# Looking for wood



## donnajo74 (Dec 18, 2011)

I am looking for wood to make kitchen cabinets and also wood to make a ceiling beam. I live in Southern Illinois. Thanks.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the router forum.

Thank you for joining us, Donna


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## donnajo74 (Dec 18, 2011)

Thank you.


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## Billedis (Apr 25, 2010)

*Wood*

I have purchased wood from West Penn Hardwoods in Olean, NY and have had excellent results. They are on the web at Westpennhardwoods.com. Hope this helps
Bill


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Donna, scroll down the page on this link to find saw mills in IL

Illinois Sawmills | Saw Mills in Illinois


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## Stormin Norman (Dec 3, 2011)

*Couch Wood*

To build my Stairs, I needed hardwood wedges. To build the jig to cut the wedges, I needed Hardwood (oak) strips and chunks. To make the bullnoses, I need hardwood, for the Upstairs (16 treads) and the downstairs (13 treads), and all the tablesaw and drillpress jigs, etc.

SOOO!!! I said to myself, SELF, "Hook up the trailer, and seek out pre-moving day couches!" My buddy and I went up and down 6 backalleys, running 6 blocks each, and found 20 old couches. My little trailer can safely hold 4 at a time. We got picky, and only took the late 60's models and anything close to 8 feet long!

I got solid Walnut show-wood 4/4 X 8', Maple frame wood (Number 2 grade) 5/4 X 8', 6' and 3', Oak, Mahogany frame wood, and more T-nuts than a DIY router table!

Since they've been outside for a few days, in freezing weather, the moisture content was way above furniture grade, SOOO, I laid the wood in front of my shop's baseboard heater covered with a tarp (Canvas) and got it dried out to just under 10%.

Its a PITA to pull all the staples and stuff, but when I saw that the local Home Despot priced for a 3/4" X 3" X 8' S4S chunk of plain old Fir, I didn't even look at the Oak!

Anyway, this stuff is great for small bits and pieces in the shop. I figure I can build a small Solar Kiln in the backyard (south-facing) for summer use, for under $200, and do a Month End Couch-Run, when the weather comes back up to Humane Levels in May (up here we still have Snow sometimes until early June).

Found a good website to build solar kilns too:

Solar Wood Drying

The one I like best is about 2/3rds down, with this text below. Its a free PDF, with all the moisture content ratings for the major woodworking species in the document, as well as the plans and details (materials list).

"Constructing and Operating A Small Solar-Heater Lumber Dryer, Paul Bois, National Wood Drying Specialist"

EDIT: I used to restore upholstered furniture after highschool, to make some money for my hot-rodding hobby, back in the 60's. There's some really slick staple-pulling tools in that trade that you can usually find at the upholstery shop fabric vendors. It's still a PITA, but not as bad as a sharp screw driver. Just watch out for the springs. They can spring back at you and knock a finger off or worse! The cheaper couches didn't use burlap between the springs and the liners, Burlap is a good fabric for all kinds of uses, including cleaning whitewall tires, but it really shines where you need to keep metal away from wood or other textiles, including separating wood for air-drying.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Re-purposing wood is a good idea. Keeps it out of a land fill and saves you a lot of money.


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## Stormin Norman (Dec 3, 2011)

Mike said:


> Re-purposing wood is a good idea. Keeps it out of a land fill and saves you a lot of money.


You ain't just kidding! My neighbourhood always gets national headlines (Canada's war zone, Northend riots, gangland central, and... The Arsonists Practice Ground). 8 and 10 year old kids running around lighting trash bins and furniture. A few years ago, one 8-year old and his little buddies were responsible for 7 house fires within 400 feet of our home. They got one neighbour only 3 doors down the street!

A week later, somebody dropped an old couch next to our trash bin (big BFI type) in the backalley. I had just bought my new Bosch sawzall, and my extension cord was long enough, so I went to chop it up, until... I saw the frame. Wow! Couldn't believe it!

My neighbour, Karlo, is the local hoarding master (where I got the big vise from). I asked if he knew which areas were the best, and since he's off this week and it was just under 32F, he was thrilled to go with me and snoop. We were even given a complete and solid glider chair in solid oak! Needs some TLC, but I always wanted a gliding porch swing, and now I have the real tech to make one!

Hard to believe what so-called broke-folk throw out around moving day. Would you believe even a working 42" flat screen TV? Early generation - we left it. Too heavy for two guys.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Welcome Donna.


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