Newbie buying machined timber - unreasonable expectations?

[thomashenry]

Hi all

I'm building some face frame kitchen cabinets, and am using a local timber yard to supply and cut the stock for me. For the face frames I ordered some poplar in these sizes:

1910x35x20 (x2)
565x35x20
565x40X20

When the timer was delivered, three of the pieces were wrong, having been cut to a 30mm width rather than 35mm. After a quick call, the yard agreed to send out replacements the next day. They just arrived, and are wrong again - the actual sizes delivered were>

1902x35x20
566x35x20

I don't like being a pain in the arse, but two of these pieces are obviously very wrong, and will need replacing again.

Now the other piece (the 566mm that should have been 565mm) is probably less than 1mm wrong - but it's different enough from the other stile to mean I can't use it for the face frame without cutting it down - and the whole point of me paying for the yard to cut it is because I assume they can cut more accurately in (both in terms of length, and squareness) than I can.

Am I expecting too much in terms of accuracy from them?

 

[sitefive]

Yes you are expecting too much.. the general worker in timberyard is just a baboon who just waits till the day is over and he can go home, Get stock yourself slightly larger than you need and prepare it yourself.. honestly the stuff I buy doesn't even comes in 90degree angles at the ends..hella frustrating,have to re-cut every piece myself but nothing you can do about it really

btw how much those little sticks set you back? by my calculations seems like something like £1-£2 Total?

 

[undergroundhunter]

I would always ask for it oversized and trim it to final length yourself, what you have to remember is that the lad at the yard doesn't care as much about your project as you do. Again with width I always get it oversized and plane it down (personally cant stand planer marks on timber).

Matt

 

[thomashenry]

Ok, thanks. So I guess I need at least a miter saw then, for trimming down oversized pieces for the face frame.

I'd really rather avoid having to get a decent table saw and rip cut my own plywood for the carcasses though!

 

[thomashenry]

btw how much those little sticks set you back? by my calculations seems like something like £1-£2 Total?

Try adding a zero!

 

[custard]

Ok, thanks. So I guess I need at least a miter saw then, for trimming down oversized pieces for the face frame.

I'd really rather avoid having to get a decent table saw and rip cut my own plywood for the carcasses though!

I wouldn't expect PAR timber to be machined particularly accurately, but I would expect sheet goods to be cut precisely to a cutting list, I mean better than 0.5mm and dead square. If it wasn't I'd change supplier as there are plenty out there who can work to those tolerances.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

I don't think it's at all unreasonable, but the timber trade is full of slackers and scammers. So possibly unrealistic.

 

[thomashenry]

Ok, thanks. So I guess I need at least a miter saw then, for trimming down oversized pieces for the face frame.

I'd really rather avoid having to get a decent table saw and rip cut my own plywood for the carcasses though!

I wouldn't expect PAR timber to be machined particularly accurately, but I would expect sheet goods to be cut precisely to a cutting list, I mean better than 0.5mm and dead square. If it wasn't I'd change supplier as there are plenty out there who can work to those tolerances.

Ok. So in theory, I can get all my plywood cut by the yard, and just deal with the face-fame/door material myself. After the frames and doors are where accuracy is vital - I think 0.5mm accuracy in the sheet material is probably good enough for my needs. Which just means I need the ability to make accurate cross cuts at home.

Thanks.

 

[Adam9453]

If you want that kind of accuracy and if your timber yard can't meet it, then you would be better off finding a decent timber yard than can meet the accuracy you want or a local joinery shop that will prepare the timber to your spec. You'll pay way over the odds for the timber due to the cost of them machining it for you.
Have you tried finding a member of this forum that's local to you because they may be interested in machining timber for you.
This is why most of us invest in expensive machines to prepare stock ourselves, then it's down to you how accurate you want to be

 

[Penfold]

The only way you can meet those standards is DO IT YOURSELF ! Just think about all the time you have wasted in faffing about sending it back , getting another lot and still wrong. Could have planed up a batch in no time.

 

[doctor Bob]

btw how much those little sticks set you back? by my calculations seems like something like £1-£2 Total?

Be realistic, no yard is going to charge a £1.

 

[James-1986]

I'm in the process of moving my workshop to Chalgrove at the moment, we won't be up and running for another month, but will machine small amounts for beer!

Its a service that was common place 40 years ago, but is hard to find now, killed off by DIY stores and their plastic wrapped wood. Hourly rates charged by small or medium joinery companies (that they have no choice over) make it expensive, it often isn't worth their time in terms of money. A company I worked for used to buy in yellow pine stringers PAR as it worked out much cheaper than sawn, however you had to check it carefully...

 

[thomashenry]

I'm in the process of moving my workshop to Chalgrove at the moment, we won't be up and running for another month, but will machine small amounts for beer!

Its a service that was common place 40 years ago, but is hard to find now, killed off by DIY stores and their plastic wrapped wood. Hourly rates charged by small or medium joinery companies (that they have no choice over) make it expensive, it often isn't worth their time in terms of money. A company I worked for used to buy in yellow pine stringers PAR as it worked out much cheaper than sawn, however you had to check it carefully...

wow, that's very helpful of you, but I would want to pay more than just beer money for such a service! I guess I'll see how I go with my current (revised) plan of relying on the yard to cut my plywood sheets, and investing in a mitre saw to cut PAR timber to length myself.

 

[thomashenry]

The only way you can meet those standards is DO IT YOURSELF ! Just think about all the time you have wasted in faffing about sending it back , getting another lot and still wrong. Could have planed up a batch in no time.

Yes, if I had the tools and the space to keep them!

 

[RobinBHM]

A timber merchant should be able to machine PAR very accurately, its only a case of dialing in the width and thickness.

Cutting to length is best done yourself. Order overlength so you can trim off any end checking or machining snipes.

A small local joinery co, or a forum member is probably the best route

 

[Penfold]

The only way you can meet those standards is DO IT YOURSELF ! Just think about all the time you have wasted in faffing about sending it back , getting another lot and still wrong. Could have planed up a batch in no time.

Yes, if I had the tools and the space to keep them!

Ahh I see you in the hands of the timber yard then. Perhaps you could ask a local cabinet maker to plane the bits down to size for you.

 

[Chrispy]

What part of Oxford are you, if you're anywhere near Wantage drop me a line and I'll see if I can help.

 

[Chrispy]

What part of Oxford are you, if you're anywhere near Wantage drop me a line and I'll see if I can help.

 

[Shultzy]

This is where good preparation of plans and cutting list pay a big bonus. If you had ordered all the wood at the same time it might not have mattered if a dimension was 1mm out. I took me nearly a year to plan and prepare the sheet and timber cutting list for my kitchen, and all the timber was exactly as requested from the timber yard.

 

[thomashenry]

This is where good preparation of plans and cutting list pay a big bonus. If you had ordered all the wood at the same time it might not have mattered if a dimension was 1mm out. I took me nearly a year to plan and prepare the sheet and timber cutting list for my kitchen, and all the timber was exactly as requested from the timber yard.

I did order it all at the same time!