Source for white oak

[fuzzyturns]

I have an enquiry to make some martial arts clubs. Specified material is either white oak or hickory. I have an idea where to get the hickory from, but find it difficult to find a good source for the white oak. There are plenty out there, but with wildly varying prices, and mostly planed, which I don't need (as it will be turned, sawed is good enough for me).

Does anybody on here have a good source for white oak? I will need 15 pieces of at least 64mm square, 750mm long.

[Dave Brookes]

Fuzzy,
I bet seventhdevil will know where there is some.

Dave

[Les Symonds]

Where are you based, fuzzy.....I use North Shropshire timber and (coincidentally) bought several metres of 2 1/2" square off them yesterday. It cost me about £40 per cube, KD American White.

Les

[fuzzyturns]

I am in the West Midlands.
Les, I presume this means £40 per cubic foot? What does this work out as in £/m for the 2.5" square?

[Les Symonds]

A cubic metre is very nearly 36 cubic feet.

I bought a couple of 5" x 2 1/2" boards and ripped them into 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares.

The supplier is North Shropshire Timber, at the village of Rednal on the A5, a few miles east of Oswestry.
Tel: 01691 610570
Unit 19-26, Rednal Industrial Estate, Rednal, West Felton, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 4HS

As well as Kiln Dried timber, they have countless thousands of cf of home grown timber, air dried and stacked in drying sheds. I love going there and I spend hours rummaging through his stock and coming away with car loads. I can usually pick up good sized pieces of air-dried stock for about £30 per cf. The place is a dreadful mess....mud everywhere, but happy workers and loads to choose from!

Les

[Bryan Milham]

Last time I bought White Oak was at South London Hardwoods. But It should be readily available from any (proper) timber merchant.

Who is your local supplier, call and ask them.

[fuzzyturns]

My local supplier is a pharmacy, at least as far as the prices are concerned. Went there once, never to return.

[seventhdevil]

for only 15 you are bet off buying some stair spindles or try to find a couple of planks on ebay and cut them to the sizes you need yourself, anything else will be quite costly.

i use chanel timber for things like this as you can get it quite cheap but you need to buy a pack of timber rather than just a few cubic feet.


if you want i could get the timber from whitmores if you pay and cut it to your sizes if you like.

[fuzzyturns]

Just ran a quick calc. 2 1/2" squared and 3 ft long gives about 0.13 of a cube foot. That would equate to about £5.20 for each piece. Does that sound about right, Les?

[Les Symonds]

yep...the maths works for me.

Les

[Steve Jones]

Hi Fuzzy,
Have you tried Palmer Timber, Cradley Heath.
not sure where in West Mids you are but Davies Timber in Wythall will be able to supply you saw timber.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Fuzzy I make these clubs regularly for a customer who runs exercise classes. Don't sell 'em cheap. Some of mine are £150 the pair with lead weights.The timber is just a small part of the cost, I suggest you "suck it up " and make a good quality product for a sensible price  otherwise your profits will be eaten up by all the running around you are doing. Incidentally I make mine from Ash or Maple, But have a look on the internet as some are laminated up with purple heart and they look really good.

American white Oak was the timber the pilgrim fathers used to make their barrels on landing in America. On opening the barrels the contents had decreased somewhat due to the "hollow" nature of the cell structure of the wood. I used to take a piece with me to WI demos with some washing up liquid in a glass and blow down it like a straw to create bubbles.

[fuzzyturns]

This guy doesn't want anything fancy. Basic shape, with a bit of a dome at the top, no laminations, no colour, nothing. Initially he just wanted them sanded, until I told him that they would get grubby very quickly. I am going to quote him several options on material. White oak is his choice, and I'll offer ash and hickory as alternatives. I was thinking about £25-30 per club with just sanding sealer, and then a few options for black stain, wax and varnish finishes. I can't see this taking longer than 20 minutes per club, it's a very basic spindle turning job.