FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Lumber in “raw” form has not been cut or milled to a particular size.  Since it is actually a raw material, there are not specific dimensions.  When lumber is sold in the raw form the lengths and widths vary.  In this form, lumber is sold by the board foot, which is a measurement of volume.  To calculate a board foot, multiply the thickness (in inches) by the width (in inches), by the length (in inches), then divide by 144.  This will give you the number of board feet in a board.  [See our other information on Lumber Dimensions.]

The best way to get solid wood thicker than 2″ is to glue it up and mill it down to the size you need. Believe it or not, this is more common than you might realize. Thick hardwood lumber is quite uncommon for two reasons:

• It’s hard to dry thick lumber; the drying process results in a lot of waste and degrade in thicker lumber. This makes it expensive and rare. 
• Low market demand

Glue up your own thick material when you need it thicker than 2″. It will be more stable and you can get exactly what you want this way.

We do carry a few hardwood species in 12/4 or 16/4 such as Hard Maple, Poplar, Basswood, Walnut, or Honduran Mahogany. Please call or come in to verify what we may have in stock at the time.

Hardwood lumber is a raw material and it will have flaws.  You may be able to get almost “clear” boards, but there is no guarantee that any lumber will be 100% knot-free.  Lumber grades are determined by the National Hardwood Lumber Association and the highest grade is called FAS.  FAS means the boards have to be 83% or more clear on one side.  There is always a “waste factor” in woodworking unfortunately, because in most projects you are cutting your parts from boards and arranging them for color and grain.  Many times you can either flip the board or work around knots when cutting out pieces for your projects. 

Yes, we can make custom sized butcher block out of just about any wood here.  We do not stock butcher block as the sizes needed for individual projects vary.

We can mill tables, benches, and coffee tables, however, we do not have a lathe and do not make round legs or spindles for tables or chairs.  Our “furniture products” are simpler in design.  We can include either wood or metal legs for both tables and benches and will help you select a design you love.  We keep our designs simpler in order to keep your cost down since intricate details involve more time and materials.  We do know woodworkers around town that may take on a more detailed project and would be happy to help you connect with one.

Yes, we have a selection of hardwood flooring.  We have a couple of selections from Somerset Hardwood Flooring and Provenza Hardwood Flooring.  We can also mill hardwood flooring in house and have done several Alaskan Birch hardwood floors in the past.

We do carry Bona Floor Finishes if you want to finish your own floors or wish to re-finish existing hardwood floors.

We will not install your order, however, we do know many contractors who are qualified to do so and would be happy to help connect you with someone who can.  Please let us know when you are ordering that you will need assistance.

We typically stock a selection of trim in Alaskan Birch, Eastern Yellow Birch, Cherry, Hickory, Red Oak, Tulip Poplar, and Walnut.  The trim pieces range from screen mold to both modern or colonial casing and base.  We also have a small selection of crown moulding in stock. 

We have a wide variety of custom milled trims we can produce.  If you wish to see our wider selection, please visit our Millwork Profiles page.

We do not keep Koa in stock due to its high price and restrictions.  We can order it, however, please keep in mind it may take some time to acquire and will be quite expensive especially if you only need a small quantity.  There are many species that are on the CITES list that are much more difficult to acquire such as coco bolo, rosewood, canary wood, or lyptus, but please let us know what you are looking for and we might be able to help you out. 

As quoted from WoodShop News “For woodworkers and wood dealers, koa is often considered second to none because of its spectacular appearance. Curly koa is also unmatched in price, with highly figured material for guitar sets priced as high as $150/bf. Koa lumber with a premium curl can strain your wallet for $60 to $120/bf depending on the intensity of the figure and the reputation of the exotic wood dealer who is selling it.”

To read the full article go to: www.woodshopnews.com/news/koa-is-highly-sought-and-high-priced

You may also check out restricted or endangered wood species information and list from “The Wood Database”: www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/restricted-and-endangered-wood-species

We don’t stock a lot of hardware, however we do carry the Euro style cabinet door hinges in several varieties.   We also stock 100 pound side mount drawer slides from 12”-28” and 100 pound soft close bottom mount draw slides in 15”, 18”, and 21.”

Yes, we carry a variety of General Finishes products in both regular and commercial grades.  General Finishes makes a polyurethane clear finish in both an oil base and water base.  We carry their line of water based and oil based stains as well as their water based dye stain.  For the commercial side, we carry the Endro line of clear polys and varnishes.  If you are looking for specific items, please give us a call or visit the General Finishes web site at generalfinishes.com

We carry a variety of woodworking products including Titebond Wood Glue I, II, III, West System 2-part Epoxy Systems.

Yes, we have Freud saw blades and a wide selection of Freud router bits, carving and turning tools/chisels, Tormak Sharpening Systems and accessories, stair hardware and parts, sharpening stones, measuring instruments, Tenon cutters, brad point drill bits, drill guides, clamps, and much more.  We also have several vendors and can help you find and order what you need.