Bill Webber
09-25-2007, 11:06 AM
LOML gave me a few hours off on Monday. In trying to move to Pennsylvania I knew Hearnes Hardwood was nearby and I'd also been looking For Groff and Groff in Quarryville. I took the opportunity to find them both and look around. I'm told Hearnes used to be Hearnes and Groff. No info on what happened but they went there separate directions some fifteen years ago. Both places are similar. Both are several acres covered with logs and rough sawn lumber. Both have saw mills. Hearnes has a neat little showroom where most of the one-of-a-kind boards are already finished one side for display purposes. Both seem to do the same kind of business. Their business models look the same right down to the brochure for pricing. Prices at Groff and Groff are a little lower, I think.
For me, I can't imagine buying lumber at the prices at either of these places. I can't imagine sawing up $30 - $40 boards for the kinds of projects I work on. I labor enough over maximizing the use of boards as it is. I would never be able to make the first cut in boards priced like these guys have. And, I'm not talking about exotics, I'm taking about garden variety walnut or cherry. I guess I'll stick to looking for the $1 bf stuff at auctions. That is if I ever get through the pile I have. :D:D:D
Anyway, It's nice to have these places nearby for the occasional mad idea or special board.
I've finally settled on the next projects for rehabing our modest model home in PA. I'm planning a built-in to go behind the paneled wall previously mentioned. I'm also going to build a new and matching fireplace mantel and surround. The basic idea came from a mantel in Wood magazine. I've scaled their idea and design the matching built-in bookcase.
I've started pulling lumber for the bottom of the built-in. The bottom of the cabinet starts out as a face fame that gets mostly covered up with other trim. I need pieces that are 8, 6, 5, and 4 inches wide but none of them gets exposed more than 1-inch. I'm running the most nasty, knotty wood through the chrome knives on my JP that I have ever run through a machine. I figured the knives were pretty much trashed when I started, but they are doing the job quite nicely. I still haven't made a decision on how to use the knives in this planer. Right now I'm leaning towards using the chrome for initial roughing out and then using the HSS M42 for the last passes. Comments?
Most of my finish work is sprayed pre-cat lacquer. In moving to PA I'm going to need another brand and a local supplier. I'm going to need suggestions and directions for that. Jim, you out there...?
Here's a a line drawing for my new project. Working just weekends I'm wondering if this will be done by July. :rolleyes:
Regards,
Bill W.
For me, I can't imagine buying lumber at the prices at either of these places. I can't imagine sawing up $30 - $40 boards for the kinds of projects I work on. I labor enough over maximizing the use of boards as it is. I would never be able to make the first cut in boards priced like these guys have. And, I'm not talking about exotics, I'm taking about garden variety walnut or cherry. I guess I'll stick to looking for the $1 bf stuff at auctions. That is if I ever get through the pile I have. :D:D:D
Anyway, It's nice to have these places nearby for the occasional mad idea or special board.
I've finally settled on the next projects for rehabing our modest model home in PA. I'm planning a built-in to go behind the paneled wall previously mentioned. I'm also going to build a new and matching fireplace mantel and surround. The basic idea came from a mantel in Wood magazine. I've scaled their idea and design the matching built-in bookcase.
I've started pulling lumber for the bottom of the built-in. The bottom of the cabinet starts out as a face fame that gets mostly covered up with other trim. I need pieces that are 8, 6, 5, and 4 inches wide but none of them gets exposed more than 1-inch. I'm running the most nasty, knotty wood through the chrome knives on my JP that I have ever run through a machine. I figured the knives were pretty much trashed when I started, but they are doing the job quite nicely. I still haven't made a decision on how to use the knives in this planer. Right now I'm leaning towards using the chrome for initial roughing out and then using the HSS M42 for the last passes. Comments?
Most of my finish work is sprayed pre-cat lacquer. In moving to PA I'm going to need another brand and a local supplier. I'm going to need suggestions and directions for that. Jim, you out there...?
Here's a a line drawing for my new project. Working just weekends I'm wondering if this will be done by July. :rolleyes:
Regards,
Bill W.