5 Places To Get The Best Wood For Your Wood Shop

Best places to Buy wood for your Woodworking Business.

When you start a woodworking business you need a reliable supply of wood. As a hobbyist a shortage can be frustrating as you have to put your woodworking project on a hold.

However, the need for wood is much more urgent when you are running a woodworking business. Not having the supply when you need it very possibly means loss of income, and even a dent on the business reputation if you cannot deliver an order on time. We do not want this situation arising so we are going to discuss some of the most popular and reliable places to buy wood for your business.

1) One of the first options for a beginner in woodworking will be the closest home center superstore.

These home centers usually store for a lot of items concerning home-improvement. Not only will you be able to find construction grade wood and some common wood such as pine, red oak, birch, Poplar, Redwood and Cedar you will also find many other useful tools and instruments that you need for your projects.

One of the advantages of shopping for wood at the closest home center is exactly that. It is close. The downside is that you might not get as much variety as a lumberyard.

In case you are not aware of any home centres close to your house, look in the yellow Pages under home improvement, hardware stores, building materials or lumber.

2) The second option is to go to the closest lumberyard. This is the practical solution when you want variety, are looking for a more uncommon kind of wood and want to get better prices. If you are unsure if there is a lumberyard close-by,  look in the Yellow Pages under lumber, hardwoods or woodworking.

There might be many businesses listed there so you might have to do some calling before you find the place you are looking.

Most large lumberyards carry furniture grade wood and hardwood in their inventory as well.

3) The third option may sound a little unusual but it works. You can order wood using mail and phone orders suppliers. This option turns out to be quite practical if you cannot find a lumberyard or do not have a local home center.

The advantage of using mail or phone of the supplier is that you can order from the connivence of your home, and place an order for exactly what you want. Some of these suppliers also sell recycled and reclaimed wood which may further reduce your cost of buying wood.

Initially it might be uncomfortable to place remotely because you cannot physically examine what you’re ordering.

However, you can specify exactly what you’re looking for such as boards of similar kind, free of sap etc. The suppliers are usually very compliant with the customer’s requests since they want further business from you. You should always inspect the the batch of wood you receive through mail order or online ordering. Most mail order suppliers accept and allow returns. If you find you order is not what you ordered or some of it is defective you can send it back for free replacement.

The huge advantage of mail order supplies is that you don’t have to spend as much time in a lumber yard or a home store. Choosing the right kind of wood in a lumber yard can easily take up an entire day.

These are some more great ideas from around the web from real people on how to find the best wood for your woodworking needs:

1. This site can be helpful in finding lumber in your area http://www.woodfinder.com. You can specify exactly the kind of wood you and for what purpose.
    
2. woodworkerssource.com is reputed to provide top notch wood. There are many satisfied reviews from people about it. Depending on where you live they might also have a local store close to you.
    
3. http://www.woodcraft.com. They are expensive but they do carry exotics. They are a good source of wood for small projects. Also, if you are certain to sell something for a profit despite the higher cost, ordering through them is convenient and dependable.
    
4. People have found a lot of useful listings on Craigslist under the “materials” section. Your success with searches depends on your area also. Certain places wood may be more difficult to find and more expensive.
    
5. Look for sawmills on google maps and go talk to the owners. If you can develop a relationship with these folks you can get lots of good wood for a good price.
    
6. For domestic woods, find a good local sawmill with a kiln, if you have a planer and a jointer. Any reputable mill should offer kiln dried wood. It is important to use dried wood for your projects, specially indoor projects, otherwise it could warp and twist.
    
7. Find a store that sells lumber exclusively. They’ll carry all kinds of wood, domestic and exotic. And the people there will know everything you need to know about each wood.
    
8. Check out your home depot store more throughly. Go to their back sections. Ask if they have something more in their storage section. You might be able to find more hardwoods and variety than what you first see on display. The stock that home centres carry depends on your location as well. Some home depots are better stocked with wood supplies than others.
    
9. Call your local flooring company and ask them for leads.
    
10. Look around for a local woodworking or turning group. They’re usually a wealth of information for finding local sources of lumber.