Shastina Mill Work

[Hambone]

I have seen their add in the ABJ. And since I am looking for some 10 frame med supers. I checked out their website. Their prices look pretty good and their website says they have a Texas location. Helps me on shipping. If any of you have bought from them I would like your thoughts.

[Ross]

At one time they had a warehouse in Caddo Mills, east of Dallas. i thought it had closed. Prices are similar to Dadant, and you can pick those up in Paris. Let us know if you find a local outlet for them.

[MABee]

I love Dadant and all, but the last time I looked Shastina was 3 or 4 dollars a box cheaper than Dadant. Would also like to hear comments on shastina.

[Ross]

Shastina is $8 a box for mediums (60-179), Dadant is $7.50 (50-249). That's commercial grade in quantities I usually buy.

[MABee]

Thanks Ross! Dadant has better deals on mediums. Wish they were $2 cheaper on their deeps to put them in the range with Shastina. Shastina also claims on their web site they do not grade out selects. Any comments from Shastina customers?

[Ross]

$10 vs 10.85 on deeps at quantity 50 commercial grade. Of course they don't list all of their prices. I'm extrapolating the 1$ difference from the selects. If you can buy 250 you can get a better split.

[HVH]

$10 vs 10.85 on deeps at quantity 50 commercial grade. Of course they don't list all of their prices. I'm extrapolating the 1$ difference from the selects. If you can buy 250 you can get a better split.

I purchased a pallet of deeps from Shastina and like an idiot didn't get around to assembly for a couple of months. Shastina I think is in Oregon and I live in the high dessert. The wood movement was considerable over the course of two months and I had to sort the wood by size and soak the smaller stuff in water to adjust. None of this was Shastina's fault. I have worked wood almost all of my life and knew better.
The Shastina boxes were nice with almost no unusable wood. Out of a whole pallet I think I had one or two boards that split in half. Also, their box joints had almost no tear-out. I don't know if they always use sharp tooling but they did for my batch. Some of the boards had beautiful figure. I still have these board and plan on making boxes with the figured wood and staining. I just don't think anything with a nice figure should be covered up.
I would buy from them again.
I highly recommend assembly before the wood has time to move.

[Ross]

It really depends mostly on whether you can pickup or have to pay shipping. Shipping trumps almost all price differences.

[Hambone]

At one time they had a warehouse in Caddo Mills, east of Dallas. i thought it had closed. Prices are similar to Dadant, and you can pick those up in Paris. Let us know if you find a local outlet for them.

I talked to them a couple of weeks ago. The Texas lo-cal is still on their website, but they don't have one anymore.

[Logan]

I'm in Washington State, and was looking for someplace local to do 8 frame boxes for me. I ordered 10 medium boxes, some bottom and top boards, and a custom nuc box.

They treated me like I was their biggest customer. They clarified what I was looking for with the nuc, and gave it to me. The wood was all good, and the price was comparable to what I would pay elsewhere. Shipping was better because it was local.

I don't know why neither of my local bee shops will carry 8 frame equipment, but I am very happy with Shastina. I will do business with them again.

[bigbill]

great guys to talk to very good quality are a whole lot better than the
mann lake boxes we got last so far out of the first 25 i've assembled they
fit like a glove , look great and best price around me here in ca.

[Sundance]

Got a pallet of deeps from them and was very
pleased.

They don't cull out the select boxes in the runs
and if you chose to you can cull them out yourself
for some dandy boxes.

Good stuff......... good price.