Mike Jurnigan, a woodworker who hangs out at WoodCentral and lives in Suffolk, VA is making a run north in February and will stop at Bally Block in Philly. He has offered to pick up seconds (tops) for people for cost and gas money.
If you have never heard of Bally Block/Michigan Maple Block, they are a major wholesaler of hardwood butcher block table tops and counters (Grizzly sells their stuff). They also sell seconds from their Philly location. The seconds have flaws that make them unmarketable but are often so minor that they are barely noticeable. These seconds would make great pre-laminated bench tops at a price you can't touch by buying hard maple and making your own.
You have to call Bally to see what they have and how much they want. As you can guess their stock of seconds changes all the time. I reserved a 33" X 72" X 3" hard maple top which will cost me $75. It is used and came from an Army base but at 3" thick it should mill up so it looks new. I will drive up to Mike's to get the top.
If you are interested, take a look at the Bally site, Griz retail prices, and see what Mike says on Wood Central.
If you have never heard of Bally Block/Michigan Maple Block, they are a major wholesaler of hardwood butcher block table tops and counters (Grizzly sells their stuff). They also sell seconds from their Philly location. The seconds have flaws that make them unmarketable but are often so minor that they are barely noticeable. These seconds would make great pre-laminated bench tops at a price you can't touch by buying hard maple and making your own.
You have to call Bally to see what they have and how much they want. As you can guess their stock of seconds changes all the time. I reserved a 33" X 72" X 3" hard maple top which will cost me $75. It is used and came from an Army base but at 3" thick it should mill up so it looks new. I will drive up to Mike's to get the top.
If you are interested, take a look at the Bally site, Griz retail prices, and see what Mike says on Wood Central.