Sticker Shock

[Marlin]

^


Is that a small local place? and quality?


rough FAS/Select Cherry is $3.60-$4.00 a bf at one place here if you buy 1000bf.

[LarryG]

Gotta fess up, guys. It is rough cut at the mill, not S4S.

Actually that's what I assumed you meant. Still a good price by most standards.

[Tom Miller]

Gotta fess up, guys. It is rough cut at the mill, not S4S.

Feel better, now?

;-D

Uhhh, no! Besides, we're already halfway to South Carolina, with no plans to turn back. (It's a left at Arkansas, then stop before we go in the water, right?)

Regards,
Tom

[MikeMcCoy]

Ken - I just looked at a map and for $2.50 a bf, it would be worth the drive. The cheapest around here is $4.50 and that's not prime. Is this a retail outfit?

[TheRic]

Ken: Looks like you might be having some guests in the near future!!

[Tom Miller]

I've been wanting to go on a scouting mission to Siweks Lumber to see what their operation is like.

Hmmm, I recall going there about 10 yrs ago. All I can say is, hasn't that place burned to the ground yet? I went there to get a replacement sash for an old South Mpls house we were living in at the time. The storage building was a huge old wooden structure, full of more wood, and wood dust.

I wasn't into WWing at the time, but my recollection isn't of a place with lots of good hardwood. More like sheetgoods, and building supplies kind of place.

If you go, let me know what you think.

Regards,
Tom

[MikeMcCoy]

But I'm just down the road.

[Kristofor]

If you go, let me know what you think.

Regards,
Tom

Ha, I've been there too! Sort of...


The Minneapolis one is right on the east side of the river just north of the Broadway or Lowry bridge (the latter I think I recall). Seems like it's only a couple miles from the Columbia Heights Harbor Freight. Anyhow it's a regular Ace, Hardware Hank or TrueValue type hardware store and building center with the lumber as well. They don't run on big-box hours so when I showed up at like 4:30 on a Saturday they were getting ready to close so I didn't really poke around much.

The Jordan location is just across the river from where I live. It also has a small hardware section then a lot of building material. They have a sawmill and millwork area. There are several buildings near one another. Some are climate controlled, others aren't. The place is pretty messy (not paved, not plowed), and you kind of just wander around (or at least I did). This was the first place I looked for lumber after buying a planer and jointer, and at the time I was scared away by the lack of prices or printed dimensions/sizes for any of the wood, and not really understanding the whole concept...

It would probably serve me well to head back there now with a more discerning eye. The Jordan location at least is very convenient (for me, not you East Enders!)

Kristofor.

[Tom Miller]

Ha, I've been there too! Sort of...


The Minneapolis one is right on the east side of the river just north of the Broadway or Lowry bridge (the latter I think I recall).

OK, this is kind of funny. (Recall my earlier disbelief that the place hadn't burned to the ground yet.)

That location didn't sound quite right, so I clicked on the link Brian posted which shows the map. Nope, that didn't ring a bell.

So I hollered to the wife, "Do you remember the place where we got that replacement sash?"

And she hollers back, "Oh, you mean that place that burned down?"

OK, maybe not "laugh out loud" funny.

Regards,
Tom

[Ken Massingale]

Ken - I just looked at a map and for $2.50 a bf, it would be worth the drive. The cheapest around here is $4.50 and that's not prime. Is this a retail outfit?

Mike,
No, it's a sawyer with a bandsaw mill and stacks of big logs. I'll find his phone number and PM it to you.
ken

[Russianwolf]

I'm in the same boat as Ken. I now have several emails and numbers where I can get deals like

4/4 Cherry (all red) for $3/bf
8/4 Spalted Maple for $2.20/bf
4/4 Walnut (all dark) for $4/bf
20 years dry American Elm (go ahead and try to find some) 4/4 for $1/bf

4/4 Eastern Red Cedar $1/bf

Even found a local place that has

4/4 Padauk for $3.50/bf

Don't hate us because we're close to cheap wood.

[TheRic]

.....Don't hate us because we're close to cheap wood.

Why not, it's a good enough reason for me.

You can be added to the YOU SUCK list.

[Brian G]

Hmmm, I recall going there about 10 yrs ago. All I can say is, hasn't that place burned to the ground yet? I went there to get a replacement sash for an old South Mpls house we were living in at the time. The storage building was a huge old wooden structure, full of more wood, and wood dust.

I wasn't into WWing at the time, but my recollection isn't of a place with lots of good hardwood. More like sheetgoods, and building supplies kind of place.

If you go, let me know what you think.

Regards,
Tom

My curiosity got the better of me, so I went there Saturday. I'm surprised that place hasn't burned to the ground already.

They do have a sizable collection of hardwood (even some very decent 12/4 and 10/4 maple at $3.00/bf), but most of it is in eleventy-billion foot lengths and graded somewhere between common and select. The lighting is poor, so it's tough to get a good read on the appearance of the lumber. It's also tough to get a good idea (without help from an employee) on the pricing. In some places they indicate the $/bf, right next to a sign that lists the price per linear foot, but the calculations don't match one to the other.

I'm not sure, but I think they hire somebody to distress the sheet goods. Much of it looked like BORG rejects, at least the hardwood plywood. Other pallets looked like something bought from liquidated warehouses, or reclaimed from jobsites as overage.

I wasn't impressed, if you couldn't tell.