Where to get wood for shelves online?

January 1, 2006 3:10 PM

Where online can I order some wood, have it stained, and shipped? My google skills have failed me. I'm just trying to buy some shelves.

We're putting together some shelves, we have the supports for the shelves (Some nifty floor-to-ceiling pressure poles from a place called ISS Designs). All I need is some wood, 1/2" x 12" x 36" I'm thinking would be right. Pine maybe? And then stained a dark walnut color. Heck, even a decent laminate in a dark walnut would work on particle board, but I'm not finding anything at all.

I've spent around an hour searching and I've keep running into completed bookshelves, or hardwood flooring, or raw lumber, or guides about how to put shelves together. Surely what I'm looking for must exist?

I'm fully aware this is the sort of thing I could stroll into a Home Depot or the like, ask for, and would probably be given. The problem is, it's hard to get to one of those in NYC, and a real hassle to carry stuff out (or expensive to have it shipped). I really want to do this online.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

posted by malphigian to home & garden (5 comments total)

Lowe's sells lumber (laminate and regular) online. Looks like you have to enter your zip code here to see what's available in your area.
posted by naomi at 3:36 PM on January 1, 2006

I believe that the Manhattan Home Depots will deliver lumber to you. I think you will have to sand and stain it yourself though. Also, 1/2 thick shelving seems pretty thin; I would go with 3/4 inch to reduce sagging.
posted by caddis at 3:48 PM on January 1, 2006

Rockler sells some neat types of wood, and you can order from them online and have it shipped. I believe you'll still have to stain/finish it yourself, but you can order those supplies from them too, and it is pretty easy to do.

I'm interested in the pressure poles you mentioned -- do you have a link?
posted by spilon at 5:04 PM on January 1, 2006

Is 1/2" what ISS recommends? It might be ok for multi spans but as caddis says it'll be marginal at best for 36" supported only at the ends. Most precut shelves are going to be 5/8ths or 3/4". If the hardware is designed for 1/2" you can put a stiffener along the front to correct or prevent the sag. As far as the shelves, if you can get delivered from any of the big boxes, and considering you're not after any specific look, that's the route I'd go. They all have sections of precut and finished shelving in assorted widths and lengths.

Alternatively post an ad on CL or similiar, this is a straight forward job for any hobbiest woodworker and you could arrange delivery. It'll be quite a bit more expensive than the Borg route but you could get something fancy like bowed fronts, an inlay strip or contrasting woods.

spilon writes "I'm interested in the pressure poles you mentioned -- do you have a link?"

ISS Designs
posted by Mitheral at 8:38 PM on January 1, 2006

Tole Wood does custom work like this. Sounds like someone in their guestbook had a finished shelf made by them. They make the bases for the radio kits at Xtalman. I haven't seen their work, but they sound ok.
posted by jwells at 3:44 AM on January 2, 2006