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Pros and Cons of Mail Order Lumber

Gilmourisgod

Gilmourisgod

Jun 23, 2014
22,479
40,817
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Cape Cod MA
#1
I live on Cape Cod in Mass. (no Masshole comments please!) , and all the local lumber suppliers store their stock in unheated outdoor warehouses, so the wood moisture content is all over the place depending on time of year, how long it's been there, etc. They all seem to charge exorbitant rates for machine time like jointing one face and one edge, re-sawing, etc. I have a 6" jointer and 12" lunchbox planer, so I can dress rough stock if it's small enough, but standard body-blank sizes would be too big for my equipment. I'm planning a through-neck bass project using all hard-rock maple, so I need some long neck laminate pieces, but the body wings only require 8" stock width. I've found a few on-line sources that carry hard rock maple, the prices and shipping costs vary widely, and it's hard to judge the quality by generic photos. One that looked promising was Baird Bros. of Ohio:

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Has anyone bought from these guys? They sell S4S stock in a variety of sizes that would work off the shelf for my project. I'd rather not buy lumber and need to let it sit for months or years drying out so I can use it. I understand it's wise to let kiln-dried lumber acclimate to my shop conditions for at least a few weeks prior to cutting, not sure how long that should be. My shop is heated, but has no other form of humidity control.

A few noobish questions:
1. What's the "ideal" mositure content for rock maple in instrument making?
2. Is something like this cheap Harbor Freight moisture meter adequate for testing instrument grade lumber?
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3. How much excess thickness is reasonable to allow for stock loss in sanding and finishing? I need to end up with 1-1/4" finished body thickness, so I'm assuming 1-1/2" thick stock.
4. What's a reasonable amount of time to let lumber acclimate to my shop before machining? is it better to cut stock to rough size or thickness first and then let it acclimate?

Any suggestions for lumber suppliers in Eastern Mass, or reputable and reasonably priced mail order sources appreciated.
 
#4
jamesCD said:
http://www.woodworkerssource.com/

These are the guys I use. The wood is kiln dried. Company is in Arizona so the wood does not sit around in a humid environment before shipping. I've never had any problems with cutting and gluing the day it comes off the truck.
Click to expand...

I buy wood from these guys too. They're not far from me, so I'm able to hand select pieces. They even have a couple of scrap bins which are typically great deals.
 
#7
#8
It is wise to let lumber acclimate to your shop conditions no matter where it comes from. Getting more acquainted with how wood moisture content changes, especially with respect to ambient conditions and the fiber saturation point, will help more than a moisture meter. The moisture meter can help you to determine when the wood is done acclimating, so you it won't hurt. Not sure if the HF one is any good but as usual you get what you pay for and if it's not accurate then it's just going to drive you nuts. I have never owned a moisture meter myself but I do always let my lumber acclimate in my shop, no matter where it comes from.

Very few places, mail order or not, store their lumber in conditioned, humidity controlled spaces. Some spaces are heated, some not. I have bought great wood from outdoor spaces and I have gotten warped garbage off of ebay from Cook Woods. I have been to Gilmer, and their space is not conditioned (plus, Oregon is very humid). Much of Gilmer's wood is sealed with shellac so caveat emptor. Just because they are a reputable source with expensive wood doesn't mean you can unwrap it and use it.

All this to say, there is no better wood than wood you can select in person, in my book. I don't want someone else deciding what I have just paid for, and, if I select in person, and the species that I need is all junk, I can pass on it or select an alternative. The only advantages to buying mail order are (1) they have a species you cannot get locally or (2) they are a luthier supply shop (LMII, for example), and they have graded and processed according to particular application (fingerboards) and have a strong reputation.
 
#9
FBB
Given all that, If go to the local hardwood supplier nearest me (Falmouth Mass) and look at what they have on hand for rock maple in roughsawn, what should be considered a reasonable moisture content for use in the near future? If I buy lumber next week, it will probably sit in my shop until early September, so that would be 4-6 weeks of acclimating before I start cutting it up.
 
#10
I think the lumber industry standard for kiln dried rough lumber is 12%. I vaguely recall someone saying that 6% was closer to ideal for maple, but that it was extraordinarily difficult to regulate and stabilize. It'll go up and down with the temperature and humidity. But 12% is probably where most kiln dried stuff will be, or at least, it was when they took it out of the oven.

I think the more important thing to look for is straight grain, parallel with the edge to be cut, with as little runout over the length as possible. That way, when it does expand, you stand more of a chance of it expanding evenly over the length of the board, minimizing the potential for problems.
 
#11
Moisture content fluctuates according to temperature and relative humidity once you have driven off all the free water. Where it settles is called the equilibrium moisture content. The important thing is that it has settled, not that it reaches some MC, before you start cutting. Many guitar builders work in climate-controlled shops that are set to national averages so they minimize the difference to wherever their guitars might end up. I would think that if you buy from a reputable source that has dried the wood properly, it is at EMC where you buy it, and it is not very far from EMC at your shop, 4-6 weeks should be enough to settle. Most of the folks that work at lumber yards are happy to talk about this kind of thing so feel free to ask them what they think.

Here are a couple of good resources to help you get a handle on EMC and movement:

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http://www.woodworkerssource.com/movement.php
 
#13
I suspect there are a lot of people who succeed at making an instrument who do not know anything/much about moisture content and the seasoning of wood. It is possible to buy from a reputable dealer and wing it, which is what many do. Often it will go fine and most of the time small amounts of movement can be dealt with down the line. But generally, the more you know, the better are your chances of success, and the more repeatable your successes will be.
 
#14
Gilmourisgod said:
I live on Cape Cod in Mass. (no Masshole comments please!) , and all the local lumber suppliers store their stock in unheated outdoor warehouses, so the wood moisture content is all over the place depending on time of year, how long it's been there, etc.

2. Is something like this cheap Harbor Freight moisture meter adequate for testing instrument grade lumber?
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.
Click to expand...

I know this thread is ancient but if anyone lands here looking for moisture meter info...I strongly recommend avoiding the cheaper meters that are really for checking wallboard. Although they work, they are only reading the outer surface. You will run into problems if you need an accurate read on 8/4 lumber - basically where you're most likely to expose higher moisture levels when carving bodies. We use this Wagner that can read a full 1" into the wood without poking holes into the material. I bought it on Amazon years ago and it's worth its weight in gold IMO.
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#15
I buy from these guys too. shipping is kinda steep so i buy a bunch at once to help numb the pain.
jamesCD said:
Woodworkers Source Your Friendly Lumber Supplier

These are the guys I use. The wood is kiln dried. Company is in Arizona so the wood does not sit around in a humid environment before shipping. I've never had any problems with cutting and gluing the day it comes off the truck.
Click to expand...
 
#16
Just a thought. If you had a meter you could keep a couple of small blocks of wood in your home and shop to see where they end up for your specific situation. Then when wood comes in you can compare it to your well acclimated blocks. If you write the date and % on the block you should be able to figure out your seasonal swings also.
 
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#17
TrustRod said:
Just a thought. If you had a meter you could keep a couple of small blocks of wood in your home and shop to see where they end up for your specific situation. Then when wood comes in you can compare it to your well acclimated blocks. If you write the date and % on the block you should be able to figure out your seasonal swings also.
Click to expand...
Wood picks up (or loses) moisture in weird ways. Inland So Cal is in a windy desert climate. Conventional wisdom says if wood lands at 9-10%, it's going to lose a percent or two over time. Sometimes it does, sometimes not. Getting a baseline of what's happening in your space is probably a good idea.
 
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