Replies

1. 
   PeterDurand | Oct 29, 2009 01:41am | #1

   You are going to have to be a wee bit specific.

   Cheers,

   Peter(who lives in Vancouver)

1. 
   Buster2000 | Oct 29, 2009 02:03am | #2

   I know that wood is plentiful and dirt cheap in Ontario; but it's way too far away.  I recently heard a rumor that BC is another place with good wood...  That's as far as the rumor went.  So I'm trying to figure out if the rumor's are true.

   I have family in the Nelson - Trail area, and visit reasonably often.  So if there was something in the area, it would be trivial for me to get.  Even if it's further west, I can easily be persuaded to travel further...

   I thought Chris (Flairwoodworks?) would know...

1. 
   PeterDurand | Oct 29, 2009 02:26am | #3

   Still lacking in specifics about what you are looking for.

1. 
   Buster2000 | Oct 29, 2009 06:47am | #4

   Cheap wood...

1. 
   PeterDurand | Oct 29, 2009 06:57am | #5

   OK, I give up. Have fun..

2. 
   Buster2000 | Oct 29, 2009 05:45pm | #7

   Peter,

   What I'm getting at is there are no local species here.  Well not anything you'd necessarily build furniture with.

   Me and a few guys are looking to source some lumber from somewhere else.  Species is secondary to cost, though it's still a factor.  BC is close enough, and a common enough destination that to hook a small trailer up and tow it back wouldn't be an issue.

   That's all I'm getting at here.

   Buster

3. 
   danfromsaskatoon | Oct 29, 2009 11:21pm | #8

   lots of pine in bc, not much for walnut:) a little cherry but lots of maple, anything that is not spruce fir or pine you drive to the frasier valley, dosent cost much to get it delivered from the east and the price is a big selling point, i live in sask, we dont have trees:(

2. 
   flairwoodworks | Oct 29, 2009 07:22am | #6

   Buster - Chris here.

   Most of the materials I work with is milled form urban timber - trees within the city. I have befriended a local sawyer, Dave, with whom I barter with for materials and sometimes I help him mill. Because the trees we mill are not logged commercially, we have access to some very special woods not available commercially (especially in our area). Some examples are fruit cherry, holly, and butternut. When deciding whether to go ahead in milling a log, we decide, we weigh several factors including the size of the tree (diameter and length), the straightness of the trunk, and the potential for any spectacular figure or colour.

   To answer your question, if you are willing to dry your own lumber and mill it (or have it milled), there is a lot of truly unique and spectacular lumber available. The trick is being aware of what's available. Dave knows the local tree companies and they give him a call if they have a tree coming down that they think he might be interested in. Then, he will give me a call if he thinks I'd be interested. It works well because we remove the tree for the tree company.

   Chris @ www.flairwoodworks.com
   and www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

1. 
   Buster2000 | Oct 30, 2009 07:54pm | #12

   Do you have a source for 'regular' wood, or does it all come from this guy?

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Oct 30, 2009 10:31pm | #14

   Buster,This wood is all "regular" to me. Ain't it great?But when I get an order for a wood I don't have on hand (or that is dry enough), I turn to lumber suppliers. Windsor Plywood is convenient for me, so they get a lot of business from me. They stock hardwoods, including exotics. There are a few other lumber suppliers around who I haven't checked out yet including Reimer Hardwoods, PJ White's, and Mount Cheam Woodworking.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

1. 
   mikeddd | Oct 31, 2009 08:33pm | #15

    Hi Chris:

     Not sure about Port Moody and the greater Vancouver area, but in Edmonton PJ White has got a very good selection of hardwoods, in my opinion there is no comparison to Windsor Plywood. You might want to check them out one day you might get a pleasant surprise. You have a great weekend.

   Mike

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Nov 01, 2009 01:44am | #16

   Mike,I fully intend to check out PJ White's someday... just haven't gotten around to it yet.I visited Mount Cheam Woodworking yesterday, and boy, does he have a lot of wood there. His wood shed is pretty darn close to the size of my house! Skids of hardwoods stacked floor to ceiling, and narrow, narrow aisles between them. Just barely enough room to get the forklift inside and the door closed!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

3. 
   PeterThomson | Oct 30, 2009 02:50am | #9

   I'm in Calgary, too.  Some BC sawyers might have accesss to old growth douglas fir but don't know who you'd call to get it, I lucked into a bunch of 2"x12"x10' long planks of roughsawn douglas fir but it was more of a favor to me.  Mine's air drying now, getting ready for a big trestle table.

   Might want to give these folks a shout, I haven't used them but they look intriguing from their website (vertical grain doug fir, custom sizes, roughsawn... looks promising):  http://www.bclumbersales.com/hobby.php

   Good luck, and let me know if you find any treasure!

   Peter

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 10/29/2009 7:52 pm ET by PeterThomson

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Oct 30, 2009 02:56am | #10

   Peter,I've got some old-growth doug fir salvaged from one of the trestle bridges along the Kettle Valley Railway in BC's interior. They're about 12"-14" wide, 6" thick, and 8-9' long. Quartersawn too. I think I have two or three pieces left. Need some? The burnaby Windsor Plywood (plywood, doors, moldings, hardwoods) has some pieces like this tooChris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

1. 
   PeterThomson | Oct 30, 2009 05:01pm | #11

   Great find, I thought most of those trestle bridges on the Kettle River burned down a few years back in the big fire.  Thank you for the offer but I'll let Buster2000 have a chance first, his post.  :-)   I'm interested for sure, and have a buddy in Vancouver who could probably store it until my next trip out (every couple of years).

   I'm pretty well set with DF right now (I have about a dozen of the 2"x12"x10' planks I mentioned).  Working my way through a stack of euro beech to finish my cab doors and, frankly, running out of storage space unless my DW let's me bring it inside!

   Cheers,

   Peter

   PS  I checked out your website -- great stuff, thanks for posting it. 

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Oct 30, 2009 10:28pm | #13

   Peter,Many of the bridges did burn down a few summers ago. I got mine before that. I don't recall the situation but think that it was being rebuilt or something, maybe? No, we did not go and cut up a perfectly servicable bridge ("ah, nobody'll notice if we take a structural beam from here, and there!).I really like working with doug fir, especially planing it. However, it is a trick to chisel or plane the end grain smoothly!I'm glad you liked my site. Hopefully you found some inspirationg there!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer