New here... love to get into woodworking need advice

[alitech]

Hi guys

I just joined. I was meaning to dive into a few projects and start spending money on equipment. Its been on the back burner for a while but I feel I cant wait anymore and I want to do some projects asap.

There are hundreds of videos on youtube on how to build chairs, tables, coffee tables etc etc and thats the kind of stuff I want to experiment with.

Because this is my first time, I thought I would choose a very simple outdoor sofa / bench project. I saw this video

Cannot post links as I am new, please see video on youtube called "how to make an Outdoor Sofa" by "HomeMadeModern"

This looks like something I could easily mess up, even though it looks quite simple to do.

Can anyone please advise on where I can purchase the wood for this kind of project? I am based in London.

From the video, it looks like I will need 200mmx100mm timber and some 100mmx50mm timber as well.

Which sort of timber should I get? What does treated mean? I just found out that searching for "railway sleepers" provides the same results as the word "timber".

I want to purchase this from somewhere cheap, weather resistant and possibly cut into pieces I can fit in a car.

I just want to know a cheap place to buy the wood. I have seen some sites, where a 2.4m piece is about £20 but delivery is about £100.

Is there a place where I can purchase this, get them cut to fit in my car and which is in the London area?

Many thanks and apologies for my first very long post.

 

[Fitzroy]

Welcome to the forum. Treated means the timber has been impregnated with chemicals that prevent rot, done in a pressure vessel, hence sometimes called pressure treated. The chemicals are pretty friendly these days so no worries using for this kind of project.

Treated 4x2s and 6x2s can be bought in any of the big DIY stores, ie B&Q Wicks etc, and also at any timber yard. To start off head to a DIY place and pick through the racks of timber to find boards for you project that are straight as can be and as clear of knots as you can find. Take a hand saw with you and you can cut to length so you can get them in the car, or many diy stores now have van rental by the hour based on site, you can whizz the boards home and save the hassle of squeezing them in your motor.

Good luck and have fun.

Fitz

 

[alitech]

Thank you, Fitz.

Thanks so much for responding. I looked at B&Q who could also cut it for me however they don't sell 8x4 or 8x2 timber from what I can see from the website. Wickes also dont have these sizes. They sell smaller sizes though.

 

[Lazurus]

That's big timber for a sofa, more usually in roofing or structural builds......

 

[MrTeroo]

B&Q won't cut treated timber

 

[scooby]

I dont think b&q even sell 8x2 treated.

As a northerner, I cant be help with the London bit. I'd have a search round for local timber as opposed to b&q.

I found this at my local timber yard (I'm lucky to live 5 mins drive away) https://georgehill-timber.co.uk/shop/ti ... o-sleeper/ unfortunately, I think they are north west only. There must be an equivalent in London.

I hope this doesnt come across as me being smug, I'm certainly not. I'd love to live somewhere near surrey timbers (theres no place like that here)

edit: could you not get treated fence/decking posts (around 3x3) and fix them together to build up the width? It'll be a bit thinner than your original spec though.

 

[Yojevol]

Have a look at Wickes Garden Sleepers. SWMBO says I'm one of those!
Brian

 

[ED65]

There's a general principle that many things that look easy in a video are far more challenging than they appear to be. From the description this is expected to take "less than five hours", and presumably that's for someone with a little experience.

Not what you want to hear I'm sure but perhaps it would be better to gain experience on something smaller first, or a few smaller things in fact, before diving into making a large-ish piece of furniture? Even one as simple as this one. If you've literally done no woodworking before you have little appreciation for what can go wrong and where. And how badly (not even talking about the potential for injury, although you shouldn't ignore that either).

 

[custard]

Can anyone please advise on where I can purchase the wood for this kind of project? I am based in London.

Welcome to the forum.

Where abouts in London?

If you're in West London you could take a look at Moss & Co in Perrivale. Not the cheapest but superb quality. If you're in the South or South East of London try S L Hardwoods.

But before diving in on a big project like this you really want to start with something a lot smaller. The workshop where I trained as a cabinet maker doesn't accept inexperienced apprentices, we all had to have several years experience and also pass a full day practical exam. Despite that the first project we all had to complete was a breadboard, and making a breadboard to sky high levels of accuracy just with hand tools proved a very demanding task! So try takeing some baby steps before you waste a lot of money on materials.

Good luck!

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Hi Ali

Welcome to the forum. Really glad to see someone getting into woodworking.

I quite like the sofa video.

If you have a few tools already - can I make a suggestion?

Try making a small sized model version. Cut three short pieces of 25mm x 50mm timber for each side and join them together and cut the 3 or 4 rails. If you have only hand tools - it's hard to hand cut perfectly at ninety degrees and get all the lengths exactly the same. Any errors will be on full display at the front of the sofa for everyone to see!

If you are handy and already good with tools - I'm sure someone on here could give you some workshop access to chop up some sleepers - then go for it!

You don't say whereabouts in London you are. There is a well established makerspace in Herne Hill.
https://southlondonmakerspace.org/
You can join up for a small fee and get access to a fully equipped workshop and lots of tea and biscuits!

Hope this is useful - good luck.

Martin

 

[Lons]

Hi, welcome to the forum and the joy of making "stuff" in wood.

I'm with the others in that you should maybe try something smaller and the last thing I want to sound is negative but your post suggests you have very limited knowledge ( my apology if that's not the case ). We all have to start somewhere and I'm as guilty as anyone of just diving in because of impatience.

What might help is some indication of what tools and equipment you already own and your experience of actually using them, following which you'll most likely get more focussed suggestions and advice from members who in general are very willing to help.

Youtube is a great resource when used correctly but can lead the inexperienced into some bad and sometimes dangerous practices.

Bob

 

[Astrobits]

I would suggest that you look for a local Mens Shed. https://menssheds(dot)org(dot)uk Just like the one in your garden but bigger. They are all different so check on a few that you can reach easily. There you will find people with loads of experience and probably most, if not all, of the equipment you need along with training in how to use tools and tips and tricks in making stuff.
Nigel