Tenon Jig Demo!

Microsoft Media Player

Learn how to make:

Tenon Maker DVD

Log Bed DVD

Tete-A-Tete  Chairs DVD

 Cedar Lawn Chairs DVD

Rustic Captain Chairs DVD

Rustic Chairs DVD

5' Cedar Swing DVD

6 Drawer Dresser DVD

 

Resources I use:

 

Welcome to the
Log Furniture Work Shop!!!
Just regular people building log furniture!

In this article I will cover where I find wood for building my log furniture. Generally most people who build log furniture sooner or later have to find the cheapest source for wood they can.

If you are lucky enough to have some property or maybe know some friends or family that will let you take some trees off there property.  You can profit more from your sales.

I have a couple of sources for cedar poles from local fencing companies. To find them I looked in the local phone book for fence companies and called around to see what there price's were.  Most fence companies in Northern Michigan have cedar post but they do not carry any pine.

I pay $3.60 for 3" cedar post and $4.60 for 4" cedar post.  I did find a person that is thinning out a cedar swap and he agreed to take out 500 posts for me at $2.25 a post.  That's about as good a deal as I could find.

It's October now and he'll have them ready by the middle of November so, I will have material to work with over the winter months to make log furniture.

Also, two years ago I bought a semi load of pine tops for $800.00.  This is another way you can buy your material.  Don't worry about the cost,  you'll make your money back in a few orders.....and then it's all profit.

I do happen to live on some property that has pine on it.  As the trees die, I cut them down and use them to build log furniture.  So that will be my pine source for now on.

I've included a video clip of the trees I'm taking off our property, it will give you an idea when to take them.  If you wait to long they'll be full of bugs.  I just keep watching them and when I think the time is right I cut them down and strip the bark off and store them until I need them.

Another source I am using until I get the 500 logs, is Menards. They are a big box chain store here in Traverse City Michigan. I can buy a 1" by 4" by 10' for under $5.00. I use these for my cedar log lawn chairs.

I just charge a little more for the chairs and this allows me to turn out my chairs faster. Having the planks already milled up saves so much time...it's worth it.

The cheaper your wood is...the more your profit will be. The better you have your shop set up the faster you can turn out your furniture. I never run at an order, but I do work steady to get it done.

Word of mouth and this web site always seems to amaze me. I did a craft show at a local casino for a charity cause.  And of course I went around and talked to most of the vendors, that was 4 months ago.

Yesterday I got a message from one of them and they came out and looked at my log lawn furniture I have setting in my yard and placed an order for two log chairs and one tete-a-tete chair. I use my yard as my show room.

So once your setup and the word gets out....the orders will come.

Till next time.

Charles