where to find cheap scraps

[jason listen]

im looking for

pieces of 8' 2X4
pieces of 8' 2X6
piece of 8' 4x4
pieces of (3/4) inch plywood
pieces of (3/8) inch plywood
pieces of (1/4) inch massonite
8' 1.5 inch diameter metal pipe
preferably from a scrap yard or something for dirt cheep like fill my truck up for $30 or so, like a construction company that makes houses or something there scraps would be fine ,to make some bmx ramps that will sit outside all year and get stolen and graffitied


where would i most likely find this at? is there places that construction companies dump off scraps too?
how do i find a place like this?
refrence

http://rampplans.org/ramps/Mark_Center/images/index/01_Jan_2002_Wood_Source_1_lg.JPG.htmlhttp://rampplans.org/ramps/Mark_Center/images/index/01_Jan_2002_Wood_Source_1_lg.JPG
http://rampplans.org/ramps/Mark_Center/images/index/01_Jan_2002_Wood_Source_1_lg.JPG.html

[Chris Tsutsui]

It probably depends on your area. Maybe some people know of a location local to you.

I used to get scraps from Home Depot suprisingly... But then I found a local contractor that fills up a green bin with wood scraps that I was free to have at it.

[Brian laPlume]

That pile-o-wood looks familliar. I used to work at a naval ship yard. They
had a scrap pile like that, but you couldnt pick through it. They would pile it up and then drive a huge loader all over it untill it was toothpicks!
They did the same things with heavy equipment. It would all get cut into 1/4's before it was sold as scrap.

[Paul Steiner]

My 1st hobby is woodwork. My 2nd hobby is finding wood and tools for free. My 3rd hobby is find wood and tools for low prices. I would start at Lowes or HD. Sometimes you can buy a hack of culled lumber for 75% off.
For hardwoods I would start in the yellowpages see if you have any cabinetmakers, furniture factories, or any other business that may use hardwood. Start in your area and work your way out.
Last option is construction dumpsters.
Timing and a little shmoozing helps.

[Kevin Godshall]

We have a lot of local band mills in this area (pallet making, custom sawing, etc). When I need material and I am able to buy green, I show up and ask them what they have that they can't move or can't get rid of. They usually give me a very good rate to get rid of their scrap. Sometimes I have to cut around knots, work past warps, bows, cups, etc., but for the price, can usually make the projects I need.

An added benefit to doing this......... a few weeks ago, a pickup showed up loaded with misc wood and was dumped in my yard. White and red oak, pine, cherry, walnut, various widths and lengths (2'-6' mostly).

"What is this?", I asked.

"More scrap we can't do a thing with. Gimme 10 bucks for hauling it and call it good".

I scaled it out at over 250 bd ft of material. For 10 bucks. Oh my. I can burn it in my woodstove and be ahead in the deal. Oh my.

[Paul Johnstone]

If anyone is still building homes in your area, you can dumpster dive their trash piles. Years ago, I able to salvage a lot of perfectly good studs that were thrown away because they were cut or had a few nails in them. Our community didn't allow them to bury wood scraps, they all had to be put into a dumpster (It was a heavy termite area).

[Anthony Whitesell]

I wish you luck on finding those lengths. I haven't had any. We had two sawmills around here that used to sell the rough cutoffs for cheap. Both have stopped milling so the sources have gone POOF! I'm in the process of calling the local mills (again) to see if I can find another. I too had to cut around a lot of knots and rough, but I was getting ~24 bdft (bundles were 12" or 6" wide, 2' long, 10-12" high) for $1. Even if I had 50% usable it didn't bother me 8.5 cents per bdft and the rest went into my father's fireplace to heat his house this winter.

[jason listen]

those are just the start product they will all get cut down
finish product will look somin like this
http://i40.tinypic.com/2hhn9lc.gif