Couple questions about buying hardwood

[Jeff Monson]

I have a couple of questions, I'd like to buy a coupe hundred bf of maple and cherry, I usually buy locally but this company seems to have better pricing, I think,

1.Are these prices good pricing for what I'm getting?

2.What is FAS when buying wood?

http://logs-to-lumber.com/pricing.html

[Matt Day]

Prices look pretty good. How much is shipping? I would imagine that would negate any cost savings versus your local yard.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but FAS (Foreign Agricultural Service) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) basically means that the wood has been grown and certified by someone using sustainable forest practices.
http://www.fas.usda.gov/ffpd/wood-circulars/dec2000tp/crtfd_wood.pdf

[Greg Cole]

FAS refers to grading the lumber, as in firsts and seconds. If you look into how hardwood is graded there are %'s of the board that must be defect free to be a "first" or "second" etc... there are a few what if's and's or butt's to grading lumber and it's worth a few minutes to read up on.

FSC is what certifies the source-manufacturer as a certifed entity.

Cheers.
Greg

[Jeff Monson]

Actually I'll be going to Mpls tomorrow and I though I'd just bring my truck and kill 2 birds.

Also I see FAS is .50 more per bf, do most of you guys spend the extra .50 for FAS??

[Greg Cole]

The grade of lumber will depend on the project when buying presurfaced material ie S2S, S4s etc. It really depends on what you want the end product-project to look like. You'll have to decide if you want to pay the extra, or when you look you can flip that coin. It's hard to say without seeing.....
Most of the lumber I buy now is rough cut right off a band mill so there's little to go off from when you buy the material other than a visual inspection and maybe cleaning up a small area on one board to see the grain pattern etc.
Regardless of what you decide to buy, do youself the favor of buying a good 15-20% more than you think you need (lesser grade material that can be as high as 40% if you cut out defects), if you are buying material for a certain project. "Swag" factor will save you much frustration when you are a couple boards short.....

Greg

[Craig D Peltier]

I pay the extra most of the time. I have seen from experience how long it takes to turn rough stock into planed, jointed and width sized and at my rate an hour it isnt worth it to do it. If its a hobby it might be worth doing it yourself. On the other hand if you like to cut around bad pieces and have the time save the money.

[Frank Drew]

Jeff,

I think your question was whether it made sense to pay more for FAS (firsts and seconds); I'd say yes, if the lumber has been graded reasonably correctly, but it might depend on how you feel about defects such as knots, and what kind of clear lengths you'll need.

As for S2S or S4S, I would always want to plane the lumber myself, both for surface quality and in the interest in getting maximum thickness, but, again, that might depend on the type and quality of work you want to do.

[Craig Reynolds]

Jeff,

I think your question was whether it made sense to pay more for FAS (firsts and seconds); I'd say yes, if the lumber has been graded reasonably correctly, but it might depend on how you feel about defects such as knots, and what kind of clear lengths you'll need.

As for S2S or S4S, I would always want to plane the lumber myself, both for surface quality and in the interest in getting maximum thickness, but, again, that might depend on the type and quality of work you want to do.


Frank makes an excellent point about clear lengths. Generally speaking, color will be the same whether you're buying FAS, #1 Common, Select and Better, or whatever grade. You're project should determine what you are buying. If you're making mouldings, you need FAS at a minumum. #1 Common would probaly work for something like cabinet doors where you can cut around the knots and whatever else defects.

[Peter Quinn]

At work (millwork/cabinet shop) we use many different grades of lumber depending on the job specs. I have made clear grade work out of #2 common if the pieces were small and the wood was willing to play. I have been on other jobs where Pattern Grade Mahogany was used exclusively, that's like FAS ++. I don't even look at the lumber in pattern grade, I just pull widths, oh, and look out for cracks, checks, shattered grain and....I guess I always look at the lumber!

If your going to spec the lower grade inspect the lumber carefully, bring a cut list, and spend some time picking your boards. It can fall between worth your time and waste of time depending on the the wood and the project. Don't be afraid to mix it up either. Sometimes FAS for show faces and tops, lower grades for secondary wood and less visible or smaller parts can make sense and save you some money, that you can spend on more wood or tools!:D

[Brad Shipton]

FAS is an architectural grade. You can find the specs online. Pretty much boils down to a certain width/length yield out of the board without knots or other defects. Last order I placed for some cherry I decided to go with Select, and I found that I dont get as good of lengths and the amount of white areas in the average boards was noticably greater. Think this over for your project. FAS may be worth the extra.

Brad

[glenn bradley]

Actually I'll be going to Mpls tomorrow and I though I'd just bring my truck and kill 2 birds.

Also I see FAS is .50 more per bf, do most of you guys spend the extra .50 for FAS??

I tried "cheaper" lumber for a project awhile back. I ended up with so much waste, I could have bought the better grade and been ahead. This was just my experience. Since then I have bought the grade based on what I am making. Shop cabinets can be just about anything, a dresser is a different story.

[John Keeton]

This should get you to the illustrated guide that will explain the grading system for hardwoods.
http://www.ahec.org/hardwoods/pdfs/IllustratedGradingGuide.pdf