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Thread: Was this a good price?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    Was this a good price?

    Been a while since I’ve bought any wood beyond pine. Today I picked up 150 pieces of 4/4 Jatoba that is all 13” x 4” x 3/4”. My calculator says it’s 40.625 bf. Searching everywhere online I’m seeing prices around $12/bf. I paid $7/bf.

    realizing the pieces have limited usage as opposed to full boards, does this sound like a good price if I come across more, or fair for this style pieces? Thinking usage in cutting boards and other small projects. Thanks.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    Peoria, IL
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    It's a good price if you can use a lot of 13" long boards. As wood gets around a foot long here, they get really close to the scrap bin.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    NJ
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    Agree with Richard. If you have to normally buy lengths and saw them down for whatever you're doing to that length, then you hit a good deal for you and the person unloading it, otherwise nope.

  4. #4
    Sounds like you did ok Greg. Cutting boards, medium size boxes, maybe some mallets for the shop or meat tenderizers for the kitchen.

    Enjoy!
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  5. #5
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    Thanks guys. I won't rush to buy more unless I come up with a really good use for them, but wasn't sure if comparing to the full board length prices per BF was a fair comparison.

    Looks like some boxes, cutting boards and maybe a mallet or two are in my future. Just need to grab some pieces of complimentary woods like hard maple, black walnut and maybe some others.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    It's good usable material for small projects, both built by hand and for CNC work. I acquired a "whole bunch" of excess Tiger Wood decking in similar sizes and used it for a variety of projects. Obviously, the lower the cost, the better...I cannot quantify whether or not it was a "good deal" based on your cost, however.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    It's good usable material for small projects, both built by hand and for CNC work. I acquired a "whole bunch" of excess Tiger Wood decking in similar sizes and used it for a variety of projects. Obviously, the lower the cost, the better...I cannot quantify whether or not it was a "good deal" based on your cost, however.
    Makes sense. The guy selling it had a pallet full of it and was asking $5 per piece. I ended up getting 150 pieces for $2 per piece which seemed like an ok deal. My main interest was due to the fact that I sold off my entire wood stash when I sold my equipment a few years back. Now that I'm tinkering with the hobby again, I just needed to accumulate a stash of hobby wood. If I could find a similar deal in hard maple, black walnut and a few other items, it would probably hold me for a while on small projects. LOL

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
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    Redmond, OR
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    When ever I buy off sized stuff like that for a great price it always seems to find a use for itself eventually.

    I see an organizer cabinet like an Grestner tool box in that pile.
    Last edited by Michael Schuch; 05-26-2022 at 7:57 PM.

  9. #9
    I suppose it depends on if you like Jatoba and have a use for that length. 4/4 x 13” is borderline scrap/kindling for me and typically better disposed of than taking up valuable shop space, but everyone is different in their needs, values, and space available. I don’t really use exotics so I’m not sure how good that price is for such short pieces.
    Still waters run deep.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
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    Manistique, Michigan
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    1,367
    I think its a good deal for segmented turning.
    Thank you,

    Rich Aldrich

    65 miles SE of Steve Schlumpf.

    "To a pessimist, the glass is half empty; to an optimist, the glass is half full; to an engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be." Unknown author



  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Piercefield, NY
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    1,657
    I like jatoba for musical instrument parts. 13" is too short for a banjo or guitar fretboard but a mandolin fretboard or fiddle fingerboard are possible, and things like tailpieces for archtop instruments, fiddle chinrests and such.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
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    In answer to the question.....maybe. My Dad always used the saying "nothing is a bargain if you can't use it". If you have uses in mind for it then you did great. Post photos of the project(s). In the end only one person needs to be happy with the acquisition and that's you.

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