Newbie buying wood

[Sandtree]

Hi all, I am new to this forum, new to woodworking and new to our flat and workshop!

Just starting out and so my tools are somewhat limited and made further complex by a well meaning wife buying a table saw as a present with a fairly flexible fence

So, I need/want to make a few heavy topped tables for the workshop space which will be for her pottery work. Was thinking of laminating boards to make a circa 3" thick top (ie the edges are the surface). I don't have a thickness planer or jointer and have the mentioned problem with the table saw so ideally want to buy the timber from somewhere where it'll be delivered as near as square as possible.

I've looked at random places online, the design can be adjusted if a small adjustment makes it much cheaper and don't mind which specie of wood it is really, and seeing that the well known companies selling stock sizes are half the price of these unknown sites that say everything is done to your specifications (makes sense obv). I don't know however if by ordering stock boards that I'll end up wasting most of them because they'll be warped or twisted etc.

Can anyone kindly recommend somewhere which delivers the best balance of price and quality? Delivery will be to zone 2 London.

Many thanks

PS. apologies for any Americanisms, have spent a lot of time on YouTube watching videos and so don't know any better.

 

[MikeG.]

Hi and welcome, both to the forum, and to the world of woodworking.

I am sure some London members will be along shortly and help with decent woodyards, but the one piece of advice I would pass on at this stage is to NEVER order wood unseen. Always go and pick it yourself, even if you then have to have the business deliver it to you. Eye each one for straightness and defects. Be ruthless, because warped wood is an absolute pain in the neck.

 

[RickG]

At the risk of being boring, why do you need 3" thick worktops for pottery?

Wouldn't you be better served with a roll-edge kitchen worktop?
It would be strong and water resistant. You can also support it underneath with as much bracing as you feel it needs.

 

[Sandtree]

This will be for the initial working of the clay before any actual building etc - she has a waterproof table for the hand building. This predominantly takes the form of slamming the rock hard clay into (or as her professor taught her, “through”) the tabletop. So in no particular order:

1) she’s broken two surfaces when going easy on them
2) it’s what they had at university and they know better than me
3) it’s what she wants and I’m not brave/foolish enough to challenge her beyond the casual comment that was dismissed

 

[woodbloke66]

Hi and welcome, both to the forum, and to the world of woodworking.

I am sure some London members will be along shortly and help with decent woodyards, but the one piece of advice I would pass on at this stage is to NEVER order wood unseen. Always go and pick it yourself, even if you then have to have the business deliver it to you. Eye each one for straightness and defects. Be ruthless, because warped wood is an absolute pain in the neck.

Wot Mike said. If I could add one thing and that's a book recommendation. When you're new to woodwork and living in a flat (or similar) space and facilities may be limited. Vic Tesolin (of Veritas fame) has addressed all of these issues in his book 'The Minimalist Woodworker' and it's very, very good indeed. See here but it's also available at Amazon and elsewhere. I had a very good, in depth read of it some while ago and it's quite excellent. No affiliation btw - Rob

 

[Sandtree]

When you're new to woodwork and living in a flat (or similar) space and facilities may be limited. Vic Tesolin (of Veritas fame) has addressed all of these issues in his book 'The Minimalist Woodworker' and it's very, very good indeed. See here but it's also available at Amazon and elsewhere. I had a very good, in depth read of it some while ago and it's quite excellent. No affiliation btw - Rob

Many thanks for the suggestion. Whilst we live in a flat SWMBO has a studio that is almost the same size as our home... I've been allowed one corner of it as long as I firstly make her the tables she wants and then help on any projects where she wants to add wood to a mixed media item.

Thankfully therefore not a bad amount of space but love a good book and certainly not the full warehouse sized workshops which some of the guys in the USA seem to have

 

[woodbloke66]

Many thanks for the suggestion. Whilst we live in a flat SWMBO has a studio that is almost the same size as our home... I've been allowed one corner of it as long as I firstly make her the tables she wants and then help on any projects where she wants to add wood to a mixed media item.

Thankfully therefore not a bad amount of space but love a good book and certainly not the full warehouse sized workshops which some of the guys in the USA seem to have

You're welcome and it is as I said, a very good little book. One small, though important addition. Your spelling of SWMBO is incorrect; there's an 'I' missing. SWIMBO as in 'Instantly' :lol: - Rob

 

[Sandtree]

One small, though important addition. Your spelling of SWMBO is incorrect; there's an 'I' missing. SWIMBO as in 'Instantly' :lol: - Rob

Living life on the edge (with the safety net that she doesn't know this forum exists)

 

[profchris]

I think you'd struggle to get the top flat without buying a hand plane (and learning how to use it). At best, bought in PAR will be squarish :shock:

If I were making the table I'd make a frame from 2x2 timber, with lots of cross pieces, and then screw a piece of the heaviest plywood I could get on top. Judicious hacking down of high spots (breadknife?) or packing strips to fill gaps could get the two close enough in alignment. Then add legs.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Welcome to the forum.

Haven't really reached the stage where I use timber yards. I have browsed Alsford timber in Twickenham a few times when I visit D&M tools. Looks quite a useful supplier. Not sure if anyone on here has experience.

Will Champions be good enough for timber for a tough and strong table? Must be one of those near you.

Good luck

Martin