Moving to Cleveland, OH

[snichols]

So, I'm leaving the comfy confines of Cincinnati and moving north to Cleveland.

What can you guys tell me?

Where is a great place to find other woodworkers? Where is the best hardwood dealer? What about local tool shops?

I'll be working in Westlake (west side) and probably living around there if I can ever sell my house.

Any hep is appreciated.

-Shawn

[jHop]

Welcome to the neighborhood!

There are a few stores to visit, of course, but I won't tell you all of them. (Partly because I haven't visited them yet...) The local Woodcraft is not really that local to you, it'll be in Oakwood Village. Not that it's out of the way, just the drive from Westlake to Oakwood Village is not going to be a short one. The good news is that Woodcraft is in a shopping center right off the highway, so you don't have long trips on city streets to navigate with your new purchases... you just have long highway trips. The easiest way to get there is to take I 271 to the Broadway / Forbes exit. I've linked the store locator page, scroll down to Cleveland (East).

There are three lumber yards I've visited, and feel reasonably comfortable recommending. Not having purchased nearly as much as I'd like, I can't provide recommendations on pricing. These guys cater more to construction / large orders, but they do work with smaller customers as well. I'm going to list them in order of drive time for you.

The first is West 130th Lumber. This is, as the name indicates, on West 130th Street, near Puritas / Belaire, and roughly right between both I 71 and I 480. They are on the west side of the street, surrounded by car dealers and parts suppliers, and have reasonable prices on hardware. I haven't purchased lumber from them due to vehicular constraints.

Second, is Northern Ohio Timber And Lumber. This one is a bit of a challenge to get to, mostly because of the access road. There is only one way (that I have found, anyway) to get to them, and that is to go the long way down Quigley Road, cross the train tracks, and come back almost a third of the way. The good news is that they do have a great staff, and are more than willing to talk with you about what they have. And they have some great views of trains, train tracks, historic train buildings (they are located right next to the Historic Cleveland Roundhouse) and the old steel mill. Parts of the rail yard for the steel mill see frequent use. The best set of directions I can provide is to go to the Steelyard Commons, take the main road out (northbound) and turn right, follow that until you can't go forward any more (there's a left turn without stop, and a right across the tracks), and turn right. How you get to Steelyard is up to you. While you're there, you can check out the Home Depot, and compare quality. But get gas before you go, because there aren't that many stations nearby.

The lumber yard I am closest to now is Larsen Lumber. This is not going to be close to you, but they do have a nice selection of hardware, decent selection of domestics and construction grade material, and are fairly easy to get to. They are on the corner of Mill Road and Brecksville Road (more commonly called Route 21), and you have a couple of options on how to get there. The fastest would probably be to take I 77 south to the Route 82 (Royalton Road) exit (eastbound one...), take 82 to 21 and turn left, and go to the bottom of the hill. From Westlake, this should be about a 45-50 minute drive, unless you attempt it during rush hour.

The local Rockler I have not been to, because I don't have the time to go that far west, but it is closer to you. It is located in Strongsville, as a segment of another business, so the signage is not "in your face" visible.

There are other dealers out there, including one that specializes in "exotics" rather than domestics, but I have not driven to them. That particular one is located on 480, closer to Westlake than downtown.

Don't think that this is all there is, either. I'm just picking from the ones I have had a good experience at. You may have a different experience at others, and like them better. I know that there are a few a lot closer to you than the ones I've picked. Home Depot and Lowe's are also all over the place around here. There is only one Harbor Freight that I know of, located in Parma Heights, but take that for what you will. It is not next to highway access, but it is within 15 minutes of a highway on ramp.

Since my shop is practically non-existant, I cannot stock a large assortment of lumber. (or tools, or hardware, or...) So I tend to get more construction-grade or simple materials that I will use up before I finish the project. I also do not drive a cargo-capable vehicle, so I have not looked beyond a few "shorts" (they are long for me at 6 foot) at Woodcraft to carry. So where I have gone may not be in your best interests. But I'm sure others have more to say on this subject, so I'll get off the soapbox and back onto the trail. (Got another Scout hike today, and then car repairs.)

And welcome, again!

[simeond]

Shawn:

I don't know how move has gone or if you've found what you need, but I live just west of you in Avon and know a few great lumber resorces (FAS cherry for 3.40bdf!) feel free ti send me a message to talk shop. I have a growing Woodshop in my barn, which again is not far from you.

Peter

[Ed O'Halloran]

Hello Shawn,

Welcome to Cleveland and get ready for the snow to fly! At least you didn't land in the snowbelt. I am just south of you in North Olmsted and run a little shop out of my garage.

Another good local source of wood is Back to Nature Oak on Hawke Rd near State Rt 82. Not to far from you to the south. Don't let the name fool you, they carry a lot more than oak.

IN addition to the Woodcraft on the east side... there is a Rockler store in Strongsville. Also on Rt 82 and Foltz Industrial Parkway. The Rockler is inside Cleveland Tool & Cutter. http://www.clevelandtoolandcutterinc.com/

They sell the machinery, and carry all the Rockler Specialty stuff, and an assorment of wood. They are a great place to have you saw blades, router bits, etc sharpened, and each November they have an open house where they bring in the manufactures and discount prices.

Hope you enjoy the area.

Ed

[jHop]

By the way, if you are looking for tools, I'd also stop by a place called Ornamental Tools, on Pearl Road (Route 42) just north of Brookpark Road, and right before the I-480 overpass. They stock new and used, and have some pretty decent prices on the used, both on the stuff that doesn't need repair and the stuff that does. Plus (a bonus for me) they have a pretty flexible layaway program. no lumber, but if you are looking for tool options, I'd start there.

Don't think you can't find better prices other places, but they are the first place I check, after scanning the web. Not having to pay for shipping is a big incentive for me, even though having someone else truck it to my door and avoid me trying to figure out how to stuff a new tool into the back seat of my sedan is a close second...