Searching for curly or figured cherry

After checking out the local Woodcraft for either curly or highly figured cherry and coming up empty (well, they had some marked as figured for $18/BF that was so badly cracked and checked it wasn't worth 1/4 the price), it looks like I'm going to need to do the mail order route.

I really like Steve Wall lumber, but they don't offer anything specific regarding figure. I will give them a call, but am also wondering what peoples' experience with Advantage Hardwood has been.

What I am looking for is something highly figured to use as plant-on panels on my end tables. These will be the primary features of the pieces so I'm looking for figure that will stand out.

Any other mail order companies that I'm missing?

Thanks for any information.

Reply to
Mark & Juanita
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I scored a mini-Neener today at Woodcraft in Woodridge for cherry, 36 bf at $3.69. Just normal figure and color, but still not bad. (Picked them clean, leaving just a few banana twisted boards. They say a new truckload is on order, but that'll take a few weeks.)

Hearne Hardwoods advertises UPS packages of figured cherry, 15 bdf or 50 bdf, on their internet store site, flat pricing. UPS adds about $3 to $4/bdf to the cost. I *just* ordered a bunch of common #1 from them, but it hasn't even shipped yet, so I can't recommend or otherwise. Freight to IL for otherwise would be bargains is prohibitively high. The big bundle of QS woak, for example, looked attractive but the freight was more than the lumber cost itself. Would like to hear what others think of their quality and service.

Reply to
MikeWhy

Good on you -- that's a terrific price; here FAS cherry was $8.50 / BF at Woodcraft.

Thanks, I'll take a look at them. I only need about 10 to 15 BF, so this may be an option.

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Out of nine headers in this newsgroup this AM, only two are related to woodworking. How sad.

In regard to figured cherry, the last time I was at Clark's Hardwood Lumber in Houston, they had a bin full of figured cherry. I don't know about shipping. but I suspect they will accommodate you.

You might Google them and contact them. Maybe a woodworker here could go look for you. How much and what size are you looking for?

What part of the country are you in?

Reply to
Lowell Holmes

No local sawmills?

I buy from a local sawmill two miles or so from the house. Guy's a retiree, does it on the side. He sells me rough,dry, tree run, as it comes off the stack (no quality select) cherry for $1.50/bdft. If I buy a hundred bdft. I generally get 35-40% waste, and maybe 10 that turns out to be very figured. It's hard to tell what your going to get, but for another fifty cents he'll let you take it off the stack select and restack. Thing is, before it is face jointed or planed, I can't really tell what I'm getting anyway.

Frank

Reply to
Frank Boettcher

Hi Mark,

Advantage Lumber and Trim is located about five miles from my home and is my preferred hardwood lumber dealer and, at least locally, is a great company to deal with.

Rob Pelc is the owner and used to post to this group but stopped after he received complaints of advertising.

At one point Rob used to personally hand select lumber to fill orders based on the requirement of the customer's project. A few years ago, due to rapid expansion of the business, Rob had to place certain limits on shipping small orders as it became too labor intensive to hand select each piece. Due to the rapid expansion there were also a few problems with some of his orders. Check the group archives to see the past posts related to the business. See (watch for word wrap):

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might also want to check with Advantage to find out their current order/shipping policies.

Reply to
Nova

You might give Edensaw in Port Townsend, WA, a call to see what they have. They're the premier supplier of woodworking and boatbuilding wood in the Pacific Northwest:

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I know they'd hand-pick you something good if they have what you're looking for.

Tom Dacon

Reply to
Tom Dacon

In Tucson, AZ? Nope. Actually, there may be some small businesses around that harvest things like mesquite and ironwood, but no cherry.

That's what happens when you live in an area of the country that grows trees instead of cactus. :-)

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

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I'll take a look and see if I can find them. I'm looking for about 12 BF. The panel sizes are roughly 9 1/2 inches high by 14 inches wide (backs are slightly smaller). I computed the need for about 8 BF between the two tables, so am planning on about 12 to 15 BF order. Since the panels are the featured elements of the pieces, I'm looking for some figure that stands out.

Arizona

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

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Thanks, I remember some of the interchanges with Mr. Pelc in the past. I'll see what they can do; unfortunately my particular needs fall into that small order category, so will see what happens. Appreciate the information from someone local to them.

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Thanks, I'll take a look

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

: After checking out the local Woodcraft for either curly or highly figured : cherry and coming up empty (well, they had some marked as figured for : $18/BF that was so badly cracked and checked it wasn't worth 1/4 the : price), it looks like I'm going to need to do the mail order route.

Mark --

Also check these guys:

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bought some really spectacular curly maple from them some years ago.

You can also check out their privtae stock, which gives you photos of specific boards:

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-- Andy Barss

: I really like Steve Wall lumber, but they don't offer anything specific : regarding figure. I will give them a call, but am also wondering what : peoples' experience with Advantage Hardwood has been.

: What I am looking for is something highly figured to use as plant-on : panels on my end tables. These will be the primary features of the pieces : so I'm looking for figure that will stand out.

: Any other mail order companies that I'm missing?

: Thanks for any information.

: -- : If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

Reply to
Andrew Barss

That, sir was exactly what I was looking for! Thanks.

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

I've been happy with what I've got from:

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people, seem to know each board they have. I've only bought a few small pieces of figured walnut and bird's eye maple, but I got good stuff and they sent me what they said they send me.

I haven't compared prices but service was good.

-Zz

Reply to
Zz Yzx

Thanks

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Well, if you want the best... northwest timber

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cheap but a nice search engine and a pretty picture of every peice in stock... thousands. Mapel, Cherry, Claro Walnut, Myrtle, curly, spalted, quilted, burl, etc.

One really funny thing is how proud they are to have slabs of the local "Heritage tree" that was apparently sick and need to come down in some local town. The greens tried to save it but the city took it down and now NW is hawking slabs. Beautiful.

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

Do you need to specially treat highly figured woods to prevent shrinkage cracking when importing them from moister parts of the country into the very low humidity of Arizona ? If you're not already experienced in this regard it might be worth doing a bit of research with some of the local hardwood dealers in Phoenix, Mesa or Tuscon.

I lived in Mesa for eleven years but don't have this specific knowledge myself. However, I remember seeing many fine old wooden planes obtained from antique dealers from snowbirds down from the northern US and nearly every one of them was cracked :-( (I was also impressed by how my sinuses constantly felt parched, having arrived from the northeast and midwest myself.)

David Merrill

Reply to
David Merrill

I'm not sure it would be much different for figured than regular hardwoods, I've obtained some figured wood from my regular suppliers here that have exhibited no significant shrink cracking than the other woods. Our suppliers don't treat the wood any differently -- it all goes into an unheated, uncooled warehouse.

My Steve Knight plane is still doing fine after 4 years.

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Reply to
Zz Yzx

you might be interested in this

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dropped by last weekend and got a 3'x2' slab of very old fir that had incredible waves to it.

regards, charlie cave creek, az

Reply to
charlie

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