Timber suppliers

[Salad Dodger]

Hya , i'm new to the forum & pretty much also to woodworking .
i recently decided to experiment with making some wooden grips for a few of my air pistols ,
so far i have used what i had to hand which has been mahogany , beech & oak .
i am now looking to try a few more materials , walnut burr & cocobolo look to be particularly beautiful woods , but i am just on the lookout for anything that has a good grain & is relatively hard wearing .
i just don't seem to be able to find somewhere local to view & purchase such items .
i am in leeds , west yorkshire .
any ponters would be most welcome
thanks in advance Jim 8)

 

[AndyT]

Hi there.
The usual advice to questions like this seems to be 'take a day trip to John Boddy Timber' - they are very highly spoken of and not very far from you!

http://www.john-boddy-timber.ltd.uk/

 

[marcros]

good luck!

your best bet would be somewhere like a turning shop- snainton woodturning springs to mind (Scarborough way), john boddy (Boroughbridge), a show of some form (Harrogate for one, but just missed it), or the internet (including good old ebay). I have used Ullapool turning centre for some blanks, who although nowhere near you (us), are very helpful over the phone, sensibly prices and may well be able to supply you with something that is roughly the dimensions that you require.

i dont know of anywhere in Leeds that will have what you are after. Generally speaking, I have found the suppliers to not keep anything besides the usual timbers, which i suppose mirrors the demand.

Also, the advantage of turning blanks are that they may well be in suitable sizes for what you need. Knife scale suppliers may also be relevant, size wise. Out of interest, what pistols are you re-gripping?

HTH
Mark

 

[Salad Dodger]

WOW speedy responses !
i was trying to think of the name of the one in boroughbridge , i fitted a fire alarm system there years ago & yup John Boddys is exactly what i'm looking for , their warehouse was amazing (although i didn't fully appreciate it at the time & all the wood was more of a hinderance than anything lol)
i could just do with something closer due to the small amounts i'd actually be buying , seems a right trek for a couple of small panels .
Mark , i have made grips so far for a crosman 357 revolver , tfw & umarex 1911 , the witness ones being my favourite makes so far .

 

[marcros]

i would be tempted to have a look on ebay until you happen to be passing boroughbridge if it is not viable to take a trip out there. i cant think of anywhere closer that will have much. the good news is that the postage probably wont be huge.

out of interest, have you came across tru-oil yet for finishing? i am increasingly using it for all sorts of things, and gun stocks are a very strong market for it. just dont buy the massive pot, because it has a shelf life, and you use very little. Walnut particularly comes to life with it.

where in leeds are you?

 

[Salad Dodger]

i have looked on ebay but ideally i want to see the piece before i buy it (fussy i know) ,
& the photo on there never seems to be of the actual item , more of a stock picture .
i haven't tried tru oil , but i have a selection of other oils including walnut stock oils .
oh & i am in tingley

 

[carlb40]

Not sure what sort of size you need? But would knife scales be suitable? You can get various woods

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sacat ... _PrefLoc=1

 

[Salad Dodger]

Not sure what sort of size you need? But would knife scales be suitable? You can get various woods

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sacat ... _PrefLoc=1

the finished product is (at widest points) roughly -110x40x7 mm
tbh i never even thought of knife blanks , i just assumed they would be too narrow , but obviously not .
again it's a case of being a fussy git though & i know from when i cut my tiger mahogany into suitable sized blanks i discarded quite a few to the spares bin due to not looking right grain wise & i'd be gutted if i bought 'unseen' & ended up with un-useable pieces .

as an example , here's a pair i made in oak & despite both being ok in their own right , they don't work as a pair

 

[marcros]

i think that you could reasonably ask for actual pictures of what you are buying. Also if you get some bookmatched ones, they should work well together. Knife scales, I believe, tend to be sold like that.

 

[Giff]

Axminster Warrington have wood turning blanks.....maybe too far for a special trip but if you are on the M62 going that way it's a small detour.

 

[dp341]

At the risk of being boring John Boddy's really is the best place I've been to anywhere near here and it doesn't take long to get up there on the A1. I used to go for a stroll along the river and have lunch in a pub in the village to make a nice morning of it. I was out at Axminster in Warrington the other day, it's fine but there's not really a big selection of blanks.

I've been meaning to try these places but haven't yet so can't vouch for them -
http://www.nichetimbers.co.uk - Wakefield
http://www.britishhardwoods.co.uk - Keighley

 

[marcros]

i got some nice oak from british hardwoods, but Dibs collected it, so I never actually went there.

I keep meaning to go to niche myself, but havent done so yet. they had some nice looking birds eye maple a while ago, but it was expensive stuff.

Both are really just suppliers of boards arent they, rather than blanks or the relatively tiny quantities that you are seeking.

 

[Salad Dodger]

niche timbers looks like it is only a skip down the m-way from here , i might just give them a look ,
thanks 8)

 

[AndyT]

At the risk of being boring John Boddy's really is the best place I've been to anywhere near here and it doesn't take long to get up there on the A1. I used to go for a stroll along the river and have lunch in a pub in the village to make a nice morning of it. I was out at Axminster in Warrington the other day, it's fine but there's not really a big selection of blanks.

I've been meaning to try these places but haven't yet so can't vouch for them -
http://www.nichetimbers.co.uk - Wakefield
http://www.britishhardwoods.co.uk - Keighley

Those 'hobby packs' at British hardwoods look like the answer to a lot of questions!

http://www.britishhardwoods.co.uk/timber/timber-hobby-packs.html

 

[dp341]

And finally, I was planning to go down to Ask Tools in Birstall tomorrow, only recently found out about them and was planning to see whether their showroom / stock matches up to the website or whether they order on demand.

While browsing their site (http://asktools.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d1.html ) I came across this :

Show Room
AT Ask tools has a wide range of machinery on display in our show room. We have a large timber store stocked with a wide range of native and exotic timber.

So they might also be worth a try, I might know more after I've been tomorrow.

 

[Salad Dodger]

i practically drove past their yard twice today #-o
let us know what they are like & whether it's worth a visit or not :wink:

 

[dp341]

I went down to ASK tools today, well worth the visit (given that it's only 15 minutes away). It's a small place but has plenty of stuff fitted in, the focus is principally wood turning. The wood they have is turning blanks, a reasonable selection of types and sizes from medium bowls down to pens.

The chap that runs it was knowledgeable and very helpful, I shall certainly be going back.

 

[mseries]

I went down to ASK tools today, well worth the visit (given that it's only 15 minutes away). It's a small place but has plenty of stuff fitted in, the focus is principally wood turning. The wood they have is turning blanks, a reasonable selection of types and sizes from medium bowls down to pens.

The chap that runs it was knowledgeable and very helpful, I shall certainly be going back.

You must be VERY close to me, if I had a car I'd say ASK Tools are 15 minutes away too. I've never been as it happens, didn't even know about them until this thread.

 

[Salad Dodger]

looks like i'll be paying them a visit too then , thanks :wink:

 

[dp341]

You must be VERY close to me, if I had a car I'd say ASK Tools are 15 minutes away too. I've never been as it happens, didn't even know about them until this thread.

I'm near Morley, so it's a quick trip along the A643. The place is small but he's packed in a big selection of turning equipment, a few shelves of blanks, good range of finishes and some other woodworking kit. I wouldn't travel an hour to visit but it's well worth a 15 minute trip.