Best way to haggle over timber?

[YorkshireMartin]

Brooks Bros may deliver a reasonable size order, they have a yard in Skelmersdale, if thats anywhere near you.

Im not sure what their minimum order may be, I would think 5cu ft of ABW would cover that.

They have super prime black walnut (plantation grown, so could be bland)

Thats a long way for me but could possibly combine it with a trip to Axminster in Warrington. Cheers.

 

[marcros]

2" may be more of a challenge. Lavers leeds may have some, but i suspect that most of their stuff is 1". They do have a strange attitude at times.

There is niche timber (or is it niche hardwood) down in pontefract. I have never used them, but they list some interesting stuff. I found them to be quite expensive, but I probably didnt really know what the stuff i enquired about was really worth.

Duffield list 2" on their stock list, https://www.duffieldtimber.com/uploaded ... 524533.pdf and I have heard good things about them. They are up in Ripon.

I would be tempted to have a chat with british hardwoods, tell them what you want and I am sure they will pull you out the 2" boards when they come in. it may be the best bet if you are using it for stock rather than for a specific project. Either that, or find an alternative timber as a stock- Cherry would be an idea, and there are a few suppliers around for that- scrawton sawmills springs to mind!

For a large city such as Leeds, we struggle for good timber suppliers.

 

[custard]

The Rippled Sycamore and English Walnut side table timber sets have both gone. When I get time I'll machine up some more and post them in the Items For Sale section.

 

[profchris]

Custard, your offcuts are calling to me! But I'm in Suffolk, so too far to pop down and rummage.

If you have English Walnut offcuts which would make a uke, I'd love to buy a suitable pack. The minimum I need is (in inches):

10 x 3 x1, from which I can resaw top and back.

13 x 2 x 1/2 for sides.

18 x 1 for the neck.

Top/back/sides need to be fairly close to vertical grain for structural reasons, with a tiny neck I'm not fussed about grain orientation.

A pack which gave me that, or multiples, would keep me busy this winter.

But this might be too fiddly to bother with, in which case heigh ho.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

2" may be more of a challenge. Lavers leeds may have some, but i suspect that most of their stuff is 1". They do have a strange attitude at times.

There is niche timber (or is it niche hardwood) down in pontefract. I have never used them, but they list some interesting stuff. I found them to be quite expensive, but I probably didnt really know what the stuff i enquired about was really worth.

Duffield list 2" on their stock list, https://www.duffieldtimber.com/uploaded ... 524533.pdf and I have heard good things about them. They are up in Ripon.

I would be tempted to have a chat with british hardwoods, tell them what you want and I am sure they will pull you out the 2" boards when they come in. it may be the best bet if you are using it for stock rather than for a specific project. Either that, or find an alternative timber as a stock- Cherry would be an idea, and there are a few suppliers around for that- scrawton sawmills springs to mind!

For a large city such as Leeds, we struggle for good timber suppliers.

niche are in wakefield off the M1. Not bad but more geared towards volume. timber was high quality, to my eye.

 

[giantbeat]

There is niche timber (or is it niche hardwood) down in pontefract. I have never used them, but they list some interesting stuff. I found them to be quite expensive, but I probably didnt really know what the stuff i enquired about was really worth.

.

Niche Timber

have they moved as they were in wakefield? down flanshaw industrial estate, never been but i keep thinking i should, its the sort of woods i could use in drums but for the qtys i need i have managed to get by finding people selling off palates & batches off cuts/shorts for now, though i have been lucky...

i did email them once with a general inquiry and got a very helpful reply, they invited me down to see them & chat, said they often have shorts & off cuts available that i could check out.

i must follow up on that as they were very encouraging despite my qty indications.

 

[marcros]

no, same place. i thought it was pontefract, but i think that you are correct.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

There is niche timber (or is it niche hardwood) down in pontefract. I have never used them, but they list some interesting stuff. I found them to be quite expensive, but I probably didnt really know what the stuff i enquired about was really worth.

.

Niche Timber

have they moved as they were in wakefield? down flanshaw industrial estate, never been but i keep thinking i should, its the sort of woods i could use in drums but for the qtys i need i have managed to get by finding people selling off palates & batches off cuts/shorts for now, though i have been lucky...

i did email them once with a general inquiry and got a very helpful reply, they invited me down to see them & chat, said they often have shorts & off cuts available that i could check out.

i must follow up on that as they were very encouraging despite my qty indications.

What is it you need mate?

If it's tiny quantities theres a chance I might be able to help you out from time to time. Quality wise, if custards and his offcuts are harrods, then I'm probably more like M&S. :lol:

 

[YorkshireMartin]

Following on from custards idea. What if we asked for an "offcuts wanted" thread of some sort. Would it make sense?

 

[giantbeat]

There is niche timber (or is it niche hardwood) down in pontefract. I have never used them, but they list some interesting stuff. I found them to be quite expensive, but I probably didnt really know what the stuff i enquired about was really worth.

.

Niche Timber

have they moved as they were in wakefield? down flanshaw industrial estate, never been but i keep thinking i should, its the sort of woods i could use in drums but for the qtys i need i have managed to get by finding people selling off palates & batches off cuts/shorts for now, though i have been lucky...

i did email them once with a general inquiry and got a very helpful reply, they invited me down to see them & chat, said they often have shorts & off cuts available that i could check out.

i must follow up on that as they were very encouraging despite my qty indications.

What is it you need mate?

If it's tiny quantities theres a chance I might be able to help you out from time to time. Quality wise, if custards and his offcuts are harrods, then I'm probably more like M&S. :lol:

haha in all honesty it all depends on my customers request but im always happy to pick up bits for stock to make stave drums from (like a barrel) so i can make use of board shorts quite easily, anything about 25mm thick & then to make one drum i need to cut 20 x staves each being 60mm x 200mm pieces.... oak, maple, mahogany, walnut, bubinga are all popular but im game for anything, happy to help & trade bits if we can.i have loads of white oak though, about 2 palates worth stashed in my cellar at home, so dont need any more of that i have about 15 years worth.

 

[giantbeat]

Following on from custards idea. What if we asked for an "offcuts wanted" thread of some sort. Would it make sense?

yes there deffo need to be more timber trading going on.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

haha in all honesty it all depends on my customers request but im always happy to pick up bits for stock to make stave drums from (like a barrel) so i can make use of board shorts quite easily, anything about 25mm thick & then to make one drum i need to cut 20 x staves each being 60mm x 200mm pieces.... oak, maple, mahogany, walnut, bubinga are all popular but im game for anything, happy to help & trade bits if we can.i have loads of white oak though, about 2 palates worth stashed in my cellar at home, so dont need any more of that i have about 15 years worth.

OK mate i'll keep you in mind.

 

[owsnap]

I guess I'm just really lucky that I have really good timber yard nearby that more or less has good quality stuff all the time, I go there at quiet times so I can have my look around and choose the best boards, I take maybe half a cubic metre at a time and pay between 140-220euros per cubic metre depending on whatever it's just fresh sawn/kiln dried or already dressed and planned to size I need. They will even cut all up in sizes I need for no charge and help load it up for me. Can't beat such service and specially the price even If I'm not a large volume buyer.

 

[acewoodturner]

Of course the other way to do it is to buy an Alaskan Mill set up with a big chainsaw like I have. I also bought a sauno kiln mechanism and built a kiln. I now have so much oak, beech, sycamore, yew, walnut, douglas fir etc, of the sizes I want and need, that I am struggling for space in my 1000 square feet workshop. I am not complaining though and blame my mate Roy whose stock phrase is "you can never have too much timber!"