Wide and figured cherry

[lto]

I'm not sure if this the best place to post this, but does anyone here use wide or figured cherry lumber. I buy trailer loads of select and better cherry for use at www.barevillewoodcraft.com . A mill I deal with has saved premium sized and/or figured logs intended to be cut for the high end retail market. His customer is short of cash so he offered to cut these logs for me. I'd love to take all this, (10,000 feet) but the higher value boards are going to be too nice and expensive to go into production furniture parts. I need to find someone who has a use for the creme of the crop at a premium price in order to reduce my average cost to a level afforded by the product. I will of course keep a few peices to create something fabulous using the ShopBot.

Louis

[bleeth]

What do you call premium price in what quantity and where FOB. Understand that most of who are interested deal with wholesalers normally.

[lto]

Dave,
My initial idea was to have them cut it as they would normally cut grade lumber, then just sort out the exceptional material as we stack it for drying. However, I'm learning that especially with figured wood people want to buy book matched sets to maintain grain and color continuity. This method yeilds less footage in clear boards, but much greater average widths.

They could also cut some large squares for bed posts,etc. I'm sure I'll meet someone with a need of a special dimension after the wood is already cut.

I now need to decide if I want to invest more time and money into producing matched sets or go the route I'm familiar with and accept a lower price for the portion I sell.

I consider anything above about 3.25 per ft. on volume 4/4 and 5/4 KD Fas/FIF cherry to be premium. This particular load should yeild some boards to be sold for a couple dollars more leaving me with the non-figured under 12" wide remainder at closer to our normal cost.

[lto]

By the way, our normal cherry at the cost of 3.25 per ft. contains only a small percentage that will yeild over 7" wide, clear, and red.

[bleeth]

Let us know the finale. Drying is also an issue. Do you take it "green" for your bending purposes or are they drying?

[lto]

We buy green and dry in low temperture kilns in order to maintain greater strenght and quality. Cherry is one of the easier hardwoods that we dry.

Drying is a science, it requires knowledge, experiance, and even then sometimes things turn out differently than hoped for.

[drodda]

Louis,
I emailed you last week to ask about payment for my recent order. I was wondering if you had gotten my email?

As for the premium cherry I would be interested in some wide stuff but I know nothing of the science of drying the wood. I build many cherry poker tables but buy local and already dried now. I buy 5/4 in 10"+ widths locally.

Dave Rodda

DK Poker Tables

[planesman]

Louis,
I don't know if you are still involved with premium cherry, but I am interested in purchasing a small amount (about 100 bd ft). And am willing to pay premium prices ($8 to 10). If you have any material, or any source suggestions I would appreciate it.