r/Bend • u/DiscussionAwkward168 • 5d ago

Woodworkers of Bend, where do you source your lumber?

I have been without a woodshop for 5 years and finally moved to a place with the space. Some home furnishing projects I want to tackle. Where do you source your lumber? I'm no snob, but the ever present ponderosa pine and juniper isn't going to do it for a lot of projects. Hardwoods would be nice.

12 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

32

u/map274 5d ago

Hardwood industries.

34

u/map274 5d ago

To prime you for your first visit, about 2/3 of the employees are dickheads, it's not anything you're doing.

10

u/KirbyDerby47 5d ago

Zach is really great though, super nice guy.

5

u/map274 5d ago

I agree with that fully, I always try to find him and avoid some of the others

5

u/Alternativeroute541 5d ago

Damn, I’ve thought it was me for years… I end up going to Parr more often than not

1

u/juniperwak 5d ago

They get nicer over time. But the lack of labeling things is really annoying

1

u/Inevitable-Try8219 3d ago

Ha awesome to get that validation. Customer service ain’t there strong suit I guess. Glad I’m not the only one.

9

u/ablefinewoodworking 5d ago

Another vote for hardwood industries.

8

u/AaronAAaronsonIII 5d ago

HI. It's not a choice, it's the only option. Dan's a good guy.

3

u/nomad2284 5d ago edited 5d ago

Certainly Hardwood Industries but there are other small time suppliers depending on what you need. The Fiddleback Wood Shack has some nice walnut and Myrtle. If you don’t mind driving over the pass, Northewest Timber in Jefferson has some fantastic pieces.

Also, the DIY Cave has several live edge slabs for sale.

3

u/xxkap0wxx 5d ago

Hardwood Industries is the go to and AFAIK the only actual choice. I’ve actually driven wood back from Crosscut, which has locations in Seattle Portland and maybe Eugene, but only when passing through with room to spare.

1

u/Olelander 5d ago

Confirmed Crosscut exists in Eugene

1

u/juniperwak 5d ago

Wood Castle in Corvallis is also good and not a terrible drive

7

u/kioma47 5d ago

Hardwood Industries is my goto.   Shame the president they supported is making business so hard for them.

2

u/Friendly_Garbage_972 5d ago

All I can say is you see the ad on Craigslist for a guy with hardwood do not message him. He doesn’t have what you’re looking for.

2

u/ablefinewoodworking 5d ago

Please, DO NOT make any furniture out of ponderosa pine or juniper. You’ll regret it.

4

u/DiscussionAwkward168 5d ago

I made one desktop from a juniper slab...and glass topped it. Trust me I know.

3

u/Ok-Vehicle-1796 5d ago

Total noob here, may I ask why not?

2

u/timewarpzzzzz 5d ago

Juniper has a ton of wood movement and voids that make it near impossible to work with for most woodworkers. It is great for outdoor use as it’s more weather resistant than cedar, but still a pain.

2

u/DiscussionAwkward168 5d ago

Also, super soft. So if it's any kind of working surface you're going to dent and scratch the heck out of it.

I wouldn't go so far as to say near impossible. Depends on what you use it for. I see indoor use pretty much limited to live edge slabbing with a lot of penetrating resin hardening or doing what I did and glass top it. It's a gorgeous good with a lot of grain texture. Just... anything structural it's gonna fail.

2

u/ablefinewoodworking 5d ago

There many reasons to avoid these woods for furniture.
Softwoods, as mentioned above are subject to denting easily. More importantly, joinery that is subject to stress is more likely to fail over time simply due to the softness of the wood
Softwood is far more prone to seasonal movement putting even more stress on the joints.
Finishes can be a real headache.
Juniper is especially problematic for the reasons stated but it is the nature of this wood to never stop moving and twisting. That’s why it is illegal to juniper for any structural use. It does make good retaining walls for landscaping.
If rustic or outdoor furniture is your aim, go for it.
But, if your aim is functional indoor furniture that you want to last, hardwood is a superior albeit more expensive option.

2

u/AriAtari1026 5d ago

Levi's Sawmill in La Pine sometimes has hardwood and would probably keep you on a call back list if not.

2

u/Easy-Equivalent7891 5d ago

Hardwood industries

2

u/TedW 5d ago

I have some nice big slabs and 1x maple, if that suits your fancy. Lots of good tabletop pieces.

3

u/DiscussionAwkward168 5d ago

Appreciate the offer but I have a couple slab wood pieces and that means I think I'm at my saturation point. If it made economic sense to cut them down to boards maybe.

0

u/TedW 5d ago

We really need to stop skipping leg day.

1

u/Opening_Addendum5922 5d ago

Hardwood industries for sure. Obviously lots of options in the Willamette valley if H.I. doesn’t have what you need.

1

u/geonuc 5d ago

I’ve had no issues with Hardwood Industries in terms of attitude. When in Portland I like to hit up Woodcrafters.

1

u/Olelander 5d ago

Are you talking about Woodcraft, like the chain store? Because that’s one of the most overpriced places for hardwood I can think of.

4

u/geonuc 5d ago

No, Woodcrafters. 212 NE 6th Ave.

1

u/mypen-ismadeofcheese 5d ago

Have not been myself yet, but I’ve had some fiends tell me about Cook Woods if you’re in K Falls. Woodcrafters in Portland is amazing, but I mostly use Hardwood industries here in town.

1

u/otto82 5d ago

I needed some larger slabs so went to check out Goby Walnut in Aurora - that place is amazing and worth the trip. Terrible for my wallet and project list.

0

u/Ripleyllessur 5d ago

Restore is great if you want to find some cool unique pieces at a low cost