Need cheaper lumber


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I'm getting married in July. It's an outdoor American themed picnic wedding. We need a bunch of tables for food and seating and what not. I was asked to build 12 picnic tables for everyone's seats. They will be given as gifts later on. But I need a bunch of lumber to do this, specifically 2x4x8 and 2X6X8. To make all these, I need almost 200 boards. HD would run about $900. Found another place called builders first source quoted about $700. Trying to get it all closer to about $500. Anyone know anywhere I can get all of this wood? I'm in the Ft. Benning, GA area. I've looked on Craigslist and even went to a junk yard but all they had was crap that should just be burned. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

-soulless-

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It’s been a while since my ball and chain... I mean the happy day... But I somehow think times haven’t changed much... You say, “July” – so that’s somewhere between six and nine weeks – give or take to build twelve tables... Unless you’ve got a lot of friends with tools, you’ve got little chance of success without a punishing schedule – you don’t even have the stock... Go rental... Yea, it’s throw-away money – but...

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Construction lumber is competitively priced, any major difference might be due to differences in grading.  Picking through a stack of low grade boards might save you some cash.  Also check the prices of 2x4's vs 2x6's, you might find that three 2x4's are cheaper than two 2x6's.  If you were planning on using 2x6's for the table top and bench tops, maybe you can save a little $ using 2x4's instead.  

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It’s been a while since my ball and chain... I mean the happy day... But I somehow think times haven’t changed much... You say, “July” – so that’s somewhere between six and nine weeks – give or take to build twelve tables... Unless you’ve got a lot of friends with tools, you’ve got little chance of success without a punishing schedule – you don’t even have the stock... Go rental... Yea, it’s throw-away money – but...

 

Yeah.

 

Sorry, can't help you find lumber any cheaper than SPF construction lumber...but if you plan to get this project done, you better quit your job and start working on it today.  Have your fiancée bring you meals...you don't have time to sit.

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Yeah.

 

Sorry, can't help you find lumber any cheaper than SPF construction lumber...but if you plan to get this project done, you better quit your job and start working on it today.  Have your fiancée bring you meals...you don't have time to sit.

He should be able to batch out a few picnic tables per day, getting them stained might be more of an issue but shouldn't be insane.

 

Though that much construction lumber is a lot of tables.

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==>He should be able to batch out a few picnic tables per day

Well... But that might not be the real issue --- The real issue is the risk of instant death...

 

Well, Your Honor, “One of the reception tables collapsed, I got a stain on my dress because the finish wasn’t dry and the preacher got a splinter in his butt”... And if the intended has a female Judge, the ruling would be “justifiable homicide”... Next case... :)

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==>Having made numerous picnic tables though i know it's very doable!

With domain knowledge, yes - I bet it is...

 

Think the quesiton is, Does the OP have experience batching picnic tables? I suppose if the OP doesn, then yes... But without that...

 

@OP, to help the peanut gallery – because we like nothing better than analyzing ahead of facts:

 

Have you done anything like this?
Will you have help?
Do you have all the tools you need?
Do you have enough space to build/finish 12 tables?
If you build them, can you get someone else to finish them?
How many actual working days will you have?
Will you be killed if the project isn’t done on time (just kidding, I think)?

 

That should do it... From there, we’ll be happy to provide conflicting responses just to be of more non-help... :)

 

 

Personally, I’d check the price of rental tables before plunking-down a grand or so for lumber, fasteners, stain, etc...  And remember the part about imminent death... At least in my experience, brides-to-be (and their mothers) become highly agitated the closer you get to the wedding date... :)

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I guess it depends on how quality you want the tables to be. If you can batch out the cuts and assemble using screws then you shouldn't have any issue. However if you plan on milling boards you're in for a world of pain as construction lumber will move before you even get a chance to finish milling, then it becomes one at a time. If you're gonna stain, you better start yesterday to let it fully dry and cure, it's getting humid and muggy out and unless you've got a climate controlled shop it's gonna take longer. 

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==>depends on how quality you want the tables to be

He did mention giving them as gifts --- Gee, we gave away the centerpieces -- tables take that to a new level... :)

 

Thing is, every stick of construction-grade KD stock I seem to get these days has writing all over it... So if he uses tablecloths (and the people who get them as gifts use tablecloths), then it's not much of a problem, or maybe paint. What about the benches? Unless seating is rented -- the OP didn't say... I'd still think you'd have to dress the sticks for the stop -- maybe things are different in different locals, but the construction grade stock we get is terrible -- Champagne glasses on an uneven construction-grade tabletop could be fun... :)

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Completely forgot I posted this guys. My apologies. I ended up going to builders first source. They delivered it out to my house no charge. Spent $650 after taxes. But to save a few bucks I got 1x6 dog ear fencing boards. My father and I did all the cutting together in one day. Now it's all just assembling. As soon as they are assembled I'm putting on some Thompsons water sealer with a cedar stain. I'm leaving June 6 for military orders for 3 weeks so I've got to have them done before I leave. Thanks for all the advice though. The tools I have are really basic. Drill, circle saw, Miter saw, jig saw, and a square. Making do thus far. Off on Monday from school and work and gonna powerhouse those tables while a down a cold one or four early on and have a BBQ at the in laws to honor our nation's fallen. Again,thanks for all the advice.

-soulless-

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