Would you buy hardwood shorts ?

[Rick Fisher]

Wondering if you would buy 4/4 and 8/4 Maple, Cherry, Walnut and Oak in Shorts ?

I am talking all 4' and 5' lengths .. widths would be 4" thru 10" ..

Price would be 1/3 less than 8' - 10' lengths of the same widths ?


The reason I ask is that I rarely build anything which requires longer than that.. but also think I would get more waste ?

[Dewayne Reding]

I pickup shorts when I see good ones. I can usually find a use that keeps the waste to a minimum. It really depends on the type of projects you build.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I think I have only bought one full length piece (8-10'). I only buy shorts (with a discount). Most of my scrap pieces are on the order of 3-4" long or 1" or so wide. I also I have small work area so the shorter lengths are very handy as well, both for working and for storing.

[Marc Kohlbauer]

I usually buy shorts if I can get away with it. I would guess 90% or more of the wood I have purchased has been shorts. I only buy longer boards if I have a particular project that need it. I usually end up with less waste using shorts too.

[Van Huskey]

Shorts are great and I would buy them the majority of the time if I could. One thing to take note of is the expected yield, a single defect in the middle of a short can render it pretty useless.

[Dennis Puskar]

Yes I would buy shorts probably 75% of most projects fall within that range.

[Gary Max]

I just bought a truck load--- the price was right.

[Dave MacArthur]

Without reading anything except the thread title, I'm just going to drop in here and say I think hardwood shorts would be likely to cause splinters in the posterior, and I wouldn't buy them unless I had built a Pinocchio or such.

Hope that helps in some fashion or other ;)

[Curt Harms]

Without reading anything except the thread title, I'm just going to drop in here and say I think hardwood shorts would be likely to cause splinters in the posterior.................

I had the same initial reaction--ouch!!:p

[Geoff Potter]

I would buy just "shorts" if I could. Easier to haul and easier to work with. If I need longer than 4' I would purchase.

[Russell Sansom]

Sometimes. Depends on the scale of the project. A largish 2' X 18" cabinet ( like a saw till or planes cabinet ) needs 8' of clear lumber. Not counting doors, back, plinth or cornice, and, say, a drawer. With blemishes, it's hard to get 8' of good stuff out of 10 or 12 feet of raw lumber. At least I'm guaranteed that the 4 carcass boards are similar in shade and pattern...harder with shorts. Add a couple paneled doors and there's another 6 feet of compatible lumber.
On the other hand, if you're making jewelry boxes the whole thing would probably scale down to 4' shorts. Shorts are also ideal for jigs around the shop and for making mock-ups

[Rick Moyer]

Without reading anything except the thread title, I'm just going to drop in here and say I think hardwood shorts would be likely to cause splinters in the posterior, and I wouldn't buy them unless I had built a Pinocchio or such.

Hope that helps in some fashion or other ;)
Funny! I like that you noted that you had read only the title, too. Sometimes I do that, so I am reluctant to then post something to the thread. This takes care of that. Oh btw, thanks for "learnin'" me a new word on another thread, "specious"!

[Jim Becker]

I have purchased "shorts" when they were appropriate for a project. When I make the trip to Hearne Hardwoods (http://www.hearnehardwoods.com), for example, I absolutely spend time in the "shorts" room looking for complimentary material for the project or projects I'm buying for was well as for "inventory" purchases. I will always choose quality over size when it comes to material simply because choosing your material is the first step in finishing.

[Don Bullock]

I buy shorts when they have the grain pattern I want, they fit within the dimensions of the project I need them for and they are considerably cheaper than the longer lumber. That's something i have to watch. One lumber yard I frequent doesn't discount shorts.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

My new mantra:

choosing your material is the first step in finishing.

[Mike Green]

The shorts bins are the first place I look when I go to the hard wood store. I can usually find something I can use right away or will use in the future. I make a lot of smaller items so shorts are perfect for me.

[John Coloccia]

Wondering if you would buy 4/4 and 8/4 Maple, Cherry, Walnut and Oak in Shorts ?



I don't see why not. They minute they come into my shop I turn them into shorts anyhow. I rarely buy wood just to by it. I always have a use in mind, and often I'll go to the lumber yard with full scale patterns in hand. I'll select pieces using the patterns to see which knots works and which won't. When I've selected the piece, I mark it up and have them cut it into appropriate lengths to fit my car. I get home and mark the wood for use..... "OM-5PcNeck", "JC1 Body", "JC1 Top", "Binding" etc. That way I know what I had in mind when I look at it again 2 years later, and there's no looking for the right piece of wood when it comes time to build. I just grab a piece and go, knowing it's correct.

Of course, I'm not doing production work. I guess I probably do studio work, if you can call it that, so I don't need to have tremendous stocks of wood on hand, but everything I have has a purpose and I know I won't be surprised with the random knot or defect in just the wrong spot because I figured all that out right at the lumber yard :)

[Rick Fisher]

Thanks for all the replies..

I am in the supply side of the business.. Never sold anything other than oak shorts.. and R/L maple.. I get this offering of Oak, Cherry, Walnut, Maple, QSRO .. All in 4' and 5'.. Cheap!!

So I wonder.. will people buy shorts ? I figured I would just ask you guys .. lol.

[Paul Johnstone]

My big problem with shorts is that sometimes the shorts are the split ends of larger boards that have been cut off (or other defects that have been trimmed).

There has to be a pretty big discount for me to buy shorts. It's a lot easier to work with 8-12' long boards.

[Prashun Patel]

I think the market for 'shorts' is limited to guys like me: hobbyists who want to save, don't have a lot of hands or support to wield long boards, and like to mail order.

For me, I'm more flexible to buy shorts at 6/4 or bigger, just because it's harder to come by and I take what I can get.

Last, I've been told that Sel+Btr grading only exists for pieces > 6ft. So, you can actually get clearer pieces in shorter sizes that have to sell at a discount bkz they aren't up to the length spec. I just bought a bunch of Walnut from Boone that's between 2' and 6' for a pretty good price.

[glenn bradley]

I do buy shorts in exotics. I don't buy shorts in domestics as they are more expensive per board foot than 10' to 12' boards at the three yards where I go. When I asked about it I was told that there is a premium price for the convenience. All three have different owners, all three had the same answer. Do these guys meet in secret somewhere?

[Rick Moyer]

I do buy shorts in exotics. I don't buy shorts in domestics as they are more expensive per board foot than 10' to 12' boards at the three yards where I go. When I asked about it I was told that there is a premium price for the convenience. All three have different owners, all three had the same answer. Do these guys meet in secret somewhere?
Glenn, I think they are hiking up your shorts, and yes they meet somewhere "Wedgie Avenue"!:D

[John Coloccia]

So they won't cut a 12' board to fit in my wagon? If you cut a 12' board in half, you end up with two 6' shorts, no? My yard will do that for free all day long if I ask them to. Maybe I'm missing something? I guess it's for people who only need one short board? It may be more expensive per BF, but it's cheaper for that one particular project if you only need a few feet.

[Mike Cruz]

Only if they came with a zipper. I hate pull strings and button flies.

[Mark Patoka]

When I buy wood for my production work I usually cut the boards to 65" before leaving the lumber yard. My supplier usually has walnut shorts so they are cheaper, already cut to the length I want and there is usually a decent selection for me to pick from so yes, I definitely do buy them.

[J.R. Rutter]

I only buy long shorts - 6-7 feet. The good thing about them is that generally, if they bother to trim a board, it is from a good grade. Otherwise the defect end would be left there.

[Brad Shipton]

I buy shorts when I run short of project stock. Its about the only affordable alternate at the local retailer. I prefer to order from my wholesaler buy shipping from 700km means small orders are out.

Brad

[Don Bullock]

I do buy shorts in exotics. I don't buy shorts in domestics as they are more expensive per board foot than 10' to 12' boards at the three yards where I go. When I asked about it I was told that there is a premium price for the convenience. All three have different owners, all three had the same answer. Do these guys meet in secret somewhere?

Glenn, I've noticed the same thing here in Southern California. Perhaps the shorts are more per bd/ft because of the shipping. At most local lumber yards it's a waste of time to search through the shorts.

As I stated above, I only buy them if I find them at a reduced price, there is a great grain pattern and I have a project that I can use them for.

As to the reason for the OP, if you sell the shorts at a good discount per bd/ft you'll most likely be successful selling shorts. This is especially true if you have a cliental of hobbyists.