Tips on Finding Cheap and Free Wood for your next Woodworking or DIY Project

[@nannettefreeman7331]

Days after purchasing an old Dodge cargo van I planned to build out for Vanlife purposes, the actor's workshop rehearsal space next door to the place where I had a storage unit moved out & left PILES of used sets. Not only did I score a ton of good lumber (plywood, 2x4s, 4x4s, like new, some plywood already framed up with 2x4s I used as the bed platform), but also sheets of NRP poly wall board, plus one roll of the stuff long.enough to do the ceiling.! Short of some vinyl flooring & underlayment, it was almost EVERYTHING I needed for the whole build-out, just sitting there in the alley next to my storage! I cut up styrofoam coolers I found in the dumpster behind the hospital (the kind they ship vaccines in) for insulation. Did the entire build-out for less than $100!

[@DIYwithDave]

That is fantastic. I never thought of using old sets. I would think that they would recycle that stuff themselves. I am always amazed at the things that people throw out.

[@livingproof420]

You found a gold mine lol 😆 thats awesome!!!

[@allyncross6973]

Thanks for the tips on getting free wood. There is always ditch wood too where someone cut down a tree and put it out by the road to be picked up usually by garbage trucks. Yall have a wonderful day.

[@brplatten1273]

Love your tips as a 66 year old great grandma just getting my first shop and on a limited income your tips really help thank you

[@buzzardbait]

I find old cabinet doors that are cherry, oak, and maple. Some are laminated wood good for making tool boxes and storage containers. Thanks for showing us this video.

[@DIYwithDave]

That's perfect!

[@MrThenry1988]

I got a story. Friend of mine bought some property that had a 200×60 hog barn on it built in the 60s. All of the hog pins were built out of 2×14 and down white oak. I took it all. Absolutely crazy looking wood stains. I cut all the boards short of the posts because we couldn't pull the 6 inch nails. Random nails can be trouble, and you really gotta inspect the wood. It's easily a semi load.

[@cherylkygirl7181]

I've found scrap lumber after tornado came thru the area. By collecting this trash, it helped with the clean up effort.

[@juiceguentzler]

I buy a lot of lumber from the Home Depot cull pile. I build a lot of smaller projects, so if there is a chunk missing, but the first six feet are fine, then I can use it. Or if it is bowed, I look at it as cambered. I built a long shelf for over my computer desk with two bowed pieces attached by perpendicular 2x2 spacers every 18”. The camber was good because I loaded it with my printer and text books, so no eventual deflection. :)

[@coloradomountainman8659]

Hey there Dave. Great, informative video. Again. The self gratification and pride in taking an old, discarded, board(s) and planing, shaping, sanding, fitting and finishing has few comparisons. I have re-purposed snow fencing (2x6), elk panels, boards from derelict barns, homes and outbuildings to name a few. I recommend a good strong magnet made for the purpose of finding those hidden screws and nails before running through the planer. It is always a surprise to see the beauty hidden within an old cast off piece of lumber.

[@DIYwithDave]

I agree completely. I love reusing old things and giving them new life. Good tip on the screws. The last thing that you want to do is ruin your blades on an errant nail. It can also be dangerous

[@sixstringtherapy5038]

Cabinet shops are a for sure spot to hit. I been working at my current cabinet shop for almost 5 years. And I have so much amazing hardwood I had to stop my boss from throwing away. Usually doing a hardwood job, there will always be one or two boards with amazing grain patterns that don't match the rest of the wood. So that goes in my pile. I have a storage building full, at least 4 using spots on the shop floor, and quite a bit of the attic storage also stuffed with everything. We also have the throw away so many good pieces of sanded birch 3/4" plywood it hurts my feelings. The 1' or 2' pieces will stack up until we couldn't walk around our shop if we didn't burn them. So yeah definitely get to know your local cabinet shops.

[@DIYwithDave]

That is awesome! Your cabinet shop wouldn't happen to be located in the DFW area would it? Asking for a friend 😀

[@sixstringtherapy5038]

@@DIYwithDave lol, afraid not friend.

[@mmast3180]

The US doesnt permit Bromide in treatment of pallets which is the same for most other countries, however there are still floaters check for marking and if not sure dont go there pass it up

[@Tom-ym7tq]

I'm glad that I personally don't care if my wood is treated or has damage. It will rot but that's actually better for my project. I'm going to make some fairly large raised beds for my garden and rotting wood can help the garden thrive. The only thing that matters is that it holds soil for 5 to 6 years. I'd want it to fall apart afterwards so it can be composted and reused in newer long-lasting beds.

[@thesnoopy1009]

Spot on with all pointers

[@dart336]

Salvage pallets make great facades with chain link fences. Drill a hole, zip tie it to the fence. It's great for increasing privacy as it obscures line of sight.

[@wsfarnie]

Oh my God- free pianos! That's brilliant! Currently have beautiful ones available in my area.

[@jamesford2942]

I had a local friend custom cut wood for my trailer deck at 1/3 the price of the commercial wood. Just a note about the "wood shortage" the local mill is shutting down for a week because there is no place left to stack the wood and they want to do some maintenance.

[@DIYwithDave]

At this point there is no shortage. The mills have more than they can sell.

[@jamesford2942]

@@DIYwithDave it's been like that for months here in Shelton WA. Wood is stacked as high as the forklifts can go. I don't know why the prices are staying inflated. The mill has a sign up looking for people to work as well with a $1500 signing bonus.

[@BouncermanDotCom]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@DIYwithDave]

Glad you liked it!

[@jonwilliams8131]

I've used Woodworkers Source which is online and they shipped to Utah. I was nervous because I couldn't hand select each board but it ended up working out great. The the local specialty lumber yard didn't have a lot of what I was looking for and what they did have was in pretty rough shape. I was nervous about warping but I bought sapele which is pretty stable to begin with. I built a nice laundry countertop and would definitely order from them again.

[@DIYwithDave]

Hi Jon! That sounds great. What was it like in terms of cost? Did they ship you long boards?

[@jonwilliams8131]

@@DIYwithDave Took me forever but just got around to sending you an email about this order and project.

[@lindamarsden8024]

you can also try Habitat for Humanity resale stores and salvage yards

[@joesmith2505]

Great video Dave.

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks for watching!

[@cliitcommander3055]

Yo 🤙 I dig your stuff! This is the 2nd video of yours that I've seen so far. Wicked excited to find free wood!. Thanks for sharing!

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks for watching!

[@cliitcommander3055]

@@DIYwithDave dude, so right after I watched your video I was headed to the store and a chic down the road was out in her yard with lots of lumber piled up. I thought of you, turned around and asked her if she needed it out of her way. She be actually did! I got a metric FUCK ton of 2x4s, 2x6s, 2x10s 4x4 posts, is 4x6 be a thing cuz there are some beasts in the haul!! I'm oh and 1x4s so I'm so set. I figured I'd I didn't ask it would definitely be be a nope, I can't have it. Thanks again 🤘🤘

[@DIYwithDave]

That is fantastic! There are tons of people looking to get rid of wood, you just need to find them. Sounds like you hit the jackpot!! Happy building!

[@rokguitarstar]

Very informative

[@MrWaterbugdesign]

We used to build houses without sheet material. We still can. My scape pile has never been smaller. There are many places less than construction grade lumber can be used. 2x3, 2x2 can be used sometimes when we used 2x4s before.

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

I find a ton of lumber and other stuff at the dump !!!! I’m collecting to build a chicken coop and garden shed, I’m sure I have enough but building it will be my challenge 😏

[@devils58reds59]

You’ll manage 👍

[@amgeezy_2709]

I wouldn’t worry about asking to dumpster dive. It’s only trespassing. They ask you to leave, you leave,

[@jamesrowsell553]

Thanks man. You earned a sub

[@DIYwithDave]

Glad you found it useful!

[@johnnycorn7225]

Just find a trove of freshly cut gorgeous cherry wood in perfect size segments on the side if the road, and I've got a big enough oven to bake those cookies to perfection 🎉

[@mysteriousplankton]

Great video. Now I gotta buy a pickup truck. Thumbs up!

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful.

[@Rita-us6go]

You can always rent a pickup. U-Haul, even Home Depot (At least they used to) rents them out.

[@travisjohnston1923]

Not to discredit, but I've heard so much ragging on pallet wood. They aren't all pine, some are oak, and really there's nothing wrong with yellow or white pine. Construction grade lumber is yellow pine. but outside the books, the actual applications for palletwood is unlimited. My grandparents house burned through thanks to an ancient gravity furnace. Rebuilt from pallets. EVERY scrap of wood furniture they had, pallets. The woodshed, Pallets. The mower shed, pallets. the gazebo AND swings, pallets. ornate bookshelves and urns, pallets. Grandfather and grandmother clocks, pallets. Grandpa NEVER bought a scrap of wood. But the whole family would get together for a cookout or pizza party and tear apart pallets. My cousins and I were always on nail duty lol. I miss it. Anyway, this ain't about family, it's about limiting what people think. Pallets are amazing if you know how to pick them. Even with that info, they are pretty frustrating, and you can get some beautiful woods and grains. I've used 16' long pallets. They exist, you just have to look for em. You'd be amazed what companies throw away.

[@gdot9046]

Your a cool dude. Thanks

[@renderproductions1032]

Heard scarlet fire, immediately subscribed

[@yambammer7277]

well if local saw mills only have local species... then im in luck since where I live there are tons of beautiful 100 year old walnut trees!

[@DIYwithDave]

You are in luck. Walnut is the best. It is the wood that all of the other woods want to be.

[@johnpowell7514]

Also reuse stores.

[@lexxi.3]

Is there any in Toronto Canada????

[@edwint1780]

A fun video but none of the options you've listed besides the big box store, are practical or feasible for most people. Do the lumber mills even accept credit cards as a form of payment? All those options are too impractical and inconvenient and would take too much time and effort. I'll just pay the extra at the big box store, it is what it is.

[@lawsonlawson9806]

I gave up .. never got to bottom line

[@kelbachus7719]

DO NOT SALVAGE PIANOS WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE DOING IT'S DANGEROUS The massive metal plates on pianos are under thousands of pounds of tension -- 15, 18, 20 TONS -- from the strings. Sometimes the only thing holding the metal (usually cast iron, which is brittle AF) "harp" together is the wood behind it, as it may have rusted or cracked or been otherwise compromised. Under no circumstances should people without experience start messing around with that structure. The harp can literally explode, when tension isn't let off evenly or slowly. That sudden release of tension can result in potentially lethal metal shrapnel -- either the plate, parts of the plate, or the strings themselves, or all of those simultaneously. The only safe way to dismantle a piano is to first let the tension off every single string. That can take many hours (there are usually 240 or so strings on a piano), and more if the plate is rusted. You'll need a tuning key. And patience. Then, once all that's done the plate has to be unbolted from the wooden soundboard and pinboards if you want to recover that wood (which you often don't, as often the frame is glued to them, and/or they have warped and split). Unbolting the plate is generally a nightmare. I just saw a video where someone takes a grinder after the strings. One word: Darwin.

[@ryananthony4840]

Tearing apart ANYTHING historic is a crime

[@wetspotswimwear1199]

You can go to 84 lumber and buy one piece of wood with no problem, don't lie