The hardwood lumberyard I've been dealing with for 30+ years got bought out by a national building supply firm, and sadly, it's time to find another source. I bought maybe 500-800 bft from them every couple of years. If anybody knows of a good supplier south of Boston and east of Providence, I'd be glad to chat with them. Otherwise, my options are either sight-unseen freight order or local sawmills. I' ve been dealing with a local sawmill now for a number of years, got good oak and white pine from them, learned to air-dry it, and have space for maybe 2000 bft in a drying shed. There are also sawmills that focus on 'live edge' and boule-sawing, although they seem more expensive than KD FAS stock.
I'm intrigued by switching over entirely to boule-sawn air dried supply and would welcome any comments from folks who made the change or have thought about the differences. I also wonder about using air-dried stock for show surfaces and KD for the rest. Are there aspects of this changeover I should be thinking about. Thanks in advance for helping me through this decision process. I don't sell what I make - just build boats and furniture as a hobby.