Timber very expensive

Hi,
My name is Diana, I have had the triton table saw, table, router, router table, jigsaw, biscuit maker, and finger jointer for three years. Very happy that I know have the time to start to use all my toys. Joined the Melbourne Woodwork Association in Box Hill but they only like to use hand tools. I am hoping that with all the triton users here I will be able to source some wonderful advice on my projects. Still so shocked at the price of timber for my first project. I am going to make an arondack chair out of spotted gum. The timber price is $450.00. so will only be making one. Is all timber so very expensive?
Regards to all
Diana

Hi diana welcome to the forum :2tsup: Triton users abound here and many Mexican's also maybe they'll be good enough to guide you to a better supplier with cheaper prices.

spotted gum is not a victorian timber so freight plays a large part in the cost.

Diana

Welcome.

Timber is expensive if you just follow the herd.

With a bit of creativity and work, it can become very inexpensive.

What a lot of us do is just keep an eye out. In our area there is a lot of building going on. Old '50s houses being replaced. The demolishers are usually happy to save what you ask. A slab of beer will often get you heaps of Jarrah.

Also check the council clean up days. The timber from old fashioned, unwanted furniture is often absolutely beautiful

Lastly, check Studley's reject timber sales. This is absolutely wonderful mixed Oz hardwood. Yes it is often a bit challenging to work, the grain can be chaotic, and yes you do waste a small percentage. But my last load cost me less than my firewood and I had a tonne or more of Blue Gum, Spotted Gum, Blackbutt and others.

Yes you need to work harder, but thats a life choice, Bit of effort and nouse versus just pay retail.

What I'm saying is that timber doesn't have to be expensive. Even if you buy retail, check the forum for all the suppliers and make them work for your business.

Good luck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diana

Hi,
I am going to make an arondack chair out of spotted gum. The timber price is $450.00. so will only be making one. Is all timber so very expensive?
Regards to all
Diana

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Welcome Diana. There is something very wrong with that price of $450. Don't know about the price for spotted gum but that seems excessive.

For your info I'm making a few of those chairs myself and for the sides I'm using some recycled fence timber, the seat part old flooring timber and for the armrests and back pine. As these chairs are normally painted the various types of timber doesn't matter. I only had to buy the pine which cost me about $15.

See here for details of my chair.


Peter.


BTW for the best price of timber (ord. hardwood and softwood, not specialised stuff) go to Chippys in Ringwood on Maroondah Highway next to Eastlink, I do. :2tsup:

Wow,
So happy to have joined this forum, and well done on the beautiful chair that you have made. Looks a lot like the one I am going to make for my husband. I got my plans from New Yankee workshop in the US. My husband loves the chairs and so thought it would be a great project. Will be more careful in the future before I order my timber, and will indeed take on board your advice on where to source timber from in the future.
I have been given some spotted gum from the yard where placed my order, so will spend the evening putting together my finger jointer and will make my beloved a box> I atended a one day class at Melb woodworking school in box hill on using my triton router so really looking forward to posting for all to see my box. The timber for my chair wont be availabe for two weeks so my box will keep me busy.
Was looking at the new Triton thickness planer mould maker on the triton website. Does anyone have one? what do you think of it?

Again, thank you all so very very much for your warm welcome, and invaluable advise
Diana
I

Hello and welcome :U

When I was in Melbourne (not so many months ago), I had two favourite places for timber, both in Port Melbourne.

Delta - 577 Plummer Street Port Melbourne :2tsup:

They are timber recyclers, you can get them to dress it, or buy it in the rough and do all the hard work yourself. Remember that recycled often / usually comes with hidden metal in the form of nails, staples, etc. Stock will vary of course, but worth a look.

Australian Furniture Timbers - 3512 Plummer Street Port Melbourne. :2tsup:

They sell new Australian and imported hardwoods. Happy to spend some time with you, discussing the various timbers you might consider in addition to spotted gum.

Very good website - http://www.afttimbers.com/home.htm

Good luck with your project.

Welcome, Diana,

Where did you get the Spotted Gum and how much did $450.00 buy you?

Regards,

Rob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diana

Still so shocked at the price of timber for my first project. I am going to make an arondack chair out of spotted gum. The timber price is $450.00. so will only be making one. Is all timber so very expensive?

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Welcome Diana. I know this probably won't help you that much but the price of timber is why some of us get sucked into home milling. It's not only criminal what timber is thrown into skips but also what suburban and other logs are just cut up for firewood.

G'day and a big welcome Diana. :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

You join the ranks of such August company as Wendy, Mrs. Woodpecker, Tea Lady, Toni, Claire and others whose names I regrettably forget.

You will eventually learn to scrounge and swap and source timber from all sorts of places. Industrial bins are good. Try demolition yards and maybe even your local tip.

I have ordeed my timber from Mathews timber in Vermont. the price includes dressing and cutting my timber in to managable lenghts which was an extra $70.00 the timber is enough to make one chair. I do not have a thicknesser or planer so thought it would be better to get them to do this for me. Me thinks that a purchase of a thicknesser and planer is now on the cards.

Thank you for this information, will go and see them next week. The website is great also with all the timber information, very useful.

Hi diana, Sounds like you bought your timber from a decsendant of an officer of the Light Brigade. He certainly knows how to charge. :) $70 just to cut it up, wow.
Anyway welcome diana and good luck with your project..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diana

I got my plans from New Yankee workshop in the US. My husband loves the chairs and so thought it would be a great project.Diana

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When you start building the chair please post progress reports and pictures.

Also I would like to hear your opinon on the New Yankee workshop plans that you got, if they are comprehensive and easy to follow.

Also if the dimensions of the various components are bigger than the standard timber sizes here so that you had to buy more timber than I did, hence more expensive.


Peter.

What he said!!!

Oooh and what they said about scrounging the timber thats good advice too!! A lot of cabinet makers chuck out full boards carpenters on building sites chuck out excess lengths of timber from roof framing etc roadside council collections tend to turn up some fanbloodytastic timber... all a bit of work but heck of a lot cheeper than buying!!

I remember the FIRST table I made years and years ago up in Carnarvon... the ONLY tools I had were a handsaw (reasonably blunt as is my wont :doh: ) a hammer and a rule... I borrowed a power hand plane of my cousin and promptly ran over the lead with the blade and had to buy HIM a new one even though the one Id run over hadnt been used... but that was my stock and trade as far as tools went... there are some flats up there known as "Texada flats" cant remember why but anyway one of them caught fire one day and the bloke that owned it simply ripped all the timber out and tossed it on the curb stuck a "Firewood FREE" sign on it and left it there... a three bedroom unit of timber!!... so it sorta made its way over the road to my then single car garage... and some eventually became a table made with said tools... and a bloody shyteload of sweat due to not having a sodding sander!! damn that Jarrah was friggin hard!! :C

Mind you for the same reason (not having the tools I actually needed at the time :roll: ) I also hand sanded the legs on a coffee table I made again old growth jarrah... Id decided I wanted some curves in the legs so of course buggins didnt think first did he? No he didnt... and so after measuring and marking for the curves in the 6x4x 12in legs and of course cutting the curves sorta to shape... I worked out that I would now have to sand the four friggin legs by hand meaning I had to wrap the sandpaper as I went down the grades around a finger and sand each friggin one!! 3 to a leg... half an inch deep ALL round... ooooh I sure thank my lucky stars now for the spindle sander I bought since cause me finga was WAY SORE after doing those legs I can tell you! :C

Anyway reuse whatever timber you can find... mmm Kerry or Kemeko uses recycled timber in her stuff she makes and Diana? she does make some beautiful gear... as do many others here... think outside the box! :2tsup: Annoy people in the trade!! ASK SEEK and ye shall find... savada money for the toys my dear!! :2tsup:

Shane

Definitely ring around for timber, most timber places won't put their prices on the Internet, but some will - I tend to partronise them to reward their honesty. A few phone calls are a lot easier than driving all over the place, and can give you a surprising difference in price. In Sydney the yards I've been to charge about $1 per cut.

Another route is to ask the people at the club you go to where they buy from - you should find out who the gougers are too.

Diana,

Welcome to the forum. It's a great place to get good advice and sometimes watch an argument generate between opposing viewpoints.
On the timber prices I use Mathews and while is a trifle expensive, the quality is good. Studley's reject packs are excellent value and I suggest you take advantage of them if you can.
I would suggest that a thicknesser/planer would be a very useful addition to the workshop. As for scrap -second hand timber it's OK providing you are extremely thorough in hunting for stray metal it plays havoc with finely sharpened edges.

Jerry

Considering the cahir you are making, did you consider using decking boards. 70x19, 90x19, and 140x19 are all readily available.
at $3.50/m for 90 mm you could have had 128 metres
at $6/m for 140, you could of had 75 metres.