Where can I buy hardwood for making small boxes?

[mickthetree]

Hi There! First post, what a great forum!

I'm a web developer and I'm thoroughly bored with staring at the screen all day, so thought I'd start up an old hobby again, woodwork.

I'm looking to start on something small, maybe a box out of hardwood. I have loads of tools (my grandad was a carpenter) but I cant find where to buy hardwood from and also what type is best!

I want to learn to make dovetails to start. Maybe add some brass hinges and a lock. Found loads of excellent info on the web of how too, but no wood!

I went to the local wood yard and they looked at me like I was a looney! "Boxes? what d'ya wanna make boxes for?"

I found this link:
http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/results_fulldetails.asp?prodID=11869

On the forum. Do you reckon this would be a good material to start?

I feel plenty confident and am keen as mustard but I aint got no wood!!

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

[Jasonb]

SLH sell qiute a range of hardwoods, if you do not see the thing you want they will always machine timber to your sizes and sens it to you, the stuff in the link may be a little thin but will be OK for practicing your dovetails on.

Have a look at this forum, there is quite a bit of box macking activity. do a search for box/boxes in the completed projects section.

http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/

There are a few of my boxes mixed in with turnings in this album

http://photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/Wood turning/

Jason

 

[mickthetree]

Hey Jason

Thats great, thanks for the advice. I'll certainly ask them for the sizes I'm after. There are some lovely bits on the link. I think I may have to hone my skills before I'm knocking out things to that standard. What is the joint called that you have used on the box in the fourth image?

 

[Jasonb]

Its called a "keyed mitre" The slots for the ebony keys are cut after the mitre is glued together, they add strength to the joint as well as looking good.

Jason

 

[AdamW]

There are a few of my boxes mixed in with turnings in this album

http://photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/Wood turning/

Jason

It's been a while since I've looked at one of your albums, forgot how seriously you take carpentry!

One question: The apple, the vase in the third row and the plate in the fourth row, they all have a "hole" in them... is that where a knot would sit, or is it some other phenomenon in the wood?

On the small pictures, they look like they are made of marble, amazing texture and detail in the polished wood finish.

 

[Jasonb]

The odd holes are either caused by ingrowing bark, knots, and other "faults" in the wood which I like to incorporate into the work

The marbled colours and patterns are called "spalting" this is caused by fungi in the wood in the early stages of decay, drying the wood stops further fungal growth as they need a moist enviroment to grow.

Most of the wood you see has come from dead, dying or wind blown trees or waste wood that would normally be thrown away due to the faults.

Jason

 

[breezer]

i dont much care for carpentry, but those pictures of things you have made are fantastic, i take my hat off to you.

your talents are wasted

 

[Symo]

Echo the other comments above. Great work Jasonb. Being able to combine technical expertise with artistic flair is a rare combination.

Symo