What wood and where?

[user 4112]

Gents

Permission to come on board?

I have been a long term reader of these forums (fori?) although I don’t think I have ever contributed (it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool rather than opening one’s mouth and removing all doubt) until today. It is now high time I poked my head over the parapet.

After an abortive ownership of a ‘dark green Sheffield made’ saw that lasted all of 30 minutes before the speed controller gave up I am now the happy and content owner of an Axminster AWSF18, which, in absence of any other experience (less 30 minutes with a dark green...) and fitted with Flying Dutchman blades, is a delight to use. That said a week after buying the Axminster I came across an as-new multispeed Hegner for half the AWSF18 price!!

My ultimate intention is to make a wooden clock, whether to my own design or bought in has yet to be decided, and in preparation I am currently turning whatever suitable wood is laying around my garage into sawdust.

My question is simple, what wood (and plywood) do you experts use and where do you get it from? I was about to order some birch ply from www.slecuk.com but would appreciate your advice before I do so.

Hopefully one day I can post a WIP, until then...

Many thanks

Rgds

John

 

[StevieB]

Hi John, welcome aboard. Birch ply is indeed the 'flat sheet material' of choice for most scrollers, especially those into jigsaws and fretwork rather than 3D scrolling. This is because the multiple layers are free from voids and structurally intact. Not so much here, but certainly in the US, veneered birch ply is also very popular. Much more expensive though.

Best place to get it - for scrolling 6mm is good. If you have a local wood yard then try them first. It can be ordered from the usual builders merchants (Jewsons, Travis Perkins etc) but you are unlikely to find it in a DIY shed such as B&Q or homebase. If you want large quantities then proper timber suppliers such as South London Hardwoods, Lathams etc will stock it but they are much more geared to commercial orders rather than single sheets.

As for solid timbers for your clock, people tend to buy stock and thickness it down to what they require. Buying it at 6mm or so is difficult, an inch or 25mm tends to be the minimum most yards will stock.

Best of luck with it, its an addictive hobby. The Hegner you mention is identical to the Ax AWFS18, just a bit better finished. Always a shame to see a saw cheaper than the one you have just bought, but both should perform admirably!

Steve

 

[gasmansteve]

Hi John
Welcome aboard :lol: . When I made my clock I managed to get some 6mm birch ply from a Timber merchants in Hull and for the life of me I can`t remember the name but I did find out after that most of the high street timber merchants can get birch ply for you. I was recently looking for some 26mm birch ply to make a rocking horse for my grandaughter and just went into B&Q and found an 8`x4` sheet (for £53 ouch :? ) Not sure if that helps? I`ll try and find the receipt to get the name.
Steve

 

[user 4112]

Steve and Steve

Thanks for the replies, Birch ply it is. I'll order some from 'Slecuk' and see how I get on. I'm currently practicing on the 5-ply that came within my AWSF18's box; it cuts a like a dream (using FD blades). The inner sheets are overlapped where they join so the thickness is not uniform across the sheet. I'm not sure if this overlapping is a sign of quality or tatt but if Birch is a easy to cut as this stuff I'll be happy.

Rgds

John