wood - price comparsion

[mbartlett99]

Is there any reason why people are not putting the name of suppliers on their posts? Saying 'my local merchant' isn't a lot of help to anyone else. This is a post of mine from a couple of years ago; I hope it helps someone;

"Thought I'd update this thread for future folks. Phoned around everyone and emailed sadly many didn't reply but check this out for price difference;

1) Chiltern Timber - my closest supplier £85 cft lady was nice on the phone but knew little. Hardwoods are not their main business and it would probably have to be ordered.
2) Thorogoods - featured cherry/walnut big style on their website and the salesman positively oozed when talking about the cherry (he was very nice and knowledgeable). They stock product from the Horizon Sawmill in Pennslyvania. Cost was £64 cft
3) Tylers Hardwoods - Custard recommended these guys. Talked to Geoff the owner who was super - also stocked the Horizon Product but the price was £42 cft! Was a bit of a drive for me but worth it as they also had the Cedar of Lebanon I wanted and some 100mm Maple. Super nice guys on the floor, took account of the wane and cut to length FOC. Timber was totally uniform in colour and as a close to clear as cherry gets. They had serious stocks of oak, abw, utile and heavens knows what else. I've never used Cedar of Lebanon before - serious wastage there - glad I doubled up.

So, in a bizarre coincidence service, quality and price collided - Tyler are officially the bol***cks."

 

[johnnyb]

I'm looking to use a company in Stafford called iwood. There website seems good. It seems like there wholesale so £900 minimum spend. But they have some packs made up with upfront pricing or you can build your own pack. Has anyone ever used these guys?
Can i expect more discount on there prices.
Obviously a forklift or some strong guys on delivery is expected.

 

[Deadeye]

I'd love to know the supplkier in the opening post to this thread!
Here in Buckinghamshire I'm struggling to find a good supply. Chiltern have a lot more on their website than they have in their racks - which is annoying when you pay online and go to collect...
High Wycombe with its furniture heritage *ought* to have a great supply, but I can't find it!
Any suggestions? Do Tylers deliver?

 

[Sideways]

I don't buy a lot and don't buy professionally but Richard Potter timber in Nantwich are driveable to me and seem decent from a couple of dealings.
They put a pricelist up online which is a good thing. 18mm birch ply isn't a rip off and they sell maple, ash and oak plus plenty more. I'd always call before visiting to make sure they had stock of whatever I was interested in.
Unfortunately you can't walk the racks which I find annoying but maybe that's becoming more common these days. Lifting machinery & Joe Public don't always mix well.
They couldn't help with quarter sawn ash.

 

[johnnyb]

I was ok with Richard potters until they stopped allowing you access. The last awoak i had was literally awful it wouldn't stop moving. They are an old timber yard and we're very keen to get in to the hobbiest market even visiting local clubs. As such not bad but not being able to chose is a large minus. But there good to deal with.

 

[custard]

Do Tylers deliver?

Yes, but there may be a minimum order quantity for delivery. They've delivered very large boards to me that I'd previously selected in person, not huge orders but still amounted to a good few cubic feet.

 

[custard]

There's an excellent summary of UK timber yards in the stickies section at the top of this section of the forum. Well worth a look.

 

[johnnyb]

Potters are pricy though. Euro oak prime £73 a cube. My guess is many of these places buy from iwood. As they sell for £58.plus I'm guessing you'll get better prices than that. It does mean you need to spend £940 though!

 

[mbartlett99]

I'd love to know the supplkier in the opening post to this thread!
Here in Buckinghamshire I'm struggling to find a good supply. Chiltern have a lot more on their website than they have in their racks - which is annoying when you pay online and go to collect...
High Wycombe with its furniture heritage *ought* to have a great supply, but I can't find it!
Any suggestions? Do Tylers deliver?

I've had that with Chiltern too; try Kenworth Sawmills, crap website but very helpful on the phone and their prices were decent.

 

[memzey]

I'd love to know the supplkier in the opening post to this thread!
Here in Buckinghamshire I'm struggling to find a good supply. Chiltern have a lot more on their website than they have in their racks - which is annoying when you pay online and go to collect...
High Wycombe with its furniture heritage *ought* to have a great supply, but I can't find it!
Any suggestions? Do Tylers deliver?

I've had that with Chiltern too; try Kenworth Sawmills, rubbish website but very helpful on the phone and their prices were decent.

Yes - problem with them though is that you can’t select your own stock. You order the lengths your after and they deliver (fairly cheaply as well or free if you’re local) but you just get what’s next on the pile. That has put me off them, even though they have a wide range and fairly decent prices.

 

[mbartlett99]

I've only used them once, good to know. I did describe the use and the guy said he would pick out accordingly. There's not many options in our area; have used Timbnet down at South Mimms who used to stock cherry and abw.

 

[memzey]

I’ve not tried them. Where abouts in South Mimms are they?

 

[custard]

Memzey, Timbmet are a chain. I don't know if they're national or just in the South but they've got a fair few depots.

There's nothing wrong with them, in fact if you want an easy life there's plenty right with them. But they're not the place to get sequential boards from the same log for perfect colour matching, or quarter sawn boards, or unsteamed Black Walnut, or gloriously figured boards, or really wide boards, or waney edged boards, or unusual timbers...or indeed anything that you might be looking for to make truly exceptional furniture! For all that good stuff stick to yards like Tylers.

 

[memzey]

Thanks Custard. I’ve seen Tyler’s website but have not been to them before. As you know I have had gloriously rippled maple from Bob at timberline in the past however. Neither are particularly close to me but I think Timberline are closer so will probably go down to them before I give Tyler’s a visit.

The next timber I’m really keen to try is American cherry. I’m probably not going to start with anything outrageously figured so a good local supplier of high quality regular sawn boards would be very good to have.

 

[John15]

For all that good stuff stick to yards like Tylers.

Custard, do you know the minimum sized order Tylers are interested in?

John

 

[custard]

John, as long as you don't mess them around they'll be happy to sell you just a cubic foot.

 

[custard]

The next timber I’m really keen to try is American cherry. I’m probably not going to start with anything outrageously figured so a good local supplier of high quality regular sawn boards would be very good to have.

Smart choice. Reasonably stable, kind on your tools, patinates beautifully in just a few years...what's not to like.

 

[John15]

John, as long as you don't mess them around they'll be happy to sell you just a cubic foot.

That's good news. Many thanks.

John