buying wood- what really annoys me...

[marcros]

Websites that claim that they can get any timber you want- often listing every possible species- but dont mention what they actually stock.

 

[Trevanion]

Websites that claim that they can get any timber you want- often listing every possible species- but dont mention what they actually stock.

I can get you any timber you want, provided you're willing to wait 150 years for the tree to grow.

 

[OrangeFive]

Sawn timber sizes that vary massively

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I can get any timber I want, provided I want pine. Or pine. Or Scandinavian pine if I am feeling frisky. It makes for easy design decisions, but it is a little dull.

I have been informed that I could order something in, but who would buy small amounts of hardwood, sight unseen, on the off-chance that it will be what you want? Besides, I would have to sell a child to afford it.

 

[johnnyb]

I've scored good lots of wood from facebook marketplace. the first lot was obviously from a woodworker who had collected lots of mostly red hardwood.some preused stuff. lots of rough sawn sapele, mahogany. large van full for £300. the second lot was last weekend a huge haul of beech all planed for £250 It was from a relation of the director of a bankrupt sofa makers.

 

[Just4Fun]

I can get any timber I want, provided I want pine. Or pine. Or Scandinavian pine if I am feeling frisky. It makes for easy design decisions, but it is a little dull.

I am in a similar position. I can get a bewildering variety of soft white woods but in my mind they are all the same and I just think of "pine".
I have a little more variety than you though. I can get birch, which is a nice wood to work with and much better than pine. The only problem is that it is basically the same colour as pine. It would be nice to have something for contrast, but that isn't possible. Anything like that is imported, expensive, and requires a significant journey. The closest source I know of is over 200km away, and 400+ km to buy some wood at extortionate prices does not appeal.

 

[RobinBHM]

I can get any timber I want, provided I want pine. Or pine. Or Scandinavian pine if I am feeling frisky. It makes for easy design decisions, but it is a little dull.

I have been informed that I could order something in, but who would buy small amounts of hardwood, sight unseen, on the off-chance that it will be what you want? Besides, I would have to sell a child to afford it.

surely you can get olive wood?

although prob only useful for making spoons or bread boards

 

[Bm101]

surely you can get olive wood?

although prob only useful for making spoons or bread boards

Now you've done it Robin...

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I can mill my own, but it's not for sale at a timber merchant. The same goes for walnut, cherry, almond, etc - I am surrounded by trees, but there is no market for wood. There isn't a tradition of woodworking for pleasure here, neither is there a tradition of making things yourself, which is odd given how poor everyone was just a generation ago. Possibly because labour is cheap, you get a man in to do whatever job needs doing, and if you're building, you will be using steel and cement for preference.

 

[clogs]

I went to buy some decking from one of the biggest wood yards in Chania, Crete.......
looking around couldn't find anything decent.....
Asked the yard lad, who spoke perfekt English where the decking was stored ...
he said that is it....!!!!! I offered the phrase thought that lot was for the firewood pile.....
all bent and twisted, splits runing most of the length.....
seem to remember it was €22 per sq/m plus tax .....
Here they have no idea how to store wood.....it comes of the truck wrapped in plastic.....
stored outside, the sun and wind destroy's the plastic cover...
then the sun creates havoc....it can easily get to 50 in the sun.....
Hard wood if you can find it gets the same treatment.....fine if you want to make pen blanks.....
anyway bought some decking elsewhere, so much nicer but 1/2 as much again....
I needed 45m2.....ouch....
wood is so expensive I now go skip diving again.....
Been told of a guy who has some kind of Cedar.....plus a few other tasty odds n ends.....
apparantly he runs an illegal saw mill...I have a local guy who'll introduce me......what ever next......!!!!!!

 

[NickM]

Besides, I would have to sell a child to afford it.

So what's stopping you?

 

[Trainee neophyte]

...apparantly he runs an illegal saw mill

Reminds me of Harry Tuttle:

 

[Trainee neophyte]

So what's stopping you?

The wife, mostly. I'm slowly bringing her round to my way of thinking, but it takes time...

 

[clogs]

Have you ever had a bad divorce.....
the feeling you get when it's done and dusted....
millstone comes to mind....
it's just the same when the kids leave home....
hahaha....

 

[andrewdavies]

Can only get pine , pine pine. Started looking at other sources such as old furniture etc, most of this may be veneered but underneath who knows. Dont need to pay for most, people, usually younger people just want rid of it. I use a scroll saw and make small items, I even use wooden clothes hangers. You have to think outside the box when you are in an area where getting hold of what you want is not freely available..

 

[SteL]

I can get any timber I want, provided I want pine. Or pine. Or Scandinavian pine if I am feeling frisky. It makes for easy design decisions, but it is a little dull.

I have been informed that I could order something in, but who would buy small amounts of hardwood, sight unseen, on the off-chance that it will be what you want? Besides, I would have to sell a child to afford it.

 

[clanger]

SteL - I'm tempted to report your last post to the moderators. It could be considered as SPAM!!