The challenge of buying timber at "arms length" - both for you and for us - is that the supply must be of "100A1" quality, yet still needs to be available at affordable prices  We are fortunate to have struck a partnership with a supplier who is commited to, and able to meet, the standards which we demand and we are pleased to be offering this UK-sourced domestic hardwood to the woodworking public, along with a selection of bowl blanks in tropical hardwoods   from managed and certified forests.

Most of our domestic UK timber comes from old, slow-grown forests in Scotland where the cooler weather and shorter summers, coupled with harder winters favours the development of a tight grain structure.  This timber is kiln-dried to a moisture content which is likely to be in the range 10% - 15% when you receive it, dependent upon species, timber section and the time of year.  This means that the timber should turn sweetly but it is NOT at "centrally-heated house" levels of dryness (typically more like 4% to 8%) and thus will need a little time to stabilise slowly after turning before you place it on the dining table or window-cill for the world to admire.

The list, below, is based on stock in hand and this will certainly vary from time to time but we will apply our best endeavours to fulfill orders as specified.  In the event that a particular species/size becomes unavailable we will contact you to try to agree on suitable alternatives.  We will also attempt to meet your special needs for turning timber (domestic UK hardwoods only at this stage) if you let us know what you need by email .

The following timbers are currently available from The ToolPost:-

If you are ready to try something new, then our selection bags of mixed Exotic Timbers,
either  containing bowl blanks, turning squares, a BARGAIN mix of both ,
or Pen Blanks are designed to give you the opportunity to experience turning these beautiful and unusual timbers at an economical price.  But if are really ready for the Exotic Experience , then simply click on one of the species listed below to access our stocks:-

And of course, we must not forget our Boxwood logs

To order, simply enter the required quantities in the boxes for as many - or few - species and sizes as you require.  Then scroll to the bottom of the page where you may place your order simply by clicking on the "Order Timber" button at the bottom of the table.
We have tried to make this service a little more user-friendly by indicating if an order for a particular size of timber exceeds current stock availability.  However, please note that this is a guide to availability, not an exhaustive test.  It is possible to fool the system quite easily - the end result of which is that you could order timber which we cannot supply!

Boxwood is a superb timber used primarily for smaller projects such as boxes, games pieces and jewellery where its close grain structure and ability to hold fine detail are very useful features.  Bowood takes threads excellently and can transform any attempts at hand thread chasing from a frustrating struggle to a personal victory - a sort of "give us the tools and we'll finish the job"!  (See Allan Batty's video on Thread Chasing )

Our boxwood is UK- and European-sourced as it becomes increasingly scarce and is sold by weight (1 Kg = approx. 2.2 pounds).  Boxwood grows only to a relatively small size so sections are not large.  A typical diameter for a billet of boxwood is 50 mm (2") and 100 mm (4") would be a pretty impressively large piece (and may have a less compact grain structure).  The section lengths are approximately 150 mm (6") to 250 mm (10").  The timber is sold with its bark in situ and without pre-conditioning for moisture content reduction: the billet ends are wax dipped to stabilise moisture content..

As a guide, a piece of boxwood taken at random from our stock, measuring 190 mm long and of roughly oval cross-section 65 mm x 50 mm weighs 0.565 Kg.  Our system accepts orders for a minimum of 1kg and in multiples of 0.5 Kg thereafter.  Simply enter the required weight of boxwood in the box, below, then press the "Order" button.

Please note that whilst we will supply the requested amount as closely as possible from stock we cannot guarantee exact weights (we do not cut to weight).

©1997-2003 P. Hemsley.  The information on this website is the copyright property of Peter Hemsley.  Coeur du Bois and The ToolPost are trading styles of Peter Hemsley.  Whilst reasonable efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, no liability can be accepted for errors in this information nor for contingencies arising therefrom.  If you are inexperienced in any aspect of woodworking, we would strongly counsel that you take a course of formal instruction before commencing to practice