While looking for recycled lumber from local theater companies, I found out about a company in Philadelphia called The Resource Exchange. They collect lightly used lumber, and anything else from theater companies and other sources, and sell it at high discounts. It's a great place to get cheap supplies for art projects, and they have a ton of other awesome stuff as well. They had office supplies, fabric, lighting, lumber, and all kinds of trinkets. Check it out, they're located at 2829 Cedar St Philadelphia, PA 19134.
We got several 2x4s, 3 sheets of 3/8ths plywood, and some 2x3s, all for under 30 bucks. They let us use their tools to cut everything down so it would fit in my car. I was amazed at how much cool stuff they had inside, and also at how cheap it was. I would have spent twice as much getting the lumber new, and the appearance doesn't detract from the project, so this was a great option for us. I'm definitely planning on using this service again in the future.
We got several 2x4s, 3 sheets of 3/8ths plywood, and some 2x3s, all for under 30 bucks. They let us use their tools to cut everything down so it would fit in my car. I was amazed at how much cool stuff they had inside, and also at how cheap it was. I would have spent twice as much getting the lumber new, and the appearance doesn't detract from the project, so this was a great option for us. I'm definitely planning on using this service again in the future.
Here's a quick walkthrough:
