Timbers

We have a varied range of timbers that we work with to create our furniture and we are showing the most popular ones on this page with all the information you need to know about each timber. We have included our suggestions for the best uses of each timber but please contact us for more information if you have a specific requirement.

	Timber Availability Colour Density Finishing Grain Seasoning Strength Texture Working Uses	Ash Plentiful Creamy white to light brown, turning pink temporarily when first cut Variable, 510 - 830kg/m3 Fine Straight grained, sap and heart not clearly defined Dries fairly rapidly Outstandingly tough Fairly coarse, uniform Fairly easy, finishes smoothly Because of its flexibility and toughness, a favourite for sports goods - tennis and other rackets, hockey sticks, polo heads, gymnasium equipment such as parallel bars. Handles for tools such as axes, hammers and for the handles of fishing landing nets. Agricultural implements and vehicle frames on wagons, lorrys and busses. Bent parts on boats, chair making especially bent backs, cabinet making and wheelwrighting.
	Timber Availability Colour Density Finishing Grain Seasoning Strength Texture Working Uses	Beech Plentiful Whitish at first darkening to pale reddish brown Heavy, 720kg/m3 Excellent Straight, no clear distinction between heart and sap,rays appear as darker fleck Considerable shrinkage in drying One of the strongest home grown timbers, 20 - 40% stronger than oak when dry Fine and even but sometimes tough Can be troublesome Extensively used in the furniture manufacturing industry especially for chairs and upholstery frames, office furniture, tool handles, brushware, bobbins, toys, musical instrument parts. Considered next best to American Walnut for rifle butts, domestic flooring.
	Timber Availability Colour Density Finishing Grain Seasoning Strength Texture Working Uses	Oak Plentiful but expensive Light tan turning brown, almost black with age Varies Excellent Usually straight but variable and sometimes wild; silver rays apparent on quarter sawn stock, marked distinction between sap and heart Slowly and unreliable Strong Medium fine and hard Moderate but rewarding Cabinet work, boatbuilding, eccleslastical work, pews, pulpits, carving, flooring, timber framed buildings, heavy construction in dock and harbour, bark used for tanning leather
	Timber Availability Colour Density Finishing Grain Seasoning Strength Texture Working Uses	Sycamore Plentiful White, yellowish white Medium, 610kg/m3 Produces a smooth surface Often Straight, highly prized when wavy or rippled Dries well but tends to stain grey. Trees are felled in winter sawn and stacked vertically to dry quickly and avoid 'sticker' marks. Similar to oak, medium strength but poor stiffness Fine and even Moderate, can be tough esspecially with difficult grain Furniture since Chaucer's day, brush handles, flooring, domestic and dairy utensils, laundry and butcher appliances, food containers, musical instrument parts
	Timber Availability Colour Density Finishing Grain Seasoning Strength Texture Working Uses	Yew Scarce although Wildwood has good stocks Heartwood is red and purple when freshly cut drying to orange/brown and mellowing to toffee, sap is pale cream, often with many dark brown pin knots Heavy 670kg/m3 Takes an excellent polish Straight but often wild, many small knots and some big ones Dries well and resists splitting Medium Fine and even Difficult mainly due to grain irregularity Longbows, interior and exterior joinery, carving and turning