Just about to bid on a large spindle job.

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

There going to have to be turned from 3x3" stock and the customer is requesting cedar due to it's rot resistance. Man has that stuff gone through the roof price wise. I found cedar 4x4 clear posts that I could get 3 blanks from at $46 each. $15+ seems way out of line for a blank considering I need 200+. Does anyone know of a better source? This is going to be an exterior railing on a Victorian home and the are to be painted white. Seems like a waste to me, but maybe it would be a good idea to have another alternative ready to give them when I give them the sticker shock price on the cedar. Anyone have a suggestion on a secondary choice of material? Thanks in advance, Kurt

[Roger Chandler]

Kurt,

Cypress is very weather resistant as well, but I do not know if it will help in the price area, but it really machines well!

[Timothy Juvenal]

Kurt,

I'd check on prices for redwood, meranti, and fir.
Have you tried calling Bateman Bros. to see what they can do for you for that that quantity of 4x4s?

Timothy

[Gary Conklin]

White Oak is also very rot resistant.

[Garth Jones]

I think the cypress recommendation is a great one. It turns beautifully. Another option is eucalyptus grandis - if you haven't seen it it's an Australian wood that looks quite a bit like mahogany, but with a lighter, pinker color. It turns well and is quite rot resistant. It won't be any cheaper (but it's MUCH cheaper than mahogany), but it's much harder than either cedar or cypress. Properly painted, your turnings could last for decades or longer and won't get banged up so easily. I turned a 9' porch post out of it a couple of years ago and it came out well.

My $0.02 anyway. Best of luck,
Garth

[Jim Underwood]

You might also check out Spanish Cedar prices.

[Steve Vaughan]

Don't know if your area has Eastern Red Cedar growing naturally all around like here, but if so, you might check if there are some local sawmills that can cut some for you. Oh, never mind, I just saw that they were gonna be painted. Yep to the other ideas, I'd throw 'em the consideration of other species, especially since it's being painted.

[Tom Giacomo]

I agree with Gary, in this area, northeast, white oak is easy to get and reasonible in price.

[Gary Max]

Heck for that kinda money you could drive down here and have it milled 3x3's and still save a ton, if you have the time.

[Dennis Ford]

If you give the customer the choice of materials, you may not want a fixed price for the labor. Cypress would be much easier to turn than white oak, labor cost should be different.

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

Thanks for all the replies. I found a better price on the 4x4's. $32.00 for 10 footers. That will basically cut the price in half considering I'll get 4 blanks per post. That a good point Dennis, but I'll be tuning them on my CNC so that won't matter much.

[James Combs]

Thanks for all the replies. I found a better price on the 4x4's. $32.00 for 10 footers. That will basically cut the price in half considering I'll get 4 blanks per post. That a good point Dennis, but I'll be tuning them on my CNC so that won't matter much.

Your customer may want cedar but I wonder if he realizes that cedar doesn't paint well or rather the paint doesn't stay on it well. It has too much natural oil to retain the paint, at least that has been my experience. If someone knows how to paint it and make it stay painted jump right in here because I have not been very successful at it.