The importance of the right materials for woodturners

For years now, enthusiastic, seasoned and professional woodturners have sought out the expertise and quality tools and equipment of The ToolPost (http://www.toolpost.co.uk), in the knowledge that we take seriously their concerns and provide a high quality and good value service. One part of our appeal is our realisation that great woodturning depends on so much more than the right woodturning tools, with the range of materials that we offer also being extensive.

Of course, anyone involved in woodturning will require the right timber, and in this regard, The ToolPost strikes the right balance between genuine affordability and the elusive "100A1" quality. Woodworkers who turn to us for their timber can expect an excellent UK-sourced domestic hardwood from a supplier that takes such high standards seriously, although we also stock various tropical hardwoods and materials for the likes of penmaking.

We source a large proportion of our domestic UK timber from old, slow-grown forests in Scotland where the combination of hard winters, cool weather and short summers lends itself to the development of a tight grain structure. You are likely to receive this timber, post-kiln-drying, with a moisture content of 10-15%, depending on the time of year, timber section and species. This is as opposed to a “centrally-heated house” level of dryness of around 4-8%, so as a woodcarving professional, you should benefit from a sweetly turning timber that nonetheless requires some stabilisation time once you have completed your work.

Our full timber “store” includes domestic hardwoods in bowl blanks and turning squares, with represented timbers in this section encompassing alder, ash, beech, birch, cherry, maple, oak, poplar, sweet chestnut and sycamore. Those that require bowl blanks and turning squares may also take an interest in our selection of imported hardwoods, especially if they have a taste for something more exotic. Among our available timbers in this category is high quality Italian-grown olivewood, as well as the likes of Indian anjan, African bodo, European lemonwood, Brazilian purpleheart and Australian jarrah.

Our complete range of materials is also distinguished by the presence of project materials such as pen blanks, both in timber and acrylic as well as our own, we’d like to think dazzling Tigerwood product. You can also trust us to bring you timber specialities such as boxwood and banksia nuts. Meanwhile, for those who wish to make best use of their woodcarving tools, we also stock carving blanks, made from the UK’s most popular carving timber – lime. Whether you are a beginner or a more seasoned woodcarver, you are sure to appreciate such a timber, given its general lack of knots, ease of cutting and cost-effectiveness.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of the materials that we may be able to source, and customers are welcome to get in touch with The ToolPost (http://www.toolpost.co.uk) if they have any more specialised needs. Nonetheless, we take great pride in what we believe to be an industry-leading selection of materials for woodturning.

Editor’s Note: The ToolPost (http://www.toolpost.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.