Poplar

[Dr Repper]

Howdy there folks,

I'm looking for a supplier of poplar for building skateboard cores, preferably in the south east. Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help. I'll post up some pics of my work at some point so you can see what I get up to.

Rich R

 

[Benchwayze]

There was a supplier in Herefordshire. I will see if I can find the card, and you will be able to make enquiries.

There is this place in Leeds.. Bit far maybe

http://realoakfloors.co.uk/tulipwood_ha ... timber.php

A bit nearer, for yellow Poplar
http://www.sykestimber.co.uk/index.html

John

 

[liam8223]

Whitmores Timber in Claybrooke, Leicestershire sell poplar (tulipwood) and are reasonable too.

www.whitmores.co.uk

 

[DeepBlue]

SL Hardwoods are pretty good for small amounts:

http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/ParBoardsTimber.aspx?ID=46

 

[chris_d]

There was a supplier in Herefordshire. I will see if I can find the card, and you will be able to make enquiries.

Hi John,

I'd be very interested to know who they are?

Cheers,
C

 

[CNC Paul]

Rich,

Are we talking about 1 skateboard or 100's ?

 

[Benchwayze]

There was a supplier in Herefordshire. I will see if I can find the card, and you will be able to make enquiries.

Hi John,

I'd be very interested to know who they are?

Cheers,
C

Chris,


I'm pretty sure this is where I went for some poplar some years ago. They are very accommodating (Or certainly they were when I went. And reasonable in price too.)

The Poplar Tree Co

UK company specialising in tree planting and helping landowners earn revenue from farm diversification to woodlands aswell as help with grants for planting trees from the forestry commission and DEFRA
The Poplar Tree Co
Lower Lulham Farm
Lulham Madley
Hereford
Herefordshire
HR2 9JJ
The Poplar Tree Co Contact Details

Phone: 01981 250253
Fax: 01981 251211

 

[milkman]

don't confuse Tulipwood ("american poplar") with your bona Poplar, referred to in the US as Basswood.

I'm not saying that tulipwood doesn't have the qualities you're after, whilst not tough it was very light and strong when I used it for shutters so it could be good for a core.

 

[jasonB]

Basswood is not American poplar it is American lime which is similar to european lime.

As this is a skateboard I would assume most of the articles on building them are from the US so American poplar or Tulip wood to us would be the likely material.

I would also think the OP should be looking for structural veneers if he does not have the ability to cut it.

Jason

 

[seanybaby]

Hi Rich,

Not heard of boards made from Poplar before, i would have thought that maple would have been the traditional choice.

I take it it's longboards your interested in? Looking forward to your pics

 

[chris_d]

There was a supplier in Herefordshire. I will see if I can find the card, and you will be able to make enquiries.

Hi John,

I'd be very interested to know who they are?

Cheers,
C

Chris,


I'm pretty sure this is where I went for some poplar some years ago. They are very accommodating (Or certainly they were when I went. And reasonable in price too.)

The Poplar Tree Co

UK company specialising in tree planting and helping landowners earn revenue from farm diversification to woodlands aswell as help with grants for planting trees from the forestry commission and DEFRA
The Poplar Tree Co
Lower Lulham Farm
Lulham Madley
Hereford
Herefordshire
HR2 9JJ
The Poplar Tree Co Contact Details

Phone: 01981 250253
Fax: 01981 251211

Many thanks John!

 

[Dr Repper]

Seanybaby,

You are correct on both counts. I primarily make boards for downhill racing using composite skins on wooden cores. Slow grown, tight grained maple from northerly regions is the traditional material for board building, though I tend to use ash as it's just as good in most respects and is more readily available over here, not to mention a hell of a lot cheaper.

Having done a bit more research I suspect that I do in fact mean tulip wood. It's a common material in snowboard cores, and is a lot lighter than ash and maple. I'm looking to try it as part of a honeycomb cored sandwhich construction that I'm working on.

Having trouble embedding shots. Here's a link or two (hopefully) to a couple of boards I've made recently:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563624165qgYniy

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/571571437MzOVSA

http://rides.webshots.com/album/570262109WNJMRY[/url]

 

[Dr Repper]

Hmmm, I'm guessing this forum has a pretty serious spam filter?

Edit: Weird, as soon as I posted this, REPORT TO MODERATORS!!! disappeared from my links. Oh well!

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Doc...

I think you'll find the spam-trap disallows pictures until you have posted a certain number of posts. Looks like you hit the mark!

All the best and hope you get the poplar you seek. How many boards are you making btw, as I have a few feet of poplar in my back-yard.

John

 

[seanybaby]

Nice work there Chris

Is that a home made hand pump bag press you have? If it is i think some members here may be inspired to make something similar for veneering. Does it create enough pressure?

Making a nice longboard is on my never-ending to do list, i will get there one day :lol:

 

[Dr Repper]

Hi Seanybaby (its Rich btw :wink,

It's a bagging system thought up by a company called roarockit in canada, but could by made at home very, very easily. I'm intending to make a new, larger bag myself soon. The pump and valve is a vacuvin wine saver. It supposedly creates about 15psi over a longboard - sized piece, certainly more than enough for normal veneering which is what it was originally designed for. The formers I hand shape from cellotex insulation board which I stiffen on one side either with cheap car bodywork glass or with a wooden plank. I can press three veneers of 2.5mm crown cut Ash at a time no problem, so standard veneer thicknesses should be a piece of cake. If anyone fancies having a go at making one, East Coast Fibreglass Supplies is an excellent source of bagging material, sealing putty etc. Otherwise, Roarockit make them in various sizes (that said, now that I've got one and know how simple they are, I'd definitely make my own in future. The tricky bit would be sealing the valve to the bag, but that shouldn't be too hard with a bit of creative thinking). It's a pretty decent system if you're prepared to apply a bit of elbow grease and definitely much cheaper, easier and quieter than a power pump/fridge compressor system (though not quite as powerful). It's also much more space-efficient. I'd say for small pieces it's unbeatable.

 

[Dr Repper]

Hi Doc...

I think you'll find the spam-trap disallows pictures until you have posted a certain number of posts. Looks like you hit the mark!

All the best and hope you get the poplar you seek. How many boards are you making btw, as I have a few feet of poplar in my back-yard.

John

Hi John,

Thanks for clearing that up, had me weirded out for a while there!

I'll probably be looking for materials to make a half dozen or so boards. Having researched a bit more I think it's Tulipwood (Yellow Poplar in yank speak, hence my confusion) that I'm looking for so not strictly poplar after all. Thanks though!

Rich R

 

[Dr Repper]

Hi all,

Sorry to post three in a row, but if anyone fancies a bash at making a longboard/skateboard (which I can't recommend strongly enough), have a look here:
http://silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/longboard-board-building/

Yank site with international membership. Lots of great info and frequented by some highly skilled builders.

For more info on the vac bag system I use, look here:
http://www.roarockit.com/rc_wood.php

Ted is a cabinet maker with a recently developed passion for building skateboards. If you choose to by any of their stuff throught the online shop, it may come up with some horrendous, prohibitive shipping charge. Contact them through their email and they'll tell you how to make it a lot cheaper. Otherwise just make your own!

Rich R

 

[CNC Paul]

I'll probably be looking for materials to make a half dozen or so boards. Having researched a bit more I think it's Tulipwood (Yellow Poplar in yank speak, hence my confusion) that I'm looking for so not strictly poplar after all. Thanks though!

Rich R

Rich,

I think a few boards rule out Timbmet in Oxford and Barns Branch in Wycombe have closed, the other recommendation is Moss Timber in Hammersmith, it is not far off the M40/A40 which is an easy drive from Wycombe. They are open on Sat mornings and do not mind you sorting your own timber.

PS

If you go have a look at the Jelutong.

 

[L Harding]

hi rich

thanks for the link to the vac bag, ive been thinking of buying a vacuum bag system from either bag press or air press for a while now, but this looks like a much cheaper option that will do basically the same thing, all be on a smaller scale.

how often do you have to replace the sealing tape? this appears to be the biggest down fall from what i can see.

Did you import a your kit from the states?

luke