Wood Suppliers

[rketr]

Greets -
To put it short, I've been out of the woodworking scene for more than 25 years now, so I'm afraid there's quite a bit of changes I'm catching up with.

Way back when, when doing a project we were rather limited (especially in my area) to where to find good choice woods. I'm guessing now that the Internet has spread so far, that is no longer the case.

I'm looking for suggestions on where you have had good luck in obtaining woods for various projects. I'm looking to build, in the near future, a coffee table and a grandfather clock and am considering Cocobolo, Zebrawood, and a few other more exotic, non-traditional, hardwoods for the projects.

Have any suggestions on where to pick up a nice bundle?

[paulmcohen]

You don't say where you live but Rockler and Woodcraft both national chain and usually have good selections of hardwoods. Locally in Portland we also have Crosscut Hardwood and Woodcrafters both have extensive selections of hardwoods. Rockler runs sales all the time where you can pick up hardwoods at up to 50% off. The biggest issue with wood over the Internet is the cost of shipping and you can't see the grain. There are also traveling woodworking shows in many major cities, usually on Sunday they clear out left over hardwoods at excellent prices, selection may be limited compared to Friday. There is also a very large hardwood supplier south of Seattle in Washington. They have large barns full of aged hardwoods and you can browse hours and their prices are excellent. You can find very unique burls and fine instrument quality woods. The pieces are huge and they can custom cut.

[Bruce]

If you're not fortunate enough to live in the northwest or near a major city, then you're just SOL. That has been my experience anyway.

[Ed in Tampa]

Greets -
To put it short, I've been out of the woodworking scene for more than 25 years now, so I'm afraid there's quite a bit of changes I'm catching up with.

Way back when, when doing a project we were rather limited (especially in my area) to where to find good choice woods. I'm guessing now that the Internet has spread so far, that is no longer the case.

I'm looking for suggestions on where you have had good luck in obtaining woods for various projects. I'm looking to build, in the near future, a coffee table and a grandfather clock and am considering Cocobolo, Zebrawood, and a few other more exotic, non-traditional, hardwoods for the projects.

Have any suggestions on where to pick up a nice bundle?

I have found in the last 25 years that many lumber yards have realized the market for hardwood among DIY'ers and many now stock the more exotic woods which they didn't years ago. Depending where you live there is bound to be a supplier.

However costs then becomes an issue. I have found in that if I went to custom cabinet makers, people that reguarily used these woods in their cabinetry making, and asked they often allow me to add my wood needs to their wood order. It benefited us both, it allowed me access to wood at a reasonable price and usually increased their order quantity (allowing for a bigger discount on their whole order). They usually only want to deal with 100 board feet some only on 1000 board feet which is a little too much for me at one time.

In any case even if they won't allow you to include your order in theirs they may reveal where they order from and you can try to going directly to the supplier. Also many cabinet supply shops (suppliers of laminate material, solid counter material, and etc) also carry ply wood and hard wood.

Another source is local woodworker clubs. I belonged to one where members often made trips to distant lumber mills returning with lumber for everyone in the club.

There is also the Woodcrafts and Rocklers but you are going to pay higher prices however they have a fairly good selection of different woods.

Get your phone book out and call every lumber yard, harware store, cabinet shop and material supplier listed. If they don't have what your looking for perhaps they will tell you where you can get it.
Ed

[8iowa]

rkter:

Again, we don't know your location.

That being said, a TERRIFIC supply of exotic woods can be found at the Frank Miller Lumber Co. in Union City Indiana. Union City is about 50 miles NW of Dayton, Ohio, right on the Indiana - Ohio border.

This is a 100 year old company that sells millions of board feet of lumber per year. They have a large retail showroom stocked with exotics such as Purpleheart, Wenge, Bubinga, Zebrawood, ebony, and others with names I can't pronounce, much less spell. They specialize in quarter sawn woods and of course have all the domestic woods available.

Once per year, on a Saturday morning in April, they have a special sale that draws woodworkers from local and distant locations. There are dozens of pick-up trucks and trailers and a long line of guys waiting for the doors to open at 8 AM. This annual event would be worth making a long trip for.

[scottss]

Well here in the GREAT PACIFIC NORTHWEST there is one place I favor its Targo Woods its just 15 minutes from my house and I know the owner quite well. Heres the website:D
http://www.hardwoodstoget.com/
I have also shopped at Windsor Plywood, Woodcraft and Rockler.