Wood Sales

[jttheclockman]

I am sure there are many vendors that have Black friday sales going on and even many wood selling vendors. This thread is just a reminiscent thing by me for it was this day every year I looked forward to for buying and restocking my lumber needs. On this day US Mahogany in Aberdeen NJ ran their biggest lumber sale. 15% off exotics and 20% off domestic woods. They always would import many different woods just for this time of the year. They would also go to the Woodworking Shows and sell there as well at this time. Over the years I developed a great relationship with Rich and his Dad and wife because they are just nice people. His selection of exotics was always great but back then there was not as many restrictions on woods as you have today. I have accumulated a ton of lumber and still have quite abit left. It just so happened yesterday I had to move a stack of it because I have to take down the ceiling in my basement because I am having workers come and redo my Kitchen and Bath and they need to get to all the plumbing for gas and water and drains. That is what got me to thinking about this day. Unfortunately in 2015 they had a huge fire that destroyed all 3 warehouses and they never rebuilt. I miss that place because my other lumber supplier does not stock as much exotics. They have more Domestics so I still have a source for my oaks and maples and walnuts. I will not live long enough to use it all but it is one of those collectors things I guess. Some people collect coins, I collected woods. This story is of no value to anyone but just a thread of me passing time and reminiscing of the good old days I guess. Happy Black Friday and keep your hands on the checkbook.

Thought I would add a few photos. Now the basement is going through much disarray now that I have to move things around so much but snapped a couple quick photos and you will get the idea of my stash.

 

[keithbyrd]

John you have a head start on me but I also have more than I will use!! You have some very nice woods there!!

 

[wolf creek knives]

Nice story and stash John. Like you, I collect wood (not quite as much though) and then find a place to use it. I've got some Valley Oak that is highly figured that I bought probably 20 years ago to make a Grandfather clock. I just moved it again for the last time. I also have totes, like you show, that I have smaller wood pieces stashed in. I bought about 600bf of Black Walnut years ago that I'm finally seeing the end of the stack now. Thanks for sharing, glad to see I'm not the only one who collects wood.

 

[jttheclockman]

Tom the bottom 3 totes in the last photo have cutoffs of all kinds of woods that are planned and sanded and were used for other projects but I just could not throw away and always said I will use that for something. We all know that is not going to happen. There are also some cutting jigs in there for when I was making my guitar CD racks from many different woods too. I still remember putting them in there. Probably do not remember how to use them but they are there. Pictured in the group of 6, left to right starting on the top, mahogany, walnut, red oak, bloodwood, yellowheart, and purpleheart. These did sell well when CD's were in. Also Tom within that pile in the second photo, I have 4 of the prettiest walnut boards that I have seen in a long time. Pure dried and not oven dried so the color is deep brown and the grain is great. They are all 6/4. Had to have them. Bought them at a woodworking show the last time it was in my state and area about 5 years ago. Did not have a plan for them and still do not but had to have. There was a guy just wanting me to put them down standing behind me when I was looking at them. all over 8" wide and over 12' long.

 

[Curly]

An enviable stash. If I only had the space.

 

[jttheclockman]

Pete I wish I had more space. It is an addiction. Just love mother nature's artwork.

I know I have said this before but I told my brother when I go to that great woodshop in heaven, to keep this site in mind and offer as much of my stuff as he could here. He has no idea what the value of what I have but I told him it is more than he thinks. Between kits and materials to tools and wood. I am sure there will be enough help here to get things sold.

 

[RichAldrich]

Nice wood collection!

 

[RichAldrich]

Wood collection

First pic garage, Second wood trailer. (Walnut piece is 18x21 inches and four foot length..another right behind it. Four others are basement rooms

 

[wolf creek knives]

Tom the bottom 3 totes in the last photo have cutoffs of all kinds of woods that are planned and sanded and were used for other projects but I just could not throw away and always said I will use that for something. We all know that is not going to happen. There are also some cutting jigs in there for when I was making my guitar CD racks from many different woods too. I still remember putting them in there. Probably do not remember how to use them but they are there. Pictured in the group of 6, left to right starting on the top, mahogany, walnut, red oak, bloodwood, yellowheart, and purpleheart. These did sell well when CD's were in. Also Tom within that pile in the second photo, I have 4 of the prettiest walnut boards that I have seen in a long time. Pure dried and not oven dried so the color is deep brown and the grain is great. They are all 6/4. Had to have them. Bought them at a woodworking show the last time it was in my state and area about 5 years ago. Did not have a plan for them and still do not but had to have. There was a guy just wanting me to put them down standing behind me when I was looking at them. all over 8" wide and over 12' long.

View attachment 321678View attachment 321679

Nice work on the CD racks John and, again, thanks for sharing. I'm in the process of moving (99.9% done) so I've got a lot of wood in the new shop and still some at the cabin. I'd show the stacks by the saw mill but don't have a picture. But here's a portion of what I've gotten so far. The other thing, like you, when I make something I keep any piece that might be used for something else. I've saved pieces as small as 1" square and used them for inlay work on some of my knives, especially if the cut off is a nice Curly Koa. I've attached a few photo's that show a small amount of my smaller totes and a stack of lumber I need to get to the new shop.



Left picture is a sampling of the smaller totes, it's full now of totes. Middle, a stack of wood getting ready to move. A bad example of a knife with the front area inset with Curly Koa. The rest of the handle is Walnut.

 

[jttheclockman]

Wood collection

First pic garage, Second wood trailer. (Walnut piece is 18x21 inches and four foot length..another right behind it. Four others are basement rooms

2 things jump out at me from your photos. The purpleheart boards standing are true purpleheart and you can tell because if they are that color in the raw they will always be that color. Today you buy it and many times it is a light shade of purple and you know right away it will turn brown.

The next thing I see a Dewalt 788 scrollsaw. Just sold mine this past summer along with my 18" Hegner. I had a type #1. They are a good midlevel saw for sure.

Good to see I am not alone in the wood collecting business.

 

[jttheclockman]

Nice work on the CD racks John and, again, thanks for sharing. I'm in the process of moving (99.9% done) so I've got a lot of wood in the new shop and still some at the cabin. I'd show the stacks by the saw mill but don't have a picture. But here's a portion of what I've gotten so far. The other thing, like you, when I make something I keep any piece that might be used for something else. I've saved pieces as small as 1" square and used them for inlay work on some of my knives, especially if the cut off is a nice Curly Koa. I've attached a few photo's that show a small amount of my smaller totes and a stack of lumber I need to get to the new shop.

View attachment 321705 View attachment 321706View attachment 321707

Left picture is a sampling of the smaller totes, it's full now of totes. Middle, a stack of wood getting ready to move. A bad example of a knife with the front area inset with Curly Koa. The rest of the handle is Walnut.

Love it. When I was scrolling at my peak totals I use to fill trash cans with scraps. Surprising I had to beg people to take it. Mostly walnut and oaks because that was my main woods back then.

 

[NJturner]

Another fan of US Mahogany. Was a normal stop for me on the way home prior to a weekend of woodworking. Spent lots of time and money rummaging through the racks and the firewood pile as well as chatting with the owners ! I still have many pieces of different woods in my piles that still carry their sticker!

If you need another good place to shop, I suggest Jaegar Lumber in Belmar and Willard Brothers in the Trenton area. Jaegar in Belmar only carries a good selection of different dimensional wood. Willard carries lots of dimensional stock, slab wood, and assorted burls. I was there on Wednesday and they are well stocked!

 

[jttheclockman]

Another fan of US Mahogany. Was a normal stop for me on the way home prior to a weekend of woodworking. Spent lots of time and money rummaging through the racks and the firewood pile as well as chatting with the owners ! I still have many pieces of different woods in my piles that still carry their sticker!

If you need another good place to shop, I suggest Jaegar Lumber in Belmar and Willard Brothers in the Trenton area. Jaegar in Belmar only carries a good selection of different dimensional wood. Willard carries lots of dimensional stock, slab wood, and assorted burls. I was there on Wednesday and they are well stocked!

I have been to Williards a couple times but was not impressed. Too far for me to drive to also. Jeagers is like a home center and there are many of those type lumber yards. My second choice and one I still use and in fact just bought all my oak moldings from for the rest of my house that I am redoing is Monteath on Bordentown Road https://www.monteath.com/ They carry a variety of hardwoods and exotics. Not as much as they use to because of restrictions and now with pandemic problems. But other than that I have to order on line.

 

[TonyL]

Are they guitars for sale? Are they fully functioning/full scale? Can you tell me about the hardware, pick-ups, tuning pegs, etc. Beautiful work!

 

[NJturner]

I have been to Williards a couple times but was not impressed. Too far for me to drive to also. Jeagers is like a home center and there are many of those type lumber yards. My second choice and one I still use and in fact just bought all my oak moldings from for the rest of my house that I am redoing is Monteath on Bordentown Road https://www.monteath.com/ They carry a variety of hardwoods and exotics. Not as much as they use to because of restrictions and now with pandemic problems. But other than that I have to order on line.

John - Not all Jaegar stores are the same. Jaegar purchased Interstate Hardwood Lumber of Elizabeth, NJ a number of years ago - they were a very complete specialty stocking yard for lots of imported specialty woods. Interstate was owned and operated by Neil Slattery - and on the acquisition, Neil was hired by Jaegar to keep running their specialty woods operation. The wood stocks of Interstate were then moved ONLY to Jaegar in Belmar and Jaegar in Madison. Neil continues to buy specialty lumber for the stores, so these two locations are different from all the others. I have not been to their yard since the start of covid, so I don't know their current inventory, but it used to be fairly impressive.

Monteath is a really great supplier as well. They have heavily supported both of my woodturning clubs (NJ Woodturners and Atlantic Shore Woodturners) with wood blanks for our charity donation operations - providing blanks for tops and other items.

Willard stock levels vary considerably, as they provide a lot of different woods that are often difficult to source. I was there last week and was lucky enough to be able to find a good selection of burls and select smaller wood pieces for casting. I also do a lot of flat work, and they are my go to for 6/4 dimensional wood, as they carry lots of varieties of domestic and imported woods. Not so much stock for pen turning - so I can understand your comments if you are looking specifically for turning supplies.

I do very much miss US Mahogany for their racks of great selections of bolivian rosewood, ebony, and bocote (my last pen on this site) was made from a piece of bocote I bought from them. I have not found a place yet to replace their value to me, but I keep looking. Stay well!

Kevin

 

[jttheclockman]

Kevin thanks for the report. Maybe someday I will check out Jaeger then. There use to be a few other hardwood dealers around. One that was just one town over from me was NJ Hardwoods. They use to have a huge supply of exotics and hardwoods domestics. They went out of business. I had a field day buying their going out of business deals. Middlesex Lumber by me is also or were good for specialty woods but changed owners and now are just one of those home centers. As I said I bought some things out of Williards many years ago. I miss the wood show that travelled. It still does but is a shell of itself these days and to me a waste of time going. Talk about dropping some cash. I will buy boards in the rough and prep my own but I do not cut trees or even want to take other people's trees to mill my own lumber. Not worth the time and money in my opinion.

I am guessing you are new here and really do not know what I do. But I started and still am a flat woodworker and mainly a scrollsawer.I have shown lots of my work here. I started turning pens about 12 years ago just to add to my selling tours. I am a self taught woodworker and turner. My pens are all custom blanks. I rarely make the plain Jane pens just to sell. I do not turn large objects because I am not into bowl and plate making. I do admire people who do segmenting work though. There are some good wood vendors on the net that I buy from but those are the real specialty woods I am looking for. I do buy alot of Baltic Birch for my scrolling needs and that too I use to be able to get at US Mahogany but now have to buy on line. But my shows have diminished and my tour years are behind me. Anyway Happy woodworking to all.

 

[NJturner]

Wow....I didn't know NJ Hardwoods also went under.... but I haven't been through the Plainfield area in some time. Not sure you heard, but the Wood Shows are not stopping in NJ this year. According to the show managers, the cost of running the Meadowlands show has gotten too high and the old Somerset Expo center no longer exists. Closest show will be Baltimore, and the show dates have not yet been posted. NJ is becoming a wasteland for the woodworking community. Is a shame.

 

[jttheclockman]

Yes years ago on NJ hardwoods. I did not know show not stopping in NJ any more. That was the reason they left Somerset. The vendors could not pay the rents they wanted for spots. US Mahagony and Williards always use to go there. Also Monteath. I stopped going after they left Sommerset. It was getting to be junk and in fact the largest vendor there was that junk tools guy. Years ago I bought a Hegner scrollsaw and an RBI off the floor after the shows for a great price. Saves them on shipping. Bought many other tools there also when you able to get show prices. Had some great deals. But that is long gone.

Force machinery use to go to that show. They were up on rt22. If you remember them. They about supplied my entire shop with Delta equipment. That was when Delta was USA made and a reliable company. You could not kill their tools and have them all still. The good old days are gone. They too use to carry exotic woods. Bought many from them also. Like to spread the $$$ around. The Home Depots of the world killed them as well as the internet. But a small family business and were respected.