Timber Sources and Types of Timber In Brisbane
As some of you may have seen over in the Router forum, I'm new(ish) to all this doing-stuff-with-wood-stuff, despite my father having been a very fine carpenter and cabinet maker. Over the next few months as I acquire some toys, I want to move away from playing with radiata pine and doing some semi-decent work.
I'm particularly interested to be making chests, boxes, cabinets, bookshelves, display cases and so forth, as well as props for my medieval passion.
Fairly obviously at this stage it would be very silly for me to be experimenting with expensive high quality timber. But I have two related problems.
First, I'm not sure what sorts of timbers I should be asking for. The local hardware places sell two kinds of timber: "Hardwood" and radiata pine. (True story: last year I bought some anonymous australian hardwood to knock up a reproduction camp bed. Because I liked the figure and colour in the wood, and wanted to be able to get more in the future, I asked the pasty-faced-youth "what sort of timber is this?". With a completely blank look he replied "Hard wood"). So, if I walk into somewhere that sells timber, what should I ask for?
Second, related question. The local hardware / home builder supply places don't seem to be the right place to go to buy small quantities of decent timber. Can anyone suggest could stores to visit in Brisbane, particularly north of the river?