Anyone have a confirmed source for 8/4 quartersawn walnut? I've called a zillion places and can't find a anyone. West Penn Hardwoods used to carry it, but doesn't now...
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Quartersawn Walnut
- Thread starter Stone Age
- Start date
mikeyswood
Inactive
Walnut is too common 'round here for retailers to separate cuts. Just find a place that sells walnut and find a piece that is quartersawn. For God's sake you're in Connecticut!
I know. The selection of walnut at my local place is very hit and miss though. Last visit was a miss.
mikeyswood
Inactive
This shouldn't be as hard to find as it's been. The order from West Penn was perfect too.
Have you tried looking for a flatsawn piece with that has the right grain orientation? A piece that goes straight through the middle of the tree?
I know how to spot it when I see it hiding in a slab cut. Looking for reliable source online so I don't have to sift through the piles.
The place in CT I used to hit up was Conway Hardwoods in Kent. You could give them a call to see if they've got any walnut in stock.
Edit: Though you'll have to sift through the piles yourself. Also I've never meet any woodworker who doesn't enjoy sifting through piles of wood.
Edit: Though you'll have to sift through the piles yourself. Also I've never meet any woodworker who doesn't enjoy sifting through piles of wood.
Thanks, I'll check them out.
It's not the sifting as much as the location. The walnut at my local place is 12 feet in the air on the top shelf of the warehouse.
It's not the sifting as much as the location. The walnut at my local place is 12 feet in the air on the top shelf of the warehouse.
mikeyswood
Inactive
Southeastern CT. I called most of the places within 50 miles that came up in various Google searches. Also called bunches of places in NY, NJ, PA and other states. No luck with saw mills so far either.
This stuff is common as mud, I just can't seem to find the cut that I'm looking for. I'm thinking I need to get a chainsaw do this myself.
Out of curiousity, what will you be using this for (neck, body, etc)? And what kind of dimensions are you looking for? Do you want it quartersawn for stability (i.e. to build a neck) or just for appearance (parallel grain)?
There could potentially be a variety of ways around this... Wider boards tend to have at least some quartersawn wood in them particularly if they came from toward the center of the log (and further toward the outside edges). If you are using it for a neck and just want the quartersawn wood for stability/strength, a flatsawn board flipped on edge will get you quartersawn wood, although obviously you'd probably need to laminate several layers.
There could potentially be a variety of ways around this... Wider boards tend to have at least some quartersawn wood in them particularly if they came from toward the center of the log (and further toward the outside edges). If you are using it for a neck and just want the quartersawn wood for stability/strength, a flatsawn board flipped on edge will get you quartersawn wood, although obviously you'd probably need to laminate several layers.
There is no shortage of it out here and just to make you feel a bit worse: it's usually $2/bf.
Dang, that's crazy. Is that a typical price in the area, or do you have special connections?
I found a guy locally that saws wood at his farm and sells walnut for $2.50/bdft. I thought that was ridiculously cheap (that's about what oak sells for around here... and is less than half what walnut goes for, direct from the mill). I actually just picked up some more walnut from him over the weekend and am having him keep an eye out for a walnut crotch for me.
Musiclogic
Commercial User
- Aug 6, 2005
- 6,505
- 73
- 60
- Disclosures
- Owner/Builder: HJC Customs USA, The Cool Lute, C G O
mikeyswood
Inactive
That is the sawmill price for me and I'm guessing that JC is in the same boat. That exact same lumber becomes $8/bf if you buy from Woodcraft/Rockler who buy from the same sawmill.
Red Oak is usually $0.99/bf.
That is the sawmill price for me and I'm guessing that JC is in the same boat. That exact same lumber becomes $8/bf if you buy from Woodcraft/Rockler who buy from the same sawmill.
Red Oak is usually $0.99/bf.
Wow, that's really great pricing. Maybe I should ask what grade wood you are getting
I can get walnut for $2/bdft from the sawmill, but it's a #2 COM 
Cherry is even worse than walnut. However, for some reason I can get decently flamed maple for $2.50/bdft.Back to the OP... what kind of time frame are you looking for needing your wood? If you are really having this much trouble finding what you're looking for and don't need it anytime real soon, I could talk to my buddy about quartersawing you some 8/4 walnut. That will probably take a couple months to dry out adequately, though, and if you need a significant amount, shipping could get expensive really quick.
Musiclogic
Commercial User
- Aug 6, 2005
- 6,505
- 73
- 60
- Disclosures
- Owner/Builder: HJC Customs USA, The Cool Lute, C G O
I get A grade Select and Better, what you have to understand is that I can buy as much as 200 bd ft at any time, and I purchase about 1000 bd ft of lumber total each year, as I also supply a lot of small crafts people here with wood now, sort of a new venture. The broker I get my lumber from has levels of discount for certain footage, 100bf, 200 bf, 500bf, and 1000+bf
