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US supplier for lumber

William Gibson

William Gibson

Joined
May 23, 2026
Messages
27
Points
48

Location
NW Montana
I am hoping to find a US supplier of 1x3 mm strips of birch or basswood. My kit from Artesania Latina was missing some 1x3x300 mm wood. AL were very responsive and will be sending me more, but I may have underestimated how much I need. Hoping to get something quickly as it is beginning to hold me up. Thanks for any recommendations!
 
Unfortunately I live where there are no hobby shops other than Hobby Lobby and Michael's. I will check with them, but my other complicating factor is that I don't have access to a good saw to trim width down. Wish me luck!
 
William Gibson said:
I am hoping to find a US supplier of 1x3 mm strips of birch or basswood. My kit from Artesania Latina was missing some 1x3x300 mm wood. AL were very responsive and will be sending me more, but I may have underestimated how much I need. Hoping to get something quickly as it is beginning to hold me up. Thanks for any recommendations!
Click to expand...
If you have a nearby Ace hardware, they often stock basswood and other wood sheets, strips and dowels for hobbyists.

Rob
 
Thanks! We do have an Ace. I will check there. Michael's was a bust. There are a few other retailers I have found online, but it seems crazy to pay the shipping for just a few pieces if I can get it locally.
 
William Gibson said:
Unfortunately I live where there are no hobby shops other than Hobby Lobby and Michael's. I will check with them, but my other complicating factor is that I don't have access to a good saw to trim width down. Wish me luck!
Click to expand...

Thin stock can be easily cut with a metal straightedge and a sharp drywall knife or even a hobby knife. Very exact trimming can be done using a small model maker's plane. Take a straight edged piece of thicker (~1/2"-3/4") stock and clamp both pieces into a vise with the plank piece positioned higher than the thicker piece which will serve as your "thickness guide." Plane the higher edge of the plank piece down to the top of the thicker piece next to its edge. Easy peasy!
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The Stanley (above) is about ten bucks and made from bent metal. The Jorgensen (below) runs about seventeen bucks, and has a cast iron body and much more sophisticated iron adjustment features. The Jorgensen is well worth the additional seven bucks. It will be a tool you'll probably find yourself using quite a lot for fitting small pieces on your model.
 
Midwest Basswood... More basswood than you can handle. :D

They even sell on Amazon.

You can make a very professional looking scratch built model by making the frame, decks, and first planking layer from cheap basswood and some blueprints for patterns, then cover it with nice hardwood veneers and outfit it with hardwood dowel masts and shaped fittings. This can be done after you build one or two kits so you have learned the process and have acquired some skills.
 
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https://www.temu.com/110pcs-1-2-3-8...ks-for-crafts-projects-g-601105046523734.html

Not exactly planking stock - but raw material for --- stuff?

TEMU - local US warehouse - mit shipping ~$20 110 pieces 1' long Basswood square rods =
1/2" 3/8" 5/16" 1/4" 1/8"
Corner bracing for POB molds if nothing else.

I may have done the calc incorrectly but I have this being 0.45 BF. $20/0.45 BF = $44/BF

Checking on line Woodworkers Supply and Lumber Shop has 4x4 Basswood for $6/BF
I would guess it is two surface planed - so it is 3/4" 6/.75 = $8/BF for what you get.
Figure ~ 50% lost to kerf - so $16/BF

So for the same material - the finished product is only 2.75 times more expensive done for you than it would cost someone who is their own sawmill.

Rough sawn Basswood is probably $1-$2 less per BF and a planer usually does not need to remove 1/8" from each surface to get a plank that rides flat on a saw table.
 
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