Stew Posted May 21, 2017 Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 Hi guys, I've been lurking around this forum for some time and have learned a lot from you guys. My name is Stewart and I live in Arkansas, I grew up watching my dad woodworking and didn't pay much attention back then. Somewhere around age 40 I started thinking about learning about woodworking,and it has been a fun journey the past few years. I'm going to try to get past my shyness and chime in on some of the topics you guys discuss on here now that I'm not lurking anymore ha ha. Anyway thanks to all of you guys for sharing your knowledge, I've learned a lot on this forum. Stewart 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted May 21, 2017 Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 No way, someone else from Arkansas? Hello from Conway! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 21, 2017 Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 Hi, Stewart! Glad you decided to join in! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatwad Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 < Little Rock right here, guys. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted May 25, 2017 Report Share Posted May 25, 2017 Welcome to the forum Stu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Three of us now? Wow! Do you get your lumber from Les Steen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Welcome from Tennessee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Welcome to the forum, Stu. Do any of you three live close to Stuttgart? I'll trade you a Galveston Bay fishing trip, for a duck hunt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Welcome to the forums Stu. Don't be shy, feel free to speak up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Welcome on board. Looking forward to your comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatwad Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 14 hours ago, Denette said: Three of us now? Wow! Do you get your lumber from Les Steen? Never heard of him I'm afraid. So far I've just been buying cheap stuff from Lowes and Home Depot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 Never heard of him I'm afraid. So far I've just been buying cheap stuff from Lowes and Home Depot. Oh, I'm going to make your day. He is open from 9-noon on Saturdays and is the best supplier around for hobbyists. His shop is right off of Hwy 107 in the Park Hill neighborhood of North Little Rock. Best lumber supplier around. They let you pick through the stack and will look over plans with you to help you find just the right board. Super high quality kiln-dried woods, I can't recommend the place highly enough. http://www.steenhardwoods.com Another few places vthat are good in the central AR area: Urban Timbers in downtown Conway - loads of unique and highly figured boards. Live edge stuff, slabs. If you want one-of-a-kind, this is your place. If you want two-of-a-kind (as in enough lumber for a large uniform-looking project), go elsewhere, haha. The lumber sold here is all harvested locally as part of the owner's other business, a tree service, and is milled and dried in the owner's own facility - a solar kiln. Not as reliable as Steen for quality, but Urban Timbers has weird stuff like cottonwood and catalpa and other local trees that aren't traditionally available commercially. It's a cool place, well worth checking out. http://urban-timbers.com Acadian Wood Products http://acadianwoodproducts.com/?page_id=201 This is a great supplier for large quantities. They don't let you pick through the stack or anything, but it's reasonably priced and they can get you as much as you need. They supplied the 8/4 ash I needed for the split-top Roubo project without a problem. Odd business hours, though - it's tough to make it over there because they are only open weekdays until about 4, and are closed on weekends. Sunset Premium Hardwoods http://sunsetpremiumhardwoods.com This place is the last resort because of high prices, but their selection is unparalleled. Need jatoba? Bubinga? Ipe? Zebrawood? Lignum vitae? Mahogany? Purpleheart? Ebony? Basically anything else? They have it. It ain't cheap, but they have it. Those are the reliable places in the Central AR area. There are a few more that won't deal with anyone that isn't a full-time professional, but the ones I listed here will keep you neck deep in sawdust if you want to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 I'll add to my last comment, too, that if you have only been working with softwoods, you're doing yourself a disservice. Softwoods are to Hardwoods as crayons are to oil paint. I started woodworking at about 19 and did a lot with softwoods and had myself convinced that I wasn't very good because nothing was working like it did in the videos I watched. I tried working with hardwoods and it was a night and day difference. Softwoods have their place, but they aren't simpler to work with just because they are less expensive. Give some hardwood projects a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassAct Posted May 27, 2017 Report Share Posted May 27, 2017 Welcome aboard, Stu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted June 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Thanks for the warm welcome guys, @Denette no I haven't been to Steen hardwoods yet but now I will definitely make my way to little rock. I really appreciate the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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