The TRUTH about buying from a SAWMILL
2024 ж. 12 Мам.
1 096 237 Рет қаралды
Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/lincoln - Enter promo code LINCOLN for 83% off + 3 months & Antivirus for free! Visiting a sawmill for the first time can be scary and confusing. I am joined from Matt at M2 Lumber to walk your through all of the tips and tricks. Buying from sawmills doesn't need to be intimidating and they are a great resource for hardwoods, but there are things you need to aware of and avoid. Support the channel by visiting my Etsy store
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Hello, there, have you removed some of your videos? there was one i saw couple of months ago but not able to see it anymore:(
Great interview with Matt and very informative. Thanks for sharing this content with us.
As a beginner, the idea of going into anything other than a home center for lumber is super intimidating. This video was super helpful and also let me know that there's a reputable outlet in the upstate. Thanks for making it!
I think for everyone it’s super intimidating, my personal experience when I went to my first lumber yard was they where extremely nice and helpful.
don't be intimidating, everyone started somewhere. Tips: get an app that calculates board foot price, it will help you to find within your budget.
It's definitely intimidating if you aren't familiar with shopping at hardwood lumber dealers or urban mills, but you should rest assured that these are businesses and they want you to buy something. Don't be afraid to ask questions - it's almost as much in the dealer's interest that you leave with ideal boards as it is yours, because that's what creates repeat customers. Also, remind yourself that pretty much everyone in the business is the same as the rest of us - huge nerds and hobbyists at heart and they're probably excited to help out a new woodworker to get deeper into the hobby.
I totally get what you are saying, and i felt the same way. But I had the opposite experience when I finally went to a real lumber store. People there were super cool, super helpful, and went above and beyond to help me figure out what to do/buy. It's a place where they love woodworkers, and I like people who like woodworkers. The home improvement store is a big chain retail store. Most lumber stores are small businesses that make their money because they give good service. Go try it.
Matt with 731 Woodworking has a nice video where he interviews a hardwood dealer & feelings of intimidation was a big topic.
this *totally* should become a series. fantastic premise and Matt sounds like he's got a wealth of knowledge.
Matt is incredibly knowledgeable!
We will have a follow up
As an owner and operator of my urban salvage lumber company, this video is a damn good break down of what to look out for. Props for keeping it right to the point in a timely fashion as I talk with a lot of customers and now will just send them this link to save me time. Maybe I’ll have a TV in the show room with this video on repeat lol
Hey, I'm interested in your business. Do you take logs from arborists and home owners or how do you obtain the wood. Is it reclaimed from building, all of the above. And how do you sell it. The waste around my hometown and all over is so insane. In fact the better the tree the more likely it will make firewood as the diameter is too big for long lengths.
@@carlosreira2189 I get trees from all the above and land clearing companies. Cheaper and easier to drop them off here especially the larger one. I reach out to as many people as possible and now have good group that just drop off logs and I pay. They know what I am after so I trust them and have been reimbursed if the load wasn’t the best.
@@AKdesignsandhardwoods And what kind of rig and who is your typical buyer? It's smart what you're doing. It's the future. Every municipality and county should do it. A couple of men, a sawmill, some volunteer at risk youth and put them to work learning something rewarding. Money grows on trees!
@@carlosreira2189 I would shy away from getting any volunteers around. Logs are heavy and it is a lot of work. One false move and someone is going to get hurt who Dosent know better. Plus insurance wouldn’t like it. I get everything delivered for 220$ a load. I run a portable bandsawmill that can cut 36in wide and handle a log up to 40in wide. I also have an Alaskan mill with an 8ft bar. Believe it or not everything is moved by hand. We are looking to sell our house and find a house with property and a shop. I’m in a very unique situation as all my neighbors love me I live almost in the heart of Tacoma right up the road from the Tacoma Dome and all the logs are dropped around my house since I’m on a corner lot and I have to mail them fairly quickly my entire backyard and side yard is nothing but stickered and stacked lumber. I own two lots so it’s wider than a normal property is in Tacoma especially inner-city. Most of my buyers are anybody getting into woodworking as well as quite a few people who do woodworking as a profession. I have recently gotten three full restaurant bids as I do everything from standing tree to fully finished Piece of furniture so I would be considered fully vertically integrated so there’s no cost to mark up on anything as I also downed trees and used to be an arborist when I was a little bit younger at the age of 16 so through that I met quite a few people already had connections on getting logs.
@@AKdesignsandhardwoods Ok, thanks for that reply. I'm sure you all get some big softwoods around there. I'm East Coast and it's trees everywhere, all wasted to make "firewood," even walnut. I know bros with mills but they already have 10 lifetimes worth and woodworking is a hard go economically. So not many buyers. Lots of machinery needed to do large work. I've done it. You burn more kilowatts than a small city. My thinking is go small. The young don't need to make a mortgage and all that. If they beat minimum wage they're doing good. Wayfair and Ikea are the competition not other artisans. As for the risk, Baltimore is way more likely to kill you. Tree work is done by money grubbing arborists who are lucky to find a qualified climber. The hardest job by far is finding a place to dump. Latinos are starting to do it all these days, and they work well, pretty safe. They have no idea about our North American woods. If you tell them that this is worth more than "caoba" (mahogany) then their eyes light up. Blessings of continued success to you!
Matt is a natural. The camera likes him, and he should consider a KZhead channel for marketing... in my opinion. I have worked at a lumber mill, exotic wood retailers and as a woodworker for many years, so I knew pretty much everything in this video, yet I still found it entertaining and enjoyable to watch. That's a really good sign!
You will see Matt on YT soon enough
Yeah I had the same impression. Seemed like a guy who’s been doing it forever. People will watch a channel about a saw mill.
🤣
@@patty109109 No they won't.
Yeah we will
I would definitely like more about different wood species and when you might use them. This was a great segment and Matt was the perfect guest. He reminds me of the guy that runs a local sawmill here. Awesome image and staff.
We are planning a follow up!
Walnuts are black, maples are white, cherry and oak are red, birch and hickory are yellow, poplar is piss green.
Agree that your guest was awesome!
@@Lincolnstww Follow-up? Matt's about to make his own KZhead channel and you'll be his guess this time.
@@clearcut6818 If your piss is green, you might not to see your Doctor😳
The wind blew over a large oak tree in my yard, being an amateur woodworker the idea of having a large load of oak literally fall into my lap was pretty cool. I was happy to learn Matt's shop was just a few miles from me. In short order, he had had the lumber milled for me. Very easy to work with.
That was one of the most informative videos I’ve ever watched. Very helpful and great presentation. I would definitely encourage you two to continue this collaboration!
I was thinking the same thing… the guy has great video presence and they seemed to mesh very well
I totally agree. Super well done
Thanks Charles - I'm sure we will do a follow up
@@Lincolnstww He actually should start his own channel.
Dude, your content is on point. As a noob woodworker with hardwoods this video brings together all the questions I have about hardwoods. I don't care if it takes several months for your new content, it is exceptional.
Thanks!
Love this! Hope for part 2... I would love a video on choosing different wood species for projects.
Your videos are so great. They’re focused, funny, and offer great tips without coming off as “the only expert on the internet” like so many other people do!
This is one of the most informative woodworks videos I have watched. Thank you for putting this out!
Thank you so much for putting together this video. I want to go to a sawmill for lumber soon but have no idea what I'm getting into or what questions to ask. I feel much more informed now and a little more confident. No one wants to get taken for a sucker.
I love the educational aspect of all of your vids! I would love a video breaking down the types of lumber and where to use. Thanks!
I usually go to a hardwood distributer but this video inspired me to go to a mill. Contacted a local one with listed prices 10-20% lower than where I usually go and I'm heading there tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration!
You 2 got a synergy that goes so well together.. Please do make some more vid with him or maybe try talking him into a YT channel on the lumber side of things
We will be making more vids! If Matt doesnt wise up and realize he should have his own channel ;)
@@Lincolnstww Matt is a complete natural. He was funny and very engaging.
Good stuff! Thanks so much for taking time to explain the ups and downs of buying from a small firm! I would love to see a series on different wood breeds and their uses!
You got it!
Thank you so much for making this. I was so nervous going anywhere but a big box store for lumber because I’m not an experienced woodworker. I hope all mill owners are as friendly as Matt.
Big box lumbar is generally suitable for framing. If you are careful pick out the good sticks. Otherwise it’s expensive with poof choice.
100% would love to see a species breakdown. This was a great video. A lot of great information to help me connect the dots as a beginning woodworker. Love your content, thanks as always!
I love the idea of urban tree lumber. Here in Atlanta we have several options of local sawmills, and I try to go there first as a matter of principle. Great episode. Thanks
I’d love an extensive multi-part guide to all the wood. Especially going through easiest to find, or lowest cost, to most difficult to find, expensive. Something that speaks to project size/mass and how well it does with stain/finish. How it cuts. How bad is I to snort the dust. Curious how well it works as a table top, shelving, or wide flat boards. And how it turns... on a lathe.
We've been talking about something like that - you have a lot of great ideas I hadn't thought of. Thanks
Tons of good ideas here! It would be a lot of work, but setting up a number of fixed "experiments" and then going through them on each kind of wood would be cool. Make common joints out of them, see how easy it is. Try out a few different finishes and show the difference. Show some simple tests that demonstrate strength, weathering, warp/cupping, etc. You could just tell us all the things, but it would be way cooler to see them all in action. Oooh, and then maybe a project that plays to the strengths of each particular species. That would be a cool cross-over with other channels, either with projects they already have posted, or as an idea for fresh content. I'm full of good ideas!
@@Lincolnstww Tons of good ideas here! It would be a lot of work, but setting up a number of fixed "experiments" and then going through them on each kind of wood would be cool. Make common joints out of them, see how easy it is. Try out a few different finishes and show the difference. Show some simple tests that demonstrate strength, weathering, warp/cupping, etc. You could just tell us all the things, but it would be way cooler to see them all in action. Oooh, and then maybe a project that plays to the strengths of each particular species. That would be a cool cross-over with other channels, either with projects they already have posted, or as an idea for fresh content. I'm full of good ideas!
One thing I wish I knew earlier on was that most local hardwood dealers or sawmills have full shops with the larger machines that they will rent out for you. Also, that you can save money by requesting they just do S2S as well.
I have over thirty years running both a sawmill and planing mill and were always willing to help our customers with whatever they needed. We had machines that were built to do the work which even joinery workshops could not justify. We would offer timber processing to any level needed and even the best equipped could see they saved money purely by reducing the labour they would have to put in with undersized machines.
That was fun. Well done. Fast, with some nice edits included, dense on information, and the Abbott & Costello routine went great. Quite good.
Perfect timing! I'm going to a sawmill Friday to pick up some cherry for a table project. Thanks for this info
Really good video, informative and educational. i would love to see more of this type of content. Maybe a series of one particular subject, say chisel's. differences between western and eastern, good buying choices, sharpening and maintaining and basic usage. im saying this because im about to get my first set of them lol either way great video and keep up the good work !!
Speaking as a beginner/aspiring woodworker (who has been devouring your videos!) I would *love* a video or series comparing pros/cons of various wood species
Please, always with respect: I do not know your market, but up north, the material you call waste, is sold as firewood (sometimes called slab wood), and I am sure you have heard of a machine called a 'finger joint(er),' which takes short lengths of lumber and finger joints (combined with glue of course, in the finger joint) the material into longer lengths, such as 16' lengths, and this is, in turn, turned into paint grade trim/moldings. The machine which turns square stock - whether finger jointed or regular solid lengths, goes by a myriad of names, such as 8 to 12-head routers, sticker machines, and trimmers, but this also is a major component of the lumber industry. Trims of all sizes, and shapes are extremely important to the building/construction industry, which also includes trims made of softwoods and hardwoods. This video is wonderful and filled with accurate, honest data: anyone who is new or seasoned to the lumber industry, should consider watching this video. Thank you, gentlemen.
First, thank you John. If it weren't for you, I would not have learned about Matt or M2 Lumber in Laurens, SC. I live in Tennessee, near Nashville, and paid a visit to M2 today. Matt treated me like family. He was busy, but gave me all the time I needed. He helped me select some great pieces and introduced me to some species for my projects that I had not yet considered. In the end, Matt made sure that I got what I needed and he saved me money in the process. I bought more wood than I expected. I am extremely pleased that I met him and can't wait to get back to Tenn with my lumber. Thanks again for this great video. You are doing the woodworking community a great service. Keep up the good work and consider making a series about what each species is best suited for. Blessings!!
Dude this video is legit!I love the format... the humor.... the pace.... just an overall awesome KZhead video! Please rinse and repeat! Go M2M!
Thanks Jeff
I went to my first hardwood dealer the other day. They were really nice and took the time to explain board feet etc.
Good video. You make a great argument for finding a good small sawmill and paying them whatever they want. I've only made a few pieces of furniture in my life and these will long outlive me or my grandchildren -- so getting the best possible wood is well worth whatever it takes or costs. (The best matched wood I've ever seen was in a desk made by a ships carpenter 'on the beach'. The desk is in the royal palace in Hilo, Hawaii. If you've ever used a block plane and you get close to Hawaii you owe it to yourself to find this piece. Clearly a labor of love.) I live in Los Angeles, right now about 36% humidity - so desert but not quite. My breadboard ends do move. They tend to work in one direction so about every 2-3 years I'll tap the ends back towards the center. The movement of course is changes in moisture which surprised me in this part of the desert. A number of years ago I bought a large cedar beam to build a strip kayak. I let the yard rip it for me. I'd done all the algebra to figure out saw blade thickness , best possible results, but letting the lumberyard do it... I wasn't going to be a jerk so I didn't even mention my calcs. Then I picked up my wood. This tiny little round clump. I was in shock. What happened? Then I started counting. The yard guy was every bit as efficient as my best calcs. What I finally realized was a big flat slab looks a lot bigger than the resulting bundle. This is why cereal comes in big rectangular slab boxes instead of cubes. White cedar which is probably only northwest and Canada. I bought a pile of this from my local lumberyard. It looked like pretzels it was so warped. However, I built a deck and an outdoor table with it. Very tame, laid right down. It's been flat ever since -- almost 30 years. It's really hard to find because it looks like a stack of 2x lumber that is seriously wrong. After I bought out my local lumberyard's supply they never stocked it again.
I got more quality information from this video than 4 other I watched first, thanks for putting together something so clear and concise!
I always enjoy (and learn) from each of your productions. I especially liked this one, very informative, and here in lower Michigan (Detroit area) I will now look for local sources. I typically have just made purchases from Woodcraft, because, we’ll just because. Your partner in the video was also terrific. Thank you to the both of you!
excellent
Excellent high level overview good job kept me engaged all the way through and lots of good points! Been nice tohave a tips sheet or a checkbox sheet that goes through all the point. I have to go back to the video and make one! I would love to deal with my local mill but nervous if I'm being over charge as you stated!! You guys did a great job and I like the fact that he's saving trees like that it's a shame that any wood gets burnt or tossed away into a landfill shameful use of resources!
Glad it was helpful!
A breakdown on what wood to use for what would be really helpful, I like how you keep videos fun while packing a ton of knowledge.
Super glad this video hit my recommendations. I’ve often looked for a breakdown like this and could never find it. Thanks for the great work.
This is one of your best videos!!! Very informative and Matt was a trip!
Thanks!
I'm now planning a trip to Laurens. Great video as always. You two need to collaborate on more in the future.
You will be glad you made the trip, we are planning on more videos!
Probably the most informative woodworking KZhead video I’ve ever seen. Imagine that, someone educating us woodworkers on… wood! Love your channel. If only Kenobi was as entertaining as LSW!
Once there were two lawyers arguing about where to put the stickers in the pile. They just kept yelling back and forth "stick her there!" The apprentice was watching and next time they stacked lumber he said where do you want the sticker. And hence forth it was called a sticker.
Absolutely thrilled by this. I moved near Laurens and have been looking for a lumber supplier, so I'll check it out!
Definitely do that!! I've bought a few slabs from him over the last few years
I think this is the best information I have heard regarding sawmills and lumber. Great job and hilarious video.
This was incredibly useful information, and I can't express my appreciation enough. Matt was absolutely awesome, and ended the video perfectly. I'd love to see a video series about the different species, their attributes, and how to choose what to use well. And this was the video that made me subscribe, as well. Superb!
Just getting started here buying wood from something other than a box store. It is a tad intimidating. Figuring board ft and worrying about how much money is spent on waste. That being said it sure is nice having more options than Red Oak and Pine! :). I need to find a place like Matt's here in Iowa. Thanks for another great video.
A wood species video covering the pros and cons of each species would be awesome!
I teach High School Woodworking and have a great relationship with a local Kiln facility. They sell to us by the pallet (we use around 4000 bdft a school year), but they also sell by the board to the public. It may be helpful if someone is having a difficult time finding kiln dried wood, it maybe helpful to preach out to your local High School Woodshop. I would not sell my my shop but I would aim someone to my vendor.
Great suggestion
Loved this video! Super impressed with the M2 lumber operation. As an aspiring small saw mill operator I learned a lot. Thanks to both of you. Definitely buying the save the trees t shift.
glad you liked it
When I need a hood laugh, Lincoln Street doesn’t disappoint 🤣. Keep up the good work man!
By far the best video I have seen covering the in's and out's of a sawmill. Absolutely loved it. Now all I want to do is travel across the US to visit M2 Lumber.
Come on man! I’ll buy you a beer!
Go for it!
Another awesome video man! Well done!
came here to say that
Thanks Nick!
Another video packed to the rafters with great information, even for someone who is in another continent from you! Many thanks!
Great video. Really helpful information and the two of you worked together really well. Looking forward to more of this collaborative content.
my experience is that by the time you purchase the rough wood at the sawmill, have it planed so it is flat, jointed so it has at least one true edge, and thicknessed for use, (assuming you don't have several thousand dollars worth of jointers, thickness planers and large drum sanders), you pay every bit as much as you would at the home center. You will have a better selection, though. I buy small scraps from the mill. I have tools that can deal with the smaller dimensions. And sometimes scraps are incredible inexpensive.
My solution was to be hired by a mill and then get promoted to their woodshop 😂 all their resourses are now at my disposal ecery day. Im so thankful for my current situation and incredibly priveledged and lucky
Very informational video! This will definitely be helpful for me, as going to the hardwood dealer (aka. a "real" lumber store) can be somewhat intimidating. I would like to learn more about types of wood for certain types of projects. I've never thought about using white oak for outdoor projects - good to know.
White oak is an all-around great option. Sadly, getting really expensive as its become really popular recently
@@Lincolnstww Good to know - thanks!
Love this video. So much great info. I would love another video on different wood species and their uses
Hey John, I just discovered your KZhead channel and I wanted to give you a huge thumbs up. Your videos are great and I certainly look forward to more of them. Best of all is your combination of good work and information coupled with your humor. It's awesome and definitely makes the viewing experience more entertaining. Here's to quality videos that are educational yet funny and quit-witted. Cheers!
Much appreciated!
Another great video. Who were those two actors you hired to play the wood guys? Is the actor on the left related to Clint Eastwood? Seriously, a ton of useful information, concisely delivered in a light-hearted Dan Ackroyd sort of way. I'll end it here because I don't want you too spend an inordinate amount of time re-reading your review--just make more videos. Also, it would be very helpful if you threw in a comment that we could share with our wives about how practical it really is for us to buy lots of expensive tools and stuff because it in the end it all benefits children and small animals, and of course helps bring about world peace.
“Comment that we could share with our wives about how practical it really is for us to buy lots of expensive tools”- I love it! And yes, that would indeed be a huge public service and likely his most watched video. 😂
I think you may want to visit an optometrist very soon.
Matt lets me drive his tractor. Just saying...
Dude, I thought we agreed to keep that between us!?
Lol
😂
Lol
Oh…. I’m sure he does 😉
Thank you for your honest approach it is so refreshing , I really enjoy your videos. One comment there is a wood working school near me I have taken classes at, some of the best wood workers in the country are guest instructors there. The hand tool only guys there tell me they will not work with kiln dried wood. I'm not sure why I believe it may be more prone to break out when working near an edge with tools like chisels and hand planes and may split easier. Here in the Pacific Northwest there are a lot of one man saw Mills and I don't know of any that have kilns. For many years the lumber yard I buy dimensional lumber from sold green fir as well as kiln dried (KD). I found the green fir would not split when toe nailing. From the reading I have done they say that over time (laid up in the lumber yard) green wood and KD would will reach the same moisture content (makes sense) of course depending on weather this might be 6 month.
Great knowledge for those looking to use wood for fine woodworking projects. For farm outbuildings, we pretty much ignore most of this as, first, there is no mill nearby with vacuum kilns and, second, farm outbuildings here in the FL panhandle are normally board & batten so the shrinkage is allowed for. Since building wood here is pretty much all southern yellow pine, it actually shrinks much less than I would expect. We have been doing outbuildings here for over 20 years and never had a bug issue yet.
I bought a pallet of assorted wood from a local saw mill. Two brothers producing finished wood for a cabinet manufacturer. They took stuff off saying (that's not nice) and threw stuff on. Not having a specific project in mind this worked out well for me. Showing up as a complete doofus they treated me great. I had loads to make random projects with for way, way less. I got samples of species I'd never worked with and may have never worked with (hickory, locust both hard on tools but wow, seriously). Support your local small operators for hobby stuff. When you need volume of a specific lumber they will be there for you.
super informative. I learned a lot.
Thanks Blake!
I'm liking the new direction of the channel! Great video, very informative!
Great information. And yes, lumber here in the desert is expensive.
It is called a sticker because orignally: It was just sticks, and you lift the board and stick em right on in there. There was a carpentry service that would make equal sized sticks just for stacking wood to help prevent warping as it dried.
Thanks for the video! Apart from asking the help, is there an easy way to trust but verify whether I'm looking at air-dried vs kiln-dried wood on my own? I understand the difference can matter when it comes to appearance in some species (e.g., walnut).
That’s a good point!! Specifically, walnut will mainly look different only when it is Steamed! Large industrial kilns will often steam walnut and it has nothing to do with better quality and more to do with money!! They steam it so that the heartwood blends with the sapwood and they can provide a “more consistent color” but also so they can sell you a bunch of sapwood lol. I’ve seen commercial produced walnut with up to 80% sapwood per board-face!? Again, I would ask them to measure the moisture in front of you if you’re suspicious…and don’t let them measure from end grain and if it is a thick slab, make sure they’re using a meter that can measure in the center of the board. With enough experience you’ll be able to tell if wood is kiln dried just by the feel and weight of it.
@@m2lumber Thanks for your reply and advice!
Buy yourself a moisture meter. Some have probes which may upset the seller but there are also non invasive metres that you just hold on the surface. Be aware that kiln dried may not be any better for you than airdried. It depends on the specifications and how you want to use it. Your location can also have a major impact on your moisture content needs. In Europe 11% is the norm but in california this could need to be 6%. It's the relative humidity of the area and the equilibrium moisture content of the timber.
@@m2lumber you don’t have to steam the lumber to bleed the color to the sap wood. Just let the log sit. It’ll bleed.
This was excellent. Great job fellas. I'm just getting started and just made my first purchase from a hardwood dealer, the first time not getting stuff at a big box, and was super intimidated but had a great experience. Videos like this are really helpful to noobs like me
Very good video! Having lived in South Carolina, one thing I would recommend is when it comes to trades/contractors out there, be reasonable, yet cautious, with the ' locals'; they play lots of games... especially the closer you get to the coast. More often than not, we were better off swallowing the shipping, and getting materials elsewhere, such as Penn., or farther north, or simply just going to the box-store, depending on the work.
If someone is playing games with you, then I agree you should not give them your business!
Absolutely love the focus on kiln drying. The operation that my father and I run takes a HUGE focus on kiln drying before we do anything else with the customer's wood. It's probably the single hardest part of what we do (we don't do the sawmill end as we have 3 sawyers we source from). Glad to see that your buddy takes that aspect of it seriously. That just... 🤌
You two are the Abbott and Costello of the rough-cut lumber world. I highly urge you to collaborate much more often. That was a great presentation. Liked and subbed without hesitation.
This is a fantastic video with excellent info. If you have the opportunity to collaborate with M2 Lumber again, I would love to see more! Thanks!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. We will do something again for sure
This is the video that got my subscription. Been in this business almost 50 yrs and always made certain apprentices were on their best behavior around the sawmill folks- just like pissing off a waiter can get you crappy food, offending a sawmill operator will keep you in BORING material forever. But if you show up with fresh cookies and polite apprentices you will leave that place with GOLD. Smart man not letting you run the tractor. lol
I’ve learned the lesson about asking a local mill to “prove it” about moisture content the hard way. So true to watch out for a “guy with a saw” on marketplace as well. The guy I go to in upstate New York is super. I always plan an extra hour to the trip as he is always showing me something new he is doing or wants me to see. I didn’t drive the tractor but I did get to drive the forklift to dig through the pile
This is a ridiculously fantastic video.
This is an awesome video with tons of great knowledge we wouldn't otherwise get. Thanks for the high quality content!
Loved this video dude! It’s interesting to hear any differences between the states and over here in the UK 🤙🏻
Thanks Sam
Love this video! Great content, great details, great pacing! So many good things to know here.
Great video! When most people start out it is SUPER intimidating to go to a yard instead of a box store. But videos like this one will hopefully help burnish the edge a bit.
This is fabulous. You should be super proud of your content. I learned so much and feel like I could try shopping in a sawmill now.
Go for it!
This video is just plain outstanding!! I learned a whole bunch that I never knew before. There are three or four sawmills near my house and so I'm looking forward to going to check them out to see what I can see and perhaps find a better source for lumber than Blowe's or Home Despot. Their lumber SUCKS. Most of the 2x4s I get at either store would make Robin Hood jealous, were he making a new bow for his arrows. Looking forward to more great videos from you, boss!! Thanks for all you do!
Resolve to never again buy any lumber at a big box store. It's overpriced and terrible quality. Even if you need construction lumber for a construction project, you're better off supporting a local lumber yard, who will have an interest in delivering the best quality boards at the most reasonable price, because that's what gets contractors coming back and placing large orders. Also, I just checked, and so-called whitewood 2x4s are going for $4.48 at big boxes in my area - that's $1.28/bdft for the softest, most crooked junk on the planet (and that price is WAY down from what it was a month or two ago)!!!!
thanks for answering so many questions I didn't know I was going to have. guys are great job explaining everything. I'm heading to my local mill for the first time next
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Very informative and detailed. Also, you guys are hilarious together. Your personalities and on screen presence compliment each other quite well. 👍
Thank you for this video. I am local woodworker that has been following you for a while now and I am in Greer SC. Thanks to that Video I know know of a new place that I can get wood from.
Glad to help
I agree with many of the comments. This is awesome stuff. I'd love to see a video discussing species, why choose one vs the other, and actually show final products of those species to drive home the differences.
Noted!
Great info, thanks! Here in Upstate NY we have many great mills and managed forests to get our lumber from at good prices. Lots of cherry, applewood, maple including spalted and ambrosia, oak, alder, walnut… A few times I have purchased a lift of lumber with several woodworkers . I like to use a mill that gets its live edge lumber only from fallen trees or land cleared for new construction. You get a like and a new subscriber!
Phenomenal video, as usual. Would have saved me weeks of confusion watching other videos and trying to find someone willing to share this basic info at my local hardwood dealer. Let's just say they are 100% committed to the old grumpy expert model and don't have time to explain 6/4 S2S. Would love a video with some insight ton the pros and cons of several of the more popular hardwoods available across the country (maple, oak, poplar, etc.) for different types of projects (building a work bench, furniture, home repair, etc). Also info on plywood types, cores, etc., would be great.
Fantastic information, Jon! Great work man
a lot of good information. thank you. i have been seeing a lot of craigslist and facebook marketplace sawmills spring up since 2020 and i never did think about if their wood was dried or not and their prices were actually higher then a local lumber yard. glad i never bought any of that, i highly doubt any of it was dried.
Fantastic video and well explained! I've been going to Matt since starting, minus a few finds I couldn't pass on.
This is the best, most informative, most valuable, wood procurement video I've ever seen - thank you!
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I've been buying from hardwood dealers for about a decade & local mills for years. This is one of the most comprehensive videos I have seen on the subject. Wish I'd had it years ago. Only thing it's missing is stating that another benefit of local mills is you might find some of the most beautiful wood. Oftentimes I have found locals look for particularly interesting logs that yield really figured, beautiful boards.
Thanks Karl! Yeah we definitely specialize in beautiful wood cuts and logs. I thought we mentioned that but I guess didn’t stress it enough.
Liked the video. Matt did a thorough job explaining the benefits of drying hardwoods. I would be very curious to know where he finds alder among the local SC forests as I’ve always thought of this as a western hardwood.
It is def not a local wood….that was a little misspoken part that we couldn’t edit out, sorry.
Fabulous content ! Keep rocking your way to the top - like no other. Thank-you very much
Thanks, will do!
Great video! I've known a couple of guys who cut and properly dry firewood, (not as important as project lumber but still same point), its really stupid to see people paying the same, if not MORE, for moist/wet wood, cuz those doing it the correct way should be getting that business and people shouldn't be ripping themselves off! Awesome vid because of that
Great content and very informative. Would love to see more about wood selection and types of species.
Noted!
Awesome and super informative video Really enjoyed it. Going to check out my local sawmill here in California for the first time thanks 🙏
Great tips here, one thing worth looking into for lumber drying in a kiln is case hardening. If it is rushed, the outside dries and shrinks faster than the interior. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because when the interior does eventually dry it pulls the outer layers into compression, which makes it much less crack prone, but if you plane it on one side only you release the tension on that side and it can cup a lot. Best advice I ever got was to seal the end grain of raw wood with paint or paraffin and a heat gun. It allows the wood to dry without a gradient and buys you time until you can use it
That wood species thing makes a lot of sense. I have long thought walnut is priced stupid...it's roughly 3-4 times the cost of maple or even sepele where I am...and given the choice, I'd go with sepele. Looking at your graph though, I'm not in a walnut region.
I am not a beginner - been to my local dealers, outlet and sawmills. THIS IS THE BEST VIDEO EVER for discussing how one should handle this. One additional thing to discuss is S4S boards don't come in pre-packaged 5.5" or 7.5" - they are random. So you walk in thinking "I need 5 @ 5.5" wide" and convert that to "They have a 10.5" wide which replaces two and I can joint these 4" boards together etc." "Plastic persuasion" was priceless (see what I did there?) Damn kid, you have a future here. Funny, simple, straightforward, and your partner in crime here is also VERY good on camera. Total Keepeer! Oh, a mention about bugs. My house burned in 2017 (along with 6500 of my neighbors in NorCal). Lost 26 trees on the property. Turn lemons into lemonade right? So hired a portable mill, cut, stickered dried for 2 years. House rebuilt, build kitchen slab table awesome (!?). Nope. house warms up and out come the bugs from the "natural edge". Put on the paint on treatments - they lap it up. So ended up cutting "natural edge" off, reshaping table etc. Could have avoided with a little Kiln drying, but didn't have access. SO KD IS VERY IMPORTANT if you don't want to bring the bugs into your home.
Sorry to hear about the wildfires. Appreciate the kind words
I have a sawmill, kiln and woodshop and after this video I want to buy from Matt! Great Video!
Lol, I won’t stop you! 😊