[Terry_00]

Hi, I am a newbie here and to woodcrafting. I am wondering how to buy wood\lumber at wholesale prices? Where do you get your lumber and do you get it at a discount or wholesale?

I am hoping to avoid paying retail for my lumber.

Thanks in advance,
Terry

 

[Daren]

Welcome Terry. If you are new to woodworking, it's my opinion you should learn all you can about wood and it's properties before you start just looking at prices. You get what you pay for in most cases, you have to know the difference between $2 bft wood and $4 bft...not just what the price tag says.

You mentioned terms like wholesale and retail, 1000 bft will get you a wholesale discount most places . Maybe not your best avenue. Learn what you can about wood, who has it, current market prices...and keep your eyes peeled for lumber cheaper than what it is really worth (guys get lucky all the time). Good luck.

 

[mdlbldrmatt135]

Daren's right......... I picked up 16 1x8x8 RS red oak boards only 1 little knot on 1 board.........at a yard sale for 100 bucks......

 

[drcollins804]

You will get as many different answers as there are posters with that question. I usually purchase my wood at the mill but have also taken them logs of my own to saw. I have purchased from estates where the woodworker had died and nobody else wanted the wood or tools. There are many different ways of getting wood. I watch the local classifieds as we have a large number of people who will get lumber sawed for a certain project and sell their leftover stack when the project is done.

 

[Daren]

I have purchased from estates where the woodworker had died and nobody else wanted the wood

"Widow wood"

 

[drcollins804]

Alot of times theyare begging for someone to come and get the tools and lumber. I bought a shop of tools a couple of years ago and didn't really want the lumber. They kept calling and last year I went back and bought the lumber. Got some really nice 1x8x8 walnut in that lot!!

 

[yank]

Look in your area for people who have the machines to cut lumber and sell it rough sawn. I have a sawyer that does this. Check your local newspapers or like we have in our area, (The Bulletin Board) where people can sell anything from furniture to animals free of charge. Wood, antiques, cars/trucks, services, appliances. That is where I found my sawyer.

Go to; www.woodmizer.com, and search for anyone in your area that has one and cuts and sells wood rough sawn.

Wayne

 

[woodman42]

Daren's right......... I picked up 16 1x8x8 RS red oak boards only 1 little knot on 1 board.........at a yard sale for 100 bucks......

Man, I got to start checking for garage sales and estate sales. I had forgotten the kind of stuff you can find.:thumbsup:

 

[Terry_00]

Lumber mills Yank

Hi again everyone, Thanks alot for your help. I am taking everyones advice and have been learning about wood types and finishing them. I have always had an interest in woodworking and now I am to the point of no return;

Yank, I went to the link you provided but I couldn't find anywhere where for a search to find lumber mills for rough sawn lumber. Could you help me out again? Much appreciated, thank you.

Again thanks for the help!!

Terry

 

[Boardman]

Hi Terry -

I've found places thru a plain old online yellow pages search for "sawmills." Some states, like MN where I'm from, have mills listed in the Secondary Wood Products category in their DNR forestry website. You'll get the big mills in these results, but also some smaller operations too.

Don't know where you're at, but check to see if there are woodworking organizations around you. I joined the Minnesota Woodworker's Guild for $30 annually and I get the wholesale price at the main lumberyard around here.

Craigslist will also turn up people selling lumber, and many may have portable mills.