Alternative wood please?

[dickyhb]

Can anyone suggest an alternative wood to Tulip please?

I've been looking all day. Found some, would dig deep but the postage doubles the blooming cost?? :evil: One place adds on £30 for just planning 2 meters worth.

So will poplar wood do? Or am I just better to bit the bullet and pay for Tulip? £60 is a lot for 2 meters of 1'' wood I think?

Feedback please.

Dicky.

 

[AndyT]

I think you will find that what is sold as poplar is the same as tulip wood.

 

[dickyhb]

Andy cheers.

What is the stuff I have in my garden 2''x2'' 6' high cost under £5. What wood is it do you think. I can get fence poles 2x2 3x3 extra?

 

[AndyT]

I think you are proving that buying a tiny amount of wood means you are very likely to pay a lot more than someone who buys by the lorry load.

Surely you could avoid the carriage cost by going to a merchant in person?

Your fence post could be larch, oak or chestnut. It won't be dry enough to use inside without a long period of seasoning and even then it may have flaws which don't matter in a fence but would in furniture.

I've often used reclaimed wood for small projects, from skips or old furniture. There are wood recycling yards now which can be ideal for the hobby user.

 

[dickyhb]

It would be a 8 hour round journey to Somerset.

 

[dickyhb]

Reclaimed wood, thats an idea Andy, thanks.

 

[worn thumbs]

If we are referring to what the Americans call tulip poplar,the price seems steep.What particular attributes are you seeking?Would aspen or sycamore be suitable and might there be a nearer stockist?

 

[dickyhb]

I want some 1 inch wood for carving little figures and faces. So 1 inch by 1 inch and say 2'' to 4'' long. But in a decent length say a meter. Just to have in my pocket for example?

 

[pcb1962]

Reclaimed wood, thats an idea Andy, thanks.

Derby not too far from you http://www.eastmidlandswoodrecycling.org.uk/

 

[Mike Jordan]

If you are carving it then Jelutong or Lime may be better suited. Both carve nicely.

 

[dickyhb]

Mike

An 8'' by 2'' piece of lime on Ebay is £6.50 plus postage. Over £10.

Pcb. At the centre on Deby what can I expect. Do they have an off-cut bin or am I looking at buying something like a table and cutting it up for blocks?

 

[dickyhb]

Mike just found the Jelutong a bit cheaper so thanks.

Dicky

 

[davem62]

Hi Dicky
Are you far from Newark show ground, the midlands woodwork show is on March 24/25 and you will be able to get plenty of carving blanks like lime and boxwood etc at very reasonable prices

Regards David

 

[dickyhb]

Brilliant David, thanks.

As this should be a long term hobby for me I'd like to think ahead.

It seems the wood I've been buying for my garden fence, poles as such is not dry wood. I really didn't know that, shows I'm as green as the wood I'm buying. So I think I could make a small investment now, of the future. So I'm /after some advice.

The dry wood I've been looking at is expensive, because it's dry. I understand that now. So if i want to put some wood down for drying say over a year, what should I buy? Don't want pine, can you buy wet lime wood? I really only need relatively small amounts probably 5 meters at the most. Maybe 10 if i buy another size apart from the .25x.25 I'm preferring for figures and faces. I'm just using a knife after all.

Can you guy suggest some woods that I could buy and store? Lime will be the best I expect.

Thanks

Dicky.

 

[marcros]

where in lincs are you? it is hard to suggest sources without knowing.

What about some of these? https://johnconradblanks.com/shop/wood- ... pen-blank/ they are only 20x20, but are cheap to play with. postage isnt stated, but it is royal mail signed for, so it is likely to be cheap for a few blanks.

it isnt worth stockpiling 10 m of green 1x1 timber for years to come. you will save no money and spend just as long looking for green wood to buy as dry wood. Buy a bit of timber to get started with and just buy a bit dry once in a while. If you get to the newark show, then for a fiver you will buy a years worth dry and ready to go. If you get into big projects, then you can either buy big lumps, or get friendly with a tree surgeon.

 

[tomatwark]

Ask around you local handmade kitchen guys for tulip/poplar and see if they use it.

For what you are after a box of chocolate biscuits would probably get it for you.

As you are really after off cuts.

 

[dickyhb]

Gratham. I will defiantly be at the show now i know about it. Brilliant thanks.

 

[Mike Jordan]

If you try to send a metre long piece of wood with the post office the minimum charge is nearly £12 If you need short pieces then order them as short pieces it's much cheaper all round. My problem was solved by Parcel2go for about £2.50. I think the post office has found a method of commercial suicide, carriers regularly bring me 1.8 metre tubes containing piano hinge for no real cost at all.

 

[dickyhb]

Mike.

Agree they did the same with fishing rods two piece 12' rods. Would not do 6 foot. Other carriers took the market, and shops have not used them since. Crazy way to run a business.

Thinking it all over I've bit the bullet and brought various pen wood blanks (on sale) and also about two meters from a model shop. All have reasonable shipping costs.

I also brought things called spindles, bit cheaper, apparently for turning. I don't know if they are dry, or not, and doubt I'll ever know, But they look right for the job. So all sorted now thanks to you guys, Google and the like.

I'll also look for wet wood when out fishing. Been into my local wood store today and they had a good size box of off cuts for £7. Very good hard stuff designed for carvers, but all too big for me as i have no way of cutting it, just no room. But I may get outside in the summer buy a box and cut it to smaller bits I can use?

Dicky.

 

[andersonec]

If you are near Grantham try Woodlines for Tulip wood, not too expensive there.

01476 561660
Commercial Rd, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6DE

Andy