Sticker shock at Lowes

[lucky788scroller]

The price of maple, both soft and hard, has gone up a lot around me as well.Its right up there with walnut and cherry in cost per bf now.

[texaswoodworker]

There are only two places to buy wood around where I live (as far as I know). One is the Home Depot and the other is a lumber yard. The lumber yard has mostly building materials and the Home Depot has some oak, poplar, cedar, and pine. All of it is expensive. I think I heard that if you get a quote from another lumber supply company, they'll match their price. I don't know if this is true but it's worth a try. I usally go to the Home Depot to get some
3/4"x1 1/2"x6' oak boards that I use for making frames for my projects. I don't by their big boards because their about $35.

[JohnB]

I think I heard that if you get a quote from another lumber supply company, they'll match their price.

I detest that practice.
It's a thing in WA. Almost every shop has signs saying that they will match a competitors price on the same product.
Honestly, I would rather buy it from the bloke that gave me the best price in the first place, he has made the effort.
Another tactic used by Bunnings (The BORG) is to beat a competitors price by 10%.
I have used this a few times, but only when the original supplier that I went to get the product from never had enough, and more for the fact that's fun getting one over on the big boys, once in a while.

[wiwoodsguy]

The cost of hardwood will most likely only get higher with time. The problem is over harvest on the part of sawmills. Right now lumber companies here in WI and I assume elsewhere in the nation they have cut everything they could get there hands on. Much of the lumber sawn here in the 70-90s was rough sawn and sent to europe for a much better price. Now the have only young forest left. One interesting thing I'd like to point out, if you look at the satalite view of WI you will see a bright green area northwest of greenbay and a lot of small forest areas around the rest of the state. Consider 100 years ago the entire state would look just like the Menominee Reservation. On the reservation they log but the entire res is divided into sections. Each section when logged is select cut taking out the largest and best and taking care not to disturb the smaller trees. They have a seventy year plan so the section will not be touched for 70 years which is about what it takes for a hardwood to mature. on another note my sister who lives in southcentral Oregon works for a lumber mill and 10 years ago they where pulling in what Doug Fir they could get their hands on. they were shipping the logs to Japan not even cutting them up because that is where they got the most money from them. In Japan they were sinking the logs for future use as the water would preserve them. I guess what I am trying to point out is that our hardwood forest have been harvested to the point where the woods are not so redily availible. and since it takes 70 plus years to mature abundant hardwoods is a thing of the past at least for me as I don't have a 70 year plan for myself. Mike

[ubgoofy2003]

Hey, some of you people have it pretty lucky to have a place where you can buy wood of any kind ! In Arizona, all we have is Lowes, & Home Depot to choose from. That's for a piece of wood to do crafts such as our scrolling. Then their wood is junk besides. Like Kevin says too, it's outrageous in price too. If you have a wood source, be thankful, but, you still have to watch prices. Perk

[will8989]

I somehow worked out a good deal with my local supplier. Not only do I get a discount on my lumber, I think it's 10%, I also don't pay tax on it. They have my state tax number on file so each order is 16% cheaper. They also have "junk bins", end cut offs, short pieces, etc., that I just love. I have found many pieces of black walnut, cherry, stepple, for just pennies. My latest piece was a piece of stepple(?), 12" x 1" x 9", for, are you ready for this, $4.00!!!!! I made a basket that will have a $40 price tag!!! In fact, they call me when they have loaded up with "junk" pieces. And I won't even talk about the "fire pile" they have I can take pieces from for free!!!! Another man's junk is another man's treasure, or in my case, $$$$$$.

Betty

[texaswoodworker]

I perfer buying lumber from small companies like local lumber yards and places like Ocooch Hardwoods because they have better quality woods and a wider variety of them for a cheaper price than industalized stores like the Home Depot and Lowes.

[marshall]

Kevin , thanks for sharing this . I kind of had an idea about this and now you have put my mind to rest about it . ...............Marshall

[handibunny]

"Cutoff bin" of my local quality lumberyard has produced scraps of sapele, padauk, zebrawood, ipe, santos mahogany, as well as cherry, walnut, quarter sawn white oak and cedar. You just never know what you'll find, but that's part of the fun. The only wood that simply would not cut was Brazilian cherry, but maybe it was just that one piece.

I buy my thin wood online because there's no way I can resaw the wide pieces I need, but those are used in small quantities, unless I'm making a really special piece. I hate the "Big Box" stores, but they're useful in a pinch.

[Jediscroller]

Carole,
If you get in a bind for thin wood give me a yell. I'm not that far away and I'd be more than happy to help you out. I usually buy all of my lumber rough sawn and do all my own resawing and surfacing anyhow. What lumberyard do you use?