Wall Lumber Road Trip

[cpowell]

In my usual fashion (spur of the moment) I decided this afternoon that I need to make a road trip to Wall Lumber in Mayodan tomorrow morning. The weather is supposed to be perfect. Their prices look good... http://walllumber.com/premier.asp

Their 4/4 1C walnut is only 2.25 dollars/bd ft, which sounds VERY tempting. My next project is a free standing floor lamp in walnut. I want to build our dining table in walnut but LOML doesn't agree.

I'm thinking roughly 40 bd ft 1C walnut, 20 bd ft hard maple, 20 bd ft 1C cherry, 20 bd ft poplar (it's cheap and works easy and I'm out of it) and a sheet of 3/4 baltic birch ply. I'm gonna also look at cherry shorts while I'm there. Sometimes it's a good buy.

Did I leave anything out that you can think of? Guess I could look at exotics while I'm there, huh?

Let me know if you want me to check out anything for you while I'm there.

I'm driving a crew cab (very short bed) but would be more than willing to load a few extra sticks if anyone in the Rocky Mount area (or along the route back) is interested. Just let me know.

This is my first trip to Wall Lumber. I'll try to file a report upon my return.

Chuck

 

[Bernhard]

Chuck:

Would you please take a look at their sheetgoods? Specifically, I am looking for white melamine (thermofused) on leight weight MDF or such for kitchen cabinets. I don't like the quality that HD or Lowes sell.
....and since the kitchen will be for my new house I'd like to use better quality.
Thank you in advance!!
Bernhard

 

[Steve D]

Chuck:

Would you please take a look at their sheetgoods? Specifically, I am looking for white melamine (thermofused) on leight weight MDF or such for kitchen cabinets. I don't like the quality that HD or Lowes sell.
....and since the kitchen will be for my new house I'd like to use better quality.
Thank you in advance!!
Bernhard

Bernard,

I just used a very similar product on some cabinets that I'm buiding for a clients laundry room. I used veneer core instead of MDF and I was very pleased with the result. I bought it throught the Greenville Spartanburg location for the Hardwood Group and I believe it was around $64 per sheet for 2 sided. MDF is cheaper IIRC. It was kind of pricey but eliminated the need to finish the cases and it makes for a very clean looking interior. Below is a shot prior to face fram installation. They will have Shaker style hickory doors.

 

[McRabbet]

Chuck -- I hope you checked their website first -- Wall Lumber has abbreviated hours on Saturday, according to their website About page. You best leave early, because they close at Noon!!

Rob

 

[Bernhard]

Bernard,

I just used a very similar product on some cabinets that I'm buiding for a clients laundry room. I used veneer core instead of MDF and I was very pleased with the result. I bought it throught the Greenville Spartanburg location for the Hardwood Group and I believe it was around $64 per sheet for 2 sided. MDF is cheaper IIRC. It was kind of pricey but eliminated the need to finish the cases and it makes for a very clean looking interior. Below is a shot prior to face fram installation. They will have Shaker style hickory doors.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=2628&original=1&c=132

Steve,
Thank you for the info!!
I am planning to do the very same: Using melamine for the box, apply 3mm solid wood banding and make the doors and any visible side panels from a combination of solid maple and birds eye maple veneer.
There is also another kind of sheet: VC in the middle, sandwhiched inbetween two thin (~3-4 mm) MDF. The brand name is armorcore, but I cant find anyone who sells in other than pallet quantities. Armorcore is a very nice substarte for veneering of laminating: Smooth and hard face with the light weight and strength of ply.

PS Do you have a line borine machine for the shelf holes? What kind of hinges do you use?

Cheers,
Bernhard

 

[D L Ames]

Nice looking cabinets Steve. Did you use 1/4" melamine ply for the back of the cabinets? I look forward to seeing the FF and doors you are making from hickory.

D L

 

[cpowell]

Well, I went to bed early so I could get on the road so I missed a few posts.

I looked at the 1C walnut and the select. I ended up getting their special walnut deal, 100 bd ft 4/4 walnut bundle...6 ft lengths, select, 3.25/bd ft. Not too bad. I thought about the 6 ft lengths being too short but in the end I felt it was a pretty good deal.

Bought 20 bd ft cherry shorts, 16 bd ft 1C cherry (found a few very nice boards), 15 bd ft 1C poplar, which at 1.40 a bd ft was practically stealing and it was very nice stuff. Also got a few sticks of hard maple and a sheet of 3/4 baltic birch.

Looked at some of the exotic stock but held back. According to the CFO I had already done enough damage.

The folks at Steve Wall Lumber were VERY helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. It was a good wood buying experience.

It is a pretty good haul from Rocky Mount. 344 miles round trip from my house. Of course most of it is at 70-75 mph so it was smooth sailing.

I really didn't realize how much walnut I had bought until I got home and began stacking it on my wood rack. I had to do some serious reorganizing to get everything to fit. I really need to burn some scrap.

Maybe I'll pass a piece of that walnut over the jointer tomorrow and see how it looks. Looks pretty darn good in the rough.

Chuck

 

[DaveO]

I am glad everything went smooth and you came home a happy customer. Let me be the first to tell you that YOU SUCK I wish I could go and stock up on wood like that. Looking forward to seeing the pictures for proof:eusa_whis

Dave

 

[D L Ames]

Sounds like you got a good deal on all that lumber Chuck. I guess I will have to head up to Wall Lumber and give them a shot sometime.

D L

 

[San Mehta]

Just reading this thread, I use Wall Lumber frequently, I made one trip out there several years ago, and had the most stressful ride coming back (400 bf of various stock, and sheet goods):eusa_doh:. My trailer was hurtin.

Now I end up just having Steve (owner of Wall lumber) motor frieght it to me, usually ends up being about $60 (well worth the cost), for about 200 bf and 5 sheets of 3/4" ply. He can usually fill the order in 1 day, and ship the next...depending on how much you want planed down.

Next time I place an order (usually every 6 months), I'll post it on the forum, in case others want to get in on the order.

 

[cpowell]

Just reading this thread, I use Wall Lumber frequently, I made one trip out there several years ago, and had the most stressful ride coming back (400 bf of various stock, and sheet goods):eusa_doh:. My trailer was hurtin.

Now I end up just having Steve (owner of Wall lumber) motor frieght it to me, usually ends up being about $60 (well worth the cost), for about 200 bf and 5 sheets of 3/4" ply. He can usually fill the order in 1 day, and ship the next...depending on how much you want planed down.

Next time I place an order (usually every 6 months), I'll post it on the forum, in case others want to get in on the order.

Thanks for the information. I will check delivery prices to my "shop". Have you been satisfied that the stock you received met the grade (since you didn't have the opportunity to select yourself)? Have you purchased any highly figured or exotic wood and if so were you satisfied with the delivered selection?

Chuck

 

[cskipper]

Blaspheme, I read blaspheme!!!! (I hope I spelled that right) Burn scrap??????? What do you have? Might be worth paying shipping for me (or catching the cross state shuttle).

 

[cpowell]

Blaspheme, I read blaspheme!!!! (I hope I spelled that right) Burn scrap??????? What do you have? Might be worth paying shipping for me (or catching the cross state shuttle).

Believe me, Cathy it is pretty much scrap when it goes into the cutoff box, thereby sentenced to the burnpile! :lol: The pieces are short or extremely narrow (or both).

I have another stack that is generally narrower stock that I "save" for faceframes, edging, drawer slides. Since I SELDOM use faceframes or edging trim the stack has grown to be large enough to get in the way. I just haven't cleaned up.

I also have some short pieces, 8 - 12 inches or so of 4/4 cherry, walnut, red oak that keeps aging on the rack. Widths are 3 - 8 inches or so. These are definitely usable for small projects. Problem is, I'm not really fond of small project work unless commissioned (read FORCED:lol: ) by LOML.

I have found that the only small pieces I end up eventually using are exotics (for accent) and plywood.

Chuck

 

[cskipper]

If the cherry or walnut gets in your way I wouldn't mind paying shipping !

 

[San Mehta]

Chuck, if you buy select stock it is great, I usually get the log runs, which are adertised to get about 70-80% yield of select stock, I stretch it an end up using about 90% (putting sap wood on inside of piece where its seldom or not seen). I have picked up some Mahogany, curly maple, walnut, cherry, Red oak, poplar, pine, soft maple, birch and Bass wood from Wall, no exotics, I like to hand pick those, and Raleigh Hardwood, or the hardwood store of NC usually have a pretty good stock on hand, a little more pricy, but a lot more convienent.
I should also mention, that I have received some damaged pieces of plywood, but have had NO problems with Wall lumber in getting them replaced, or applying a discount to make up for the damaged material. Wall has started to send extra wood in my orders as well...really, I am very satisfied with Wall Lumber.

 

[McRabbet]

I made a side trip to Wall Lumber this afternoon (I was in Greensboro) and picked up a couple of sheets of 3/4" shop grade Maple plywood for $42/sheet -- Birch was $39 -- for my miter saw station project. Unlike the junk they sell at Lowe's or the BORG with a very thin face veneer, lots of patches and maybe five internal plies, this is true veneer core plywood and the defects that downgrade it to "shop" grade are minimal. They have an amazing selection of stock -- I even spied some wide 4/4 Purpleheart for $6.00/BF -- boards were 16" to 21" wide! Some of the exotics are astounding -- Kingwood, Cocobola and Tulipwood. Lots of bowl turning blocks, shorts, thin stock to choose from and endless racks of premium hardwoods, softwoods and plywoods. I was lucky to get out for less than $100!

Rob