4 ms·

I picked the wrong year to start my woodworking hobby. I've resorted to stalking FB marketplace and Craigslist for cheap/free lumber.

cmrdporcupine 5y ago
Yeah same; I'm thinking of investing in a simple chainsaw mill as I have plenty of trees on my property I could use. In the past I had someone mill stuff that I cut down but he is no longer doing it and I suspect that is getting hard to do anyways.
- YZF 5y ago
  You probably know this but unless you have a kiln or can access one it can take a really long time to dry the wood. IIRC 1 year per inch of thickness. Also make sure you seal the end grain... There's some people on YT demonstrating how to cut a log with a chain saw... For the very adventurous ;)
  - cmrdporcupine 5y ago
    Yeah my last batch of milled wood sat in my shop for 3 summers before I started using it. Measured the moisture and everything, but the table I had made still split after a dry winter inside :-(
- swader999 5y ago
  You need the right chain and an exceptional saw to make those mills work and it is very tedious work to get wood out of those.
sen 5y ago
I've been doing woodwork for a long time, and get most of my wood from used single-size bed frames on Gumtree/Marketplace. People effectively throw the beds out (or at most want AUD$20-50 for the entire thing), and they're generally made of some pretty decent wood, especially the older ones.
pp19dd 5y ago
Like others said, reclaiming wood - even mediocre to bad wood - can be a satisfying part of that hobby. I took a beat up pallet and turned it into a storage chest. It filled up my summer and fall and half of winter. The reclaiming labor was worth it alone: https://imgur.com/gallery/jpFNJPB https://imgur.com/gallery/jpFNJPB
- danparsonson 5y ago
  That's stunning, what a fantastic result! How did you carve the surface detail? You've alluded to it in your post but for anyone else thinking about using pallet wood - look for heat treated wood (stamped HT), and be mindful that these things can be used to ship hazardous materials, and may retain some residue of whatever they were carrying.
  - pp19dd 5y ago
    Didn't go into it because I have nothing to contribute being an amateur, but yep, anyone working with shipping pallets should read authoritative sources on safety first. If you don't see that HT stamp, move on. And luckily they're a lot of effort to disassemble to a point of discouragement. Surface detail was a scroll saw and power-carving with a cheap rotary tool. Flex shaft, assortment of diamond coated burrs, and some patience. Just started getting into power carving and I have a long way to go, but enough can be done with just a hand file and sanding: https://i.imgur.com/kjLPtGu.jpg https://i.imgur.com/kjLPtGu.jpg
- YZF 5y ago
  I'll second that. Also look for old houses being torn down or for scraps being thrown from new houses being build. I just got a bunch of leftover wood from a building site down the street. Even though they were trying to reuse most of it they still have to throw some away and if you ask nicely they'll probably let you have it... I've also gotten some very nice pallet wood from a local business importing countertops from China. Do watch out for chemically treated wood though I think that's more rare these days. The wood should have stamps/marks showing how it has been treated.
f6v 5y ago
First you can't play games cause GPUs are impossible to get, now woodworking! What is there left to do?
- MrBuddyCasino 5y ago
  Apparently looting & arson. If you're in the right city, DAs don't care.
mauvehaus 5y ago
For reasons I can't explain, furniture-grade hardwood is only up 25% or thereabouts near me (VT/NH). It's really only the construction material that's gone bonkers. I don't pay as much attention to high grade sheet goods prices because I mostly work in solid wood, but they seem reasonable-ish. Good plywood has always been pricey.

cmrdporcupine 5y ago

Yeah same; I'm thinking of investing in a simple chainsaw mill as I have plenty of trees on my property I could use. In the past I had someone mill stuff that I cut down but he is no longer doing it and I suspect that is getting hard to do anyways.

YZF 5y ago
You probably know this but unless you have a kiln or can access one it can take a really long time to dry the wood. IIRC 1 year per inch of thickness. Also make sure you seal the end grain... There's some people on YT demonstrating how to cut a log with a chain saw... For the very adventurous ;)
- cmrdporcupine 5y ago
  Yeah my last batch of milled wood sat in my shop for 3 summers before I started using it. Measured the moisture and everything, but the table I had made still split after a dry winter inside :-(
swader999 5y ago
You need the right chain and an exceptional saw to make those mills work and it is very tedious work to get wood out of those.

sen 5y ago

I've been doing woodwork for a long time, and get most of my wood from used single-size bed frames on Gumtree/Marketplace. People effectively throw the beds out (or at most want AUD$20-50 for the entire thing), and they're generally made of some pretty decent wood, especially the older ones.

pp19dd 5y ago

Like others said, reclaiming wood - even mediocre to bad wood - can be a satisfying part of that hobby. I took a beat up pallet and turned it into a storage chest. It filled up my summer and fall and half of winter. The reclaiming labor was worth it alone: https://imgur.com/gallery/jpFNJPB https://imgur.com/gallery/jpFNJPB

danparsonson 5y ago
That's stunning, what a fantastic result! How did you carve the surface detail? You've alluded to it in your post but for anyone else thinking about using pallet wood - look for heat treated wood (stamped HT), and be mindful that these things can be used to ship hazardous materials, and may retain some residue of whatever they were carrying.
- pp19dd 5y ago
  Didn't go into it because I have nothing to contribute being an amateur, but yep, anyone working with shipping pallets should read authoritative sources on safety first. If you don't see that HT stamp, move on. And luckily they're a lot of effort to disassemble to a point of discouragement. Surface detail was a scroll saw and power-carving with a cheap rotary tool. Flex shaft, assortment of diamond coated burrs, and some patience. Just started getting into power carving and I have a long way to go, but enough can be done with just a hand file and sanding: https://i.imgur.com/kjLPtGu.jpg https://i.imgur.com/kjLPtGu.jpg
YZF 5y ago
I'll second that. Also look for old houses being torn down or for scraps being thrown from new houses being build. I just got a bunch of leftover wood from a building site down the street. Even though they were trying to reuse most of it they still have to throw some away and if you ask nicely they'll probably let you have it... I've also gotten some very nice pallet wood from a local business importing countertops from China. Do watch out for chemically treated wood though I think that's more rare these days. The wood should have stamps/marks showing how it has been treated.

f6v 5y ago

First you can't play games cause GPUs are impossible to get, now woodworking! What is there left to do?

MrBuddyCasino 5y ago
Apparently looting & arson. If you're in the right city, DAs don't care.

mauvehaus 5y ago

For reasons I can't explain, furniture-grade hardwood is only up 25% or thereabouts near me (VT/NH). It's really only the construction material that's gone bonkers. I don't pay as much attention to high grade sheet goods prices because I mostly work in solid wood, but they seem reasonable-ish. Good plywood has always been pricey.