It's been forever since I ordered rough lumber and surfaced it

[steve_g]

Can I expect to net 1⅛" from 5/4 rough cherry? A customer of mine has reordered a large number of Cherry business card holders with their logo on them... typically I make these from 3/4" drops I've saved up and the lids are made from split 3/4" blanks. Since I have no drops and will have to order lumber for the job I thought I would use 5/4" material and cut the lids off the body part and let the grain match. It's been forever since I ordered rough lumber and surfaced it... hence my question. Can I expect to net 1⅛" from 5/4 rough cherry?

SG

[genek]

Would go 6/4 rather than 5/4... By the time you plane the wood. You will be right at that. Then when you re-saw you will be below what you need.

[steve_g]

Thanks Eugene
You confirmed my suspicion... I'll order 6/4 tomorrow.

SG

[tlempicke]

Another thing I just ran in to. Their planer blade was pretty bad and it did not show up until I started to finish my project. A little extra so that you can make sure the surface is perfect will not hurt.

[genek]

thought about this after i went to bed... just order 4/4 you were using 3/4 finished...
saves on money... also if you can get fas shorts would be even cheaper... i go to the saw mill and get kiln dried shorts. for about half the cost of normal wood.

the shorts are where the size the wood and sometimes how they get rid of a curve.

[mark_stief]

Steve My 5/4 cherry comes to me at an 1 3/16 finished so rough 5/4 should plane to an 1 1/8 pretty easy for you

[steve_g]

Mark

1⅛" was likely a bit optimistic on my part. As Eugene reminded me... I have to resaw off the lid and finish those surfaces too.

I'm having fun finding what I want in the Dallas area... I'll likely land up buying 4/4 and giving the customer what he's been getting in the past.

SG

[genek]

Steve are there any high end cabinet shops in your area... I go by one locally and pick up their waste.. Also they may be able to tell you where you can buy it cheaper... Some shops throw enough away each month to do a lot of hobbyist for a year... I get a lot of exotic wood this way...

[steve_g]

I can buy from the same sources that the cabinet shops in my area buy from.

http://www.plywoodcompany.com/application/home/itemdetails.aspx?categoryid=332&itemid=7790 (http://www.plywoodcompany.com/application/home/itemdetails.aspx?categoryid=332&itemid=7790)

Still a pretty good drive across the DFW metroplex...

The cabinet shops I had working relationships with have all gone out of business and what's left are high volume no useable waste places. I need to get out more...

SG

[CNYDWW]

I can usually get 2ft tall pallet of shorts, as we call them up here, for about $25-50 depending on content. All kiln dried hardwoods I salvage what i want then turn around and sell what's left on craigslist for about $20 as craft wood.

[steve_g]

I can usually get 2ft tall pallet of shorts, as we call them up here, for about $25-50
Randy... I'm jealous I just paid $4.00 BF and think I got a good deal!

I ended up getting my Cherry lumber from "McKinney Hardwoods" (formerly known as "Curly Woods") http://www.mckinneyhardwoods.com/ (http://www.mckinneyhardwoods.com/)

McKinney is a boom town 30 minuets north of the DFW Metroplex and Michael Mastin, owner, runs the business out of his home after his full time job. He had a good selection of 8/4 narrow and/or shorts for me to select from.

Now I have to get to work!

SG

[steve_g]

My wife had an entirely different image in her mind when I told her I had bought some "Cherry Shorts"

SG

[genek]

my wife had an entirely different image in her mind when i told her i had bought some "cherry shorts"

sg
i just got fifty board feet of cherry and 100 bf of poplar... The cherry short fas cost me 2.00 bf the poplar shorts fas cost me a 1.00 bf... If wood is that high in texas... It would pay you to drive to ky. With a trailer and take back a huge load and sale it at 3.00 bft..
Or higher

[steve_g]

Gene

One would think it could be profitable... if it wasn't for gas and your time! I used to bring loads home when visiting relatives in Indiana and Minnesota. I could justify it by saying the time and gas where free since we were going there anyway. My family still talks about one trip... We filled every spare nook and cranny of a 15 passenger van with Cherry. It was in the dead of winter and the boards were sub zero... We never warmed up that whole trip even with the heater on full blast!

SG

[genek]

If my wife and i come to new orleans this fall or winter... I will bring you some. I know about the gas... I pick my wood up on my way home at night to keep from making a speical trip.

[steve_g]

Gene

KY to New Orleans .....793 miles
New Orleans to Dallas ....518 miles

Not exactly a side trip!

SG