Question for Southern Cal Creekers

[Don Baer]

Anyone out there buy any lumber from Reel Lumber. I notice they have a yard in Riverside and another in Anaheim. Just wondering how they stack up $$$$, Quality ?

www.reellumber.com (http://www.reellumber.com)

[Dan Stuewe]

My boss has told me about them. She isn't in today, but I can ask her on Monday (she would be familiar with the Anahiem location).

[Lee DeRaud]

Anyone out there buy any lumber from Reel Lumber. I notice they have a yard in Riverside and another in Anaheim. Just wondering how they stack up $$$$, Quality ?

www.reellumber.com (http://www.reellumber.com/)
You'd think I'd know, since I work maybe half a mile from the Anaheim store, but I've only been in there once, close to 10 years ago.:p

Your question (plus the success I had today resawing with the new bandsaw) makes me think a road trip is in my future tomorrow or Monday. Watch this space.:cool:

(I also discovered that William Ng's shop/studio/school is literally across the street from the building I've worked in the last 11 years...go figure.)

[Don Baer]

(I also discovered that William Ng's shop/studio/school is literally across the street from the building I've worked in the last 11 years...go figure.)

Thats OK Lee, I live less then 3 miles from Sam Maloof's house and am yet to take the tour. I told the LOML the other day we need to do it. It's only $10. admission and is open on Thr. and Sat from noon to 3 PM.

[John A. Williams]

I've been to the Anahiem location only. I like it. Nice as nice or new as Austin Hardwoods, but it's a great lumnber yard. Lot's of sheet goods and hardwoods, but I don't think any exotics.

John

[Mark Singer]

I have bought about 2000 BF of pattern grade Hondo Mahogany from them in the rough....excellent! My salesman is Steven Kfoury....714.776 1673

[Lee DeRaud]

I've been to the Anahiem location only. I like it. Nice as nice or new as Austin Hardwoods, but it's a great lumnber yard. Lot's of sheet goods and hardwoods, but I don't think any exotics.They list exotics on their web page, but it sounds like they "out-source" it rather than stock it.

[Don Baer]

From their web site.


"EXOTIC" is an industry term for woods imported from outside the United States, and for domestic woods which have an unusual grain and color characteristics. These woods are highly prized for their unique beauty. They are used in a wide variety of applications, including musical instruments, jewelry, cabinetwork, fine paneling and furniture. Our buyers take care to select the finest exotic woods from the most reliable mills and importers. The following exotic woods are stocked subject to availability. We may also have species not included here. Call for up-to-date information. Thank you. "

So it sound like they have some Exotic's Hmmm I may need to make a trip and heck them out.

[Lee DeRaud]

What follows are random observations from a quick recon of the Anaheim Reel Lumber this morning. I'll preface this by pointing out that in some respects I am a complete newbie: up until now virtually every scrap of wood I've ever purchased came from HD or Rockler, except for some molding and plywood from Ganahl, so filter accordingly.:p

1. "Saturday morning" and "leisurely browsing" do not mix. You remember those news videos of people mobbing HD for plywood in preparation for the Florida hurricanes last year? That's pretty much what this place looked like. I'm going back mid-afternoon on a weekday to see if things are a bit calmer.

2. "Open to the public" is not the same thing as "retail-friendly". Maybe this is standard for operations like this, but there are no prices posted. Anywhere. None. Not even a handwritten poster with the day's specials. The folks working there are friendly, I'll say that, but they kind of expect you to know what you want before you get there. But this may be a factor of how swamped they were...see above.

3. The selection is better than I expected. They've got things like hickory and alder which I had always thought of as "East Coast", and 8/4 purpleheart and padauk...I'm so used to the selection at Rockler, some of this stuff doesn't even look real.

4. The prices seem reasonable. There were occasional exceptions like teak ($15/bf) and zebrawood ($11/bf), which for all I know is reasonable, since I've never priced them in "bulk". Everything domestic was down in the $3-5/bf range, except for the walnut ($8/bf).

Remains to be seen whether it's a good place for a pure hobbyist like myself to shop, but the pro and semipro Creekers in the area definitely need to take a look, assuming they haven't already.

[Steve Elias]

Thanks Lee, for the quick review.

As a tag along question, would someone in the know be willing to offer a comparison between Bonhoff Lumber and Reel Lumber as far as selection and price?

Thanks,
Steve

[John Hemenway]

Lee - item #2 - this is a common practice for suppliers that usually cater to pros. The price changes depending on how much you order. I expect large regular orders (many bd/f per month) also get better prices. Also the price probably varies depending on what that stack of wood cost when they bought it. All the above doesn't lend itself to regular retail posting of the prices.

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee - item #2 - this is a common practice for suppliers that usually cater to pros. The price changes depending on how much you order. I expect large regular orders (many bd/f per month) also get better prices. Also the price probably varies depending on what that stack of wood cost when they bought it. All the above doesn't lend itself to regular retail posting of the prices.Seems like those first two could be handled as "quantity discount" factors applied to whatever the current "retail" price is, and the third by printing up a price list each morning from the inventory computer...and yes, I'm pretty sure they've got one.

I hear what you're saying, and they have the easy part handled: you can walk up to any of the worker bees and say "What's the price for 100BF of 6/4 hard maple?" and get an answer pretty much instantly. But it sure would be nice to be able to do a quick walk-around and say "Oooh! 4/4 alder is cheap this week, hey, let's score a couple BF."

Lemme see how the place works when they don't have a full-blown feeding frenzy going. The guy I talked to didn't sneer or spit or anything when I talked about buying in single-board quantities, so it's not like they're biased against hobbyists. I just think handling people like me would actually be easier for them if they just post a price list rather than having me tie up an employee while I'm getting my act together.:p

[John A. Williams]

Bohnhoff, I would guess is twice as big, twice as the lumber, but I'd say Reel has more sheet goods. I don't think Bohnhoff has any hardware or moulding where as Reel Lumber does.
John

[John A. Williams]

For those that have not been there, a visit to Austin Hardwoods is in order. That place is over the top. They are in Santa Ana.
John

[Steve Elias]

John,
Thanks for the comparison, and the heads up on Austin Hardwoods.

Steve

[Mark Singer]

Austin Hardwoods has been my main source for 20 years....I started buying when they were on 5th street ...then they moved to Main Street and now they are on Santiago... Excellent selection and discounts to buyers of 50 Board feet or more. It you have a large order they will get competative.

Weber plywood is also in the area and a great source of both Sheet Goods and hardwood.

Tropical Exotic to the south is good for natural edge slabs and exotic woods.

Penburthy in Longbeach, Strata Forrest Products, MacBeth and Orange Coast Lumber are all worth comparing.

[Frank Hagan]

Seems like those first two could be handled as "quantity discount" factors applied to whatever the current "retail" price is, and the third by printing up a price list each morning from the inventory computer...and yes, I'm pretty sure they've got one.

I hear what you're saying, and they have the easy part handled: you can walk up to any of the worker bees and say "What's the price for 100BF of 6/4 hard maple?" and get an answer pretty much instantly. But it sure would be nice to be able to do a quick walk-around and say "Oooh! 4/4 alder is cheap this week, hey, let's score a couple BF."

Lemme see how the place works when they don't have a full-blown feeding frenzy going. The guy I talked to didn't sneer or spit or anything when I talked about buying in single-board quantities, so it's not like they're biased against hobbyists. I just think handling people like me would actually be easier for them if they just post a price list rather than having me tie up an employee while I'm getting my act together.:p

All of the hardwood stores I deal with here in Ventura County are the same way ... prices aren't posted. I get a better deal at one particular store, because I bought a ton of molding from them, so I tend to go back there each time. They do have a price list, but it isn't posted. Every now and then another store here sends out a flyer with some "specials". But generally speaking you're dealing with a wholesaler, and they don't have prices posted on the shelf.

[John Hemenway]

Lemme see how the place works when they don't have a full-blown feeding frenzy going. The guy I talked to didn't sneer or spit or anything when I talked about buying in single-board quantities, so it's not like they're biased against hobbyists. I just think handling people like me would actually be easier for them if they just post a price list rather than having me tie up an employee while I'm getting my act together.:p

I agree w/ you but it just doesn't seem like a common practice for lumber/plumbing/electrical distributors. They are friendly toward hobbists, just not set up to deal w/ us as their main customer.

My local hardwood dealer (Mt. Storm Forest Products) doesn't even take credit cards! :eek: It's a real struggle for me to remember to take my checkbook and several times I've had to not buy because I had forgotten it. :(

I have been amazed how service oriented the local place is considering I'm not a big buyer. I've gotten so used to self-serve of the BORGs (asking a question or ask for help could be dangerous there :eek: ), it shocks me when some business bends over backwards to be helpful in a way that was common in my youth. (sounding like REAL old geezer here!)

[Ellen Benkin]

You absolutely have to take the Sam Maloof house tour. Even better, take the UC Riverside Extension "Day with Sam Maloof" course which is offered once each quarter. You get to hang out with Sam in the workshop for a couple of hours, have lunch in the new residence, and tour the original house. Sam is 89 years old and not getting younger (I saw him a couple of weeks ago) so I would advise doing this sooner rather than later. Not only will you get to see extraordinary woodworking, you'll get lots of stories to tell.

[Dick Heifner]

Hi All,
Where is His house located? I'm in Tracy, central valley,Ca.
Thanks, Dick38:confused:

[Ellen Benkin]

I've been to Bonhoff and Austin and the comparison is night and day. Bonhoff is a rough cut lumber yard which "caters" to the trade but treats us "one at a time" purchasers with respect. The lumber is in sheds, but they will pull it outside for you to review. If you call in advance and tell them what kind of lumber (mahogany, cherry, etc) you want they might (or might not) have a stack pulled out for you to peruse when you get there. They'll also tell you on the phone if they have what you want and what the cost is. They do allow you to go through a stack (take a friend to help) one board at a time so that you can select just the "right" one -- but remember it is rough cut so you need a plane to get down to the final look. They will cut a piece off a long board up to a point (which I don't remember). I haven't noticed any sheet goods or other products -- they specialize in lumber and their prices are the best I've found around the LA area. They will help you load up, too.

Austin has S4S lumber in a beautiful, expansive environment, neatly lined up in vertical bins. You can pull out lumber and look at it one at a time. Prices are posted and they will also cut up a long piece for you. They have more exotics than Bonhoff, and they have sheet goods and other "stuff" like hardware and tools. The lumber prices are higher than Bonhoff's but the lumber is already surfaced so you can see the grain and don't have to joint or plane quite as much.

I go to Bonhoff's for the ambiance (a real working outdoor lumberyard) and because it is closer to where I live than Austin's. If I lived closer to Austin's, I would probably visit them more often.

[Mark Singer]

Here you go:

You need to wait until there is a tour or call...
The Maloof Historic Residence is located at 5131 Carnelian Street, Alta Loma, CA
91701, ... 5131 Carnelian Street, Alta Loma, CA 91701 (909) 980-0412.

Hi All,
Where is His house located? I'm in Tracy, central valley,Ca.
Thanks, Dick38:confused:

[Don Baer]

Here is the web site for Sam Maloof house tours.


http://www.malooffoundation.org/tours.cfm

[Ron Teti]

What follows are random observations from a quick recon of the Anaheim Reel Lumber this morning. I'll preface this by pointing out that in some respects I am a complete newbie: up until now virtually every scrap of wood I've ever purchased came from HD or Rockler, except for some molding and plywood from Ganahl, so filter accordingly.:p

1. "Saturday morning" and "leisurely browsing" do not mix. You remember those news videos of people mobbing HD for plywood in preparation for the Florida hurricanes last year? That's pretty much what this place looked like. I'm going back mid-afternoon on a weekday to see if things are a bit calmer.

It depends early 8 ish-9-ish its mainly contractors and early rising w/w.

2. "Open to the public" is not the same thing as "retail-friendly". Maybe this is standard for operations like this, but there are no prices posted. Anywhere. None. Not even a handwritten poster with the day's specials. The folks working there are friendly, I'll say that, but they kind of expect you to know what you want before you get there. But this may be a factor of how swamped they were...see above.

They used to have a board with the specials written in marler on it
Its difficult to mark prices of hardwoods b/c the price is based on what they paid for that particular shipment. They'd be changing prices every couple of day.

3. The selection is better than I expected. They've got things like hickory and alder which I had always thought of as "East Coast", and 8/4 purpleheart and padauk...I'm so used to the selection at Rockler, some of this stuff doesn't even look real.

you need to go through the stacks of wood to find exactly what you want. The prices aient exactly Rockler prices...through the nose

4. The prices seem reasonable. There were occasional exceptions like teak ($15/bf) and zebrawood ($11/bf), which for all I know is reasonable, since I've never priced them in "bulk". Everything domestic was down in the $3-5/bf range, except for the walnut ($8/bf).

Remains to be seen whether it's a good place for a pure hobbyist like myself to shop, but the pro and semipro Creekers in the area definitely need to take a look, assuming they haven't already.

Depending on what Im looking for. Austins is another good place but their ply is a little cheaper than Reels and Reels hardwood is a little cheaper than Austins.
If I need hardware or finishing supplies (they are the only retailer I know that sells Enduro coat) Its Austins, If I just need wood or ply it evens out.
Either way you cant go wrong with Austins or Reel. If any of you guys go to the Reel in Riverside....Tell Rick I said Hi

[Dick Heifner]

Originally Posted by Dick Heifner
Hi All,
Where is His house located? I'm in Tracy, central valley,Ca.
Thanks, Dick38:confused:

Thank's Guys for the information.
Dick38

[Don Baer]

We'll I had an early morning meeting in Anaheim today so I decided while I was in the area I'd stop by. Like Lee said they do have a great selection but there definitly was a lack of personel available to answer questions. Lots to choose from and sheet goods but no prices posted. Since I didn't bring the check book I decided not to bother chasing down anyone for help.

On the way home I decided to take the long way home through Riverside and check out the other Reel location. It's on Chicago just north of University. It's about 1/3 the size of the Anaheim store but has just as wide a variity. It even form a lot of exotics which I didn't see in Anaheim. While I was looking one of the clerks came up and asked if I needed any help (big differance from the Anaheim location). I asked him the prcie for 4/4 Red Oak and without blinking he said $2.95 bf. Then he took me over to a pile of "shorts", these were all about 4 ' long and said I could have any of those for $2.35 bf. We talked about the inventory and he said if what I wanted was not in stock he could get it for me in a day.

They had some real nice "Slabs" of 8/4 and 12/4 Mahogony 16" wide that got me thinking that I might need to buy a bigger planer and joiner then I had been planning on....:D

I'd say for the hobbiest especially those who live in The San Bernardino Riverside area it is definitly a good source. You can get what you need at a fair price and don't have to put up with the Orange County traffic.