Walnut Lumber & More Supply Issues
I had hoped to start on my vanities and storage cabinet for the bathroom today, and I still may be able to do that, but I’m not 100% sure. The good news is that I picked up my walnut lumber yesterday. I ordered 3 pieces of 1″ x 3″, 1 piece of 1″ x 4″, and 8 pieces of 1″ x 2″. I ordered 8-foot lengths, but they came in 10-foot and 12-foot. And those 12 pieces of walnut lumber came to $458. So that doesn’t help with my nervousness about starting this project. 😀
And I wasn’t thrilled with the fact that my one 1″ x 4″ piece came with a rather large knot hole in it…
I actually think it’ll be fine. I have the lengths I need on either side of that knot, but it’s just frustrating to pay so much for walnut and get a piece with a big knot hole.
But anyway, that’s not the frustrating part. The frustrating part is that I’ve had such a hard time finding small cabinet trim in walnut. These supply chain issues are really making it difficult, which means that I may not get the design I want on my vanities and storage cabinet.
I had hoped to end up with something like this…
But everyone seems to be out of the small trim with no restock date given.
So I’m not sure what I’ll do at this point. I can either go ahead and make them with the products that I have, and make the drawer fronts all smooth slab-front drawers, which give a much more modern look that I had wanted. It would be similar to this vanity from Sean’s Woodworking…
Or I could switch gears completely and do a paneled door, since I can obviously get lumber needed for the stiles and rails. That would look like these drawer and doors on this vanity which is also from Sean’s Woodworking…
So I’m not sure what to do. I’ve been looking for this trim for at least two months now, so I’m pretty sure I’ve exhausted all of the possibilities that I’m aware of.
Where do I go from here? One style gives me a very decidedly modern look, which would be offset a bit with the turned walnut legs on the vanities. And the other would give me a look that I tend to equate with more of a farmhouse look. Ugh! I just don’t know. If you’ve forgotten, this is the overall design I’m headed towards on the vanity wall…
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Do you have the tools (and patience heh) to possibly make your own trim, or some approximation of it, from the lumber you’re able to get your hands on?
I had considered that. I do have a router, but I’d need to get a router table. That’s not a problem. I just have no experience making trim. If it were a big trim, I would probably just jump in and try it. But the trim I need is so small that I have no confidence that I’d be able to do it without breaking and wasting lots of lumber. I guess I could get the router table and give it a try on some scrap pine and poplar that I have lying around, though.
You can run the router detail on a wider piece of wood then rip the detailed edge off on the table saw, router the edge again, rip and repeat until the wood is too thin that you’re comfortable with.
This is exactly what we did for some cupboards we built in our daughter’s room. We had a router, but no router table. We clamped the board down, and then just used one of the bits the router came with. We wanted trim with a flat side, so we routered one edge of the board, and then flipped the board over and routered the other edge, and then sliced the routered edge off with our table saw. Then I sanded it down a bit to make it look nice. Sorry if that explanation was a bit muddy, but in the end it was pretty simple and turned out reaaaalllly nice.
I think it’s definitely worth a test! And if you find it easier than expected, imagine how unstoppable your future trim customization could be! 😉
Is there a woodworking shop nearby that can make that trim you are looking for? There must be some specialized equipment that can make that trim so precise. I DO love your original design so much. Or, can you get the same trim in some other type of wood that you could stain to match your walnut lumber? You are so good at doing that – the floor you had to match is so perfect! How come the company didn’t send you the exact lumber you ordered? It isn’t made in that size? AND, I don’t understand them sending that defective piece…it’s so expensive – what if you actually needed that exact piece in full? I never buy lumber so I guess I don’t have a clue how it works!
Have you at looked at Semihandmade’s Quarterline door? It is probably my favorite door style.
Can you make the vanities with “placers” for the trim, and finish them when the trim becomes available? Basically, a plain box, with future potential.
that’s what I was thinking. Go with your original design, but finish out the trim parts later, when it’s available.
If you haven’t already, try Acadian Cypress and Hardwoods in Ponchatoula, LA
I’d try buying trim in pine or something, and staining it to look like walnut. Those trim bits are so small you could probably pull it off without it being noticeable.
Is there a woodworking community on Facebook or can you ask on Craig’s list? Someone in your area surely has just what you need.
Could you possibly build what your want, then wait for the trim to add later–I know, wanting it all done. But will get exactly what your want–with just a small delay.
I wouldn’t veer away from your original plan. The two other looks give you something an aesthetic that you may not be looking for and I’m not sure you will be happy with it long term. Can you build it and just wait for the trim to return and then add it later?
I’d try buying trim in pine or something, and staining it to look like walnut. Those trim bits are so small you could probably pull it off without it being noticeable.
did you try this website? https://www.newmouldings.com/collections/walnut-mouldings they seem to have stuff “in stock” ???
I hope you can stick with your original plan. The 2 options presented just don’t see to fit with your design plan.
What a dilemma! I am sure you want to go with something that coordinates with the look of the cabinet you just built for the water closet. Good luck!
Call https://www.montalbanolumber.com/. In Houston (long way from Waco I know) I think they specialize in unusual woods. Nice road trip for you and Matt.
I do like someone’s suggestion that you cut the trim using the leftover pieces of walnut you have. Or can you get the finishing pieces in another wood and stain them? I’d never get them to look right but I have seen you do some miraculous things with stain. I just don’t see you liking the modern at all over the long term, you like trim too much. The panel doors seem a better fit but I’m not sure that over time you would be happy with them either. You tend to want what you want and figure out a way to get it. 🙂 Your solutions to problems never cease to amaze me.
I was thinking maybe you could stain available trim too. Since its very small possibly you wouldnt be seeing much grain anyway.
Why not make your own mouldings? I do it all the time, there are so many router bit options.
I was also going to suggest making your own, then saw your comment about concerns. You could contract with a woodworker in your area that has the right tools and experience to make the trim for you. I’m sure there are cabinet makers that do this kind of thing regularly. It will add a bit to the overall cost, but will be worth it in the long run.
Hmmm, what if you got another type of wood and gold leaf it or something? Or just build now and remove the doors next year to trim?
Also, irrelevant to this post, but I just watched a video that blew my “measure and calculate EVERYTHING before even getting up to work” obsessed brain, and I thought of you because I seem to recall you are not a fan of calculating mitre cuts etc… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZoKDvHEiUY
I think you’ll love it!
Love the gold leaf idea!!
Oh, I just had another idea. Look for photo frames perhaps? Long shot, but maybe you’ll get lucky there!
Kristie could you leave them plain and when the trim you want is available do it then.
I wouldn’t change my original design. It’s much prettier than the other two and keeps with the current aesthetic of the bathroom. If you can’t find trim at one of the places suggested in the comments, I’d do the main build and leave the trim until I could. It won’t be elegant for a while but you’ll be much happier in the long run.
Any chance you can find a cabinet shop nearby to make the pieces you need if you supple the wood?
Oh that’s a great idea. See if someone local could mill it.
Neither of those styles look like what you were after. I’d try a local woodworker or leave trim off until it becomes available. Both suggestions mentioned earlier.
Fake it with paint. You could do smooth fronts but then paint in those inner rectangles (in gold? or just a darker brown paint?). I think you did this in your kitchen, no?
https://www.dakotahardwoods.com/products/page/3/
Dakota Hardwoods says they have stock and custom hardwood mouldings. They are in Waco. I’m sure you’ve talked to them already, but I had to check.
Could you do the slab for now and add the small trim later once it’s available?
Since you can’t find the trim you want in walnut, you might consider using another contrasting wood for that part. You may find it in some exotic wood that would be sharp looking.
Could you build them with your original plan and add the trim later when it is available? Or since the trim is so small could you make them in another wood and stain them walnut? It is such a gorgeous design I would hate to have to make them in the shaker style that is so common.
Stay the course! Build them and add the trim later. Do what you wanted originally or you won’t be happy and it’s too much $$$ to not be happy. Plus I LOVE the cabinet inspo pic.
I made all the trim in my house using my router table and table saw. I think it may be time for some new tools. Easy to build your own router table, I do have a router lift in mine. Since you have the table saw this wouldn’t be that expensive and it is a great investment.
So buy some more walnut lumber and make your own trim.
It’s a long shot, but if you don’t think you can make your own, maybe try to find used furniture, cabinets, etc. with trim that you could salvage and reuse? Or ask on any Facebook woodworking pages, Freevycle, or similar to see if anyone has leftover trim you could buy?
Kristi,
I agree with you on your frustration of paying so much money for ordered lumber, and when you finally receive it…..find it is not 100% good. If the knot could not have been worked around I would not just be frustrated, I would be furious. Maybe the knot hole can be worked around, but paying so much money and waiting so long for it to arrive with a knot hole is not a good thing.
What about a high end picture frame shop? I’ve found oodles of moldings there.
I say stick with the original plan. Either build the vanities and wait to add the trim later. Or put your effort into another project for now. Or use trim pieces stained to look matching. But I really really love your original design and you know you want to see it come to fruition as much as we do lol
Have you considered using the self stick 3-d trim for the cabinet?
I’m sure it could be painted or stained to match the cabinet.
Also , IOD molds could be used to make the trim. Wood would be preferable I know , but these are 2 options that could work.
Could u get different wood trim and try to stain it Walnut?
I understand wanting the walnut bug is there a way to get trim in another wood and stain it walnut? Do you know any furniture builders who could help you out from their stock?
I don’t know what you are looking for but Rockler has quarter round in walnut in stock for $9.99 each and it is 20% off right now.
Is it possible to make your own walnut trim pieces using a router? Maybe contact a carpenter that builds high quality cabinetry and see if he has a machine that could create those trim pieces?
If you can’t get the trim, I do like the paneled doors over the plain slabs.
I just don’t see $458 sitting in that photo. It’s pretty incredible what things are costing these days. Whew.
Or… you could make them without the trim and then add it on once you can get it. They’ll still be functional without the trim- they’ll just look more simple for a while.
I know you’re in Waco, but down here in Houston, Clark’s Hardwood is my resource for hard-to-find items (I suggest calling; their website is useless). They certainly aren’t immune to supply chain issues but might be worth a call.
Is it possible that this community can help (I’d be willing)? Here’s the website for an amazing place for wood near me and I’d be happy to send it to you if you found the trim you wanted. http://www.th-h.com/index.htm
You might try to source a local sawyer In your area. I am in Iowa and would have charged you about one third of the price you paid.
Ha! had an Idea of why not buy a dowel, and work with that… so I googled a “black walnut dowel”
Came across this site…
https://www.bellforestproducts.com/exotic-wood-blanks/
Please vet and continue this line of googling for additional options.
also for a 36″ dowel…..
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/walnut-dowel-1-2-square
To split a dowel you could attach it to a thin piece of wood and run it in a table saw.
A video I saw used short nails and attaching it thru the scrap so only a 1/4″ of the nail max holds it. I’d see if you’d be comfortable with the cut using a cheap hardwood dowel and scrap.
Part of me would see if glue/ziptie (cut ziptie after glue sets) works for attachment since the other half is not usable, but could be wrong.