Is now the time to buy wood?

[davidtu]

If I am planning to do some projects this summer, do I want to get the wood now? Would I store it in the garage (unheated, uninsulated, rainy Seattle weather) or in the basement (heated)?

If not now, then when?

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Anytime? Not sure what the question is at this point. Are you concerned about moisture content? Are you buying air dried, kiln dried or green? What species? How thick? All those things come into play in the question "should I buy wood right now"?

[Kristofor]

The answer of course is yes. Whenever you ask that question, the answer is yes!

Once you've recognized that, then Jeffrey's follow-up questions come into play.

[lrr]

If I am planning to do some projects this summer, do I want to get the wood now? Would I store it in the garage (unheated, uninsulated, rainy Seattle weather) or in the basement (heated)?

If not now, then when?

I'd bring wood inside, if the ultimate result is that your project will remain inside, such as furniture. Get it used to your environment. My shop is in basement, where temperature is relative stable, so I bring in wood and let it sit for at least a couple weeks before I use it.

So, buy it now -- and you'll have plenty of time for the wood to acclimate to your home.

[drumpriest]

Here's a slightly different perspective I think. If you are planning to machine the wood yourself (joint and plane flat and square), then you can pretty much buy it whenever, just ensure that it is properly dried. If you are going to rely on S4S lumber, then I would buy it just before starting the project. Then you can look through the stacks and get the flattest and straightest available. Use it as soon as you can.

[Russianwolf]

To bring a bit of contention into the discussion, Some woodworkers (Sam Maloof for one) store their wood in the open. Stacked and Stickered, good hardwood will not readily rot. The sap wood may deteriorate, but the heartwood will stay good.

Also, once wood has been dried, Air or kiln, the cells will give off any gained moisture (from rain or whatever) much faster.

I was astonded to find this out when reading an article on Sam's work and techniques.

[JimD]

I buy the wood I need for each project and try to buy a little extra so I will not have to go back and so I have something to play with when I am done. I do not have sufficient space to store a bunch of inventory or I would buy even more.

I do not worry about the "stabilization" people talk about when discussing buying wood and letting it settle in your shop awhile before working it. There may be something to this theory but I ignore it and haven't had any problems I can attribute to moisture.

If you want to do something with lumber store materials, end of winter is a good time to buy the material because it will be dryer, typically. Indoor humidity level is very low from heating and even construction lumber will be pretty dry if it has been inside for awhile.

Jim