# Is this a deal I can't pass up?



## bclarknc (Feb 28, 2012)

Found a guy with what he said was a lot of rough sawn (sp?) red oak. Looked to me like regular oak and not red, but he said that's what the guy who sold it to him said. They are all about 1"x6"x6'. They do vary a lot though. Some are not as wide, etc. Here's what his post said, "Boards are 8 to 10 feet long... about one inch or so in thickness." and you can see his pic I posted. It was dark and I was a little overwhelmed. Anyway, he had them stacked well with bug powder on them. Some that were planed looked nice. 

Now I'm pretty terrible when it comes to haggling in the first place, especially when someone says "make me an offer." So I'm mulling it over and after pricing 1x6x8 finished at my local Lowes for $25 so I was thinking it through and he says, "What's a ridiculous offer you wouldn't think I'd take?" While I now wish I'd said lower, I said $100, he said he'd take it, so I'm planning to get it next week. But I really wanted you guys input please. I was never in charge of buying lumber when I was a cabinetmaker and don't have any experience with the rough sawn stuff. That brings me to the fact that I don't have a planer, but think that's going to have to be a priority between this wood and the 16' boards of poplar I recently bought.

I would greatly appreciate help with this guys. I'm a little "buyers remorse" or probably more like "buyers nervousness cause he doesn't have much a clue what he's doing!" Even though I haven't actually given him any money though.

Thanks in advance guys.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Brett; my local hardwood whsl. sells only Red Oak and White Oak,_ but he does make reference to "NO INFERIOR SOUTHERN OAK "_...I'd never heard of it before(?).
PJ White Hardwoods Ltd.
Seems like a decent pile of lumber for a $100; did you work out the board footage?


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## bclarknc (Feb 28, 2012)

*board footage*

No I didn't, He didn't know off hand, it was a stack about 3 ft. high, w per row, really quickly a very rough estimate would be about 65 boards total. Will probably go down again during the day, but I pushed for us to go down tonight because I thought I'd just grab 5 or so for the time being then he threw me that curve ball.


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## bclarknc (Feb 28, 2012)

I haven't heard much about "Inferior Southern Oak" either.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

180 bd ft. sound about right? I haven't priced Oak for awhile but I'd be very surprised if it was less than $4/bd. ft. for clear Red Oak...Wht. is probably more...at wholesale, 4/4 rough sawn.
Sounds like a pretty good deal.


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## Woodshaper67 (Jan 13, 2012)

From the pic it looks like red.To give an idea about cost I pay $350.00 for a 1000 bd ft to get wood sawed and I have to supply the logs.I would say you got a good deal.A couple of months age I got 5 red oak (clear) boards about 10' long and paid about$110.00


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## skiroy56 (Aug 7, 2011)

I concur. That apears to be a pretty good deal.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

A planer will pay for itself if you keep buying rough lumber like that and you have the advantage of being able to size boards to special sizes. I live near a bunch of small milss and I can get Douglas fir, spruce, lodgepole pine, and birch fairly cheap. My planer has paid for itself several times over. If you decide to go this way over the long term then I suggest going with a 2 hp, 13-16" planer like the King or Delta (which I am pretty sure are the same machine).
I am curious which type oak your seller was referring to. As I recall from my Boy Scout days, there are 14 different species of oak growing in the SE USA. The only 2 I can remember besides white and red are water and blackjack oak.


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## bclarknc (Feb 28, 2012)

I know a planer would pay off, I just have no way of actually paying for one right now as much as I want to. I think this is a great deal, just wanted to check with you guys because I'm just getting back into purchasing lumber again. Thanks.


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## bclarknc (Feb 28, 2012)

He said the guy he bought it from said it was red oak. It just didn't have a lot of red in it like the finished stuff at places like lowes.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

bclarknc said:


> I know a planer would pay off, I just have no way of actually paying for one right now as much as I want to. I think this is a great deal, just wanted to check with you guys because I'm just getting back into purchasing lumber again. Thanks.


You don't absolutely have to have a planer but it would make it easier to work the ruff swan lumber you seem to be buying. Start saving your money and check craigslist for a good used planer big enough to handle the lumber you buy. Make sure the machine is in good working order before buying one and make sure blade replacement won't be a problem.

Always check with the seller when buying ruff cut wood to see how long the wood has aged since being cut. If it was just cut then you will have to wait to use it until it has had time to dry. A moisture meter comes in handy also.

Work safe, Have fun, Cut some wood,
Mike


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