What's a "reasonable" price to pay for hardwoods?

[SlowSteve]

Hello all,

Without getting into pennies, I was wondering if you could offer some guidance on what sort of prices I should think of as "good" for various different woods?

For example I can get seeple at £9/meter for 8" x 1" and oak at £14/m for 9" x 1". The seeple seems pretty good quality, and the oak of average quality at best

I'm not sure if these are bargains of the century or pretty high prices.

Thanks

Steve

 

[custard]

Steve, compared to the hours that you'll sink into a project, the cost of timber for hobbyist scale projects isn't that great. I'd focus on hunting down the very best boards you can find, and if they're too expensive then make something smaller.

 

[blackrodd]

Steve, compared to the hours that you'll sink into a project, the cost of timber for hobbyist scale projects isn't that great. I'd focus on hunting down the very best boards you can find, and if they're too expensive then make something smaller.

Well said! Your'e prices don't seem excessively expensive..
Some people here in sunny Devon still deal in cubic feet.
A cubic foot is equal to a 12 ft of 12"x 1" and I believe there is roughly, 11 cubic feet to a cubic metre
Locally, At the moment kiln dried English oak, up to 10" x 1" is£34.00 a cubic foot.This is the bottom grade inclusive of knots etc straight line edged and planed two sides looks good for most uses.
Then you can go on up to £50, or £60 a cubic Foot for a furniture grade quality, and basically, you get what you pay for, Quarter sawn being the dearest
There's nothing like working with good quality mellow timber, in fact it can be an absolute pleasure, and well worth putting in the effort to make something to be proud of like you can frequently see shown here, on the forum.
Ash, and sweet Chestnut are cheaper at about £28 cubic foot. Sweet Chestnut is very similar to oak, and I do, sometimes have difficulty telling it from oak.
Short answer is don't scrimp on materials and You'll probably work easy!
HTH Regards Rodders

 

[RobinBHM]

Hi Rodders, I think you may be a little out on the cubic feet to cubic metre conversion, its 35.2 cubic feet to a cubic metre!

Sapele at £9/ metre works out to £44 per cubic foot (assume 9" x 1" sawn), compared to about £31+vat sawn boards

Oak at £14 / metre works out to £61 per cubic foot (assume 10" x 1" sawn), compared to about £40+vat sawn boards

Once waste and machining the prices are about right.

Note there is a significant price difference between American white Oak and European oak, so its worth checking what timber you have been quoted.

As Rodders mentions, price is all dependant on quality. If you are choosing from a timber merchant, the boards wont be selected for best figuring etc.

You are quite close to http://www.johnboddytimber.co.uk/ so might be work a day out!

 

[Benchwayze]

I don't shop around these days. I have a few suppliers I patronise, and accept the prices I am given. If I find them a bit on the expensive side, I consider a different species, or a smaller project. Having said that, I don't make showy pieces any more, so exotics are not on my shop list! If I really do want to make the bigger project. I grit my teeth and open the wallet.

John

 

[blackrodd]

RobinBHM,and slowsteve, Please excuse my blunder!
I should have said roughly 32 cubic feet to the cubic metre, as you say!
I was of course thinking of 11 square feet to the square metre, which has absolutely nothing to do with the op's question.
Good job you pointed that out, or the OP could have come home Potless!
Anyway, buy the best materials, I got that bit right!
Regards Rodders