BuilderBill Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 Just got Marc's email with the plans and the link to BFP for the kits. At $11-12+/bft for the white oak they seem a little pricey, anybody have experience with their kits and is it worth the extra cost if you have access to local lumber yards? QSWO around here is going for about half that or better at commercial suppliers. I don't mind paying for quality product but $280 is a lot of trips to Starbucks with dinner at Houston's thrown in. And I like Starbucks coffee and Houston's. Just wondering, looking forward to the feedback. Best, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 Part of the reason we work with Bell is because of their high quality and excellent service. Whenever something goes wrong, I usually hear about it and fortunately those times are few and far between. When they do happen, Bell takes care of it 110%. That said, you're still mail-ordering lumber sight-unseen. And while it might be very tempting to order a kit for the sake of simplicity, if you have a local resource I recommend you use it. This has nothing to do with Bell's service or quality though. When I first started working with Bell to provide these kits, the intention was to service members who didn't have a reasonable option for lumber in their area and pre-surfaced kits were provided for those without planers. In those scenarios, something is certainly better than nothing and if it costs a few bucks extra, so be it. If you are familiar with your local dealers and you are comfortable buying from them, buying local gives you material that's better acclimated, you get to pick your boards, and you will likely save a few bucks. This is definitely not meant to be an "anti-sales pitch" but I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted May 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 Marc, thanks for the info, I appreciate the sincerity. I can see where members in the outer reaches would benefit from the opportunity, just couldn't see a significant advantage in my situation where I have probably 10 or more hardwood suppliers to choose from within a 45-minute drive(but not at rush hour). Something to be said for living in the urban sprawl although it gets to be more of a PITA every year. Thanks for the feedback, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdie Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 While I heartily encourage supporting your local business, especially when they're getting harder and harder to find, I will have to say that I used the Bell Forest kit for the WFC Child's Easel build. My primary reason for doing it was that BF kicked in an extra donation when you bought their kit but after seeing the quality of the product that was sent to me, the care in packaging and the ease of doing business with them, I'll probably be going back to them in the future for some other items. I do have a good hard wood dealer near me but their schedule is 7A to 3P weekdays, 8A to Noon on Saturdays and closed Sundays. As someone with a full time job that lives an hour away from their yard, there's a certain amount of appeal in a yard that lets me pick my boards (even if it's from picture - not on the kits, BTW) and then delivers them right to my door. And for that level of service I have to say I find their prices pretty reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 I have not used Bell Forest (yet), but even though the lumber prices are decent, and the quality appears to be good, don't forget shipping! The last order of lumber I bought online cost as much to ship as to purchase. Wood is heavy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 I ordered a piece from bell forest, and they are very reasonable with their shipping prices.I would not hesitate to order one of these kits. If I decide to go with one of the woods they offer, I will buy from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nholderbein Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 I ordered the Adirondack package from Bell recently because I didn't have a local supply for Mahogany (since then, local inventory is better). I had fairly high expectations based on the premium. The selection of wood that I ended up left a little to be desired with respect to board widths. I understand that Bell is working with a natural product and what they have available. There was a quality issue with a small amount of the lumber but I think I can work around the bad spots. I corresponded with Bell about my experience following a request for feedback. They responded quickly with an explanation about what they had on hand. I have every reason to believe that if the quality issue turns into a problem on my build, Bell will take care of me. I'm not expecting to need anything, but it's clear that they care about customer service and want to earn the business. Shopping around for lumber for the Morris and I'm fairly certain my local supplier is going to be a better option for me. They don't have rough 5/4, only s2s that measures exactly 1". The 8/4 is also surfaced and measures closer to 1 3/4. I can save a lot of money if I can make that work...but if not, Bell will be high on my list of options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmurray Posted May 14, 2014 Report Share Posted May 14, 2014 I used Bell Forest kits to build 2 Adirondack Chairs and was completely satisfied with the quality of the wood. I'll be using them again to build 2 of these Morris chairs. Shipping is free. You can also get a 10% discount if you put in the guild discount code at checkout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nholderbein Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 After doing some milling and getting deeper into the boards, the problem spots turned out to be unavoidable. I got back in contact with Bell and there was no hesitation at all in taking care of me. Good service confirmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted May 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 I went ahead and ordered the cherry kit today, free shipping and the Guild discount. Could have saved some cost sourcing local but right now I'm busy as heck at work and I wanted to get the lumber into the shop to acclimate. Starting to like the look of the Stickley Metro version of the chair, may have to drag out some of the 16/4 walnut that's been air-drying in the back yard and see how it's doing. Best, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 I use Bell Forrest on occasion... For me, it's a matter of convenience... They are not the cheapest, but they do have one-off inventory... Many of (read as all) my local hardwood dealers have closed-up over the past five or so years. I traditionally sourced Pennsylvania Black Cherry from two Mom&Pop mills in Eastern Pennsylvania, but these have also closed their doors... The best way to source stock is to build a solid relationship with your local hardwood dealer. If your lucky enough to have someone local, it's a win-win to support them... I no longer experience the rush of picking through a bland stack of lumber and discovering that one 'perfect' stick... I miss that... My strategy at the moment is purchasing inventory from cabinet shops and/or luthiers -- some of these guys are sitting on thirty years of inventory... I've found it's not as expensive as mail order and generally a win-win... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted May 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 Well, I just got 4 notifications from UPS for shipping from Bell Forest, packages weighing 65, 47, 55 and 44 lbs., all to arrive Thursday. I'm gonna have to tip the UPS man really well next Christmas... Now I'm really glad I didn't order two kits. Happy UPS man, happy life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted May 19, 2014 Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 Imagine if it came in one package Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted May 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 If it came in one package it would be common carrier, I'd have to pay for residential lift-gate delivery and drag out my handtruck rated for 400 lb.. I'll tip the UPS man and be glad for the opportunity. But I'll still make it a point to be around Thursday afternoon and have the handtruck at the ready, my UPS guy brings me lots of nice stuff and I like him. Best, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.