AFAIK one of the last (fairly) local lumber shops, Woodsworks Quality Hardwoods down in Oxford, is going out of business. They couldn't find a buyer who could close the deal so they're selling out all the inventory and moving to Oklahoma.
I used to buy some oak from a millworks in Belle Plain they sold out several years ago. I refuse to buy at the big box stores. Star only carries S4s for the "city folk".
Are there any other sources for wood around Wichita, or are we forced to go mail order now?
Bummer - I have used the folks at Oxford for years and had not heard of their demise. If it is still there, you might try Papa's Wood Shop 463 North Seneca ( Just a block or so south of Riverside). Papa's used to be operated by a fellow woodoworker named Dana Fish. He ran his personal hobby shop and store in a rental near north Waco and 10th. At that time he offered standared hardwoods (oak, walnut, cherry, etc), baltic birch plywood and a fair selection of exotics. A year or two ago he sold out to a couple of guys who moved to the Seneca location and also run a cabinet and remodeling shop. I was up there about 6 months ago and they had much of Dana's hardwood and plywood selection but not as much exotic. I just googled the shop and it shows the above.
You might try the Sunflower Woodworker's Guild. Their site
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has a contacts link that might be of help.
Next best bet is a long drive east. There are LOTS of wood mills and dealers in the area just east of Joplin. These are the folks who sell to the likes of Woodworks. We helped our son finish out a house near Washburn MO a year ago and found lots of Oak in the $1.65 to $3.00 range. Fair prices on Walnut too. We are getting ready to relocate to SE Kansas and I expect to make a lot of trailer trips to that area. Let me rummage around for names. We crapped a hard drive a while back and lost a bunch of links, but I might be able to find the source. You would have to team up or buy quantity but it would be worth it
There are also several mills in the SE Kanas area. One I have experience with is Korinek Brothers Sawmill, 14077 Vine Rd, Oswego, KS on Yahoo! Local. They deal mostly in air dried wood and I have purchased some nice walnut there. Best to call ahead to check quantity (620-795-2823) but they are usually pretty well stocked with oak.
As you know, Wichita seems to be a woodworker's wasteland - very few opportunities to buy wood locally. If it wasn't for recent buildup of the Big Tool Store and White Star you would have to go to KC for tools. Rather interesting because there are some wonderful woodworkers here.
I'm not sure what kind of material you're looking for but we get a lot of material from Hardwood Supply in Burrton. We have everything milled s4s so I'm not sure what they might sell that's rough. They've been growing a lot lately (buying other businesses) and my latest card says Hardwood Manufacturing LLC but I think the numbers are still good. They deliver to the city daily. Steve Lang's Hardwood Supply
115 N. Burrton Ave., Burrton, KS
620.463.2663 If those numbers don't work, email me at spamnotatcoxdotnet and I'll give you my sales guy's cell number.
You can try the other yards around but you'll find mostly milled hardwood material. B&B Lumber, Andale Lumber, Colwich Lumber.
I hope this doesn't scramble in sending. This is some of the SW MO sources I have used. Cut and pasted from a spreadsheet.
Mid America Hardwoods Sarcoxi Mo (417) 548-2191 Wholesale lumber, flooring, doors, trim, etc Wise Hardwood Lumber Pierce City Mo 417-476-5119 Good Lumber and Prices. Very accommodating. Accessible north of Piece City or from I-44. H&H Hardwoods Grandby Mo 417-472-3479 18244 HW 60, Grandby. 1/2 Mile East of Highway 57 interchange. Van's Millworks Washburn Mo. 417-662-3421 417-662-3107 12 Miles SW of Washburn. Very accommodating. Small family owned operation that produces kiln-dried lumber and mouldings. Planed hardwood often requires an advance call to ensure wood is planed and ready. Mouldings reasonably priced.
All are in an area generally between Washburn (just south of Cassville) and Joplin. Mid America is Wholesale only
There's also Timber Products on S Custer (but I think they had a fire just a week of so ago?). They're wholesale only, but you can place order for pickup thru Star. I've had good luck w/ them--not cheap, but will be what you ordered.
The Holtzen Woodworks moulding shop is also a good bunch to get to know
-- I had them make the narrow strip siding for the barn restoration and also used them as the middleman to order various other stuff in that couldn't find locally. They normally have a fair amount of excess stock on hand and will sell the bit offhand from it. They use a wholesale distributor out of the KC area.
Thanks for the MO connections, Ron...I've a brother in Joplin so have figured I should explore more when down there -- looks like you've done a fair amount of the legwork already... :)
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