Fraxinus excelsior. Air and kiln dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (length x square).

Widespread throughout the UK, Ash is our strongest timber in terms of tensile strength.

Many butts have a core stained by 'black heart' otherwise known as 'olive'.
Many of our blanks do contain a proportion of olive stain which has a firmer turning texture than white Ash. Large butts not uncommon - large platter blanks are often available.

The texture of the timber is slightly...

Fagus sylvaticus. Air and kiln dried
All dimensions shown are in inches (length x square).

The most widely used timber in the UK furniture industry, the timber is strong, straight grained and stable. Used for work as diverse as tool handles and treen, being particularly suitable for the latter as it is clean and virtually odourless.

The colour of the timber varies greatly according to soil type - our local beech tends to have a core varying from dark brown to orange - but is generally whitish...

Cedrus spp. Air and kiln dried

April 2023 update.

The current 2", 3" and 4" spindles are from recently kilned Lebanese cedar. Hardly discernable from Atlas except for the stronger aroma.

The 1 1/2" spindles are Atlas cedar
Blanks may include live knots and some wild grain which will need careful cutting.
The timber has a distinctive aroma (but not as pungent as Lebanese) which turns soft 
and sands almost too easily although the oil in the timber does clog the abrasive quickly.
Hard...

Prunus avium. Air and kiln dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (diameter x thickness).

Wild cherry or Gaskin as it is known locally, rarely grows larger in the UK than two feet in diameter as a useful tree. 

Our current 3" cherry is American, 2"and less, English.

Fresh sawn, the timber is pale brown with prominent streaks varying from darker brown to reds and even green, mellowing to a rich honey brown over time, with an almost translucent depth to the grain. 
It is kind to turn...

Ulmus spp. principally U. Procera Air and kiln dried
All dimensions shown are in inches (diameter x thickness).

Good elm trees are rare in the south now so we have bought in more kiln dried, prime Scottish planks yet again.

Pricey, but worth it we think.
A favourite with turners for its strong grain and colour - brown heartwood running out to 
pale sap in English elm and brown throughout with green streaks in Dutch elm - the timber 
is coarse grained and slightly tough to work. The elm...

Macrocarpa Spindle Blanks

Monkey Puzzle Araucaria araucana Kiln and Air dried.

All dimensions in inches.

This single, large tree was the main feature of a local manor house garden until a major storm, then it became a major feature of our yard! Somewhere in Instagram is a short video of the root plate being cut.

Native to Argentina and Chile, this tree is listed as CITES Appendix 1 and on the IUNCR Red list so only available when ornamental trees such as this one come down.

Woodturners like to get hold of small...

Quercus robur. Air and kiln dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (length x square).
 
Our local Oak is generally small and of low quality, so we buy most in from West Kent and Sussex and saw through and through for furniture makers.

There is a steady demand for turning blanks for restoration or to match existing furniture so we have started to cut more blanks. Some blanks contain pippy clusters so please specify if you only want plain blanks.

Planks sawn on the quarter will show medullary...

Sorbus spp. (S. aucuparia, S. domestica, S. torminalis)
These blanks may have shakes, knots and ingrown sections which are part of the wild character. Finishes really well.

The trees can reach more than a foot in diameter and are very hard and dense. Also known as Rowan tree or Mountain Ash. When turning it cuts beautifully, like green

apple. The texture is very fine, it is a great wood to turn. Although most blanks are clean one must also be aware that inclusions and dark steaks are sometimes...

Fagus sylvatica. Air dried/part seasoned.

All dimensions in inches.

The one timber we could make a living from alone if we could perfect the spalting process.

Spalting is a term we use in the timber industry to describe timber showing bacterial lines or zones but it is yet to make the dictionaries with this definition.

We buy in prime logs and leave them in the weeds for a couple of years and hope to arrest the decaying process at the point where the lines are strong and the timber is...

Castanea sativa. Air dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (length x square).

A pale brown coloured timber, similar to Oak but without the medullary rays on quartersawn planks.

Strong grain and streaks of darker brown and green give this timber an attractive look. Good burrs are sometimes to be had from old trees although these are prone to ring shake, but not in our blanks!

Turns and sands easily to a good finish, takes all finishes well but like Oak, can be finished with a well buffed...

Acer Pseudoplatanus. Air and kiln dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (diameter x thickness).

Due to the logs laying in a woodyard longer than we were told, some of our current sycamore is not as white as we would like and has some grey stain and markings. Some turners prefer it to clean sycamore!

The current 4" blanks on offer are from some planks we messed up in the kiln. Messed up we say, but they are actually quite spectacular 

These blanks are discounted by 15% off clean Sycamore...

Acer Pseudoplatanus. Air and kiln dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (Length x square).

A pale cream coloured timber, generally with indistinct grain but prize trees show excellent ripple and figure. Old trees often have brown or green streaks in the centre.
Sycamore is winter felled, promptly milled, then planks are end racked immediately after milling to preserve the whiteness of the timber **which will mellow to a honey brown over time. Planks milled from old, large trees are not...

Liriodendron tulipifera. Kiln dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (diameter x thickness)

Not to be confused with Brazilian Tulip, this timber is related to the Magnolia and is also known as Whitewood, Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar.

Carl Linnaeus had the right idea!

Pale beige in colour with light green heartwood, this timber is fine grained and soft, with cutting properties a tad easier than Sycamore. Commonly used by carvers and rocking horse makers.

Read our safety notice on...

Taxus baccata. Air and kiln dried.
All dimensions shown are in inches (length x square).

One of our most beautiful and popular timbers. 
Technically a softwood, yew has been difficult to find in the quality and quantities we need but we bought in a huge consignment from the West Country a couple of years ago, it was milled shortly after arrival and has been slowly air drying since and is ready for turing and listed below.


Pale to creamy white sapwood, heartwood varying from reddish brown...