Timber Suppliers

[Jim]

Wondering if anyone in the Greater London/Essex area can reccommend a good timber supplier.
Have used S L Hardwoods quite a lot and quite pleased with them but they are quite a distance form my home.
Local suppliers are a bit hit and miss with there quality so would like to find a good local(ish) supplier.

Cheers

 

[blurk99]

http://www.blumsom.co.uk/

someone recommended these people, but i've never tried them

jimmer

 

[Anonymous]

I've used blumson a few times for cherry, american white oak, iroko, american red cedar and faced mdf/ply in oak and cherry. Sawn timber their prices have seemed pretty reasonable and they have big stocks. Never tried their finished stuff so can't comment on price or finish quality. If you go down there you can join the guys in the yard to select your timbers, but they close at midday on a saturday and they don't have a cutting service on a weekend - a radial saw get-you-home is the best they can do. Where I've bought in bulk they have delivered reliably and much of the stock has come in significantly oversize - hence I've got 3 175x30x3m lengths of cherry left in the shed for projects "yet to be decided"

 

[SimonA]

Whilst on this subject does anybody know of a good supplier of veneered ply/mdf or melamine covered chipboard? An online dealer would be great as I'm looking for prices too.

I'm thinking about build some fitted units into our dinning room and was looking for the to make the carcasses, the doors would be of solid oak.

Cheers.

SimonA

 

[blurk99]

you could look at.....

http://www.robbins.co.uk

but (yet) again, i've never tried these people, but they do veneered ply for boatbuilders etc..., pricelists are a pain in the butt to find but they are there in PDF format

jimmer

right - http://www.robbins.co.uk/Pdf%20Files/pl ... als_bs.pdf

that should be the link for the pdf for general veneered sheets, about £25 for a 8' x 4' sheet, but that varies on the veneer

 

[Aragorn]

For convenience more than anything else I use Travis Perkins for my basic softwood and board supplies. They are always ready to quote a good price and will price match too if you're nice to them!
Ignore their online prices - get your cutlist and give them a phone call. The best prices seem to vary from one week to the next.

A

 

[RoyS]

I've happily used Priday's in north London several times (altho' not for a few years). They were very helpful in sorting out some cherry for a corner cabinet. They will help tyros (like me) but you do need to have a reasonable idea of the timber you are looking for and the quantities.

They are in Timberwharf Road, Stamford Hill N16

My last catalogue shows telephone number 0181 800 5661, which presumably
now is 0208 800 5661

Hope this helps - Roy

 

[Alf]

Courtesy of Chris a while back: http://www.pridays.sagenet.co.uk/default.htm

Cheers, Alf

 

[Chris Knight]

Dunno if Pridays are still in business. My last order for a load of cherry around Christmas time was delivered by one of their own drivers who told me that the owner (it is/was a family business) planned to stop the business in February.

Apparently the plan was not to sell it as a going concern but simply to cease trading and then perhaps rent out the yard and office space.

I have no idea if this happened or not. Great shame if so.

Lathams have a yard not too far from Pridays but it is not one I have used.

 

[DaveL]

I have used this company Atkins and Cripps they have a yard just over the boarder in Hertfordshire at Bishop's Stortford. I bought Iroko from them, they were very helpful. Their web site does not have any prices, you have to ring them.
Lookhereto see what I bought, most of which is now chairs

 

[Anonymous]

Dave,

You can't get away with a posting like that! Where are the chairs then?

Yours with eager anticipation,

AG

 

[johnelliott]

I've been buying timber for a good few years now, and one thing I've found time and time again- just 'cos you got a good deal last time, doesn't mean you get a good deal this time. Reverse is true as well, though less likely due to it being unlikely that anyone who gets a bad deal is hardly likely to go back for another one! I think the buying experience is important, though, as it always is, so that's one thing I go by, do I actually like the people?
I've done quite well with Moss and Co of Hammersmith in the past, but the last batch of American Ash I had from them was very disappointing. I don't have the time to go and pick the stuff out myself, so for my next batch I'm going to try Timbmet in Oxford

John

 

[DaveL]

AG,
Well here is the first one, I have posted this before

I have not taken any pictures of the rest, if I get time I take the camera out to the workshop later.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice work Dave. I've had to cover the monitor so the missus can't see it and get any fancy ideas. She's after some new garden furniture, and I suspect that she'd put me to work on it straight away if she caught sight of your project

Thanks for the repost, I'm clearly not paying anywhere near enough attention to my woodworking boards lately :wink:

Cheers!

AG

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi AG

Nice work Dave. I've had to cover the monitor so the missus can't see it and get any fancy ideas. She's after some new garden furniture, and I suspect that she'd put me to work on it straight away if she caught sight of your project.

I wasn't quite quick enough and SWMBO saw Dave's work in all it's glory.

I know what I have to make now. :roll:

Cheers
Neil

PS Dave, love the work.

 

[DaveL]

AG, Neil,

Cover that screen again :wink: here is the promised picture of the current state of chair production

I just need a few more stainless steel bits to complete the rest of the chairs.
Then I will be finishing them with Liberon Garden Furniture Oil, should be ready for the summer 8)

NB
Does every workshop over a certain size have one of these white assembly tables :?:

 

[Chris Knight]

Dave,
Great job! I am impressed by your productivity, you must have an excellent system going there. The chairs look really nice and being of the folding variety there is a good chance you will remember to bring them in during the winter and they will stay looking fresh for years.

I used to have white assembly table just like yours but once I started using it as a finishing table, it became a sort of yukky brown colour!

 

[DaveL]

Chris,

I choose a folding design so we could bring them in, just need to remember to do it

The production got better as I got into the swing of it. I found a large bag of rubber bands was very helpful, they allowed me to keep the parts of each kit together. I wasted a lot of time counting and recounting seat slats. :shock:
I also made a few simple jigs to speed up the repetitive tasks, look in the jigs section of the gallery for pictures. 8)

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Dave

AG, Neil, Cover that screen again :wink: here is the promised picture of the current state of chair production

Aaaarrggggghhhh SWMBO has just come in again.

I hold you totally responsible. :wink:

Cheers
Neil