Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I'm planning my Roubo bench, and I want a huge slab (or two slabs). I found some walnut and butternut ones, but they're not bench tough I'm looking for cherry, maple, beech... Ya know, traditional woods for a bench top. I want to have a contrasting base, so that will depend on what I find.So, does anyone know of a good source? I'm not in a hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 You live a bit far from me but, I have a local saw mill that will cut what ever you like (local hard wood) and their prices are beyond reasonable. The shipping cost could be outrageous tho but, I'll toss in handling for free.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I used to live in Washington! I sincerely miss living there. I don't really miss the rain, but I'll take the good with the bad.I'll keep searching, I don't want to pay to ship a ten foot slab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I used to live in Washington! I sincerely miss living there. I don't really miss the rain, but I'll take the good with the bad. I'll keep searching, I don't want to pay to ship a ten foot slab. I don't blame you! PM me and let me know where you were at in Washington.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 It's not a secret I lived in Tumwater while I was in the Army. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Just didn't want to jack your thread.. I'm up North of Bellingham about 6 miles from the border on I5.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Just didn't want to jack your thread.. I'm up North of Bellingham about 6 miles from the border on I5.. My thread, jack it up! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I have some friends here that have family near you there in WI.. They'll be heading to the annual family reunion next summer, I could probably toss a slab on the roof or their soccer mobile for you then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Sweet! They'll need to tie two cars together to haul the ten footer, but I think it's worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Sweet! They'll need to tie two cars together to haul the ten footer, but I think it's worth it! Nah, it's a wagon.. Strap that bad boy to the top! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Nah, it's a wagon.. Strap that bad boy to the top! Heck yeah! I'll take a maple slab please While you're at it, toss on a cherry one too. Ya know, for good measure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Heck yeah! I'll take a maple slab please While you're at it, toss on a cherry one too. Ya know, for good measure! 10 footer, 16/4 I assume? And how wide would you like that sir? In all seriousness, if you search the "shop" section and take a look at the pics of my shop, you'll see a couple of the slabs that came from them that turned into my wife's quilting table. I think I posted pics of that as well.. Long story short, I only paid 40 bucks for those slabs of figured maple. They were 6' x 24" x 5/4.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Wow, I was stationed in fort lewis for 3 years! anyways, My dealer near me, roberts plywood, carries a butt ton of huge slabs of...well....whatever you're looking for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Wow, I was stationed in fort lewis for 3 years! anyways, My dealer near me, roberts plywood, carries a butt ton of huge slabs of...well....whatever you're looking for. About 1.5 hours from where I am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Small world we live in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Small world we live in. True indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Guys does this make us famiry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Guys does this make us famiry? Shhhhh...... Freddie's getting mushy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC1501 Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I get most of my lumber here. http://www.northwestlumberco.com/ Not 100% sure if they have what you are looking for but it would be worth a call. They have a good variety of slabs. Still a bit of a drive, but Indianapolis is much closer than Washington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Mel, Either of the places will probably have what you need. The first place is closer, the second will have better prices and more selection. I bought the pictured slabs here (http://horiganufp.com). These are 4/4 maple about 9ft long and 10" wide and book matched. They were about $100 for the two slabs, I think it was $6 bd/ft, but it was already surfaced. It just needs a little more work to be perfectly flat. They do have slabs in 8/4 and 12/4 thickness as well. The thick slabs are in the $10-$15 a board foot range, but it is air dried for about a year then finished in the kiln and most of the stuff I saw was pretty flat so not a whole lot of waste. They have a ton of cherry, maple, white oak and walnut but specialize in local species and urban trees, so you can get thinks like hackberry, box elder, pear, catalpa, gingko. At least that is what they had when I was there. Their prices are probably a little high compared to what you can get if you drive out to a "country" sawmill, but they are only people I have found close to the city that have a wide selection of slabs and local lumber. Real nice people too. Skokie is just north of the chicago border, about a 2 hour drive for you. I am going to straightline one edge of each board and do a book-matched, live edge desktop for my son. I buy a lot of lumber from Steve Van Osdol in Decatur, Michigan. His prices are great and he always has a ton of cherry, walnut, hickory, maple and red and white oak. He carries rough sawn boards as well as slabs. He is adding a new barn just for slabs sometime soon. For you this is probably a 4+ hour drive. Super nice guy too, could not be more helpful. Often times I call ahead with my order and he will have the boards picked and planed and ready to go when I arrive. Of course you can pick your own boards too. He also does custom work, if there is something you want he can try to locate a log and saw it up any way you want. He seems to have a good network from northern michigan to southern indiana so can get most anything. Also great source from figured lumber. He said he buys a lot from some Amish guys who use more plain maple and cherry so he buys their figured boards. I got this figured maple board for $60. It is 14" wide by 7' long and the figure is consistent from top to bottom. You could do a whole bunch of shaker table tops out of that one board! He is doing an open house November 2, looks like a fun event and might be worth the drive. http://www.hickoryandoak.com/pricing.htm From his facebook page: OK, ladies and gentlemen it is time for our annual Hickory&Oak open house!Date is November 2nd from 10am to 2pm.Location is at our facilities at 90931 52nd st Decatur MIAll lumber will be discounted with special lumber packs at rock bottom prices. There will be sawmill demonstrations, and probably the best part is there will be free food as in donuts and cider and maybe a few other treats.Professional woodworker and teacher Bill Sias will also be on hand showing his skills at sharpening hand tools and joinery skills. Feel free to watch his demos and ask him your woodworking questions. Should be a good time so please stop on by and say Hi and check out our expanding inventory or hardwood lumber and thick live edge slabs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 4 hours isn't too bad of a drive. Especially if I can get what I'm looking for! I'd love to get that maple board you got! $60 is a deal for that board! As I get closer to actually building the bench, I will likely call one of these guys. Unless ofcourse I can get something locally, which hasn't been fruitful yet. But, hey, ya never know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I sort of assumed wisconsin would be a good place to buy lumber, but maybe it is mostly softwood trees when you get further north? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I sort of assumed wisconsin would be a good place to buy lumber, but maybe it is mostly softwood trees when you get further north? I can get any size walnut and butternut I want. The stuff that's good for benches is tougher to get. Perhaps it's spoken for already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Quick Google search shows three or four mills selling live edge slabs in the Chicagoland area. Are you dissatisfied with the size of slab urban mills produce? (Are you targeting a work bench without lamination or simply looking for premium thickness?) Are you afraid to drive to Chicago for a day trip to look or are you simply hoping for first hand accounts before you drive? I would think prices in that region would be high but that even selection of exotics would be available in the city and much more so regional natives like beech. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I'm not sceered! Ideally I would like one huge slab for the top. I really want a ten foot long bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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