Saving money on lumber can take on many forms and when some lumber prices jump in price like what has happened over the past couple years, 2020 and 2021 where we have seen many lumber prices climb very high, it makes us even more aware of how we need to be particularly careful in our selections of wood and how we work with it.

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ekr2OcvEF6E

This video and article are meant to give an overview of many of the things woodworkers can do in acquiring wood and using wood that will help save them money. For much more detail on this topic there is a 6 part series on how to save money on wood where each episode is independent of the others so you can pick and choose which ones are more specific to your situation and benefit from the details of those articles and videos ... see below for an overview, pick just one topic and give it a try ...

Part 1

Pallet wood for saving money
Money-Saving Hacks for Woodworking: Using Reclaimed Pallet Wood
This video details how to best acquire, use and break down pallet wood for those interested in this for of lumber
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If you are using any used or reclaimed wood it is imperative that you have some sort of a metal detector
Click here for more information on the Wizard Metal Detector from Amazon

Part 2

Reclaimed Wood and Free Wood - Money Saving Tips for Woodworking
More way of finding reclaimed wood other than pallets with lots of different sources to look at
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Part 3

Buying Lumber Direct From the Sawmill - Money Saving Hacks for Woodworking
Here you will get an idea of what kinds of things to look for in smaller local bandsaw mills where people acquire trees and logs and mill them up for sale to local woodworkers and carpenters and some of the things to look for
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If you are purchasing wood directly from a mill, that is another reason you need a good moisture meter to better know the status of the wood you are looking at
Click here for more information on this Wagner Meter through Amazon

Part 4

Buying Lumber from the Lumber Yard - Money Saving Hacks for Woodworking
Get the low-down on some ideas to get better value from your local wood supply dealer and remember, they are not the reason that lumber prices have escalated, their job is to sell lumber and make satisfied customers so they are there to help you get value so talk to them and ask them to help you in selecting the best values.
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Part 5

Selecting and Cutting Wood on a Budget - Money Saving Hacks
This section deals with looking at man-made woods, like Plywood and MDF kinds of wood products and how Veneering is an excellent alternative; it also examines different cuts of natural wood like Rift Saw, Quarter Saw, etc and how knots, cracks, and bark inclusions can affect the quality of the wood
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Part 6

Working with Live Edge Wood / Live Edge Slabs - Money Saving Hacks for Woodworking
This video examines some of the different aspects of working with live edge slabs and some of the issues you may encounter and how to get the best results with live edge wood