looking for long wood

[sgimbel]

I've been searching the sites but I can't find longer wood. I have a pattern that's 12 x 53. Do I have to go to home depot and hope I get a decent piece of wood? Any ideas? I'd rather have real wood compared to ply but right now I'll take either.

[sawdustus]

For a 12" wide pattern you would need at least a 12" wide board. A 1 x 12 is actually 3/4" thick and 11 1/4" wide no matter where you get it. You have two choices if you don't want to use plywood.

1. Edge joint and then edge glue two pieces of 8" (actually about 7 1/2" wide) wood together. Try to match the grain and color so that the joint doesn't show.
2. Go to a good lumberyard and talk to them. Some of them carry wider boards of selected hardwoods and you can find what you need. In my neck of the woods, only one yard carries wide hardwood pieces and most are no longer even carrying hardwood. Good luck.

If you choose to use plywood, don't get it at the BORG. Even there best birch ply contains face plugs and voids. Check you lumberyards for good baltic birch, poplar or hardwood plywoods. If that fails, look in the wood forum on this site for catalog sources.

Good luck in your hunt. Sawdustus

[Janette]

When wood is shipped via UPS or FedEx - they have a restriction of I believe 4 feet in length - which is why anywhere you look online or mail order would have shorter boards than what you're looking for. Any of our local hardwood or lumber yards sell all widths and heights up to say around 16 feet. Talk to your local place and they could possibly find what you're looking for.

[greatdane2]

You could also biy a 2x8" board and resaw it into 2 equal boards and edge glue them that would give you a board about 3/4 x 14 1/2". That would give you a board all the same color and grain. If you do not have a bandsaw you could do it in 2 cuts with a table saw. Or get someone else to slice it for you.

[sgimbel]

That's a great idea about bookmatching from a 2x8. When I've joined boards before I always had to "bisquit" them. Do I need to do that here? I don't have the tools I use to have.

[greatdane2]

I do not have a bisquit tool except for a router bit that does sort of the same.
I use a Kreg pocket tool if one side is not going to be seen. The price of these has really droped. I paid $209 for my kit and saw it advertised for way less than half that now.
Actuaqlly I use the pocket tool for a lot of things. It works well and sure saves time on projects.
Alan.

[JohnB]

G'day Scott,
Just a glue joint will suffice. Just joint the boards so that they fit together nicely, glue the edges and clamp up. Leave over night and all's good.

[honeycow]

Scott, Just out of curiousity, what is the piece you are making? Connie

[azbison]

Steve, if you go to either of the woodworker's source you can paw through the lumber they have and I've seen maple that's at least 14 inches wide, and the board was close to 12 feet long. So if you are patient you can find a piece that will fit your needs. it also helps to pick the lumber yourself. There is one on north I-17 and another in SE TEmpe.

[lucky788scroller]

Steve, try out Exotic Hardwood Lumber and Woodworkers Supplies | WoodworkersSource.com . let them know exactly what your looking for and they will not disappoint you.Another place to try is Peterson's Custom Lumber , they sell specialty slabs scrollsaw ready and both ship.I think you'll get better quality, and wood more suited to your needs from either source, and even with the shipping, it wont cost you much more then driving to the lumber yard and settling for whatever you can find.