: Don't overlook the 4x4 piles. I have got most of my WRC from this
: size of lumber at a local Lowes. The 2x? are good but around
: here the 1x? boards are junk. It is like treasure hunting, once
: in a while you'll find a keeper. Keep the roof racks handy.

: If you can't select your wood find a different supplier.

: I cut my own Northern White cedar logs for a boat and most was
: kindling and sawdust. Went to a wood yard to work for a customer
: and was given!! two nearly clear NWC logs that have yet to be
: turned into boats.

: Don T

Agreed all round. Look at all the sizes. You never know where the good stuff will show up. My last sort went through everything from 4x4's to 2x12's in all manner of lengths. I was looking for some chocolate brown wood for my deck. Three lumber yards later, I ended up finding what I needed in the 2x4x8' pile, 4 lovely boards with only a few knots that left me lots of clear 8' strips very dark in color. Four boards out of perhaps hundreds.

I also echo the earlier suggestions about leaving the lumber pile tidy. I may even send a note to the yards thanking them, and showing them a picture of what I did with the wood. Anything that can be done to express our appreciation for this service is worth considering.

Regarding the issue of grain orientation, keep in mind that you can rip your strips in either orientation relative to the wide surface of your stock. Sometimes, ripping the flats of the strips parallel to the flats of your stock so as to retain the quartersawn orientation is as efficient as ripping them in the conventional direction. Just rip the stock into strip width pieces, and then rip those pieces to strip thickness at the same time you rip your flat grain stock. If you plane your flat grain pieces to strip width, run the ripped pieces from your quartersawn stock through the planer at the same time to get consistent strip width.