Chuck Melton Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 I bought some hardwood today for my first non shop furniture project and I wanted to get an idea of how the pricing for my local hardwood dealer stacks up. 8/4 rock maple was 6.61/bf 8/4 purpleheart was 10.16 it doesn't seem outrageous but I also don't really know the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 I think Rock Maple is Hard Maple, right? If so, this is my 8/4 Hard Maple price: $3.53/BF 8/4 Purpleheart: $15.80/BF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted April 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Yes, it is hard maple. I guess I should consider regional fluctuations since I am in Baltimore, some of the exotic stuff is probably much cheaper as it is probably coming right off the boat here where as the maple is getting trucked in from up north. Thanks for chiming in PG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Yes, it is hard maple. I guess I should consider regional fluctuations since I am in Baltimore, some of the exotic stuff is probably much cheaper as it is probably coming right off the boat here where as the maple is getting trucked in from up north. Thanks for chiming in PG. I am lucky in the sense that Maple is my favorite wood, by far. It is extremely cheap here in my area. I wish some of the exotics were cheaper, though. Guess I can't have it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Seganti Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 If you're fortunate enough to have more then one hardwood dealer in your area (even if you have to drive an hour or so away), it's definitely worth shopping around. I needed 12/4 cherry for a project last weekend; Woodworkers Source charges $15/board foot... another dealer here in my area charges $8/board foot saving me a boat load of money. Even if it's only a dollar difference; it adds up quickly when you start counting up the board feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 The maple seems high. 8/4 is about 3.75 in Atlanta. And it is trucked all the way down here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted April 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Where I am, just north of Baltimore there are quite a few options. I went to the closest non-wholesale place which is about 10 minutes away. The next closest reputable looking place (ie has a website and seems like an actual business) is about 20 minutes away so I will definitely have to check them out as well. There are a bunch of other dealers closer to DC (45ish minutes away. It's good to know that prices can vary so much locally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 8/4 Hard Maple is about $5.50 at my two sources here in NH, and it grows right here. 8/4 Purpleheart is $8.50, so score for me. But I'm allergic to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted April 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 http://www.mcilvain.com/ This place is 5 minutes from me and has been in business since 1798 but I am thinking I would be under their minimum order size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 There are a lot of factors that contribute to price fluctuations, not just regional. Grade, drying processes, from whom and where the retailer buys, etc. Shannon might chime in and explain why it varies so greatly. Was that hard maple rough or S2S/S3S? It seems a little high either way...my dealer has 8/4 HM S3S for 5/bf. Out of rough right now but if I remember correctly it was around 4/bf when he had it. Purpleheart is 8.50/bf. 8/4 zebrawood...26/bf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted April 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Eric, were you referring to Shannon Rogers? That is who responded to my email from McIlvain. I can apparently order from their HardwoodToGo website, drive 5 minutes and pick it up. Their prices are a ton cheaper than what I paid earlier today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Chuck, here in the pacific northwest I just picked up some 4/4 maple for $3.99/bf. Not sure on purple heart since i dont use it much but if memory serves me it was right around $10-11/bf not sure on the thicker stock stuff either. Thats all I can tell you, sorry. Hope that helps. Nyles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted April 4, 2013 Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 8/4 maple here is 4.39 bf 4/4 maple is 2.85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdie Posted April 4, 2013 Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 The Shannon Rogers who responded to your e-mail is the same Shannon Rogers of "The Renaissance Woodworker," the same Shannon Rogers who is one of the voices on WTO and the same one who is an administrator/mentor here. I was going to post that if you live in the Baltimore area you should check his place out but I guess I'm too late. lol. Here's hoping he does chime in on this conversation. I haven't bought purple heart but the maple price doesn't seem too far out of line with what I've paid here. I bought some S2S here (to save time on a project) for $7.50/bf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer_J Posted April 4, 2013 Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 don't forget about woodfinder.com! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 My local Woodcraft had purpleheart by the pound, but it was cut up into 24" lengths, possibly one board foot each. (If I remember right, it was about 4.50 a pound... but I got a bit of everything and lost the receipt.) I got it more for a test of the purple aging... and some finish techniques that I can try now that the weather has broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 Here's mine: http://www.cwghardwoodoutlet.com/hardwoods.html He's not cheap, but he does breaks in quantity, allows self selection, usually has very nice quantities, includes millling in the price, and culls the unwanted stuff pretty often. And... he's CLOSE to me! Remember that quality and included services count, and for furniture, I'm a stickler for trying to find boards from the same log. He has a kick ass double sided, segmented cutterhead planer that instantly gives you two nice faces with zero tearout. For many years, I bought wood rough. His machine has saved me a bunch of time by having him mill it oversize in one pass. This makes selection and layout way easier, and still leaves me room to face joint and plane or sand to thickness. His machine works so well, when I built my last kitchen, I had him do everything s4s, leaving only final sanding and ripping to me. Jointing and planing large amounts of stock gets really old in a hurry. I have no problem paying more for his high quality service. Has anyone actually found anything with Woodfinder that wasn't already well known in the area? In 15 years, I found two small guys on it. Both of them were so unreliable, they weren't worth dealing with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFatBaron Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 I've found three places with it, actually. One, a small father-and-son place. A pain to get in touch with them, but their prices are good (though their wood is rough - I had a hell of a time getting 8/4 walnut that was remotely straight - but it ended up being beautifully figured) and they actually had black locust! Another was a bigger place, and one of the few I could find that sold 8/4 hickory. Another place that sold 5/4 jatoba (a flooring shop that would also sell wood retail). But yes, 90% of the results I could find through google or the phone book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 The maple seems high. 8/4 is about 3.75 in Atlanta. And it is trucked all the way down here. Steve, Where in Atl. do you get hard maple for $3.75? Peach State's latest price list is $6.50 and Atlanta Hardwoods is at $6.36 PM me if you don't want to noise your source around, I need some. Thanks, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Just went to a local lumber yard Thursday, and while I didn't get exotics, I got exotic to me... 3/4 A/C Plywood. Cost was $45-$46 a sheet (bought more than one). And the 2x4s weren't cheap, either. But, it was also 3 miles from the house... and the nearest BORG is 12.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 It's nice to hear Woodfinder worked! The problems I had were mostly guys who thought that questionably dried and stored, pallet-grade materials should be priced at FAS prices. If it's walnut, it's worth a lot of money, right? Maybe I'll give it another try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer_J Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 I've been using wood finder in NJ for three years and i've found two serious wood guys who run their own 1 man operation. It's helped me create relationships with clients who want certain species of wood. The price is always right with these guys though.... I wish we had a legitimate hardwood dealer out here... Hopefully some day soon! Makes me miss living in Seattle with a rockler and woodcraft 20 mins apart. Not that they have the best prices but its readily accessible.. Closest hardwood place is three times the price of the 1 man shops.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFatBaron Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 Spencer, care to share? I'm in the Hamilton/Princeton area and could always use another source or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer_J Posted April 18, 2013 Report Share Posted April 18, 2013 http://woodfinder.com/listings/012048.php Art goes away for the winter so his stock may be low this time of year. He does not accept credit card anymore and is by appointment only. Definitely not a retail environment... Everything is rough sawn and is milled from his property. http://woodfinder.com/listings/014417.php Travis is a true artisan wood guy. If you are looking for special wood, he will have something for you. By appointment only as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daviddoria Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 Chuck, I am also north of Baltimore (Aberdeen, MD). I've been going up to Groff and Groff in PA to get my lumber. It has been fine, but I guess I should probably try out some others. Can you let me know which ones you said were "about 10 minutes away" and "about 20 minutes away"? Did you have any luck with them? Also, were you indeed too small of a fish for McIlvain? How did ordering from HardwoodToGo work out? Did you then pick it up AT McIlvain (in White Marsh?) Thanks in advance! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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