Question - Best wood for the buck. Colorado

[travis howe]

Just wondering what everyone feels is the best type of wood for the dollar here in the Denver area is and/or across the US?

We all realize costs are different across the board, I want to know what you all feel is the best "bang for the buck" for furniture construction?

The top winner may be the most expensive or middle of the road...who knows, just a question...

Please post other types if not listed.

Thanks!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Ok, I voted for pine, and I need to explain. Because we grow so much of it close, it is actually possible to find some great deals on it. It is however of dubious value in furniture making, but pickings are a bit thin out here, so lets take what we can get!

[Sue Wise]

Red oak if pretty affordable. I usually buy it at Austins. However, I am just now thinking about installing a wood floor in my guest bedroom (soon to be my meditation/prayer room) using beetle kill pine flooring.

-Sue

[Kent E. Matthew]

I live in Colorado as well so I am very interested in this thread. I buy steel for my company and have noted a 30 percent drop in price recently. Is lumber doing the same?

[Pat Germain]

I'm in Colorado Springs. Sorry, but boy do I hate red oak. Sure, it's cheap and readily available at any BORG. But I just don't like the way it looks and I don't like to work with it. The fact that it's almost always flat sawn makes it look even worse. Little buck, but little bang as well, IMO.

Maple can be kinda steep, but it looks great, holds up to most anything and it's good to work with. That's a lot of bang, in my book. If you don't mind wormy maple, you can pick it up for $2.50 - $3.00 B/F for 4/4. A friend of mine just bought some wormy maple with some beautiful spalting in it. It was $2.50 B/F here in Colorado Springs.

Of course, if you're going to paint a project, you might as well go with poplar.

Have you considered alder? I recently bought some alder and it's very nice to work with. It was only $2.50 a board foot for 4/4. If you put a cherry stain on it, it often looks better than cherry because alder doesn't blotch.

Ash is very hard and reasonably priced. It works well for nice bench tops.

Hickory is priced the same ash in my area. It's even harder, but in can get splintery when you're working it. Since it's so hard, the edges can actually feel sharp. I made my bench top from hickory and it's actually pretty sweet. And boy is that one, hard bench top. Hickory makes your shop smells good when you cut it. You can use the cutoffs for grilling.

If you want something to be dark, I prefer to use walnut rather than putting a dark stain something on else. Just apply a wipe on varnish and walnut is stunning. A dark stain on red oak looks like, well, like red oak with a dark stain. It sure doesn't look like walnut!

Considering how exotic it looks, I think purple heart is a pretty good deal. No, it' ain't cheap, but it's a lot less than many exotics. A little purple heart here and there on a project can really make it shine! Consider most people aren't even aware there is such a thing as purple wood. When they see it, they're often amazed.

[Roger Ronas]

Off Topic but Pat where did your friend find Wormy maple here?
Thanks
Roger

I vote for pine, as I just picked up 1200 bdft of pine that has colors from yellows to purples throughout. Caused by a hot mountain fire. .90 bdft.



I'm in Colorado Springs. Sorry, but boy do I hate red oak. Sure, it's cheap and readily available at any BORG. But I just don't like the way it looks and I don't like to work with it. The fact that it's almost always flat sawn makes it look even worse. Little buck, but little bang as well, IMO.

Maple can be kinda steep, but it looks great, holds up to most anything and it's good to work with. That's a lot of bang, in my book. If you don't mind wormy maple, you can pick it up for $2.50 - $3.00 B/F for 4/4. A friend of mine just bought some wormy maple with some beautiful spalting in it. It was $2.50 B/F here in Colorado Springs.

Of course, if you're going to paint a project, you might as well go with poplar.

Have you considered alder? I recently bought some alder and it's very nice to work with. It was only $2.50 a board foot for 4/4. If you put a cherry stain on it, it often looks better than cherry because alder doesn't blotch.

Ash is very hard and reasonably priced. It works well for nice bench tops.

Hickory is priced the same ash in my area. It's even harder, but in can get splintery when you're working it. Since it's so hard, the edges can actually feel sharp. I made my bench top from hickory and it's actually pretty sweet. And boy is that one, hard bench top. Hickory makes your shop smells good when you cut it. You can use the cutoffs for grilling.

If you want something to be dark, I prefer to use walnut rather than putting a dark stain something on else. Just apply a wipe on varnish and walnut is stunning. A dark stain on red oak looks like, well, like red oak with a dark stain. It sure doesn't look like walnut!

Considering how exotic it looks, I think purple heart is a pretty good deal. No, it' ain't cheap, but it's a lot less than many exotics. A little purple heart here and there on a project can really make it shine! Consider most people aren't even aware there is such a thing as purple wood. When they see it, they're often amazed.

[Dewey Torres]

Roger,
CO Lumber has wormy maple for 2.50 or 3.50 ft???

Personally I think they are selling Ambrosia as wormy maple but I just had to put some on the cart!

[Dewey Torres]

I voted for the Walnut but Maple and Walnut are two woods I try to keep in the shop as they go well together contrast wise and I have never thought..."now when am I ever going to use that?" with either of them.

[Dewey Torres]

I'm in Colorado Springs. Sorry, but boy do I hate red oak.

I am with Pat ...can't stand the stuff but I did use some on my bench for the apron as it is tough/durable.

[Pat Germain]

Roger, CO Lumber has wormy maple for 2.50 or 3.50 ft???

Yep. I also bought some just before Christmas. Mine doesn't have nearly the spalting like the stuff Dewey has. But it worked very well for some band saw boxes I made.

FYI, CO Lumber is next to the dog track off Nevada in Colorado Springs. They have a good selection and reasonable prices. If you want some very high end stock, at a higher price, Colorado Woodworkers on Filmore is the place.

[Roger Ronas]

Thanks guys. Everytime I call them 2 places, they scare me off with th3e quoted prices on the phone. Will go check them out though. I also have shopped at Welco down on las Vegas blvd. You need an account and a business license to go there but good quality domestics there.

Roger



Yep. I also bought some just before Christmas. Mine doesn't have nearly the spalting like the stuff Dewey has. But it worked very well for some band saw boxes I made.

FYI, CO Lumber is next to the dog track off Nevada in Colorado Springs. They have a good selection and reasonable prices. If you want some very high end stock, at a higher price, Colorado Woodworkers on Filmore is the place.

[scott spencer]

In our area I'd have to say Butternut or Red Elm. $1.50BF...roughly half the price of RO or maple, and 1/4 the price of nice cherry or black walnut.

BN is light weight, stable, looks good and works great. Elm is less stable and harder to work with but has gorgeous grain.

[David Freed]

Personally I think they are selling Ambrosia as wormy maple but I just had to put some on the cart!

Ambrosia is wormy maple. Two different names, same wood. Here in southern Indiana there is so much of it that a lot goes into pallets. You can buy all you want (green) from my local sawmill. I bought 1000 bf for $.40/bf. I dried it and still have over half of it.


I live in Colorado as well so I am very interested in this thread. I buy steel for my company and have noted a 30 percent drop in price recently. Is lumber doing the same?

The lumber market is in the gutter. Lots of mills have shut down because no one wants the lumber.

[Dave Cav]

I'm going to put in another vote for alder. I can get it from between $0.80 and $1.40 B/F from the mill (for a sling load of around 1200 BF) and it's great utility lumber. Stays pretty straight, stains very well, works much better than the local "hem/fir" softwood. Makes great drawers. It's about all we use in the school shop.

Dave C

[mike holden]

Travis,
Did not vote as you do not list Mahogany.

Still, I really consider the cost of wood to be a minor matter, as the value of my time and the pleasure I get from working the wood to be a much greater value.

Mike

[Dewey Torres]

Ambrosia is wormy maple. Two different names, same wood.


Well...insn't that funny. I thought Ambrosia was a beetle not a worm;)

[Kent E. Matthew]

I have noted some prices I would almost kill for. Are you guys buying up rough sawn wood and running it through a planner to make it usable? You Colorado Springs guys you have referenced CO Lumber. Is that the full name? I tried Wellco once through work. They didn't seem thrilled.

[David Freed]

Well...insn't that funny. I thought Ambrosia was a beetle not a worm;)

It is. Some people see the holes and think a worm made them. Google "wormy maple". You will get several hits that say they are the same.

[Pat Germain]

I have noted some prices I would almost kill for. Are you guys buying up rough sawn wood and running it through a planner to make it usable? You Colorado Springs guys you have referenced CO Lumber. Is that the full name?

Yes, the full name is CO Lumber. It's colocated with an unfinished furniture store. Their lumber is all S2S. I wish they did sell rough sawn as I have to plane it anyway and I'm paying more for S2S. I don't know of any place around Colorado Springs that sells roughsawn lumber.

If I ever break down and form an LLC, I'll check out Wellco.

[Frank Drew]

Did not vote as you do not list Mahogany.


Well, I voted (for walnut) but I agree with Mike that mahogany is the best all-around furniture wood. Genuine mahogany, that is.

[Dewey Torres]

I have noted some prices I would almost kill for. Are you guys buying up rough sawn wood and running it through a planner to make it usable? You Colorado Springs guys you have referenced CO Lumber. Is that the full name? I tried Wellco once through work. They didn't seem thrilled.


Kent,
I say it's high time for a road trip and a Creeker visit!

[Pat Germain]

Kent,
I say it's high time for a road trip and a Creeker visit!

I'm up for a Creeker rendevouz.

[Bill White]

I am in the middle of a red oak project. Only reason I'm workin' with it is that my supplier could cut some well aged stuff for me 3" x3" x 8' for the legs.
Other than that I would not havs used the stinkin' wood.
Walnut is SWEET.
Bill;)

[Abe Hachmann]

I agree with the votes for alder as well. I typically buy hardwoods from paxton when I am looking for some high quality consistent product. They have an excellent selection of sheet goods as well. I have been fortunate to get a lot of wood that was cut in East Texas. The hardwood from down there doesn't match the common commercial domestic woods. I like that my projects have a unique look even if the design is common. The grade also varies a lot but for free I can't complain.

[Pat Germain]

Thanks for the Paxton mention, Abe. I found their web site and they appear to be a first class outfit.

Since Paxton is open on Saturday mornings, I might drop by on my next trip to Denver. I've been meaning to get to the Denver Rockler store anyway. Although, it can be an adventure taking my 86 Comanche pickup more than a few miles from home. :eek: