Timber

Wossack

thetimberyard.ie? not used em myself however..

tabby aspreme

Try Abbey Woods in Baldoyle , or Strahan in Rathcoole

Wossack

Wossack wrote: »

thetimberyard.ie? not used em myself however..

It was actually timber Ireland near the airport.
I'll try the two recommended

Sparks

DubInMeath wrote: »

Yep didn't get the chance to correct the typo.

Wait, was it Timber Ireland who said they don't sell to amateurs or Timberyard.ie? I thought they were two different crowds?
I was planning on going out to timberyard.ie myself for some walnut and poplar, but I never got a reply when I emailed them to find out what time was least disruptive for an amateur to show up; if they just don't want to see the likes of us...

Sparks

Sparks wrote: »

Wait, was it Timber Ireland who said they don't sell to amateurs or Timberyard.ie? I thought they were two different crowds?
I was planning on going out to timberyard.ie myself for some walnut and poplar, but I never got a reply when I emailed them to find out what time was least disruptive for an amateur to show up; if they just don't want to see the likes of us...

Hi Sparks,

It was Timber Ireland who told me they wouldn't deal with the likes of me :-)

I called Strahan's today and the guy on the phone was extremely helpful, he admitted that the Walnut was expensive, nearly 100E for a 10 foot length of 2x6. Asked me what my project was and suggested some ash or beech that would be less expensive if I was interested in that, but I was more than welcome to drop down and take a look.
The only problem is they don't open on Saturdays so I'll have to take a sickie to drop in.

Didn't get a chance to call Abbey Woods, but will do so on Monday and I'll post as to the response I get.

Wossack

sorry, to clarify, I was suggesting thetimberyard.ie, rather then dobbing them in..! found its one of the few websites with prices and stock levels on site

Sparks

Just got back from thetimberyard.ie, bought a few boards of walnut, ash and poplar and some t&g cedar for a drawer bottom. Nice chap running it, they have no problem at all with small-order hobbyists and they already get a fair few coming in, especially for school projects and the like. I just wandered in, said hi to the guy running things and told him roughly what I was looking for (1" thick walnut and 1" thick poplar), he showed me where their bundles of boards were and left me to myself while I picked out the ones I wanted (and grabbed some ash and some cedar t&g lengths as well), he measured them and totted up the cubic footage and worked out the total and that was that. Very painless and laid back. Well. If I'd picked out everything I wanted to take away, it would have been more painful on the wallet Walnut was going for around the €75 per cubic foot level, poplar was just over €20 and ash just over €30 (I just noted the approximate levels because I figure these vary over time). The boards were pretty good - not all dead straight but no massive cupping or twisting, just some small bowing over 14-16 feet or so which was grand (especially as I had to cut them down to 8 feet to get into the car anyway). Very few knots, no major cracks that I saw and a lot to select from. Way better quality than the softwood in the nice bright DIY stores and damn near cheaper at that.

A few answers to my dumb questions which might be useful for anyone who knew as little as I did walking in the door:
- The office is in the back of the warehouse from the front loading door. They can take visa so you don't need to rock up with cash.
- They don't have a chop saw or power tools on site, bring your own if you need to break down boards to fit in the car (my C4 can get an 8' board in without doing the overhang and red flag thing, and the boards I was buying were all around 11' to 14' so the giant ryoba came in handy again).
- They're open from 7am and don't close over lunch, but they're closed by four on the dot and one on the dot on fridays. But there's no special time that hobbyists ought to aim for inside of that, it's pretty random if it'll be busy or not, and they're happy to do small sales anyway.
- They don't have their own delivery service but they'll arrange delivery for you with an external crowd and just add the cost to the bill if you need it (I'm about 20km away from them and the cost would have been between 30 euro if it'd fit in a hiace, to 50 if it had to go on the van's roof, to 70 or more if it needed a bigger truck, so it's about the same amount brooks charged to deliver from 3km away).


Also, if I'd gone there before I started building my bench, I'd probably have grabbed a few lengths of 4" thick red deal there and just planked the benchtop instead of laminating 2x4s. Next time...


1" walnut boards

Wossack

very cool - thanks for posting your experience

Rang Abbey Woods today, was only a quick call as I'm in so deep stuck with work I'm using a snorkel .

Guy on the phone was ok to deal with and said it should be fine for me to drop in. Said I was looking for Walnut 1 inch thick with 7 inch width. He said he didn't have time to check actual stock levels but the price was 99 euro plus vat for a cubic foot.

Not as friendly as Strahans but I was that busy I didn't really make the effort myself.

TSQ

I am in Dublin city centre. I have some solid pine shelving that I want to cut down to re-use. Would take me ages to hand saw. Any ideas on where I could bring the planks to get them cut to size?

Esel

TSQ wrote: »

I am in Dublin city centre. I have some solid pine shelving that I want to cut down to re-use. Would take me ages to hand saw. Any ideas on where I could bring the planks to get them cut to size?

Larry's on Grace Park Road D9?

Ring them first to check.

tatyoman

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone could help me source some timber. I am looking for different types, oak, elm, walnut, maple, sycamore, cherry..
Does anyone know where in the south east region - Wexford, Carlow, into Wicklow. Waterford at a push, where I could go to buy some?

Also, I was looking for some curly/tiger maple or similar wood. Is there anywhere that specialises in that sort of timber?

Thanks in advance for any replies!!!

recipio

tatyoman wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone could help me source some timber. I am looking for different types, oak, elm, walnut, maple, sycamore, cherry..
Does anyone know where in the south east region - Wexford, Carlow, into Wicklow. Waterford at a push, where I could go to buy some?

Also, I was looking for some curly/tiger maple or similar wood. Is there anywhere that specialises in that sort of timber?

Thanks in advance for any replies!!!

The timber trade in the ROI is dominated by American imports. You will find Oak,Walnut ( black) , cherry and maple fairly easily but not the others. I would recommend JP Corry in Cahir - check with them first as its been a while since I was there.
Some timber mills might sell Irish oak but they tend to deal in Oak beams as far as I know. Sycamore is a rarity in Ireland - there is little demand and it is difficult to season without it acquiring 'stick marks' , in fact it is usually stored on its ends while seasoning.
If you only want smaller pieces for hobby use then the Carpentry Store in Naas is worth a look.

tatyoman

recipio wrote: »

The timber trade in the ROI is dominated by American imports. You will find Oak,Walnut ( black) , cherry and maple fairly easily but not the others. I would recommend JP Corry in Cahir - check with them first as its been a while since I was there.
Some timber mills might sell Irish oak but they tend to deal in Oak beams as far as I know. Sycamore is a rarity in Ireland - there is little demand and it is difficult to season without it acquiring 'stick marks' , in fact it is usually stored on its ends while seasoning.
If you only want smaller pieces for hobby use then the Carpentry Store in Naas is worth a look.

Thanks recipio. I really appreciate the reply. I looked at their websites and they look really good.. However, its the distance part is the problem. I was hoping to get as close to home (Wexford) as possible.. Maybe it would be better to travel for the material I need.. Cheers again

recipio

tatyoman wrote: »

Thanks recipio. I really appreciate the reply. I looked at their websites and they look really good.. However, its the distance part is the problem. I was hoping to get as close to home (Wexford) as possible.. Maybe it would be better to travel for the material I need.. Cheers again

Delivery is a big problem certainly especially when they want to charge you for it :eek: Just as a wild card, the American giant www.rockler.com will mail order you lengths up to 48" of all the woods you want excluding elm - I used them once and the quality was great if a little pricey. !

tatyoman

recipio wrote: »

Delivery is a big problem certainly especially when they want to charge you for it :eek: Just as a wild card, the American giant rockler will mail order you lengths up to 48" of all the woods you want excluding elm - I used them once and the quality was great if a little pricey. !

Awh great, I'll definitely take a look. You were happy with the quality of what you got? So what would be the damage on mail order for such?

recipio

tatyoman wrote: »

Awh great, I'll definitely take a look. You were happy with the quality of what you got? So what would be the damage on mail order for such?

Have a browse of their website - the wood is pre-planed which suits me as I mainly make boxes. I bought some Rosewood as I wasn't going to get it in this country.The trick is to avoid using couriers and stick to the Post Office - USPS. You will probably have to use a shipping agency like www.shipito.com but its not as bad as you might think.

tatyoman

recipio wrote: »

Have a browse of their website - the wood is pre-planed which suits me as I mainly make boxes. I bought some Rosewood as I wasn't going to get it in this country.The trick is to avoid using couriers and stick to the Post Office - USPS. You will probably have to use a shipping agency like *** but its not as bad as you might think.

Hey, just looking at their site their. A lot of their products say that they cannot ship here. I guess its because they are too long? If you contact them, will they cut the piece for you to the 48" length?

recipio

tatyoman wrote: »

Hey, just looking at their site their. A lot of their products say that they cannot ship here. I guess its because they are too long? If you contact them, will they cut the piece for you to the 48" length?

That's a new feature - just click on the 'ship to' tab with the Irish flag and you can nominate any country.I use the USA for the shipito address. They will do 24" as well as 48" I'm suggesting this only for the more exotic timbers like the ripple maple. No point shipping walnut or cherry like this. As you are finding out, the hardest thing about this hobby is getting the timber The quality is top notch.

tabby aspreme

tatyoman wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone could help me source some timber. I am looking for different types, oak, elm, walnut, maple, sycamore, cherry..
Does anyone know where in the south east region - Wexford, Carlow, into Wicklow. Waterford at a push, where I could go to buy some?

Also, I was looking for some curly/tiger maple or similar wood. Is there anywhere that specialises in that sort of timber?

Thanks in advance for any replies!!!

Byrne's in Graiguecullen sell all the imported hardwoods, you could try Graiguecullen sawmills for native timber such as oak, ash , elm, and sycamore, talk to local tree surgeons about Apple, yew, pear, laburnum etc, as they come across some with there work.

recipio

tabby aspreme wrote: »

Byrne's in Graiguecullen sell all the imported hardwoods, you could try Graiguecullen sawmills for native timber such as oak, ash , elm, and sycamore, talk to local tree surgeons about Apple, yew, pear, laburnum etc, as they come across some with there work.

Nice advice in theory but tree surgeons are well aware of the value of timber.
I had a tree surgeon cut down four elm trees in front of my house and I struggled to get one of them with the permission of the Council. The rest were cut immediately into firewood.:eek:

timfromtang

recipio wrote: »

Nice advice in theory but tree surgeons are well aware of the value of timber.
I had a tree surgeon cut down four elm trees in front of my house and I struggled to get one of them with the permission of the Council. The rest were cut immediately into firewood.:eek:

Is there any reason not to pay the value of the timber?
I'd suggest paying the tree surgeon well for nice exotic bits, so that he/she may be motivated in the future to look out suitable bits for you.
tim

tatyoman

tabby aspreme wrote: »

Byrne's in Graiguecullen sell all the imported hardwoods, you could try Graiguecullen sawmills for native timber such as oak, ash , elm, and sycamore, talk to local tree surgeons about Apple, yew, pear, laburnum etc, as they come across some with there work.

Thanks a million. They are actually close to where I work at the moment, but I wouldn't have known about them! cheers!

If I got timber from a tree surgeon or the likes, to dry down, other than air dry for X number of years, does anyone offer a kiln drying service? And if so, what would this cost? Or is there a home made version possible?

recipio

tatyoman wrote: »

Thanks a million. They are actually close to where I work at the moment, but I wouldn't have known about them! cheers!

If I got timber from a tree surgeon or the likes, to dry down, other than air dry for X number of years, does anyone offer a kiln drying service? And if so, what would this cost? Or is there a home made version possible?

A tree surgeon will give you a tree trunk - you realise it will have to be cut into planks and then dried - unless you are cutting it up for woodturning.? For furniture making its best to let the wood air dry at one inch per year and then finish it off indoors. You are then getting into the whole area of economics of self harvesting vs buying seasoned timber. Small fruitwood trees are useful certainly for turning and at a pinch can be converted on a good bandsaw but the yield is always low. If I had the dosh I'd buy a pickup truck instead of wood harvesting equipment.:D

timfromtang

tatyoman wrote: »

Thanks a million. They are actually close to where I work at the moment, but I wouldn't have known about them! cheers!

If I got timber from a tree surgeon or the likes, to dry down, other than air dry for X number of years, does anyone offer a kiln drying service? And if so, what would this cost? Or is there a home made version possible?

A simple wrap of plastic around your stack, and a room dehumidifier and a timer in our garage will make a working timber dring setup

As for planking I have used a logosol timberjig for years (I have now upgraded to a farmers sawmill but I do have a 100 acre forest to deal with)

Nowadays I use an openended polytunnel for drying my planks

tim

tatyoman

recipio wrote: »

A tree surgeon will give you a tree trunk - you realise it will have to be cut into planks and then dried - unless you are cutting it up for woodturning.? For furniture making its best to let the wood air dry at one inch per year and then finish it off indoors. You are then getting into the whole area of economics of self harvesting vs buying seasoned timber. Small fruitwood trees are useful certainly for turning and at a pinch can be converted on a good bandsaw but the yield is always low. If I had the dosh I'd buy a pickup truck instead of wood harvesting equipment.:D

Absolutely, I get that it has to be cut into planks! Cheers! I was just wondering if anyone had a kiln that would rent space? Would fruit trees be good timber for making furniture?
Just as a quick question, when you say dry for one inch per year, do you mean in thickness or width? If I planked an oak to 6 x 2" do I leave it drying for 6 or 2 years?

recipio

tatyoman wrote: »

Absolutely, I get that it has to be cut into planks! Cheers! I was just wondering if anyone had a kiln that would rent space? Would fruit trees be good timber for making furniture?
Just as a quick question, when you say dry for one inch per year, do you mean in thickness or width? If I planked an oak to 6 x 2" do I leave it drying for 6 or 2 years?

Its an inch in thickness per year, so your 6x2" would need two years to air dry.
I think most furniture makers would agree that air dried timber is of better quality than kiln dried.However I see a lot of youtubers using their own solar powered kilns over a space of about 3 months which seems a good compromise. You can use any timber to make furniture but your average fruitwood tree is only going to be about 8" diameter or so and when you cut away the sapwood you are left with narrow boards of 4-5". I converted a yew tree on my bandsaw and the wood is essentially only good for boxmaking.
Its an area I would like to get into - have a look at Matt Cremona over on youtube who is building his own bandsaw mill. Must learn how to post links :rolleyes:

jfh

hello again, I posted here almost 2 years ago, about an old beech tree that I cut up with a woodmizer, i'm now hoping to cut these up into planks for carpentry, any recommendations around the mid west?
thanks

recipio

jfh wrote: »

hello again, I posted here almost 2 years ago, about an old beech tree that I cut up with a woodmizer, i'm now hoping to cut these up into planks for carpentry, any recommendations around the mid west?
thanks

Hi, if you find a mobile sawmill please let me know. They are pretty thin on the ground in the ROI.

tabby aspreme

jfh wrote: »

hello again, I posted here almost 2 years ago, about an old beech tree that I cut up with a woodmizer, i'm now hoping to cut these up into planks for carpentry, any recommendations around the mid west?
thanks

What thickness are the planks now, could you get the woodmizer again