Source for Hardwoods for Finishing Interior?

[Glennman]

Does anyone recommend a mail order source for hardwoods besides Home Depot or Lowes (those are the two main stores in my area)? I bought a 1x8x7' piece of oak for $75 last year for a commercial interior door threshold project. I cannot imagine paying that much for all the finish wood/trim for my bus!

[Jeremy]

When I was looking for wood for my bus I was able to buy a large quantity of unused solid cherry hardwood flooring for a tiny fraction of what it would have cost to buy the same wood from a timber yard.

Jeremy

[robertglines1]

where are you.. We have white oak  hard maple cherry walnut. I used cherry in mine finished with linseed oil. Just reliazed your on the west coast. Look for a local hobby sawmill guy. I prob have 2 thousand bf of lumber stacked inside stripped and dried.  Bob

[richard5933]

Yeah - got to know where you are to make a suggestion. Mail ordering hardwood is just not cost effective. Get what's available at your local mills and you'll save quite a bit. Go for the exotic woods and you'll pay through the nose. What's local and what's exotic depends largely on where you are. Up here oak and maple are cheap(er).

When I had my wood shop making furniture, I got most of my hardwoods from a local mill. They also sell retail, so likely you have a place like that near you.

[Jim Blackwood]

Really depends on what you want it for also. I bought 15 sheets of 3/8" waterproof marine plywood (7ply) in mahogany and I think I paid $73 a sheet, something like $1200 delivered and it came from Maine to KY. Not a bad deal. I still have 6 whole sheets left (I think) which should be plenty to finish the job. I've been using mahogany and oak from the local store to make the trim. The sheets are very flat and stable. Using Helman's Spar Urethane to finish.

Jim

[Glennman]

Really depends on what you want it for also. I bought 15 sheets of 3/8" waterproof marine plywood (7ply) in mahogany and I think I paid $73 a sheet, something like $1200 delivered and it came from Maine to KY. Not a bad deal. I still have 6 whole sheets left (I think) which should be plenty to finish the job. I've been using mahogany and oak from the local store to make the trim. The sheets are very flat and stable. Using Helman's Spar Urethane to finish.

Jim

I have always loved mahogany. I just found out today that a Lumber Liquidators just opened up here in town about a month ago. I'll have to check them out. I'm not too choosy on what kind I get, as long as it's relatively inexpensive. I got some pretty good ideas from you guys. Thanks!

[epretot]

You might try a mill. You will have options of two finished sides or 4. If you're willing to process the material, you can save.

Of course you need a jointer, table saw and surface planer.

I'm painting everything, so paint grade is cheaper.

Besides, I'm America's greatest painter.

[Fred Mc]

Wood Mizer keep a list of people who have their sawmills. Maybe they have one in your area.

[Jim Blackwood]

What you need to find is somebody who has a kiln. Not too many of those around but if you can find one he'll have a barn full of assorted dried sawmill lumber. Of course if you don't know someone with a planer that doesn't help much.

Jim

[Glennman]

I went to Lumber Liquidators yesterday. It is only a small showroom with racks of flooring samples. I'll try Wood Mizer suggested by Fred Mc. Thanks everyone!

[richard5933]

You need a proper mill / lumberyard.

If you let us know what part of the country you're trying to find this I'll look through some of my old vendor lists from when I had a wood shop and see what I can find.

Another place to look will also be a plywood supply house. This will be unlike a typical box store and will stock or have access to countless types of sheet goods including an endless variety of furniture-grade hardwood veneered plywood. Great way to build cabinet carcasses for visible areas, especially if you'll be putting solid hardware facings in front of it.

[Glennman]

You need a proper mill / lumberyard.

If you let us know what part of the country you're trying to find this I'll look through some of my old vendor lists from when I had a wood shop and see what I can find.

Another place to look will also be a plywood supply house. This will be unlike a typical box store and will stock or have access to countless types of sheet goods including an endless variety of furniture-grade hardwood veneered plywood. Great way to build cabinet carcasses for visible areas, especially if you'll be putting solid hardware facings in front of it.

I'm located in Yakima Washington. Lots of sunshine, except for when the clouds are blocking it.

When we were building our church, we travelled to Seattle and Spokane and found lots of wood that was recovered from demo's. Pretty nice stuff. I'll need to take another trip like that.

[pabusnut]

I am using some white oak that was previously tongue and groove flooring for my trim around windows and edges.  The price was right --FREE!

I am planing and sanding it first, and giving it two coats of spar urethane prior to installing it.

I did use Red Oak manufactured flooring from Lumber Liquidators for the floor several years ago.  It really looks good.

[BusNit]

If you have a Woodworkers warehouse, they may have some of what you are looking for. They carry some unusual species of wood too.

[Runcutter]

Both Seattle and Spokane have Woodcraft locations, there appear to be Rockler stores in some Washington cities.  While the main business is selling tools, both chains carry a supply of hardwoods.  I'm a regular at the Woodcraft in the Dallas TX area, occasionally visit Rockler. 

My assessment of the wood supply in the stores I visit is that Rockler's wood is surfaced to a greater extent (surfaced 2, 3, or 4 sides, thus more costly).  Woodcraft's wood is generally unsurfaced and must be milled.  So, preference depends on your woodworking capability, pay a higher price for Rockler's wood, or mill your own.  If you don't have a jointer and planer, having the wood surfaced 3 sides gives you thickness, parallelism, and one good edge to run through a table saw (ripping to width).

In our area, there are also independent wood dealers (such as Hardwoods of Dallas, Wood World), who have a greater supply and also do milling.  With the Pacific Northwest being a prime producer of wood, I'd suspect you should have a pretty good chance of finding several hardwood dealers, maybe even some closer to you. 

Arthur