Wood slab required for desk frame

[KiwiInLondon]

Hello, I am DIY enthusiast looking for an inexpensive slab with live/waney edges to cut/trim, sand and finish myself for a desk frame I already have. The slab needs to have no/few cracks or major flaws or infestation, be a minimum of 1300mm x 700mm x 35-40mm, be ready for sanding (have a low moisture content, kiln-dried preferable) and delivered to Romford (RM7 9DA). I am interested in species of wood such as ash, oak, elm, walnut, chestnut, beech.... I am happy to do the sanding and finishing myself. Is this something someone can help with? Please get in touch. Hopefully I've placed this in the right place! Thanks - Tim.

[trigger_andy]

11 hours ago, KiwiInLondon said:

Hello, I am DIY enthusiast looking for an inexpensive slab with live/waney edges to cut/trim, sand and finish myself for a desk frame I already have. The slab needs to have no/few cracks or major flaws or infestation, be a minimum of 1300mm x 700mm x 35-40mm, be ready for sanding (have a low moisture content, kiln-dried preferable) and delivered to Romford (RM7 9DA). I am interested in species of wood such as ash, oak, elm, walnut, chestnut, beech.... I am happy to do the sanding and finishing myself. Is this something someone can help with? Please get in touch. Hopefully I've placed this in the right place! Thanks - Tim.

Morning and welcome to the forum. If you're planning on making more projects with wood then there is a sub-forum on here where you can ask questions and post up your projects. Always nice to see what people are doing. 

 

You're asking for an inexpensive slab yet are listing all the qualities that would make the slab expensive.  

 

You're asking for a defect free Slab, so thats a price increase.

You're asking for an Air Dried or Kiln Dried Slab, so thats a price increase.

You're asking for the Slab to be ready for a quick sand then finish, that could be a lot of work due to how a slab reacts to drying, ie cupping, cracking etc so again a price increase. 

 

Keep in mind that there is a significant price difference between the wood species you've listed. You're definitely on the right forum though and Im sure someone can help you out.

[topchippyles]

£200-300 your looking at for a nice piece and a lot more for walnut 

Edited April 26, 2020 by topchippyles

[Rough Hewn]

Hi Kiwi,
Basically you are describing a very expensive piece of wood.
No sawmill cuts pieces that small.
You will have to buy a larger board (10') and cut it short.

Dry 10%mc,
graded,
700mm wide,
It'll be 50mm thick then must be planed to 40mm ready for sanding.
Oak,Elm,walnut etc.
I'd be charging you £500-£1500.
Delivery would be about £200-£250 on top.

The reason why,
Is because all you need to do, is sand it,oil it and pop 4 legs on...
And Voila!
Finished table.
[emoji848]

[trigger_andy]

Just now, Rough Hewn said:

Hi Kiwi,
Basically you are describing a very expensive piece of wood.
No sawmill cuts pieces that small.
You will have to buy a larger board (10') and cut it short.

Dry 10%mc,
graded,
700mm wide,
It'll be 50mm thick then must be planed to 40mm ready for sanding.
Oak,Elm,walnut etc.
I'd be charging you £500-£1500.
Delivery would be about £200-£250 on top.

The reason why,
Is because all you need to do, is sand it,oil it and pop 4 legs on...
And Voila!
Finished table.









 

Exactly! Or sell him a green Slab for £200 and he can do all of the above himself in 3 years time. Thats if the Slab has not warped beyond use. 

 

I can sell him an Air Dried Slab of Beech or Oak for £500 plus shipping.

[Rough Hewn]

Exactly! Or sell him a green Slab for £200 and he can do all of the above himself in 3 years time. Thats if the Slab has not warped beyond use. 
 
I can sell him an Air Dried Slab of Beech or Oak for £500 plus shipping.

This is probably your best option.
[emoji106]

[KiwiInLondon]

4 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

If you're planning on making more projects with wood then there is a sub-forum on here where you can ask questions and post up your projects. 

Thanks

 

4 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

You're asking for an inexpensive slab yet are listing all the qualities that would make the slab expensive.  

I had a feeling that might be the case - champagne taste... budget not so!

 

4 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

You're asking for a defect free Slab, so thats a price increase.

You're asking for an Air Dried or Kiln Dried Slab, so thats a price increase.

You're asking for the Slab to be ready for a quick sand then finish, that could be a lot of work due to how a slab reacts to drying, ie cupping, cracking etc so again a price increase. 

One thing for sure it's been quite a learning process.

 

4 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

You're definitely on the right forum though and Im sure someone can help you out.

Thanks

 

[trigger_andy]

Just now, KiwiInLondon said:

I had a feeling that might be the case - champagne taste... budget not so!

Yeh, afraid so. For almost everyone here this is their livelyhood. So its like asking for an Electrician to come and do a top rate job in your house but telling them you're only willing to pay them an apprentice rate. I'm sure you'd appreciate how that would end up.

 

Buying Green is an option, or as you like to mess around with projects you could invest £1-2000 and buy your own milling equipment and have an endless supply of wood.

 

That you could sell on inexpensively.  

[KiwiInLondon]

 

54 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

That you could sell on inexpensively.  

I liked it how you turned it around there!

Where is that sub forum section you mentioned? I might rethink and rephrase what i'm looking to do and start there..

[trigger_andy]

1 minute ago, KiwiInLondon said:

 

I liked it how you turned it around there!

Where is that sub forum section you mentioned? I might rethink and rephrase what i'm looking to do and start there..

 

There is not really a properly dedicated forum to woodworking here, but I think its in the pipeline.

 

https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/forum/75-woodcraft-forum/

 

Thats the forum Ive posted some of the things Ive made with the Slabs I've milled. Not sure posting there will get you any beter results than posting here to be honest?

 

Have you tried facebay? I see a lot of people round my way advertising slabs, seems like Milling is a popular hobby these days. You might find something that suits for the budget you have? Beech is not as boring a wood as people seem to think and is at the cheaper end of the market. A Nice Spalted Slab of Beech can look amazing. I made this Rocking Horse out of a Beech Tree I milled a few years ago.