Wood suppliers

[S.Shepherd]

Does anyone have a source for quality lumber for making paddles ?

 

[Boreal Birch]

I would just find a local small saw mill, tell the sawyer what you want, what you want it for. The saw mill guys that I know will then keep their eye out for those special pieces, as they are sawing or ask their loggers to bring in selected timber of the correct species.
You might also mention on this forum where & who the Sawyer is if you are happy with his product. Word of mouth still a good advertisement.

 

[Gamma1214]

I agree w/ BB. Local guy I'll be buying through is a small, family operation. Sawmill, kiln & some custom millwork/cabinetry about 40 minutes from me. What they can't cut, they can source and they can get just about anything. Incidentally, Paul is a bit stingy w/ some species although he deemed my stripper project worthy of some of his butternut. He did almost throw me out though when I asked about finding 60 or so board feet of sumac.

I'm sure there are places like that in MI too... maybe focus on the millwork/custom cabinet shops.

 

[S.Shepherd]

nope, nothing local

 

[Canotrouge]

There as to be a hard wood supplier in your area, a place where cabinet maker/woodworker/contractor go buy there wood... Even up here we can find decent wood at the hardware stores! Ask around, you will be surprise what you will find, e.i. I know a guy up here that brought in a full sea can of hard wood from the other end of the country... There is always a guy somewhere that have a huge stash of great wood at a great price, just need to find him and word of mouth goes a long way in this case!! Are you on Facebook? Cause Face book is your friend for that kind of stuff!!
Good luck and I'm sure you will find some one with wood in your area!!

 

[Guest]

Sourcing wood for paddles or gunwales or etc maybe a lot like Real Estate; location, location, location.

There are no local saw mills hereabouts. There are, or were, two lumberyards that dealt in hardwoods a couple hours north in Pennsylvania (I believe they merged and later went out of business).

The nearest source is a “specialty” lumber company. Cool exotic stuff, but even ash or cherry is Ca-ching at checkout.

Western PA, the UP, upstate NY, Maine or anywhere there is a working hardwood industry would be likelier, especially if the mill was local enough to develop a relationship and the guys in the yard remembered your interests, setting the odd piece aside. If I had such I’d stop by and chat them up.

I still have a couple of pieces of 1 and 2 inch thick (by foot long) end cuts from ash, cherry and walnut planks that a timber surveyor friend brought from the mill as. . . . . .firewood.

People (including me) descended on his hardwood pile like vultures, even for short end cuts.

 

[Boreal Birch]

Go ask Thomsen, the guy that is almost in your back yard. He must have a local source for his paddle stock. I can't believe that there isn't someone in Michigan not doing some sawing of lumber unless you live in Detroit. In the greater Fairbanks AK area with a population of less than 100,000 I personally know seven big and small time sawmill owners. I know one guy that will come to your property set up his mobile bandsaw mill, saw your trees into boards. He will take a percentage of the boards for his fee. I have hauled my own birch, tamarack and spruce logs to his place to have them sawn into lumber for a reasonable cost.
Check with the nearest state or national forest for local sawmills.

 

[Alan Gage]

I'm on a sawmill forum - forestryforum.com - and there are small sawyers all over the place. I know Michigan is a big state but there are a few from there active on the site. I think the site has a sawmill finder.

Alan

 

[Alan Gage]

I tried the search. Not real accurate but it's something. If I search for Michigan I get this: http://forestryforum.com/board/index...list;sa=search

I know at least one sawyer left out of that list, who had quite an operation going, is this guy because he abbreviated Michigan in his profile: http://forestryforum.com/board/index...rofile;u=39432

Or search through Woodmizer: https://woodmizer.com/us/Services/Find-a-Local-Sawyer

Alan

 

[Guest]

Or search through Woodmizer:
https://woodmizer.com/us/Services/Find-a-Local-Sawyer

I like that Woodmizer link search function. There’s a guy in Bel Air 30 minutes away (a 1,000,000 Board Ft Member FWIW)

Bob's Portable Sawmill ( LT40HDD40 ) - BEL AIR, MD
I used to do a lot of out buildings, cut and build. Now I am just looking to mill lumber for people at their property.

We have had some towering hardwoods simply dropped on the edge of the property, including a massive birfurcated Maple. Not even topped or limbed, “Just drop it into the back woods let it lie where it falls”. All mulch and critter habitat now.

I have regretted that penny wise choice ever since, and wish I had had someone with a portable sawmill come out, drop it and saw up some board lengths to select and keep.

Mostly the “select” part; I remain curious about what grain that Maple held, and might have found opportunities in twists or knots. By far the coolest paddle I have ever seen was carved out of a single walnut plank (Chip’s wood, NT craftsmanship) that had a distinct paddle shape - blade, neck and grip - present in the grain. That stick had chatoyancy, it changed color and pattern like a Tiger’s Eye gemstone.

Same unseen grain mysteries for an even bigger, kinda gnarly split trunk oak. Not sure where I’d have stored the planks to dry, but I should have made room.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Maybe next time.

 

[Terry Q]

I live in central Michigan and there is a hard wood supplier and a commercial lumber mill within a thirty minute drive. Craigslist also show many people who are selling lumber within a hour drive in any direction.


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