Thread: Where is best to shop for timber to get a good balance of quality and price?

A very difficult question to address lemery. So much depends! If you are talking about wood for construction purposes, then it's largely a question of who has acceptable quality at a price acceptable to you. The big chains obviously get the best per-unit deals from the suppliers, but don't always get the very best quality and on a home-improvement type project, your wastage may well end up costing you more than if you'd paid a bit more from a supplier who has top-notch stock. Not my area, so I really can't comment on what is the best approach here.

When it comes to smaller scale furniture type projects, places like Bunnies can usually be struck off the list instantly, simply because they carry such a limited number of what I think of as "cabinet grade" woods. If you want something that is both attractive & sensible to work with for fine furniture, then you are far better off buying what you need from a specialty supplier. This sort of wood is never cheap if you want quality stuff ready to get stuck into, but in my experience, buying just what you need from a reliable supplier (well, I usually add a little bit extra for stuff-ups & other unforeseen disasters ), usually works out to be the most economical approach in the long-run. If you luck into really good recycled stuff at a good price it can be the both economical & satisfying, but you need a deal of luck & be in the right place at the right time.

For tiny quantities like model & tool-making the specialty suppliers are probably the only option, you simply won't get unusual or exotic species from anyone else. Again, the unit price goes up (to an eye-watering degree in some cases), but if the finished project demands it, that's what it has to be. It cost me something like $70 for the ringed gidgee I used in these shoulder planes, which would work out to a staggering amount on a per-cube basis:
S-planes 2.jpg

However, that's not the point, in my case, I wanted something that would be unique, attractive & durable. The cost was actually not unreasonable (I've done a fair bit of wood harvesting in my time, & there is a lot time & expense between a standing tree & a usable chunk of this sort of wood), and I never think about it when I pick one up to use, but I do often think how good the wood looks & how good it feels in my hand....

So it's all about horses & courses, really....
Cheers,

If I lived in Sydney I would be visiting Trend Timbers.

Thanks. I’ll check out some of the dedicated timber shops near me (will also check out Trend Timbers). I guess I’ll get a feeling for what works for me and what doesn’t.

Greg Ward from Botique Timbers delivers to Sydney and his prices are very good.

Boutique Timbers

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Cheers
Tom

I created this map where people can add timber suppliers (and other related items) on a "Woodworker's Map". There should be a few good places there (feel free to add your own!!):
A "woodworker's map" (woodworkforums.com)

Personally, I love Anagote:
Anagote Timbers, Marrickville | Timber Sydney