Novice ready to buy some hardwood, suggestions?

[williams130]

Hi All,

I have just recently purchased a planer, jointer, and dust collector so I'm ready to make some sawdust. Until now I've relied on home centers for most of the wood for my projects. Anyway, I want to get a small stock of wood to have on hand for learning, experimenting and most likely....shop jigs such as a crosscut sled and a router table. I've done some research and have some plans and ideas for both but haven't come to a final decision. I was considering purchasing a few bdft of 4/4 hard maple for runners, etc and ~10 bdft of 8/4 red oak. I live in West Cary near NC64 and NC55. Are these woods pretty good choices for jigs etc? I saw the links for NC Wood Suppliers and it looks like East Wake Hardwood is the closest to me except for Capital City ($$$). Should I purchase FAS? How about the UPS packages from Wall Lumber?

Thanks, This is a really great website and great resources.

CW

 

[Ken Weaver]

Best advice I can give is to get someone who knows what they are doing to go with you. My first trip I felt like a babe in the woods, literally! We went to the sawyer's and I was overwhelmed (as in a candy store), thankfully Ken Massingale had my back and I learned a ton. The same principle holds true even in a lumber yard, it all looks a lot different than the big boxes until you get a grip on what you're dealing with.

 

[dozer]

I would go see Roger at East Wake Hardwoods. Maple and Red Oak are always good to have as some hardwood stock for your shop.

 

[mkepke]

Buy whatever's cheap. That usually means something like poplar. Hard maple is great..it wears really well, but will be about 2x the price of poplar.

All things being equal, I would choose a close-grained hardwood like poplar, maple or hickory over red oak as red-oak has two undesirable characteristics for shop-use: it is prone to splintering and it produces staining in the presence of water (i.e. the sweat from your hands in summer). Neither is a major problem, but they can occur - depending on usage.

Since this is for jigs, you shouldn't need FAS unless your jigs require large sections of clear stock. Most don't.

-Mark

 

[junquecol]

Both Klingspor's Woodworking Shop and Woodcraft stock hardwoods. Mike Robbins, over by Lake Wheeler used to operate a mill and kiln. I don't know if he still does though. American Wood Yard on Hillsborough St (across from the Fair Grounds ) is another source. Look here for the guy on Pea Ridge Road between Jordon Lake and US 1 south. Raleigh Hardwoods also stocks hardwoods, but they are S2S and straight line ripped. Horizon Forrest Products now has a minimun board foot purchase requirement. They are also located near Raleigh Hardwoods. For runners, you might want to check with Agri-Supply in Garner for a wearstrip from a tobbacco harvester. It is HDPE, 3/8"X1"X120" long for less than $10. I have to go over there tommorrow, so I will check and see if they currently have any in stock.

 

[jeff...]

If I could toss in my 2 cents worth - Poplar is a good "all purpose" wood for jigs and what nots - sugar (hard) maple is better but about twice the price. I think I would shy away from red oak for jigs - it can be somewhat tepermental at times. Hicory or ash might not be a bad choice either.

My advise would be untill you get your shop rolling, stick with fkat sawn kiln dried lumber S2S (surfaced 2 sides) and straight line ripped lumber. Then think about moving up to rift or QS (quarter sawn) rough cut green lumber for those future (year or more out) projects and for building up an "inventory" for later use. You can pick up on some figured green lumber great deals from some of the sawyers here on this site from time to time. You just have to have a place to stack it correctly and wait for it to dry (approx a year or so). But I know of no cheaper way to get a lot of good quality lumber for next to nothing (all things bein considered).

Here's a good example last year I built a solid red oak capians beed fror my son, from a log I picked up off the side of the road, had it milled (cost me 150.00) - stacked it on the lumber rack in my shop for well over a year and checked the MC it was about 8% time to make the bed, all in all I say I had 350 in the bed (drawer pulls, electricity. finish, routher bits, etc... My wifes freind came over and wanted me to build one exactly like it for her son. I figured up (store bought) materials at almost 1400. Big cost difference just in lumber.

I think if you ask just about any serious woodworker, I think they will agree, the problem with wood is no matter how much you have it always seems like it's not enough. Personally I think the mice in my shop eat it, because it sure does go fast :lol:. I end up giving a lot of it away too. My wife says the same thing about the dryer eating socks :eusa_thin. I wonder if there's a conection there - nah...

 

[chris99z71]

Another idea -
For most jigs and fixtures you're talking about small quantities and not needing very long lengths. Consider looking through the "shorts bin" where ever you end up going. I don't know if E-Wake has anything like that. I've never been there, but maybe someone else can speak to that.
The Hardwood store in Gibsonville (just the other side of Burlington right off of 40/85 - about 1:15 from you) is worth the trip and I know they've got a healthy selection of shorts in a variety of species...at least they have every time that I've gone out that way. They're usually marked down considerably from the full size pieces.
Last trip I grabbed several pieces of 6/4 Ipe, 10" wide by 30-40" long for $4/bf. Want to talk about stable, hard, flat and straight? Made great ends and runners for my x-cut sled. I'm keeping several pieces for runners for future jigs.

 

[Splinter]

Suggest you use plywood (Baltic Birch if you can find it) for the flat sections of jigs, not edge glued stock. Just my .02.

 

[NCPete]

Or MDF, which is great for jigs, too, with hardwood used for runners and such.

 

[williams130]

WOW, thanks for all the great feedback! If I get time today I may try and make a run to the Hardwood Store and pick up some wood from the "Shorts Bin". Since I work in RTP I can cut 10 miles off the trip. I googled the distance to be 46 miles from work. Long drive for wood. How far do most of you have to go? What is Ipe?
Currently I don't have room to store green wood and allow it to dry but I'd like to make a loft wood-storage area in my garage which has 14.5' ceilings! I'd like to make a "Superloft" in my garage but I'll start another thread when I get more concrete plans.:eusa_danc

junquecol,
Who is "the guy on Pea Ridge Road between Jordon Lake and US 1 south"? A sawyer? Does he have S2S lumber for sale? I'm interested in that $10 HDPE at Agri-Supply in Garner! Did you get some? Sounds like a great material for runners!

I have a piece of Baltic Birch that I've been saving for a crosscut sled. I've also got a fair amount of 3/4" MDF left over from a home office that I just made.
Thanks again to everyuone!

 

[chris99z71]

WOW, thanks for all the great feedback! If I get time today I may try and make a run to the Hardwood Store and pick up some wood from the "Shorts Bin". Since I work in RTP I can cut 10 miles off the trip. I googled the distance to be 46 miles from work. Long drive for wood. How far do most of you have to go? What is Ipe?

You won't be sorry that you made the trip. I've yet to hear of anyone having a bad experience there. Just make sure that they're still going to be open when you get there. They're open from 8-4:30 weekdays.

There is some info on Ipe (pronounced E-pay) here. Also know as Brazilian walnut or pao lope. Just be aware that it dulls even carbide tooling quickly and I know of atleast one person who had an alergic reaction to the distinctive yellow dust that results from machining it.
Good luck! :icon_thum

 

[golfdad]

Go to Klingspors nice stuff bought some today

 

[NCPete]

Dirk, what time were you there???? I spent about two hours there, scaring my checkbook :lol:

 

[junquecol]

I went to Agr-Supply today and they do have the HDPE wear strips in stock for $10.95 each. They are for a Taylor Tobbacco harvester. Located over in the Argicultural dept. Check carefully as they also stock a 1/2X2.5X36" wear strip for $19.95. If you need bolts, this is the place to go. Grade 2 bolts and nuts are currently $1.39 per pound. This price beats Ace/ Lowes all to pieces. Check over in lisings for wood to get name of guy over on Pea Ridge road.

 

[Gofor]

TSC (Tractor Supply Company) is also a better place to by bolts, washers, etc). Much better by the lb than by the "each"

 

[BobN]

I also live in Cary, (near 64 and Lake Pine). I get most of my hardwood from the Hardwood store in Gibsonville, over the last few years they have been very nice to me putting wood aside that they know I might be interested in, etc. I have also been to East Wake a few times and have gotten wood from Capital in an emergency. I get most of my sheet goods, plywood and termite puke(MDF) from Raleigh Hardwoods on Poole rd. Have also made the trip up to Wall's lumber a few times. The wood I got there made the trip worth while at the time as I couldn't find it anywhere else.

For shop jigs I use plywood and MDF, if the jig requires any hardwood I used whatever is in the scrap bin.

Bob

 

[mkepke]

Bruce..I believe American Woodyard (across from the State Fairgrounds) is no longer in business.

-Mark

 

[jeff...]

Currently I don't have room to store green wood and allow it to dry but I'd like to make a loft wood-storage area in my garage which has 14.5' ceilings! I'd like to make a "Superloft" in my garage but I'll start another thread when I get more concrete plans.:eusa_danc

Craig, you got the right idea, heat rises, lumber dries quicker when it's hot. When you get to planning, consider the use of some fans to keep the air moving through the stacks. You'll want to try and create an atmosphere good for drying and prohibiting to the growth of mold. The only reason I’m harping on green lumber is I know of no better way to cheaply acquire a huge amounts of quality lumber than to buy it green and fresh off the mill. Even before I bought my saw mill that’s what I did. BORG lumber = raked over the coals = expensive. Drying and machining your own = quality control = inexpensive.

Just my two cents again…

Thanks