Ya if you want precision your better off going to a an actual lumber yard. Although most of the stuff i've gotten from lowes is usally pretty close as long as ya pick through and find the straight and dry ones
Time Saving Layout Tool for Carpenters and Do It Yourselfers
- Thread starter plecostic
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For stand builds I am lucky enough to have a jointer and a planer. It makes life so much easier to bring the stock down to a common identical size before assembling. It really highlights the differences in board dimensions when you have a stack of 2 x 4 lumber and some of them go through the first pass of the planer taking a pretty knarly bite off then others aren't even tall enough to hit the planer blades.
A couple months ago I was at Lowes and they just brought out a fresh stack of kiln dried 2 x 4's. We needed a dozen for a project at my girlfriends place (Actually my gf's place IS the project!). I ended up with 40 really good solid straight sticks after going through half the stack. My gf couldn't understand why we needed 40 2x4's. I tried to explain to her that you have to grab the good lumber when you can because in a week there will only be the picked through left overs remaining.
If I can get straight, solid and not twisted I am happy. I will deal with size variations. For framing it doesn't matter, for stands, shelving etc. I am lucky enough to have the proper wood working tools. I just chuckled when the video said "The EXACT size of a 2x4!"
You are right though... my local lumber yard has much better lumber. The plywood they carry is a whole lot better than borg plywood... the lumber store plywood is even FLAT!!!!! Not with a nasty bow in the sheet like the borg plywood always has. Darned if I can figure out why the borg employees can't figure out how to lay the plywood on a flat surface!
Unfortunately the lumber yard caters to contractors who shop during the work week and they are not open on weekends when I shop.
A couple months ago I was at Lowes and they just brought out a fresh stack of kiln dried 2 x 4's. We needed a dozen for a project at my girlfriends place (Actually my gf's place IS the project!). I ended up with 40 really good solid straight sticks after going through half the stack. My gf couldn't understand why we needed 40 2x4's. I tried to explain to her that you have to grab the good lumber when you can because in a week there will only be the picked through left overs remaining.
If I can get straight, solid and not twisted I am happy. I will deal with size variations. For framing it doesn't matter, for stands, shelving etc. I am lucky enough to have the proper wood working tools. I just chuckled when the video said "The EXACT size of a 2x4!"
You are right though... my local lumber yard has much better lumber. The plywood they carry is a whole lot better than borg plywood... the lumber store plywood is even FLAT!!!!! Not with a nasty bow in the sheet like the borg plywood always has. Darned if I can figure out why the borg employees can't figure out how to lay the plywood on a flat surface!
Unfortunately the lumber yard caters to contractors who shop during the work week and they are not open on weekends when I shop.
