At the timber yard

[Mikey R]

Ive been thinking about this since planning buying some beech for a workbench.

Up till now, Ive always done small projects, where I take my cutting list to the yard and pick out the boards that will give me the cuts I need. I plan pretty much everything out in the yard so I know what I'll do when I get all the timber back home.

Im starting to think this is pretty inefficient, as I tend to spend quite a few hours at the yard picking out just the right boards with the right grain for what I need. Maybe, it would be better to figure out the minimum amount of each spicie at each board thickness, add an extra say 40%, and figure out the cuts back at home, accepting that I'll have some left over for the next project?

What do the regulars here do? Any tips for making sure I get enough timber for the next project with not too much left over?

Cheers!

 

[OPJ]

I normally approach this in the same way as yourself - draw up a cutting list and then sort through the long, wide boards myself... I always end up buying too much and, consequently, spending far more than I had envisaged!

I built my 'bench not long ago and spent the best part of a day roughing out all the components from large waney-edged boards (with a skil saw), 3" and 2" thick. If I was doing this again, I would probably have payed them to cut out the eleven 6ft lengths of 4"x2" that I needed... It would've saved so much time! :roll:

Some yards (like Yandles, in Somerset) will only charge you for what you have ordered, regardless of the amount of stock they have to work through to complete your order. For example, if you ordered 6ft³ and they consumed 8ft³ of stock in the process then, you would not be charged for the 2ft³ of waste. I doubt that all yards operate like this but it is certainly worth checking out before you order! :wink:

 

[Mikey R]

I normally approach this in the same way as yourself - draw up a cutting list and then sort through the long, wide boards myself... I always end up buying too much and, consequently, spending far more than I had envisaged!

I built my 'bench not long ago and spent the best part of a day roughing out all the components from large waney-edged boards (with a skil saw), 3" and 2" thick. If I was doing this again, I would probably have payed them to cut out the eleven 6ft lengths of 4"x2" that I needed... It would've saved so much time! :roll:

Some yards (like Yandles, in Somerset) will only charge you for what you have ordered, regardless of the amount of stock they have to work through to complete your order. For example, if you ordered 6ft³ and they consumed 8ft³ of stock in the process then, you would not be charged for the 2ft³ of waste. I doubt that all yards operate like this but it is certainly worth checking out before you order! :wink:

Right - so from your workbench build, you would recommend sending the yard your cutting list, then pick up the boards when they are ready? Hmm - this means that youre trusting the yard to select clear boards free of cup and wind.

Is this normal and everyone does this, or are there guys here who would always select out the exact boards for the project themselves, no matter how large the project is?

 

[OPJ]

I think it largely depends on the kit you have in your workshop and storage space. I also experienced some problems with 3" timber binding in the cut (stop saw, insert wedge, back up, start again; repeat twice more! :x) and severe splits and cracks as it dried (I started cutting as soon as I got it home).

Ideally, you'd want to leave thicker stuff lying around for a while but, I don't have the space. It's also much easier to man-handle narrower boards and shorter lengths when you're alone.

 

[BMac]

Hi Mike,

Whenever I need timber I go and select full lengths at the yard and cut them myself. Many years ago I got timber cut in a yard and the saw operator bundled the offcuts into the stack. When I asked him why he was giving me the 'extra' timber (as I thought) he said "It's yours, you've paid for each full length we cut".

A further advantage is that you won't be stressing out the whole way home and until you do the job about a piece being cut short.

Also, offcuts eventually end up as 'free' projects.

 

[CWatters]

That's pretty much what happens at my local. They try to fit all the bits you want into the timber that's available but you pay for whole pieces so you can choose to keep the off cuts or not.

I once ordered a 1" thick ridge board for an outbuilding but they cut a 2" bit down the middle and gave me both bits. If I'd known I'd have just specified 2". .

 

[Mikey R]

Cheers for the replies!

Assuming that the yard only has waney edge and random width, its looking like the best bet is to select out enough timber for the project myself, get it ripped to width at the mill, then take it home and crosscut it to length.

If Im clever with the design, I can keep the range of widths to a minimum and this will keep my options open for cutting components from different boards.

 

[narrowboater]

I have recently moved to Leicestershire from Wiltshire, in Wilts I always used Vastern Timber for my wood, I wandered up, they told me where the timber I was after was, and I went off with my cutting list , tape, and saw. It was great, when I had selected what I wanted, one of the lads came across, measured up and I paid, loaded it in my car, usually after some work with a chain saw, and off I went.

I find up here that I am not allowed in the yard (health and safety) so I recently phoned a local yard and asked if they could look out 2 cubic ft of maple. I popped up later to collect, it was not ready as promised but no probs, a guy went off to fetch it for me.

He and another chap came out of the shed with some rough sawn planks, when they got near the office, some guy, I assume the boss, came out and bellowed at them, that they had way more than 2 cub ft. (looked about right to me), but I hadn't even taken a tape with me (stupid I know). He glared at me as though it was all my fault, and demanded the dimensions of each plank. Turns out that they work in metric and he wanted to know how many cu metres they had.

After the three had spent some time with calculators, I was told that I had almost 3 cu. ft, as I didn't want that much, I selected some planks to leave, and the whole process started again.

I finally paid the disgruntled boss and departed with a very bad taste in my mouth. Driving home I started to think that I had not paid as much as I had expected, guess what!!!!!!! When I got home I measured up and sure enough I had 1.6cu ft.

Moral is

1 always take a tape and calculator

2 1 Cubic Foot is 0.00283168466 Cubic Metres

3 I'll find another timber yard

Regards to all

Rod
PS sorry if this sounds like a rant

 

[BMac]

Rod,

You stuck an extra zero in your cubic metre conversion, its 0.0283168466

Brendan

 

[narrowboater]

Brendan

Many thanks, I got a bit carried away.

Rod

 

[BMac]

LOL, You're welcome,
Brendan

 

[mailee]

I use Timberworld in Hull for my hardwoood. I go with my cutting list and then buy the lengths which will do. Have to say that the guys in the yard allow me to rummage through the piles for what I want and even help me in the selection, great service. I usually end up with a bit more than I want but it all comes in handy. :wink: