Last Saturday at the Market was a real mixed bag. Poor sales, high winds, damage to product (a fretwork basket was blown off the table and snapped on the grain, fixed now , but still). On the good side: the owner of a local cabinet shop stopped by, was impressed with the fretwork, and offered me free wood scraps from the shop. Stopped by Tuesday and he wasn't kidding or pulling my leg, fairly large operation for the area (about 10 workers). Oak, maple, walnut, mostly 3/4 in various widths, free. I can stop by anytime pick and choose what I want.

 

Take my advise if you have any place inside to store lots of wood then go every few days and get as much as you can for they will eventually throw the stuff in the dumpsters and you are saving them lots of extra labor but do leave the pile or piles in neat stacks and that will make them happy. You could make them a clock with the shop name in large letters and the owner will think of you every time he looks at the clock and don't get cheap on the build....The wood needs to to inside to stay the same condition as it is now so if you have to build a shed for this lumber do it for this stuff has gone sky high in price.

   I got the same deal with a metal sales and construction company and took my time for I only loaded up when I was there buying new metal. Sadly this place closed up in about three years and the scrap was sitting there in one of those very long skid loader trash bins and the owner told me to load up all the metal I wanted every time I was there.. and just didn't take the time to go back often and load my long bed pickup with that much metal. Now I am buying flat strap round and angle all the time that I could have had for free. 

9 minutes ago, Smallpatch said:

You could make them a clock with the shop name in large letters and the owner will think of you every time he looks at the clock and don't get cheap on the build.

 

Always repay free wood with a gift in kind...