Dealing with timber yard (Hymor in Stoke) can't just get basic pricing

[Rorton]

Ah what a fool I was reading it totally wrong. Thank you for that, it’s obvious now!

 

[LeeAkeroyd]

Not t

Ok, im getting closer to understanding now...

Had some pricing back, and for example, 2" Thick Hard Maple, 140mm wide board is £36+ vat, 2" American Black Walnut 120mm wide £66 + vat - now the bit im still struggling with is the length...


there is a funny number which depicts the length - ie 1/2.440 or 1/3.660

I asked for pricing based on 2.1m board, told I will get longer than this so my finish size is what was requested (no problem with that)

Conscious im really going to start annoying the guy with my new person questions, I initially asked this...

"Could you tell me what the 1/2.440 or 1/3.000 means on the items? Is that the board length - so for example 1/2.440 means you need to cut a 440cm board in half to obtain the size"

Reply was

"This is the length, and North America is still very much imperial, hence a 2.44m is 8’ long, usually when we offer this, it has come in as an 8’
rather than us cutting in half'

I can't work out what this means

Im told one line item (some Cherry) is only available in a 3.66m board @ 2" so the line item for Cherry is 152mm (wide) then 1/3.660

That board is £68.00 + vat

Any idea what this 1/2 and 1/3 stuff means?

Not trying to teach you to suck eggs but another thing to consider when ordering American stock if it isn't sold RTW (ripped to width) or parallel sawn is if you're looking for a 140mm board the nearest full width would be 6" or 152.4mm however American grading allows the kilned width to be scant by up to 1/2" and if the boards aren't straight you may not achieve the finished width you desire.

 

[Rorton]

Thanks for that, all help great fully appreciated, I was told that when I give them the sizes I wanted, they would find a suitable board that would yield that size based on their stock at that time.

I asked for 50mm thick x 100mm wide x 2.1m so I could get a base line on prices.

I was given a variety of boards that they had in stock which I could get that from

eg the walnut would be supplied as a rough sawn 2.4m board, 120mm wide, the cherry he only has 3.6 m, so that was a 50.8mm x 152mm x 3.66m board

 

[marcros]

also with American walnut the grading does not regard sapwood as a defect. it is a timber that I wouldn't buy unseen. for cutting boards it isnt so bad but for furniture it needs to be considered.

covid is going to be here for a while. businesses need to make changes and take precautions, but I would find another place that is making more reasonable restrictions. he will sell you a 2.4m length, knowing that you only need 2.1 of good timber, but will charge you for the 2.4. Oh and you can't see it because you might see a better one that somebody else might want because they paid the same but needed 2.3m of it!

 

[Rorton]

thanks, yes all valid points. I did read that about the sapwood. At least I can go back calculate the true cost per cu ft or meter and know if they are competitive or not worth bothering with.

its my first venture into buying hardwood from a yard, its either come from eBay which I’ve been lucky with but inconsistent, or donated from my dad.

noticed a couple of other places local, one called Exotic Hardwoods, and the other called woodwise.

both have prices based on an actual board you can see and know the price of it, woodwise seems to be waney, at least the walnut I have seen is.

I can do a comparison and see where is best to get from, and also take a look at Heaths timber and another mill as mentioned further up in the post