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Satisfied customer: Steve Wall Lumber

Just received my second order from Steve Wall Lumber this Tuesday -- 100 BF of 8/4 Cherry. Dealing with these folks has been a pleasure, they respond promptly and the quality of the wood was better than I could have obtained locally. Only problem is that shipping is a bear: added 1.34/BF to the cost of the lumber. However, even with shipping, the cost of the lumber was actually less than I would have had to pay locally and the quality was way better.

My first order was 5/4 poplar back in July just to check out the service and quality. The first order did not disappoint, so I felt confident placing an order for the more expensive lumber.

They may become my supplier of choice; even with shipping they are competitive and the quality is way better than what I can get locally.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita
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The prices are uniformly higher than I pay locally. Are you sure you are looking at the right place?

Reply to
Toller

: They may become my supplier of choice; even with shipping they are : competitive and the quality is way better than what I can get locally.

Better/cheaper than McElwan's?

-- Andy Barss

Reply to
Andrew Barss

Well, lumber costs more in certain places. Around here, there is basically one retail outlet for hardwood lumber. Here's the breakdown from the most recent price list I have.

4/4 Cherry: Local place - $7.19 .........Wall Lumber - $5.00 (< 100 BF) 4/4 White Maple: Local place - $6.02.......Wall Lumber - $3.45 4/4 QSWO: Local place - $6.25..........Wall Lumber - $4.60 4.4 Walnut: Local place - $6.49..........Wall Lumber - $4.30

If I were to buy 15 BF of white maple locally, it would cost me $98 incl. tax. From Wall, it would cost me $52 plus roughly $23 shipping or about $75. Just so we're clear, I've never purchased from Wall, but I might consider it based on M&J's testimonial.

If you live in an area where hardwood lumber is less than the Wall prices, consider yourself lucky.

todd

Reply to
todd

Wall lumber is about 70 miles from me. As there is another good lumber supplier closer, I never bothered to drive the extra distance. About 3 weeks ago, having decided to build some Adirondack chairs as gifts, I drove up to Mayodan and picked up 100 BF of the nicest clear cypress I have ever seen. It was 4/4 but dressed down to a hair thicker than

13/16.

They are actually cheaper than my other supplier, but cost is relative. The quality of their lumber is great and well worth considering even at a higher price than others.

I reckon I'll have to move so the drive isn't as long!

-G

Mark & Juanita wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Reply to
High Score

How far are you from Steve Wall Lumber, and how did it arrive? Freight truck. UPS, all one bundle, several bundles?

Thanks.

Reply to
Leon

That's where I buy my lumber. They are 45 minutes from me. They usually have a good selection.

The only thing I don't like about them is that they don't like customers to 'pick' through the lumber. All the crap usually ends up on top. Depending on who is working that day determines how hard of a time they give you for 'picking'. I usually do it anyway, but I make sure to clean up after.

Reply to
Stoutman

"another good lumber supplier closer,"

And, that dealer's information is?

Reply to
resrfglc

Definitely better than McEwans. I've had spotty results the last several times at McEwans with cherry. 4/4 was full of sapwood and there were a large number of "corkscrews" and warped and waned lumber to pick through to find much acceptable. When I was in McEwans earlier this summer, they actually had a little bit of the 4/4 good stuff (more heartwood than sapwood) so I picked a fair amount so I would have it when I needed it. Even then, there were a large number of rejects; had a bit of a "conversation" with the yard manager when I was being somewhat discriminating. To his query what "we were doing" when he observed the stack I was rejecting and looking through, I indicated to him that I was going to re-stack the lumber and that the previous three times I had been in, I had "settled" for lumber they had, I wasn't "settling" this time. Kind of soured me a bit on doing business with them.

When I needed 8/4 last time, McEwans didn't have it, had to go to Stewart's hardwood for that. Stewart's was my price comparison for the 8/4 lumber since McEwan didn't have it (I didn't check this last time).

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

I'm across the country from Steve Wall. Steve Wall is in Mayoden, NC, I'm in Tucson, AZ. The shipment of 100 BF 8/4 cherry was 363 pounds and was shipped by UPS Freight. It is more convenient (and cheaper) for me to pick up at the terminal, so I do that rather than having home delivery. The wood is banded and shipped as a banded unit. They ship with dunnage where the bands are strapped, so there is no damage to the ordered lumber from the bands. It's all one single bundle, they ran over 10' long on this shipment, so a pickup is a necessity. Also found out that forklifts don't work worth beans on gravel (that was the shipping terminal's problem); we wound up having to unband the lumber and stack it one at a time on my pickup because they couldn't move around their yard. Cost for shipping that distance and weight was $143.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

As someone on the end of a shipping chain, I was initially concerned that I might wind up the "crap" on top. That didn't happen.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

: When I needed 8/4 last time, McEwans didn't have it, had to go to : Stewart's hardwood for that. Stewart's was my price comparison for the 8/4 : lumber since McEwan didn't have it (I didn't check this last time).

Thanks for the information -- I'll try Wall. I've never been to McElwan's, and have used Stewart a number of times. When they have a lot of stock I've gotten good stuff, but it's hit or miss.

-- Andy

Reply to
Andrew Barss

I may have to give them a try. I've got 3 suppliers in Albuquerque. One of them is very high priced (I think their 4/4 Cherry was $9.44/bf when I was there last week and it was all crap). The other one is really hit or miss on whether or not they have anything decent (price is around $6.71/bf for 4/4 Cherry). The third is reasonably priced and has some decent stuff, if you can get to it. They have a rule there that you can only pick boards from the top 3 layers. They explained it to me that because everything in the pile is considered select, there is no reason to have to dig deeper. I called bullshit. Then they started on this "well we don't want a pile of junk after everyone has picked it over". I politely told the gentleman to call me when he changes his ridiculous policy and left without filling my

100 bf order. Cheers, cc
Reply to
James "Cubby" Culbertson

.. snip

My understanding is that "select" is as graded at the mill regarding clarity, etc. nothing to do with whether or not the board is twisted like a corkscrew when the merchant is selling it.

So, you are supposed to buy junk? Kind of expensive for firewood.

Had a friend who was in the cabinet business. He indicated that one of their suppliers tried that with them (they were well known, with a good reputation, and did a significant amount of work). His reply was, "we can pick through the lumber here, or somewhere else -- your choice". Supplier backed down at that.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Thank you. I'm in Houston, a bit closer to you and probably no more expensive to ship to. I'll have to check their prices.

I wonder when UPS started shipping large stuff.

Reply to
Leon

"resrfglc" wrote in news:b3zjh.1564$511.810@trnddc06:

Hardwood Store of North Carolina - in Gibsonville.

formatting link

Reply to
High Score

OK, I give up. I've lived in North Carolina since 1968 and have no idea where Mayodan is. How far is it from Charlotte?

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

This is UPS Freight. They have bought out a number of smaller shippers, at least locally I think it was Old Dominion, but I'm not sure.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

It's about 30 minutes north of Greensboro, near the VA line. I'd guess it would take you an hour and a half if you skirted Greensboro to the west (Take NC68 from I-40)

-G

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in news:v8CdnS64JbVB0RLYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

Reply to
High Score

"where Mayodan is. How far is it from Charlotte?"

Google, google, googlr

Get a map, enter your town, get directions.

Cheesh!

Reply to
resrfglc

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