opinion's wanted-wood price

[larry merlau]

i have found some air dried hardwood.lots of it, wil go to see the total amount tonight. but truckloads is what the ladt said. walnut,cheery,oak and maple 4gtr and 8gtr as well. so wouldlike some idea as to what price should be fair. it has been under cover in a barn for 20 years! should ready to go. please offer some advice prior to 2.30 est time thanks // larry almost owner:)

[Alan Turner]

Larry,
I am no expert on this subject, having most of my life used KD wood. But, I had the chance to buy a whole bunch (5000-8000 b.f.) of AD white oak, cherry walnut, butternut and ash, really cheap. I could have bought it for almost nothing. It had been in a barn for 15years +. Too much for me, and so I tried to help the seller (an estate) by letting Groff & Groff buy it. They came up to look at it, and said that for them to sell it, they would have to dry it further. Esp. in 8/4, it wasn't dry enough for furniture work. Plus, it had bugs, which it takes a kiln to kill. Plus, too much labor to collect it since they couldn't get a semi to the barn. They passed. So did I. But, I took one board of white oak, just to play with. Yup -- not dry enough to work, and buggy. So, since I only needed lengths of 2', I cut them, and then put them into the kitchen oven at the lowest temp. -- about 150 deg., for a day (wife was out of tpwn, of course). Well, those boards: moved, surface checked, but I think the bugs are dead. So, this a.m., while building a small shelf for the shop, I grabbed a piece of this 8/4 w.o., and riped it on the TS. Yup, still wet, moved enough to try to bind the blade.

And, to top it off, my wife came home early and found the wood in the oven. That occassioned a bit of a discussion, as you might imagine.

So, your question is price. My answer would be to pass. That said, the heartwood on walnut is not bug susceptible, I am told. But I might stay with the 4/4. I would pass on any w.o., sicne it is hard to dry, without case hardening, even in a good kiln run by one who knows what he is doing. I know that many do use air dried wood, but those folks are more knowledgable than am I. Perhpas you have the abilty to access or build a kiln. Then, a fair price might be about $1 per b.f., or so.

PS - I did find 3 fabulous boards of 8/4, wide and quite heavily figured. Did take them, and next week they go into a commercial kiln, for which I will pay whatever the charge is. One was butternut, one a heavily figured white ash, one was walnut. Be interesting to see how they come out.
Alan

[Todd Burch]

Larry, when I buy wood in quantity, on speculation, it's on the cheap.

In 1996, I answered a classified ad in the local paper. It was an estate sale. The husband died in 1986, and now, ten years later, the wife was moving to a home. I went and saw the wood. It filled the attic of a 2 car wide by 2½ car deep garage. Walnut, cedar, cherry, maple, oak - lots of it - all stickered and neatly stacked by the husband some time prior to his death in '86. So, at least 10 years air drying, and most likely much longer. Several signs of bugs and termites.

I asked the Estate Sale management "how much for all the wood", not knowing exactly how much wood there was. They said "make us an offer". So I did. I asked them when the wood had to be removed by. They said Saturday. It was Thursday. I told them that I could have it removed for them by Saturday for $100. They did not hesitate and said OK. It was over 4 very loaded pickup loads. After I got it back to the house, I dead stacked it outside the garage on the driveway and had a pest control company come bag it for bugs - another $275. I've been paying to store it (with other wood) since 1998-ish - so figure another $70/month for 6 years, plus renting a truck and hiring laborers to move it a couple times, so that's another $5000+.

So, my cheap cheap cheap wood (maybe around 1800 board feet) has cost me close to $3 a board foot so far, even at the low-ball initial price.

Things to take into consideration.

[Jim Becker]

Larry, take the things that Alan talks about to heart and look at the wood very carefully. Look at how it was stored (stacked neatly or haphazardly) and so forth. Check for signs of insect activity, mold, etc. If you find material you like and want to buy it, $.50 to $1.00 a bd ft would be the max unless there is something extraordinary and unusual. IMHO, of course. Take a small block plane with you and your moisture meter, too.

I did get some very nice cherry boards from that stock that Alan mentioned, but passed on a lot of things that I would liked to have brought home. Unfortuantely, and for the reasons that he stated, it was not acceptable and stayed in the shed. Speaking of which, the shed had relatively poor air flow which undoubtedly contributed to both the moisture and insect issues.

[larry merlau]

[QUOTE=Todd Burch]Larry, when I buy wood in quantity, on speculation, it's on the cheap.

thanks to all who have replied, when you look at the long haul as you guys have said maybe i should kinda fade away in the sunset. just have the desire and need for some of it but dont need to buy junk either. thanks again and will take your advice as given.

[larry merlau]

[QUOTE=Jim Becker] mr becker this is on a differnt subject,, you had a review on a hvlp sprayer. i am wondering if it would appropiate or sensible to use it for staining a house exterior with oil base solide color stain. i know airless worked last time but thouhgt that possibly could incorporate this use in to a new tool ,, the airless willbe rented this time if needed ,, a freind permantly borrowed the one i used last time:(

[Jim Becker]

Larry, the HVLP gun should work fine for the exterior stain. Do be sure to clean it thoroughly before you put it way for use back in the shop. Airless is almost essential for latex paint, but oil-based shoots nicely...and you can thin it if need be. I have sprayed Rustolium oil based enamel with my gun with great resutls. (Only oil based product I've sprayed...I only use water bourne in the shop)

[Rob Russell]

I wouldn't run away from the wood that quickly.

If the wood has been air-dried, under cover and is neatly stacked - for 20 years - it's as dry as any wood is going to be in that environment. If you had kiln dried wood and stacked it in the barn, it could have absorbed moisture to whatever level it is in the barn.

Bugs are an issue, but I wouldn't walk away from the wood yet.

Do you have a place to store it?
Do you have an easy way to move it (like your own truck)?
Pricewise, you're doing them a favor, so cheap - .05-.10 a bf or something similar. If you find a lot of nice walnut, cherry and maple that's not buggy, it would be worth paying someone to kiln dry it. The oak is less valuable.

JMO.

Rob

[larry merlau]

I wouldn't run away from the wood that quickly.

Do you have a place to store it?
Do you have an easy way to move it (like your own truck)?
Pricewise, you're doing them a favor, so cheap - .05-.10 a bf or something similar. If you find a lot of nice walnut, cherry and maple that's not buggy, it would be worth paying someone to kiln dry it. The oak is less valuable.

JMO.

Rob
i donthave a place to store that much but can find one, the haulin is no problem, the drying could be done but is hard to find one close by. that would kill the bugs if not much damage is done correct?

[Chris Padilla]

Yes, kiln drying will take care of the bugs.

[larry merlau]

Yes, kiln drying will take care of the bugs.
that runs around 20 cts a foot for drying approx? in michigan

[Todd Burch]

Don't forget you can bag it! Takes about 24 hours and it can be bagged where it will be permanently (or until you use it - temporarily!) stacked. Probably cheaper than hauling to kiln, paying to get it dried and hauling it again.

[Chris Padilla]

Todd, they "bag" (tent) entire houses for pest (termite) control out here! You'd think the circus was in town! :)

[Michael Cody]

i have found some air dried hardwood.lots of it, wil go to see the total amount tonight. but truckloads is what the ladt said. walnut,cheery,oak and maple 4gtr and 8gtr as well. so wouldlike some idea as to what price should be fair. it has been under cover in a barn for 20 years! should ready to go. please offer some advice prior to 2.30 est time thanks // larry almost owner:)


Larry -- hi from Richland, this isn't by chance a guy in Richland is it... I know of a stash (don't worry I am no interested just curious).. if so I can give you some background on the wood & the gent -- have known him for a while. If not no big deal.. just curious.