Might as well buy hardwood!
I’m a huge fan of construction lumber for some types of projects. As an example: we needed a big aquarium stand, so I made one from 2x4s and, I think, some underlayment. We were just going to paint the whole thing black anyway, so I didn’t care about using “nice” or “pretty” wood.
Not that there’s anything wrong with using the nicer wood for that sort of project. Hell, go for it if you’d rather do your stand that way!
Our stand just didn’t warrant the extra expense – or the heartbreak I’d feel if I had to paint over something gorgeous, like cherry.
But, you know, lumber prices. That rollercoaster has, over the last couple of years, gotten me out of the habit of using leftover construction-grade lumber for practice or other less-than-earnest efforts. Too bad, because 2x4s are great for knocking together jigs you’ll use just once, or quick and easy solutions to problems around the house (like when we needed a pet-bowl stand for a senior kitty).
For a great breakdown of the lumber situation, check out this Fortune article on the subject. The big takeaway for me is that the market’s finally settling, meaning that I may be able to get back to knocking together some cool things in the workshop.
“When we sell our house, we may just part it out.” -Me, to Loving Wife, who wasn’t sure if I was joking or not. (I was. Probably.)