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Quartersawn Walnut

#21
Cool.

My sawyer is selling from the bole. If I request graded material it will drive up the price. The advantage of graded lumber is that you can order with expectations. The advantage of walking the warehouse is you are able to see the pieces that you are buying.

They both have good reasons to use. My Sugar Maple is ordered Sel&BTR for ~$5/bf since I use so much. Walnut is still something that I piece-select.
 
#22
I go through all 5 warehouses at my broker also, and always hand pick my woods. Sometimes though I get surprised with a board that was saved for me, much like the curly Genuine Mahogany I posted in "Wood Porn". All of my hard maple I get in logs, and have them sawn and dried for me.(Friend with a lot of old maple on 280 acres).

I think many of us have developed supply connections that allow us to work more efficiently, and keep us updated about supplies and/or the lack there of, which helps a great deal in the long run.

Learn your wood, and get to know a broker or sawyer, this will aid in your acquisition of material. I travel 130 miles to my main broker, and my back-up is 245 miles away, but the savings in grade and quantity always outweighs the time and expense of traveling.
 
#23
Yeah, other than really specialty exotics, I don't think I'd ever consider buying wood that I couldn't see in person. Half of the fun of woodworking is picking out the wood (and the first pass through the planer to see what's really hiding under the rough-sawn surface).

I feel pretty fortunate to have several good sized saw mills within an hour's drive, as well as a "specialty" wood dealer that carries some of the more common exotics.
 

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