Where to buy timber for furniture

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Hi

I'm slowly branching out into making quality end furniture pieces (starting with small tables probably). I'd like to use nicer hardwoods than stuff found at wickes, bq, or the likes, but any suggestions where I should look to buy? I'm on the Hertfordshire/Essex border so somewhere close by would be great. From what I have seen online, and people selling on Ebay, the wood comes out pretty expensive, so given I'm starting, cost does still play a part.

I watch lots of US YouTube channels for woodworking, and it feels like those guys have quality wood coming out their ears!... I wonder how they afford it (... I do get that most of it is probably part of sponsorship costs).

I've also looked into buying recycled wood and know there are a couple of places dotted around herw that I can visit (post-lockdown). Anyone have any experience of buying this type of recycled wood?... any tips?

Thanks
 
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the internet is both amazing and very very misleading
you need to discard most you see that "norm" suggests as America seem to have a "Darwin "filter that takes out or disables perfectly good people
you need to forget about what you would like to do based on others valuations
tables are very complexed requiring several hundreds off ££ of tools to make at a commercial rate
"quality end" i would say forget it that needs training and skills you need to master along with the tools
if you need to ask very basic questions you are perhaps at entry level meaning quality is an aspiration you can off course reach but be realistic as it can take may years
try choosing and adapting what skills you have for a better outcome in what you make
sorry iff i have misunderstood or undervalued you ability but just trying to be honest and a realist
but good luck in what you choose
as an aside the world has changed dramatically in the last 6 months so values and priorities will probably mean the say 20% that would pay good money for an interesting item would now be perhaps zero to 5% that would look at luxury item in the future:rolleyes:
 
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Hi big-all

Sorry, you may have misunderstood.... I'm not aiming to make pieces in order to earn an income.. it's still just a hobby to take me away from the day job, and likely I'll just give pieces away to friends and family or whatever they may want to 'donate' for the piece.

I've just finished renovating the house and picked up skills (most comments are pretty flattering) and have a workshop, but want to turn to less practical things now. And yes, I'm sure I'm more skilled than some and way less skilled than others.

But we digress... original ask was where do people buy "better" hardwood timber from in the UK?

Thanks
 
local timber yard ryall and edwards in my instance at outwood
i do exactly what you are thinking lol
tables chopping boards coasters tee light holders all to use up those nice bits off wood that are far too nice to burn
if you make say coffee table from hardwood and the top as a framed edge with say 12mm ply inset you can cut smallish bits off interesting hardwood into say 10mm thick 35-50x 100- 150mm dominoes and lay them in a random pattern herringbone diagonal with a large central square as a diamond and and work around
other ideas are spice racks bread bins
good luck with what you choose and enjoy the smilles(y)
 
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You need furniture grade wood really, you won't find that in sheds (diy shops, or builders merchants) You'll have to do some searching on the internet for suppliers.

As Big-all has said though, quality handmade furniture is very expensive even if made "at cost" So sure, by all means persue your hobby, but again, as said, you need a lot of tools and experience to build good quality furniture, so if it were me I'd start by building stuff for yourself and friends and family first whilst your skills and experience improve.
 
where do people buy "better" hardwood timber from in the UK
Try posting the same question on UKworkshop which is a woodworking forum, those guys seem to know the best local small woodyards.

If you like oak, there are lots of oak timber merchants around -make sure it's kill dried square edged European oak.
 
Always surprises and amazes me when I am in a USA 'Home Depot' store (which is like a normal 'shed' store here in UK, and similar colour branding as B&Q) and see the quantity and quality of hardwoods that they are selling off-shelf.
And often at a reasonable price.

Always tempted to fill my suitcase. :>

I felt that it suggests that normal USA buyers are frequently buying hardwoods from sheds, compared to the lower quality pine we by from sheds here in UK.

SFK
 
Have you tried googling? For example I Googled "timber merchant hardwood Harlow" and these guys look to be a good bet to start with:

https://harlowbros.co.uk/timber/products/softwood-and-hardwoods/

And yes, going from YouTube, every American seems to have a workshop the size of an industrial unit with tooling to match, and seems to have their own forest to supply the timber...

And absolutely no sawdust covering everything in sight nor wayward wood shavings under the benches. I don't think any of them do much woodworking in those "workshops."
 
no sawdust covering everything

They have monster Vacs.
And 6" vac tubing everywhere.
All with blast gates.
/ I am jealous

Screenshot 2020-07-15 at 09.33.46.png

This old house - https://mailtribune.com/lifestyle/the-celebrity-carpenter
 
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Lets be honest, these guys are not DIYer's but serious professionals.
I DIYer couldn't afford half the kit these guys have.
And yes, I am very jealous! LOL
 
It is certainly true that Canadians and Yanks have access to plenty of good quality reasonably priced wood, I'm told it grows on trees there, of which they have an awful lot of. This is a bit irritating when you consider what we often get here.
 

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