Where do you buy your wood?

[harrisg]

I just bought some Baltic Birch from Rockler and was not completely thrilled when it arrived. It was "BB/BB". The problem may be that I don't know what the designation "B" and "BB" mean. Could someone please explain the grading system to me.

I live close to Portland, Oregon but will probably be buying online. I've seen some good prices and read good testimony about Sloans Woodshop and might buy online from them next time. Do you have any special suppliers that you buy Baltic Birch and dimention hardwood from?

[jttheclockman]

Sloans is good. I happen to be lucky I ahve 2 hardwood dealers within 20 miles of me. Read this

http://www.scrollsaws.com/General/wo..._scrolling.htm

[Woodbutcher68]

I've bought from Sloans, Memphis Hardwood Lumber, www.memphishardwoodlumber.com and have an order in with Dirk Martin, www.thinboards.com who posts here. The Wood and Shop in St. Louis has some great prices too! Click on "Other Great Sites" in the left column, then click on "Retailers" to find some of these and others. Look in the classified ads in SSW for more.

[Old Mooner]

I buy most of my plywood and hardwood from Sloan's. They have never disappointed me and their service is fast. Their web site has "web specials", especially on plywood, that are a good bargain. The only problem with Sloan's (as I see it) is that you cannot order "on-line". You have to call them up on the phone to order specials posted on the web. Weird. They also have good prices on acrylic. I buy soft woods (Pine, Poplar, Cedar, etc) locally at Lowe's. they have "glued-up" wider pieces that are great for segmentation work.
Moon

[Greenfield_Bob]

I buy my Baltic Birch from a wood working store in Indianapolis.
I have had a lot of Walnut and Oak given to me, it is all rough cut, so I resaw it and plane it.

Bob

[CanadianScroller]

Wood wood everywhere

I am fortunate I live in a place where I don't have to buy much wood.
I do buy BB Ply form Windsor Plywood, a chain here in Western Canada.
If I need hardwoods I go to a local supplier Cheam Hardwoods
I haven't found anyone to match his pricing, although you will have to plane it yourself.
The rest of the wood I use I scrounge, There are many mills in the area that cast off perfectly suitable wood. I also use pallets and shipping crates.
I have some great fruit boxes I got from the local wine makers club.
A friend of mine just picked up tons of oak from an old barn, I also have some old growth cedar I scrounged from an old barn, You do have to watch for nails and staples when working with recycled wood but it is a cheaper alternative.

[GrayBeard Phil]

You can consider the label Baltic Birch as a trademark name to a specific plywood product. It has more, very thin, veneers and all sub-layers are mostly solid. Very, very few voids in the sub-layers.

Baltic Birch should be more expensive than "birch" plywood. Birch plywood is just cabinet grade plywood that has birch wood on either one side or both sides. There is just the usual number of veneers, and voids, in the sub-layers.

In my location, Baltic Birch plywood is available in several craft stores, woodworking stores, and hobby stores. Then I found this link
http://www.woodfinder.com/ (this only works for USA and Canada)
and I found out how to buy BB a lot cheaper.

I found a real lumber yard, which is willing to do special orders. They order the Baltic Birch from the lumber wholeseller, and it gets delivered a few days later to the retail lumber yard. The major problem? The retail (real) lumber yard is open only during the normal work week, when I am also working.

Aside: True BB plywood comes in 5' X 5' sheets. (And the few full sheets I got were 60.00 inches by 60.00 inches) and cutting them down to fit in my car was not permitted at that lumber yard. The lumber yard charged too much for them to cut the sheets for me. The sheets had to be tied to the roof of my car, which the yard worker helped me do.

Phil

[bearfretworks]

Living in the frozen north, I pretty much order most of my wood. For some reason, finding businesses in "America" willing to ship via the US Postal Service, instead of UPS or FED EX is tough.

I get most of my hardwood from suppliers I met thru e-Bay. The top 4 are:

Gary at Peppermint Springs Furniture, http://www.peppermintspringsfurniture.com/ ,
eBay name peppermintsprings Great walnut, cherry, and maple.

Kim, aka deerhunter56 on eBay - excellent thin wood at prices that can't be beat!

Scott and Nancy aka CRWOOD4U on eBay - great selection of all domestic species, I buy wide (9"+) cherry and butternut here.

Chit at Chit's Exotic Hardwood Cache, www.chitswood.com, or aka chitswood on eBay. LOTS of exotic stuff at this place. I have NEVER had a problem with any order, you get what is described, and often is is much nicer than expected.

There is one other place I bought from "in person" while visiting family in Minnesota. Heritage Building Specialties in Fergus Falls offers great domestic and exotic wood. They will even resaw and glue-up wide scroll blanks for you. Contact at www.heritagewood.com

Good luck!

[Mick Walker]

harrisg, I get Finnish birch plywood from www.scrolleronline.com. Check out www.ocoochhardwoods.com also. Mick.

[Gill]

Every few months a nearby auctioneer holds an an auction of wood that's been cut down by local tree surgeons. That's where I buy most of mine.

Sometimes, I'll go to a commercial timber yard and buy wood there, but it's about five to ten times more expensive buying it that way and it's much further to drive.

Gill

[scrollworks]

Whenever I get out west (Saskatchewan), I visit Windsor Plywood for some hardwoods, and there's a local guy here that brings in specialty woods for customers. Home Depot also carries baltic birch plywood.

_______________
Chuck...

[CanadianScroller]

One mans west is another mans east

I do like Windsor Plywood though, they are a great source of wood. And a cheap source of Baltic Birch!

Whenever I get out west (Saskatchewan), I visit Windsor Plywood for some hardwoods, and there's a local guy here that brings in specialty woods for customers. Home Depot also carries baltic birch plywood.

_______________
Chuck...

[heavykevy]

I have bought all my bb from sloans and some hardwood from them also. I have never had a problem with them. I have bought from Home Depot and have been very sorry that I did.


Heavykevy

[GrayBeard Phil]

BB at the BORG ???

When I read Chuck's post on the BORG selling Baltic Birch, I thought he was mis-taken and may be didn't look closly enough to see the fine print: as in Grade B - Birch plywood.

However, on another internet news source, there is in fact others who claim ("gloating" I think is the term) the Big Orange Retail Giant in CANADA ONLY is selling real Baltic Birch plywood in full 5 x 5 sheets

And it is inexpensive too boot.

Thank-you for just mentioning it in passing, and not GLOATING about it as seen elsewhere.

Phil

[Carter-Johnson]

Nobody;s mentioned Wildwood Designs in Wisconsin. That's where I buy all my 1/4" wood for puzzles. I order both from their catalog and their web site. Good stuff, including aromatic cedar.

Carter