Rough Sawn Lumber

[MountainDon]

I've never bought rough sawn lumber.

All I know about it is it's rough, not planed, a 1 x 8 will be an actual 1 x 8 inches, unless it's dried some since cut, I like the looks of it and I've just discovered a local source in the Jemez Mountains at one of the Indian Pueblos. This wold be predominantly Ponderosa Pine with the possibility of some Spruce and/or Fir mixed in.

How do these prices compare to what anyone has seen anywhere?
1x2    0.56 per bd. ft.
1x4    0.61 per bd. ft.
1x6    0.65 per bd. ft.
1x8    0.65 per bd. ft.
1x10  0.75 per bd. ft.
1x12  0.85 per bd. ft.

I also know it will shrink across the width mostly, insignificantly in length. Glenn has posted an approximate figure based on his experience. I don't recall how much. I found a table that states for pine; 4 to 8% width, depending on how the lumber is cut.

[peter nap]

It's hard to say about the prices Don. The cost of living is different everywhere. Here, those prices would be horrible.

For instance, I pay about 6.00 for a 16 foot 1x6 OAK.

Kiln dried pine 1x4x14 cost me about 1.80 each at the mill.

[paul s]

our local misl is getting .42 dollars per board foot for 1 x 6 sy pine

quality was excellent
that is in north carolina  taylorsville

[MountainDon]

Thanks guys.

We don't have much timber that's harvestable. That's the problem. Lots of trees, but it's mostly National Forest or the Valle Caldera Preserve. Every time someone mentions cutting some timber there's a big to-do about it. All the greens come out screaming and lay another lawsuit on the NF or VC managers. Meanwhile they fret about the forest fire risk.

If it was just COL we should have wood cheaper than dirt. For example the Forest Service here in NM pays about 1/3 for road construction labor as compared to what they in AZ.

The trees the pueblo sawmill uses come from the few allowed thinning operations. It's a better $$  than kiln dried at any lumber yard; about half. But it seems expensive to me still. NM used to have many sawmills, but all you hear for the past dozen years is about when another one closes.

The trees here also grow slowly. I just counted the rings on a log I brought home from the mountains last weekend. A foot above the ground level it was 8 1/8 inches in diameter with the bark removed. I counted 85 rings. Some were quite thin.

1x4 x 14 rough sawn at the pueblo is 2.65. That kiln dried is a real deal, Peter.

[eric2802000]

These prices beat Home Depot prices by far. Who cares if they are rough or not. One 1"x6"x16' is about $15 at the depot

[desdawg]

If the material is properly stickered and dried you can always run it through a planer yourself Don. Or if you want the rustic look just use it. At one time I built a number of dog houses for a St. Bernard breeder out of freshly milled lumber. That last lick with the hammer was ususally pretty juicy.  8-)<---Juice goggles

[MountainDon]

I'm specifically after the rustic qualities the rough sawn offers

Thinking board and batten exterior like the 20x24 going up in NH.

Even nicer than new rough sawn would be an old barn. But those are like gold plated lumber.

[desdawg]

I like the rough sawn look on the exterior too. It is a bit rough to finish but has that authenticity you just don't get with planed lumber. Building with logs is a lot of work and pricey so this is the next best thing. I would still like to do something with native materials at my place and now I suppose I will have time. Very labor intensive, that, but I have lots of stone and cordwood would be abundant if I wanted to go that route. Anyway I can relate to the desire to be rustic. And if you feel like the price is right.......

[Redoverfarm]

Hey Don I found it.  Every since your post regarding rough sawn lumber I had looked through my cabin receipts for what I had bought.  It was a local mill (family 2-3 employee) and they sawed white pine that I used for Board and Batten.  It was green and I had stacked and covered from November/06 to July/07. It was planed to 7/8" instead of 3/4".  This is what I paid.

1"X8"X8'  $2.72 ech
1"X8"X10' $3.40 ech

[glenn kangiser]

The local guy here - not me- tries to get $1.00 per board foot.

He gets $2.00bf for dry milled- planed  both sides T&G 1x5 pine flooring.

[Redoverfarm]

T&G here is $1.45bf.  I know because I have several hundred feet to buy for the ceiling in my cabin. Ouch!

[lodestar]

700 dollars per thousand board feet here at the local mill...rough or planed...

There's a fellow a bit further down the road with a wood mizer who will sell for 500 per thousand...and the bandsaw makes a smoother cut than the circular saw...

[glenn kangiser]

That is more what I feel the price should be for rough sawn but it goes higher here.

I mostly cut only for myself so only see what others charge.

Woodmizer is very similar to mine and I am pretty sure it's what the other guy has but it is a much bigger one than mine.

[hnash53]

I'd never buy rough cut lumber again to build anything that needed to be straight and true and consistent.

I bought 2x8 rough cut lumber and it varied from 1.75 to 2.5 inches thick and from 7.5 to 8.5 inches wide.  It twisted, shrunk and IMHO is only good for building livestock stalls and corrals ... and expensive firewood.

So....

[glenn kangiser]

Sounds like you got a bad mill, Hal.  I'd say check out the product.  It is true that some can be that way, but for the most part if I have good logs and a sharp blade, my lumber is pretty consistant.  Depends on the sawyer and quality of logs he is working with.

[peternap]

I agree....Bad Mill and I'd raise hell. I just bought several bundles of 1x8x16 oak fencing. I'll use this for siding. They are ALL 1x8x16.

Sure they bow and twist some. So does kiln dried lumber and treated lumber is the worst of all. Carpenters have to deal with that all the time. Crown up, pull and nail, pull and nail, pull and nail.

[hnash53]

Yeah, I should have gone back to the lumber mill and protested.  But I'd also read that rough cut was that way.  At that time, I was very very naive about building and what it would involve.

Maybe there's a place for rough cut lumber in my life again!!

[MountainDon]

Mainly I'm interested in at as a product to use for the facade. Strictly for the rustic looks.

[NorthernMich]

Don:

We get nice sawn cedar and pine that are leftovers where they manufacture LOG homes

Any around you?  Sold by the truckload.

Here I have at least 3.

Earl

[MountainDon]

No manufacturers like that around here. 

I found another sawmill though. Not cheap. Supplies some very nice looking T&G decking that's mostly used in custom homes. Also big vigas and the like.

[littledog]

It sounds like if you like it and you can swing the price and can't find a better deal then go for it.  I just got really lucky and the salvage yard in Vermont, not to far from me, has stacks and stacks of salvaged barn siding for $0.30 a square foot.  I am going to put it up on the interior of our living room and paint it.  I still have to build the living room but that is what I am going to do.  One local mill here wanted $0.75 a board foot for rough sawn pine and hemlock.  It seemed high to me, but other mills want the same.  We are not even talking first rate stuff either.  One small time guy gets $0.25 per lf for his junk.  Which is fine by me.  Mostly I plan on painting it instead of using drywall.  I really don't want to do much mudding.  Plus I like the look of painted wood walls.  Just my $0.02    Littledog.