Wood by the pound

[Mzdadoc]

I was doing some searching locally here in MN and one supplier listed they were having a sale and were pricing it by the pound for a better discount.

I've lifted a lot of wood and it seems it would be more expensive by the pound instead of board ft.

Am I right or wrong?

[AceHoleInOne]

A possibility could be shipping charges?

 

I buy some of my wood and have it shipped to me. So I add the shipping charges to the board foot cost of my wood. My shipping cost is typically by weight and in some cases what can fit on a pallet.

 

So your wood becomes cheaper if you can ship a pallet load vs a few 75 pound bundles via FedEx our UPS. 

 

Just a thought. 

 

-Ace-     

[Tpt life]

By the pound favors the seller in a humid market.

[Gilgaron]

Around here it is usually exotic turning blocks sold by the pound.

[dwacker]

We buy lumber by the unit and I could see how this would be easier. If I was going to liquidate a unit I can see how it would be easier to take the unit weight add in my profit margin and sell it by the pound. I am not going to measure every last board and calculate the BF. When you buy in units you only know the average BF per unit, this may be what they are doing.

[Mzdadoc]

Thanks

It's local to me so shipping isn't a factor.

[ChetlovesMer]

A board foot of Hard Maple weighs around 3-1/2 pounds.
So I'd say I'd rather buy by the pound... unless I'm in Britain; paying with pounds then I'd rather not pay by the pound, because paying pounds for pounds is just confusing. ...

[phinds]

I've never seen domestics sold by the pound but it's quite common for exotics, especially burls and specialty items (such as snakewood)

[mikem]

My local woodcraft has sold wood this way.  It is usually exotics or domestic shorts.  Woodcraft had a bunch of shorts "on sale" awhile back that I bought a bunch.  I went home and figured out the cost per board foot, and I really didn't save that much.

[Skunkeye]

You need to do the math to figure out whether it is a good deal or not.

[dwacker]

So much depends on the wood itself. Some places will exclude sections with a defect in the BF calculation but by the pound your obviously going to pay for the bad spots also. If your going to do the math calculate in a little for unusable lumber.

[rodger.]

So much depends on the wood itself. Some places will exclude sections with a defect in the BF calculation but by the pound your obviously going to pay for the bad spots also. If your going to do the math calculate in a little for unusable lumber.

I've tried to have the guy at the lumberyard who tallies my lumber give me a discount (in bf) for damaged lumber. He always responds with text book responses on grading calculations and never gives in. I keep trying though!

[wdwerker]

I have bought exotics by the pound. He knew what the whole log cost him, milling costs and freight from half way round the world. So he totaled up the costs , added his profit and divided by the shipping weight. Pink Ivory was $ $20 lb. This was over 20 years ago and he was the only one who had any in the entire country .