Wood Selection

[Ty G]

For your primary wood (figured cherry and maple), do you order lumber sets from the same tree or just pick through and try to match the best you can?   I have to order all the wood I use; as selection in Texas is pretty much non-existent. 

On the same note, the suppliers I know of are Horizon, Grof & Grof, Hearne, and I have used Niagara in the past.  Any other good choices for ordering & shipping wood?

Thanks a bunch, Ty

[Antiquity]

I have ordered from Irion Lumber and Good Hope Hardwoods both in PA and both have great lumber.  With GHH you will have a better chance of ordering match sets.  In December I ordered 12/4 tiger maple for three beds all from Irion.  His price was about 1/3 less than GHH but GHH offered sets of four posts all from the same log.

Shop around for price.

Dennis Bork
Antiquity Period Designs, Ltd.

[briyon]

I typically buy all my primary wood from Irion.  They specialize in matched sets and are very helpful in getting you what you need.  Lou is a very experienced cabinet maker and or Myron have always been very helpful in helping me pick out the perfect set.  They even have some matched mahogany sets.

Brian

[ttalma]

I live close enough to Irion to drive there. When I have asked for matched sets of wood they were always able to find it for me. And when building a large piece they could get me wood that was so close in color that if not from the same tree was probably it's neighbor.

In there buildings they have the wood stacked and lots of it is stack and label 1 - 8, etc meaning the 8 boards are consecutive from the same tree.

They always ask what I'm building, and the figure I'm looking for, and when I show up they have pulled 3 choices for me and are willing to pull more. But I have always been very please with what they pull.

I know Lou builds period furniture so he has a good eye for what type of wood will look good in a location.

No I don't work for them but am a very happy customer.

[Phil Hirz]

One more vote for Irion.  I live in Cincinnati, but on one family road trip I drove a couple hours out of the way to visit Irion personally.  Lou and Myron were great and all the wood they showed me on my tour of their place was amazing.  I ended up buying two matched sets of curly cherry and I was very happy with the quality of the wood.  If you go to my blog www.blendedwoodworking.com and scroll back a few posts you can see a Chester County Tall Chest I recently completed.  All of the boards except the bracket feet were from the same tree.  If you search back a year or more or just google blendedwoodworking and irion and you can see the post where I provided a longer review of my experience when I visited Irion.

-Phil