New to the hobby, is this normal?

[Tombo46]

Ello everyone. I'm new to the hobby and as previously mentioned I am doing a shop refit along with a few little projects just for personal enjoyment. First place to start with woodworking is well....wood!

I am unfamiliar with working with and finishing different kind of woods so I thought a good place to start would be to get a selection of different hardwoods and have a play around. I ordered some from a reputable online source but I'd be lying if I said I was overly pleased with what arrived.

I was expecting square edged, planed timber however what I received was far from it. Probably about 25% of it is what I would have expected and the rest is in my opinion pretty poor. Most of it has a very rough finish which isn't a problem as finished work can be sanded but I would have expected it to be smooth. Also a few pieces have chunks missing on the flat face and/or bark or chunks missing on corners. A couple of pieces are twisted and a few also a good inch thinner at one end. A couple of bits have been sawn into a few inches too.

This isn't a complaint (which is why I haven't said where I got it) but I was just curious if this is what I should expect when ordering wood online? Is it normal to get this or is it simply a case of me getting all the old "scrap" as it was purchased as a selection of different woods? Should I contact the supplier?

Any advice much appreciated =]

All the best,

Tom

 

[wizard]

That is the way it is if you pick it up you get the best, and they ship out what is left

 

[Tombo46]

Damn that's pretty poor =( I don't even know of anywhere near me that does planed hardwoods. I think lavers do oak but that's it.

 

[Myfordman]

If you can't visit to select your boards, then the only way to teach these cowboys a lesson is to reject the shipment and make them deliver quality timber to your requirements, ideally when you are there to inspect it.
Quite often, the result is you get fresh decent stuff and they let you keep the original delivery free.

Next time if you have a local joinery business near you and you make friends with them, they might order timber on your behalf which normally gets free delivery and quality wood at trade prices. It is also a good way to get your saw blades sharpened as saw doctors tend to visit trade workshops weekly to collect and drop off blades. Turn up with a box of cakes for the workers!

MM

 

[SurreyHills]

Did the specification for the timber state that it was PAR (planed all round). If so, then you have a straightforward case for rejecting the timber. If not then you could still reject the goods if the description didn't state the quality or if their photos of stock items implied timber being sold was of a much higher quality that what you have been supplied with.

Take some photos and email the supplier. If they aren't that supportive of your complaint, just quote the sale of good act to them. Do it in writing, email is fine, but be very specific about rejecting the goods under the sale of goods act as they were not of a reasonable quality.

Let us know how you get on.
Andy

 

[Woodcrafts]

Unless otherwise specified, hardwoods are normally sold as sawn boards (un-planed), and often waney edged (i.e. with bark and sapwood). Some yards may plane the timber for you, but you will need to specify this. An increasing number of imported timbers are now square edged, but still rough-sawn. Depending on the grading system and species, knots and other defects (character!??) are allowable in the lower grades.
From what you've described you do seem to have received a sub-standard batch. As others have said, it's preferable to go to a timber yard if at all possible and select the boards yourself. Also the staff at any decent yard will be able to advise you as to suitability for your projects.

 

[CHJ]

Was it bought by volume or board feet?
What percentage of the supplied timber is good to go against those criteria if you mark it up excluding the damage/defects?

 

[petermillard]

I've bought planed AWO from South London Hardwoods before, and it's been really very good - spot on for sizing, I wouldn't have chosen those boards to go together in a run personally, but there wasn't the budget to go and select them myself so I 'made do' with what was supplied, which to all intents and purposes was fine.

IMHO you should name the supplier so we can take a look at their website and see what they say they were supplying - not to 'name and shame', just so we can give better feedback.

Best, Pete

 

[Kev]

Just to echo others always try and go and select it your self, or at least speak to them and explain that you need some decent stuff. Had a similar issue a week or so ago, had a load of kiln dried oak delivered for a job which had to come from head depot so couldn't see it. Had specified prior what it was for and needed to be good quality. When it came most was fine but most of the larger pieces (250 x 55) were cupped so much only managed to get 35mm thickness out of a test piece. Anyway took some photos back to the timber merchants and have to say they were very good, apologised and ordered some more for me. Not saying this is always the case but most will try and accommodate.

 

[Rhossydd]

Take some photos and email the supplier. If they aren't that supportive of your complaint, just quote the sale of good act to them. Do it in writing, email is fine, but be very specific about rejecting the goods under the sale of goods act as they were not of a reasonable quality.

Absolutely, but the relevant bit of legislation to start with is the distance selling regulations, but you need to complain fast.

 

[kreed]

I got the same, for the enthusiastic ignoramus I made the same mistake.
Now I buy old tables & strip them for the good bits. 99p on ebay, local to 10 miles

 

[Cottonwood]

I got the same, for the enthusiastic ignoramus I made the same mistake.
Now I buy old tables & strip them for the good bits. 99p on ebay, local to 10 miles

I've tried that, not scored yet...
Have you considered discarded kitchen unit doors, they are often oak, birch, cherry etc. The older ones are usually lanimated solid wood (not vennered mdf or ply)

 

[mailee]

I am surprised that your local Lavers only stock oak, my 'local' one stocks a vast range of hardwoods.

 

[Tombo46]

Thanks for the input everyone. Just going to treat this as a learning experience. Upon closer inspection the advert didn't state the quality of the wood but the wood pictured was of much better quality. I've got a few workable bits to play with and in future I'm going to try and find somewhere I can go pick some bits out.

I'm still not going to name the supplier as the purpose of the thread was just to find out if this is the sort of thing I should expect or not. Now I know I can be more careful in the future!

Thanks again everyone =]