Selecting the correct raw wood to use in your woodworking or DIY projects is something that many DIYers often overlook. At first, choosing the right wood can seem like a daunting task. Don’t worry though because in this wood DIY guide, I’ll walk you through the basics and make sure you know what you’re doing when choosing a good wood.
When selecting your wood, it’s important to look at each and every board before making your selection. It’s hard work, but it’s an essential part of the process if you want to end up with a good selection.
Start by removing the boards that appear the straightest and flattest. It’s best to take out two to three times the actual amount you think you’ll really need. Check the edges of each board for signs of sapwood. The sapwood sometimes affects color and is often a haven for woodworms.
The next thing to check is the shape and characteristics of the grain. Make sure these are similar across all boards. It is better to select only wood that closely matches in characteristics.
Any piece with bad knots requires careful judgment. Check the rest of the table, and if you think it’s well calculated, it can probably be used as long as you can work between the nodes.
At this point, you should have successfully reduced your initial wood selection to 50%. The final choice of wood for your DIY or woodworking project should be based on color. Colors can vary greatly from piece to piece depending on whether the boards have been mixed together from different trees.
Shave away a small patch with a hand brush or chisel, and sometimes reveal whatever hidden treasure may lie beneath the outer surface.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that most hardwoods are also graded by quality. The best grades are first and second. While the minor grades are known as ‘select and common’.
Estimating and pricing lumber is sometimes a difficult job.
As a general rule of thumb, you should take the actual cut list requirements and then double that as a starting point for pricing. You can think of this as the minimum price that can then be increased.
if you’re lucky, someone at the sawmill can help you with the price. As long as you have some decent plans, they should be able to check them out and give you a more accurate price for all your materials.
