: Can anyone suggest the least expensive source, for cedar in the midwest. We
: can do all our own milling and are looking to hold down cost for students
: in a high school woodworking class.

: Thanks in advance

: Roger

First, call the local lumberyard. Local carpenters can tell you who is a good vendor. Usually these people will deliver the materials to your school's shop for a nominal fee. You might get the delivery for free, or for a reduced price, if you can get your school to give them a "tax letter", recognizing the doallar amount of their donation to the school.

Keep that tax letter idea in mind when you go shopping for your wood. It is as good as cash in some places. For example, consider a load of wood that might cost $100, delivered. This is a small load and if you are flexible in when you need it, the dealer might add it onto the truck along with another order. Of course he'll bill you for the delivery, but it won't cost him very much for your part of the load, so if you offer him $75 cash and a letter showing he donated $25 to the school, (it addsup to that $100) you and he both make out. You get a lower price, and he gets an eventual tax break.

I don't look for clear cedar. It is too expensive and I'm just going to turn a third of it into sawdust. I look for cedar deck material. It is usually available in lengths to 16 feet, and you can sometimes find it in longer lengths. The knots are usually small and solid. The material usually comes in a nominal 5/4 size, and measures about 1 inch thick, instead of the usual 1 x stock which measures about 3/4 inch thick. This gives me slightly wider strips, so I use one or two less per side. When I need more flexible strips I can easily rip these down to a bit under 1/2 inch -- which is a very flexible size.

Common widths are nominal 6 and 8 inches.

If I need longer wood I get 10 or 12 foot boards, rip them in half ( nominal 3 or 4 inch pieces) and scarf the best ends together with a simple angle cut going almost 2 feet long. This gives me a 20 foot piece, nominally 3 inches wide, from a 12 foot long 5/4 X 6 board. I rip these into my 1/4 inch strips.

For 16 and 17 foot canoes you'll want some 18 and 19 foot strips to get started. you can make these from 10 foot boards.

You'll get more strips from a board if you cut them 3/16's thick, rather than 1/4 inch thick. The strength is almost the same, but the boat is a bit lighter, and a bit cheaper.

Hope this helps.

PGJ