Where's the Wood?

garys · Post by **garys** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 5:37 pm

I tried the Woodfinder site. It failed for me. I have a local awesome wood retailer that has on hand any wood I could need or want, and it didn't find it.

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:16 pm

I have good luck visiting lumber dealers in smaller communities or older small lumber/hardware dealers. On several occasions while driving thru smaller towns I have discovered such stores. I am in habit of asking them if they are aware of any other sources for wood. It is amazing how often I hear about a fellow just a few miles out of town who once was a cabinet maker that they think may still have some wood on hand. I have been fortunate to find a couple of such fellows or their widows who allowed me to check the barn with them. Twice now I have picked up some real jewels. Never great quantities but a few pieces that are stored in my wood racks awaiting that special need.

Two weeks ago I was asked to repair a rocking horse that had been dropped and the head broken in half. I fixed the head, tail and a couple of other spots. The grand father who built the horse had used what appeared to be black walnut to create a harness around the head. The hardest portion of the repair was filling two cracks in the harness. I found a small piece of Hawaiian Koa left from a pen blank that matched perfectly and was just long enough to fill the void. Thank God I never throw anything away. Jim

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 8:44 am

In addition to these, I've enjoyed Dumpster Diving

, as well as eBay. Occasionally something really nice can be had fairly affordably.

Additionally, I suspect many of us find that a used woodworking tool looks like a great value alongside some premium lumber. So there's a lot of that tool-acquisition going on.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 7:28 pm

garys wrote:I tried the Woodfinder site. It failed for me. I have a local awesome wood retailer that has on hand any wood I could need or want, and it didn't find it.

Unfortunately a common finding:( . suppliers have to pay to get their addresses on the Woodfinder's site.

I was lucky once finding a source that had dropped their subscription to Woodfinders, but their name had not yet been removed.

At least the site is worth a try if stumped in finding what you want.

saminmn · Post by **saminmn** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:05 pm

Local Weekly shopper ad provided me a bit of walnut today. Plus I met a retired mill operator. A neat 94 year old who sold his mill 15 years ago. He kept several sheds of lumber for his furniture making. He had walnut, red elm, hackberry, butternut and more. I had no idea hackberry had such nice grain. I did not know there was a red elm, also very pretty. Lots of fun to talk to the old man.

videobear · Post by **videobear** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:53 am

I'm in the same boat as the OP. Anyone know of good sources of rough cut hardwood lumber in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, VA?

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:55 am

In Virginia, try Dunlap Woodcrafts in Chantilly and Vienna Hardwoods in Vienna.

videobear · Post by **videobear** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:50 pm

Thank you!

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 4:01 pm

videobear wrote:I'm in the same boat as the OP. Anyone know of good sources of rough cut hardwood lumber in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, VA?

We llived for many years near Zion Crossroads and shopped at Northland Forest Products there. Check this link: http://www.northlandforest.com/ Truly a fun place to shop and not much more than an hour from you. Mann how I would love to go there now. No hardwoods near us in Colorado. Jim

lightnin · Post by **lightnin** » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:15 pm

Free Barn take it home