I know that this is not exactly earth shattering stuff but I still thought it worth a mention. I simply found this drawer and a sideboard abandoned by the side of the road. The sideboard is some sort of mahogany, I may return for it later. This drawer is solid oak for the most part. The drawer bottom is solid oak. ( I just realised there are no medullary rays, I took a look at the end grain with a magnifier, it’s ash not oak, the colour threw me. I don’t think it’s elm, I will check out the timber identification website)Twenty one by twenty six by three eighths inch. The sides are twelve by twenty by half inch and the back is twenty six inch, all clear usable timber and mostly single pieces of wood. I am planning a shaker bedside table, I no longer need to source timber for the drawer. There really is a lot of decent timber in old furniture, which is probably destined for landfill but can provide lovely raw materials for crafts people. Another distinct advantage of sourcing timber like this is the saving in labour. I only need to remove the surface and get the boards flat which is much easier than complete dimensioning and thickness planing. This single drawer was a real find as it has such large components. Also interesting for me are the nails used for the bottom, they are cut brads, only available from one source in Canada nowadays. Really rare nails, very hard to find even on used tool sites etc. Cut nails hold better than wire and they look nicer and perhaps a little more authentic. And I almost forgot, does anybody know of a source of reclaimed timber, other than the place in Peckham? .
Nice bit of reclaimed wood
Nice find! Which place in Peckham did you have in mind? I think Whitton Timber has closed down now – is there somewhere else? I am also looking for wood buying recommendations, reclaimed or new. Have found a few online places selling hardwoods new but they are not always FSC.
In particular I want to build a box for a project about 300mm x 300mm x 80-ish mm.
Give them a ring or just go down. Sometimes the guy will know about stock. Or the place in Croydon is okay sl hardwood or is it sj, I can’t remember, google it.
It’s sl hardwoods, if you buy rough sawn the savings are considerable. Don’t believe the website, phone and check they have the species you want in the size you want .
Hey Mike,
When I joined the space I imagined I would be able to get timber with other members of the space. I have asked a couple of times if anyone is going to get timber from a decent place like English woodlands timber to let me know and perhaps we could go up there ( I don’t drive ) and I would pay half the petrol. Not just English woodlands timber, any proper timber supplier where the prices are in line with the established cubic foot price. I also know a place in Tottenham Hale which is the best supplier of timber in central London as far as I am aware. They sell Maple, American Walnut, Oak, Tulip wood, Southern yellow pine. They get other American hardwoods too, best to ask. The thing which makes them unusual is the price. I for example got a quote from Whittens for some southern yellow pine. Whittens which I had already realised were charging disgustingly inflated prices were five times the price. So I won’t be mourning the passing of Whittens. So if you ever plan to get some timber for a special project and fancy a trip to a proper timber supplier like, Surrey timber, English woodlands timber or any other that you may know of please let me know. Maybe we could split the petrol money, if we could interest other members it could be worthwhile hiring a van for the day. I always fancied a trip to English woodlands timber. Lockdown means things have changed a bit, it’s not just possible to turn up at these places. With the end of COVID things will change back to how they were. So keep what I have said in mind.
Cheers
That reclamation yard looks great. I think I have a good chance of finding what I need for my project there. It’s close to me too.
Good idea about a trip to a timber supplier. I don’t have anything ambitious in the pipeline that I need timber for but I would be interested to go along just to have a look and learn a bit more about what is on offer. Could be one for the post-C19 times.
That looks to be a great find. I worry that I would pick up something that looked promising but turned out to be veneered and so not of much use 
I also would be up for a visit to a purveyor of quality timber once we’re allowed.
There’s also this place I’ve been meaning to visit for ages which looks great: https://www.hardwoodoffcuts.co.uk/
Looks really good. Definitely worth a trip.
I think we should definitely do that. Speak to Howard when you next see him. He is very up for that idea! I guess once we are a bit further in the arch construction and we have more space for storage it would be more visible!