Question from the newby

[richblue2]

Hey, looks like ya'll have a pretty good forum here. Being a rookie at woodworking and all, I look forward to freqenting here.

Up until now, my projects have been either MDF or the whiteboard/pine 1x6s from Lowes. (Forgiving materials and forgiving prices)

So as I gain confidence in my skills, I'm feeling more and more like tackling some real wood.

What are some good woods for a beginner like myself to work with and where would I go to find some? Look up "lumber yard" in the yellow pages? Or is there something better?

 

[LeftyTom]

Steve Wall Lumber in Mayodan.

In the brown bar in the upper screen, click Woodworking in NC, the select Wood Suppliers from the drop down menu.

Sometimes, members will sell part of their wood stash, also.

Welcome, Rich.

 

[Robert Brunke']

Welcome Richblue.
Move your mouse to the left of the screen, click on woodworking in NC, then click on wood suppliers. Look for someone in your area.

Good luck,

 

[DaveO]

Walnut and Mahogany IMO are some of the easiest woods to work with. Soft enough to be easy to cut and shape both with hand and power tools, but still very substantial hardwoods. Both are quite stable and won't give you a lot of movements problems. Both finish well and don't need any color enhancements. Walnut is going to be easier to find than true Mahogany and less costly to. Walnut is probably my favorite wood to work with.

Dave

 

[Trent Mason]

Rich,

Welcome to the site. :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap I'm not sure what to tell you about what woods to start with. Dave made some great suggestions though. First, I would decide what project you are going to do and depending on the look you are going for and your budget, choose the wood from there. The first hardwood I worked with was jatoba "brazillian cherry" and it is one of the hardest woods on the planet. It is a beautiful wood, but I can't tell you how many drill bits I broke and curse words I belted out while working with it. All in all, the project (king-sized bed) came out well. It's more about adapting to what you have to work with. I found out pretty quickly that even pre-drilling holes wasn't going to work for me with that wood, so I had to glue and clamp instead and through a few moves, it has held up very well. I guess that's why they call it wood "working". :rotflm: Can't wait to see some pictures of your projects and feel free to jump in anytime with questions/input/etc. :icon_thum

Cheers, ccasion1

Trent

 

[CrealBilly]

Almost every other wood in the world is compared to Red Oak and is by far my favorite lumber. Especially Quarter Sawn Red Oak - I'm not much into plain sawn anything but give me a good piece of wood and I'll cut it twice and it'll still be to short. That's why my burn pile is throw distance from the shop door. :saw:

 

[gator]

Try The Hardwood Store of NC in Gibsonville. Nice selection and nice people to work with.

George

 

[McRabbet]

Rich,

Someone has already suggested going to the Hardwood Store in Gibsonville (see their entry under Wood Suppliers). You'll find an excellent selection of hardwoods and plywoods at fair prices. In addition, they usually have a selection of "shorts" at lower pricing.

I'd also like to suggest that you start a new thread in the Who We Are forum and introduce yourself to the members here -- it is a good way for everyone to get to know each other. And soon you'll want to post pictures, too, so read the key threads in the FAQs Forum to learn how it is done.

 

[Tar Heel]

You have received some good advice on wood and where to get it. One thing you should keep in mind when buying from lumber yards/lumber stores is that you will be buying wood that has not been jointed and planed...in other words, unfinished lumber. In order to be able to use this you will need (not want but need) a jointer and planner (unless you use hand tools which is a whole other issue). Those pieces of equipment aren't cheap, but you will recover your expenditure by not having to pay the exhorbitant prices for finished lumber at places such as Lowe's and Home Depot. The statement about recovering your expenditure assumes that you really get into woodworking and build a lot of different projects. If it becomes a "sometimes but not very much" activity, then you may be finacially better off continuing to buy the finished boards although your choices of wood would be much more limited.

 

[CaptnA]

Welcome,
As you're learning this is a very nice place frequented by amazing people that know so much and will share their knowledge.
Yours is a hard question. Being a rookie there are a ton of questions to answer. Needs, interests, what skills and tools do you have or have access to being close to the top. If you have tools and know how you can get cheap lumber and plane (hand or power) it to suit your needs. If not you have to rely on a seller to provide you with boards to suit your needs. Rough sawn wood is great and can be found reasonably. But with no way to get it ready for your project it can be frustrating.
Buying project ready boards at say the bog boxes (lowes/homedepot etc) is expensive. Planers jointers etc aren't cheap either.
Finding a local supplier (or several) once you determine your needs will open up many doors. Driving (at recent gas prices) to save a little money isn't always a bargain. As mentioned if you go to the 'who we are' area and introduce yourself, chances are you'll find some local woodworkers to give you some direction to your specific needs.