Suprised at wood origin

[Lee Schierer]

I'm in the process of building a pine pantry cupboard for my DIL. I'm using clear pine for the exterior surfaces and #2 for the parts inside. About the cheapest source locally for pine is HD. I noted this weekend while removing the bar code stickers from the clear pine 1 X 6's that they said "Made in Sweden". Hard to believe that you can import clear pine cheaper from Sweden than you can from the States or Canada.

[Brad Schmid]

Lee,

Interestingly enough, I just finished reading an article somewhere the other day (might have been latest Woodshop News) that there is a shortage of Eastern White Pine right now. If that's what you're using, maybe that has something to do with it.

Brad

[John Shuk]

How about this. We ship wood to China from the US. They build furniture out of it. Pack it and ship it back with diesel prices in the stratosphere and it is ALOT cheaper than What we make here? HOW? Boggles the mind don't it?

[Ed Falis]

How about this. We ship wood to China from the US. They build furniture out of it. Pack it and ship it back with diesel prices in the stratosphere and it is ALOT cheaper than What we make here? HOW? Boggles the mind don't it?

What's surprising about it? You need a lot higher wage here than you do in China to make a living.

- Ed

[Todd Burch]

Lee - you sure you're not using spruce from HD? HD collectively refers to all of it as "white wood".

HD's motto - obviously - "buy low, sell high - just tell 'em you're selling low! - and if anyone catch's you, pay 'em off with 10%."

My local lumber dealer is always cheaper than HD on pine, poplar and red oak, and the quality (smoothness, straightness, less case hardening, solid wood instead of wood stave panels) is much better than HD too.

[Lee Schierer]

Lee - you sure you're not using spruce from HD? HD collectively refers to all of it as "white wood".

HD's motto - obviously - "buy low, sell high - just tell 'em you're selling low! - and if anyone catch's you, pay 'em off with 10%."

My local lumber dealer is always cheaper than HD on pine, poplar and red oak, and the quality (smoothness, straightness, less case hardening, solid wood instead of wood stave panels) is much better than HD too.

It's definitely pine not spruce and for clear pine, teh other local sources were 10-15% higher. At least at HD I could pick through the stack and get piece I wanted, not what they wanted to give me. The clear boards look like curly grained wood, but are as traight and stress free as you can want. I get no closure or spreading when ripping long lengths.

[Todd Burch]

Picture - we need a picture of your curly pine!!

[Mark Angle]

How about this. We ship wood to China from the US. They build furniture out of it. Pack it and ship it back with diesel prices in the stratosphere and it is ALOT cheaper than What we make here? HOW? Boggles the mind don't it?

What you're saying is correct. We have a family friend that has a major saw mill here in SW Virginia. He used to sell most of his good wood to the furniture makers in the area. Now most of the furniture factories have closed and he is selling to China. It's cut to 7 feet long and shipped in cargo containers. Most of the wrokers here made just above min. wage so the labor must be nothing in China.

[jim barter]

Lee / Here in New Brunswick, Canada most of the old growth forest has been cut so no good wood left.The trees planted 50 years ago are now being harvested. The quick growth has the growth rings spaced so the wood is not good for structural.It is mainly used for pulp. The soft wood lumber tariffs has virtually shut down the export of pine to the states.
Jim