Availability of 8/4 and 12/4 QSWO

[Joe Beaulieu]

I am considering an Arts and Crafts project - a nice coffee table made of QSWO. I started to look at prices and was surprised to find nobody seems to be stocking thicker pieces of this very traditional wood. Where do you get your oak, and does that yard offer it in 8/4 and 12/4? Gotta make legs, and I am reluctant to glue up legs, but I may be forced to.

Let me know? I am in the east SF Bay - MacBeaths doesnt seem to stock it any longer.

Thanks All

Joe

[Eric Rathhaus]

Have you tried this place https://moorenewton.com ?

Eric, Oakland

[Dave Mills]

I picked up some really nice 8/4 QSWO at Hughes Hardwood in Sacramento a couple months ago, and they had quite a bit in stock. I don't know literally today if they do, but if that not too far to travel you could give them a call.

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Joe, For the legs on Morris chairs and other furniture the legs are often made up with four pieces of quarter sawn oak to have the medullary show on all four sides.

This practice may be why finding thicker pieces will be difficult.

Also the thicker oak is cut, the bigger the tree has to have been to make both sides have the appearance expected of quarter sawn oak.

Have you tried Truitt & White:

642 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710

MacBeath's was usually my first stop for quality lumber.

jtk

[Eric Rathhaus]

Hi Joe - you should all visit the bay Area Woodworkers Org site. There are links to many different lumber suppliers there. https://www.bayareawoodworkers.org/M...ce_Lumber.html

[Andrew Seemann]

Even if I wasn't too cheap to buy 8/4 or 12/4 QSWO, I would still laminate it rather than use it solid. White oak in that thickness can be squirrelly sometimes.

With an Arts and Crafts style finish, you likely won't even see the laminations. When I laminate legs, I try to book match the side that shows. The cherry coffee table below has laminated legs and a clear finish. The laminations are only visible under close examination, and essentially invisible in regular use.

If you want the ray fleck visible on all four sides, there are various ways to do that as well, some more difficult than others.

table leg.jpg

[Mark Gibney]

Down here in Los Angeles Bohnhoff Lumber told me it's difficult to get white oak in the thicker dimensions right now.
I bought a bunch of 12/4 for a project a couple of months back from another vendor and there was quite a few checks once I'd cut into it.
Good luck with your search.

[Jack Frederick]

I have not done business with them but a good friend has for many years and has nothing but good things to say about them. https://www.mountstorm.com/ They are in Windsor just N or Santa Rosa.

[Andrew Seemann]

I wonder if there is something going on in the white oak market now. My supplier said they were having trouble even sourcing quartersawn, and flat sawn is up 50% from what I was quoted last year.