Where to buy a piece of wood (or substitute) I need

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. Did you already buy the shelf piece? What is your desired overall finished dimensions?

I would skip the shelf piece and just have a piece of poplar “ripped” (cut long way) to the size you need. I don’t think anyone in a store setting will rip a small piece of, say, 1.25 from a 1.5 piece.

Home Depot only rips large sheets of plywood on their big standing panel saw. They will “cross cut” boards and dimensional lumber but that doesn’t do you any good.


You need a “specialty lumber” store - not to be confused with a lumber yard. Specialty lumber stores cater to woodworkers and hobbyists. The will have just about any wood species you want. They will sell in random lengths/widths and usually rip/cross cut to size. It will be cheaper than Home Depot - especially if you buy one large piece instead of a shelf piece and strip.

You will have to prime it but you will save hassle of piecing it together. Plus it will look better.

Here’s an example of a specialty lumber store in the Chicago area. These types of stores are everywhere. You just have to look:

https://www.owlhardwood.com/