This is going to be long!
I am a woodworker beyond the "weekend warrior" level: I have kitchen cabinets, furniture, framing and even 3 harps under my belt.
In the home we are building in Puerto Rico, we are faced with the traditional/default PVC cabinetry in the kitchen due to high humidity, etc..
I have seen the craftsmanship & what goes into making them on the island, and am also all too cognizant of various health/environmental issues with PVC (toxicity, plasticizer, flammability – etc.). I would rather not use PVC at all, but if I must, I’d at least make the face frames, drawers & doors out of native hardwood species.
In our travels through Central America, we’ve seen beautiful woodwork: cabinetry, doors, furniture, room accents, ceilings made out of teak, ironwoods, etc. – the native species that PR has as well. There, it was typically Mennonite craftsmen who do custom work for the upper end and even middle-level homes.
I have seen teak, mahogany, padauk, acacia and several other very attractive species advertised for sale here and there on the island. I would love to use these species to make our cabinets & furniture.
The problem is twofold: my cabinet shop is in Minnesota, and I really do not want to relocate it to PR. I may move some pieces like a cabinet saw, but the jointer, the shaper – these are all too old and too heavy & not worth the freight. Worst case scenario, I can purchase some of these new from Grizzley or such and have them shipped, but again..freight.
Secondly, I am not sure there’s a decent sawmill with decent prices for rough-sawn boards. I saw Puerto Rico Hardwoods online and they appear to be a more of a small finished boards lumber yard rather than a sawmill where I can buy, say, 1000 board feet. I located another saw mill but they do not return texts or emails.
So my questions are:
- Has anyone found a community center woodworking shop in PR like we have at high schools or community colleges on mainland? Some place where once a user passes competency test, s/he can pay $/mo to use it?
- Is there a decent native species hardwoods lumber yard you know of? If so, what are the prices per board foot?
- the prices i've seen online on the island for even mediocre stationary tools are insanely expensive. I could not find anything used on Clasificadosonline. Is there a place to buy decent new/used jointers/shapers/etc? Home Depot in Mayagues, for example does not have much outside of portable tools...
Any related experience?
In my retirement/half-time spent on the island once the casa is finished, I would like to pursue woodworking at least part time, at least on hobby basis, so this would be an ongoing thing.
Thanks for any thoughts on this!
