at Lowe's, however, this wasn't even close. For example, a full sheet of 3/4-in Oak Plywood costs $53 (http://www.lowes.com/pd_59298-99899-592 ... facetInfo=) and and the red oak 1x6x72 is $19. I'm already over the estimate and I haven't even gotten the 1x6x96 or the 3/4x4x96 or half a sheet of 3/4 ply and the half sheet of 1/4 ply.

I understand that the estimate is just an estimate, but when I priced all of the materials, I came up with $198.

Am I looking a the wrong materials or do their prices reflect a better price because they get a better deal or ???

How do I get my costs more in line with their estimate?

Wood mag usually cites their sources for costing/pricing estimates.

Prices can vary wildly from different retailers.

The only source they have is for the hardware...drawer pulls & slides...

I understand variance in pricing, but costing over 300% of the magazine's cost seemed excessive...

The prices for the ply are not too far out of line. The solid is very high, considering your area. You might do better shopping at a lumber yard that carries hardwood and hardwood veneered ply.
As to the mag's estimate; they may have broken it all down and just quoted the cost for the materials actually used.

[quote="Gene Howe"]The prices for the ply are not too far out of line. The solid is very high, considering your area. You might do better shopping at a lumber yard that carries hardwood and hardwood veneered ply.
As to the mag's estimate]

To echo that...most of your nicer wood at Lowes is not even from Lowes. They source it from local lumber yards and mark it up. The Lowes in SW Missouri use Cedar Creek in Springfield. There is a KCMO location (Grandview) as well so you might want to check there for starters. The guy at the Lowes near my work told me to save money and buy it directly from Cedar Creek next time I was in the city.

I can say that even for Western Red Cedar the local yards around here have been cheaper than Lowes every time.