Oak Diamond Trellis Panels

 www.wlwest.co.uk

Oak Diamond Trellis Panels

This is a bit of a different post, but variety is the spice of life so they say.

We have a quantity of 6  Oak Diamond Trellis Panels available . These were bespoke made for a customer who subsequently cancelled the order!!

They are 3.05m long and 1.44m high, so are not a standard size. But, they are still fresh and would grace anyone’s garden (if its big enough!!), but we do not want them hanging around too long, so …….

£95 each +vat. Discounts available for multiple purchases.

Now if you like what you see, but they definately are too big, give our team a call, remember these are bespoke, so we can easily make you other sizes.

Call our shop on 01798 861611 option 3

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on May 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Barbeque House, Beam, Constructional, Fencing, Field Gates, Gates, Gazebo, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Hunting Gates, Made in England, Made in Great Britain, Made in West Sussex, Oak Framed Building, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, Pergola, timber, Timber Framed Building, Trellis, Waney Edged, wood
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on May 30, 2012

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What! Yew again?

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An amazing avenue of Yew bushes in a local churchyard.

European Yew (taxus baccata), is a native of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is also found in North Africa and the Middle East. It is a quite remarkable tree with some examples in the UK and Northern France dating back 2000 years or more! One of the oldest uses was for longbows, one of the first documented uses for longbows in England is in 1294. Traditionally Yew trees were planted in Church yards. There are many stories of why this was, from being planted over victims of the plague to purify and protect them to being planted out of the way of cattle, to which they are poisonous.

A great indication of the contrast between sap and heartwood.

The timber itself is almost unique in its appearance, being quite Orangy Red in the heartwood and cream almost white in the sapwood. This gives a dramatic contrast to any products made from this species. Although not a rare species, getting logs with sufficient girth and straightness to be sawmilled is a little rarer.

So….. back to the squares……….

We have a good number of Squares in three sizes and a variety of lengths, all with their own very individual character.

105 x 105mm, 135 x 135mm and 160 x 160mm. For a list of prices including VAT please CLICK HERE to go to our main web site.

In addition……..

We have also cut some Through and Through boards (waney edged) in 27, 41, 54, 65, 75 and 100mm. Can you imaging the contrast of this timber in a floor? How wacky would that be? This is in a mix of Air Drying and Kiln Dried, so a phone call is best to start your enquiry.

Now I said above that the Yew tree had been used for a number of uses over the years, well how about this…. while taking a few pictures of the Yew trees and bushes in a local churchyard, I came across the ultimate in natural garden sheds!!

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on May 25, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in craft, Flooring, furniture, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Made in England, Made in Great Britain, Made in West Sussex, Through & Through, timber, Waney Edged, wood, Wood Turning, Yew
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on May 25, 2012

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Un-BEE-lievable – Timber meets Honey!!!!

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We have often been asked for honey coloured timbers, now we have our own honey production plant!!

Yes, timber meets Honey. It all started some 18 months ago when one of our team told me that there was a Bee’s nest in the back of one of our sawdust stores. At that time they didn’t cause any problem, and no one wants to destry Honey Bees so we just forgot about them. About two weeks ago as the temperature was getting around the 14 degree mark (I am told by our local beekeepers that this is the optimum temperature to start Bee activity) the Bees started swarming, they had left the comfort of our shed and were on the outside of it.

Now Bees generally are not a nuisance, but in the work place they can be a problem. So I looked on the British Beekeepers Association website for the closest local beekeeper. My search led me to Tom Moore based in Petworth. Tom came out and he went through the process to capture the Bees intact. Tom arranged with a couple of his colleagues to come back out and try to capture the bees. It wasn’t going to be an easy job as they were inside the cladding.

Last Wednesday (9 May 2012) we noticed that the bees had left the building and were swarming on some crash barrier we have at the rear of our buildings. Contacting Tom immediately, he swung into action and with Gordon Allan successfully managed to capture the swarm.

BUT……. oh BUZZ IT, thats not the end! The Bees that we started with are still in the building. We think that the old Queen has left the nest and has taken some of the workers with her (that what we have captured) but the original group of Bees are still there and in process of creating a new queen. Tom’s advice is to now wait for 3 or 4 weeks to enable the new quenn to become established, so Tom will be making a second visit later in the month!!!

So, second time lucky. We are going to cut out some of the cladding to allow access to try to entice the Queen Bee into a portable Hive, then, fingers crossed our Beekeeping friends will have swarm number 2 into captivity and hopefully producing some good Sussex Honey.

Interestingly for all of the Beekeepers out there that might read this article, we are able to  supply Cedar for your hives. Just give our sales team a call, we’re sure we can help you.

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on May 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beekeeping, Bees, Cladding, Honey, Oak Cladding, Oak,, Sussex Honey, timber, wood
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on May 15, 2012

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Timber’s Green Credentials

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There have not been many of my posts that have not praised the flexibility and beauty of timber. In the UK we have a very active promotion of timber through various trade associations including the Timber Trade Federation, but especially in the WOOD FOR GOOD campaign. We should be promoting the use of timber at every opportunity. Those of us in the timber industry truely have a product which is helping the world in its task of healing the global warming problem.

But are you aware of the benefits of the use of timber in helping to deal with climate change issues? Well, here are a few statistics:

  • For every cubic metre of timber or wood products used in construction, approximately one tonne of carbon dioxide is saved.
  • Wood products have some of the best thermal performance properties of any mainstream construction material. Wood insulates 15 times better than concrete, 400 times better than steel and 1,770 times better than aluminium.
  • Europe’s stock of wood products stores an estimated 220 million tonnes of carbon.
  • The timber industry employs nearly 200,000 people in the UK and is worth nearly £20 billion to the UK economy. As demand for wood grows, so will the industry, increasing the strength of the rural economy in the UK.
  • Currently, European forests provide a carbon sink for around 150-200 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, with an additional 500 million tonnes sequestered annually. These same forests also provide approximately 90% of European timber and wood products, which store an additional 220 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
  • Climate change experts have claimed that simply by increasing the UK’s forest cover from 12 to 16 per cent, the country could, by 2050, abate up to 10% of our national carbon dioxide emissions.
  • At end-of-life, timber can either be recycled into panel boards and other products or used for renewable energy recovery.
  • Between 12-30 tonnes of carbon can be stored in the fabric and content of an average timber house
  • A ten per cent increase in the percentage of wooden houses in Europe would produce sufficient CO2 savings to account for about 25% of the reductions prescribed by the Kyoto Protocol.

Some impressive figures, I hope you will agree.  Each and every time that we choose a timber product over another material in our lives, we also benefit in another way.

So – wooden doors and windows over plastic, timber beams over steel or concrete, wooden cladding over plastic, wooden garden furniture over steel or plastic – the list is endless.

And………. as we have said so many times, timber is by far more the beautiful raw material.

AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY – USE WOOD!!

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on May 8, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Ash, Australian Timber, Beam, Beech, Carbon saving, Cladding, Cleft Rail, CO2, Constructional, craft, Fencing, Field Gates, furniture, Gates, Gazebo, Global Warming, Green, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Hunting Gates, Made in England, Made in Great Britain, Made in West Sussex, Oak Cladding, Oak Framed Building, Oak Ledged & Braced Doors, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, Pergola, Retails Hardwood Shop, sawdust, slabwood, Sustainable, timber, Timber Framed Building, Timber Framing, Wood chip, Wood dust, Worktop, Yew
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on May 8, 2012

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Hardwoods into Art – Part 2

www.wlwest.co.uk

Last month I wrote a blog about one of our customers, a woodturner who produced items which I could only describe as Art.

Another of our customers Nicola Henshaw, is a sculptor who produces work that again truely can only be described as Art, again Hardwoods into Art.

Nicola has been sculpting for more than 20 years having studied Three Dimensional design at Wolverhampton University. She produces functional and decorative art for indoors and your garden. Nicola has won various commissions many of which are local to her home in the New Forest.

She received a Crafts Council Grant to set up a studio at 401 Workshops in London, where she worked for 14 years, alongside 35 artists and makers. She moved to the New Forest, Hampshire in 2003 and  produces pieces for commissions and speculatively for galleries. Her work is highly regarded internationally and has been commissioned by a wide range of private, corporate and public clients, including Iwatya in Japan, Himatsingka Siede in India, Freehand in USA, The Forestry Commission, The National Trust, Hampshire, Essex, Yorkshire, Dorset and South Lanarkshire County Councils.

Again Nicola’s work is an example of the enourmous number of different uses that we can put timber to. Nicola uses Oak and Lime sourced from us to turn into Art!! Making a truely unique piece of furniture.

I think one of the amazing things about anyone who creates items in wood is where do the ideas come from? Looking at Nicola’s work there is a clear and unmistakable wildlife theme. Have a look at her website at: www.nicolahenshaw.co.uk or give her a call on 01590 623654. I am sure that she would be only too pleased to talk to you about her work and any ideas you may have for a commission.

Click here if you would like to read the first ‘Hardwoods into Art’.

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on May 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Art, craft, furniture, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Lime, Made in England, Made in Great Britain, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, timber, wood
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on May 1, 2012

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SALES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY IN THE TIMBER TRADE

This isn’t my normal type of post, but in my book every medium should be used to advertise and promote. So we have a JOB VACANCY for a ………………….

DESK SALES PERSON

ENTHUSIASTIC AND OUTGOING person to join our busy sales force, selling timber and services to a wide variety of customers.

The successful candidate will be part of our office based team, supporting field sales. Selling is about Good Communication, we are looking for a self-starter whose ambitions we can develop for the future, indeed into a career in the Timber Trade. Knowledge of timber would be an advantage, but willingness to learn about timber and its uses is equally important.

Product and selling training will be given in-house. IT Skills are required.

The job is based in our offices in Selham, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0PJ, UK

 Please send a CV to jobs@wlwest.co.uk

down load an application form BY CLICKING HERE or request one by email or on 01798 861611

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by Dave West @ wlwest on April 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Ash, Beam, Beech, biomass, Black Walnut, Career, Cladding, Cleft Rail, Constructional, craft, Employment, Employment Opportunity, Fencing, Field Gates, Firewood, Flooring, furniture, Gates, Gazebo, Hardwoods,, Hunting Gates, Job, Jobs, Made in England, Made in Great Britain, Made in West Sussex, Oak Cladding, Oak Framed Building, Oak Ledged & Braced Doors, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, timber, Timber Framed Building, Timber Framing, wood, Worktop, Worktops
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on April 30, 2012

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‘Its a piece of wood isnt’t it??’

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‘Its a piece of wood we can do anything with it’ !!

Can we? There is no doubt that timber is without doubt the most versatile raw material on this earth, but sadly many users really do not understand its properties and what you can and can’t do with it.

There are many questions that need to be asked: Is it being used externally?

Yew

Does it need to be structurally strong? Is it being used for painting? Does it need treatment? Does it need to be easy to work? These are but a few of the questions that need to be considered when you select a species for a project.

So, would you, for example, use Beech for external joinery or fencing – the answer is no, Beech is not a durable species and should not be used outside. Oak in contrast is durable and can be used externally very successfully, however, the sapwood on Oak, indeed all species is not durable and will be susceptible to decay and insect attack. In contrast, sapwood is perfectly acceptable to use inside. I know, I know, I know, some of the cabinet makers and joiners out there will say the contrast in colour is not acceptable!! Well, from a timber merchant’s point of view, sap on Oak is not a defect, so we count it in.

On another tack, would you use American Black Walnut if you wanted a painted finish – No of course you wouldn’t, far too precious a resource and expensive. You would choose a joinery grade softwood or inexpensive hardwood such as American Poplar. Generally softwoods are used for strength and hardwoods for aesthetics – albeit we do have graded structural hardwoods readily available.

We still get many requests for timber not suitable for the end use. There are still some unscrupulous traders that would just sell what they are asked for. This can result in a disaster for the customer. We try to get to know our customers, especially if it is the first time we have met them. We want to understand their requirement, to make sure we supply not only to their requirement but also to suit the end use. Talking to our customers is key – we call it ‘hand holding’.

So – Questions, Questions, Questions – we are here to help.

I guess what I am trying to say is that timber is not just ‘a piece of wood’. Each species has its own character, beauty and abilities for end uses. Our customers do not always understand what species can or can’t do, we do, so – please ask us, we would rather take that extra bit of time to ensure a satisfactory outcome rather than rush and have a complaint.

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email: sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on April 26, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Ash, Beam, Beech, Black Walnut, Cladding, Cleft Rail, Constructional, Fencing, Field Gates, Flooring, Gates, Gazebo, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Hunting Gates, Iroko, Made in England, Made in Great Britain, Made in West Sussex, Oak Cladding, Oak Framed Building, Oak Ledged & Braced Doors, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, timber, Timber Framed Building, Timber Framing, wood, Wood Turning, Workshop, Worktop, Worktops, Yew
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on April 26, 2012

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Exotic Timber – part two

www.wlwest.co.uk

A few weeks ago we wrote a blog telling you about the exotic timber available to you in our shop. Well, we’ve been shopping again!!

We have been to see our supplier and topped up our supplies. I think you will agree that there is a theme running through most of our posts that timber

Bog Oak

and the variety of hardwood species really are wonderful. The amazing natural purple of …Purpleheart (yes the picture is correct and has not been re-coloured!), Banana yellow of Pau Amerello and the Zebra stripes of Zebrano. It is breathtaking the patterns and colours that mother nature has placed in the hundreds (if not thousands) of different timber species across the world.

Now, don’t get the wrong impression, we haven’t bought hundreds of cubic metres. These are smaller rounds and squares that are aimed at the enthusiast area of business. The woodturner, cabinetmaker and all lovers of different woods.

This time we have found a couple of different timbers one is Bog Oak. This originate from the East Anglian fens and the pieces we have selected are carbon dated at 5300 years old. The fens were originally heavily populated Oak

forests, these giant trees fell down and the area changed over hundreds of centuries. But the bog conditions are such that the oak trees are preserved from decay.

The colour changes somewhat, but it is still identifiable as Oak and very beautiful. Ebony is another new species to us. Our supplier sources from both Africa and India and the stock have been a little mixed, so we call it Black Ebony.

Now …. we have Partridgewood, Verawood, Ebony, Chechen, Lignum Vitae (Palo Santo Wood), Olivewood ….. deep breath …African Blackwood, Lemonwood, Pau Amerello, Purpleheart, Cocobolo (two species Nicaraguan and Mexican!!), Roupala Lacewood, Zebrano, Wenge, Columbian Rosewood …… and breath out, Brazilian Tulipwood – probably my favorite, sadly we had the last 4 pieces, but the beautiful shades of pinky/red and yellows are amazing.

That’s not an exclusive list. You need to look at our website for that or visit our shop. Remember – these do move very fast, so visiting is the best way of knowing what we have.

Call our Shop team on 01798 861611 or email:shop@wlwest.co.uk

It maybe that you are a cabinet maker who would like to obtain larger sizes of some of these timbers, now we cannot guarantee that we can obtain all sizes, but why not call and we will see what we can do. You must remember that many of these species are relatively rare and not the norm for commercial usage, so don’t be surprised if we are unable to find some…. BUT we will try. Do remember, these can be very expensive timbers though!!

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk


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by Dave West @ wlwest on April 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in African Blackwood, Bog Oak, Cocobolo, Columbian Rosewood, Exotic Timber, Hardwoods,, Lemonwood, Lignum Vitae, Made in West Sussex, Olivewood, Partridgewood, Pau Amerello, Penturning, Purpleheart, Retails Hardwood Shop, Roupala Lacewood, timber, Verawood, wood, Zebrano
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on April 18, 2012

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New Wheels on the Road for Timber Delivery

www.wlwest.co.uk

This week sees a new vehicle in our livery. When you think about it what a great place to advertise! You can cover many many counties in a week’s worth of deliveries, with your message getting to 1000′s of people on a display as large as a roadside billboard.

Bleach of Lavant have been delivering for us for decades, and in the past couple, Mick Bleach has offered for one of his vehicles to carry our livery. This complements our own in house lorry admirably. So this week after careful planning with us the latest lorry hit the road.

Bleach’s plan their vehicles carefully to ensure that they can be used on a variety of different jobs on the few days in the year that we do not require them.

Brian, who drives our liveried vehicle for Bleach’s has been delivering for us for many years and has a great rapport with our customers and a great guy to work with.

So, for the vehicle spotters out there in the South of England, if you see a bright blue lorry with W L West & Sons Ltd blazoned on the side, that’s one of our vehicles.

Don’t forget, for all of your hardwood and joinery softwood requirements…………………

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on April 13, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Ash, Beam, Cladding, Constructional, Deliveries, Fencing, Field Gates, Flooring, Gates, Hardwoods,, Made in West Sussex, Oak Cladding, Oak Framed Building, Oak Ledged & Braced Doors, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, timber, Timber Framed Building, Timber Framing, Transport, Vertical Cladding, wood
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on April 13, 2012

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Timber Industry – leaders in recycling

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Bundles of Slabwood awaiting chipping

There cannot be many countries in the world that does not have recycling on its agenda. Clearly, in the UK it is high on our Government’s list. In the timber industry is it really a new thing to do? Or were we really the leaders in recycling?

As a reasonably large Sawmiller and Timber Merchant producing both

Offcuts for Firewood

sawn and machined timber, we produce resonably large quantities of waste, or how we term them -  ‘bi-products’. This means that we have always had to be ‘on the ball’ when it comes to dealing with where we are going to send the bi-product. It just is not logistacally possible to let the waste continue to build up. Nowadays it is not financially, morally or physically possible to send this bi-product to waste tips.

From our point of view we have three areas of bi-product.

  1. Slabwood – that can be the part round side of a log or a strip of timber from a cut to size job.
  2. What we refer to as Firewood – smaller pieces that have arrived from jobs being cut to length.
  3. Wood dust – the result of cutting, planing and sanding timber.

Lets have a look at these three areas.

Slabwood, this product is now sold for woodchip for the fuel industry. Getting chipped into controlled sizes for Heating and (CHP) Combined Heat and Power systems. But what used to happen to it? Well we used to supply it into the chipboard and fibreboard manufacturers also to the paper manufacturers. Some was sold for firewood.

Firewood – small offcuts. Nearly always this was used for ……. yes you guessed it ….. firewood, and still is.

Wood Dust being collected for pellet production

Wood dust – We now send the bullk of this bi-product to be made into pellets for ….. wood fuel. A small amount still is used for animals. Originally the bulk would have been used for animals. About 4 or 5 decades ago there was a time when it was dumped and it had little if no value. Now, we are able to sell it. This one part of our bi-product is the one that we have not always been able to recycle, thankfully now we can.

Pellets

So, I think that we probably beat the glass recyclers (one of the first to recycle – with the exception of the times of returned beer, lemonade and milk bottles for deposits!!), certainly we have beaten the plastic recyclers and many of the more recent recycling projects.

So, throwing down the challenge, I think the timber industry was probably one of the leaders in recycling, we just didn’t know it. So a leading green industry? I think we must be near the front aren’t we?

Post a reply if you have other industries that have been recycling for decades. Or if you have alternative uses for my bi-products.

For enquiries on our products look at our website listed at the start of the post or:

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on April 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in biomass, CHP, Combined Heat & Power, Firewood, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Made in West Sussex, Recycle, Recycled, sawdust, slabwood, timber, wood, Wood chip, Wood dust, Wood fuel pellets, Workshop
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on April 10, 2012

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Hardwoods into Art

www.wlwest.co.uk

Red Mallee Vase

Timber has to be the most versatile material known to man. The scope of uses is mind blowing, we use it in construction with a lower cost softwood, that is never seen after roofs and plaster are applied to Oak beams that we show off.

We use it for the garden and security as fences and barriers. We use it on our rivers and in sea defence work. We still use a small amount as dunnage

Red Mallee and Ash

(packing for shipping). We burn it for heat and power. We can drive on it in some bridges and temporary roads. We carve it into amazing statues and figureheads.

Red Mallee and Ash

And not finally, because I have only grazed the surface of uses for timber, but in addition we create art with it.

One of our customers creates the most beautiful turnery, this surely can be described as Art? He uses various timbers, the examples here are from Australian and European timbers. Kevin Hutson is a professional wood turner who started out as a hobbyist. After passing his C & G exams in Carpentry & Joinery at Brighton

Technical College, Kevin ended up as a freelance draughtsman specialising in architecturally designed joinery manufacture. This was the catalyst for Kevin’s artistic and creative side to shine. He is self taught in the design area, but as you can see from his work, successfully so. Have a look at his web site at www.khturner.com, he welcomes commisions, and as you will see, Kevin’s pieces are just a little bit different. In the pictures you will see that he has put together species from different continents is a stunning way.

If you have an interest in timbers that are just a little different, pop into our shop. Stocks are always moving, so its worth popping in and seeing waht we have.

Call our Shop team on 01798 861611 or email:shop@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on April 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Art, Ash, Australian Burrs, Australian Timber, Exotic Timber, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Jarah, Mallee, Retails Hardwood Shop, timber, wood, Wood Turning, Workshop
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on April 4, 2012

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Solid Hardwood Worktops – A natural part of your Kitchen

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I guess one of the most attractive parts of a Kitchen is having beautiful worktops. Chosen correctly with your Kitchen units, the worktops can become a feature that is also a tool for daily use. Over the years we have seen many materials used for Worktops, but the material that keeps on coming back and is timeless is solid Hardwood Worktops.

There are many people supplying imported worktops, but we pride ourselves in producing Worktops that are totally hand finished. Bespoke made to fit your kitchen, maintained correctly these will give you a lifetime of service. There are many different suitable species: European Oak, Ash, Sycamore, American Poplar, American Black Walnut, Iroko and many more.

We construct the Worktops of uniform width staves using a special ‘F’ joint which increases the surface area of the joint and together with the PU glue, creates an extreamly strong joint.

What you should consider as part of your Worktop decision making process, is the maintenance required to ensure that the Worktops give you good performance for years to come. This includes quite a strict initial oiling program to ensure that the timber gets a good base for repelling moisture, after all, this is going into your kitchen, it will get wet. We want you to get the best out of the products, so be patient, it will be worth it in the long run. You should also consider any edges that may be adjacent to a heat source, an Aga perhaps. These ends need an end cleat (a piece of timber perpendicular to the direction of the staves). Finally, we can supply the worktops, but unfortunately, we are unable to offer a fitting service, it is important that you use someone that really knows Harwood Worktops, we have seen many tops poorly installed. Poorly installed worktops will, inevitably create problems in the future. We can help you out with suggesting good craftsmen for this service.

Clearly, worktops and bar tops are similar, and we can offer Bar Tops as well, indeed many a fine pint has been supped from our Bar tops.

Now, you may only require a small worktop for another project or perhaps just one to contrast with a different surface, well have a look at the Worktop Offers Page of our website – IF YOU CLICK HERE WE WILL TAKE YOU THERE .

On the main Worktops page of our website you will find more details and guidance for the perfect result – CLICK HERE FOR THE WORKTOPS PAGE.

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk

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by Dave West @ wlwest on March 28, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Ash, Beech, Black Walnut, Handmade, Hardwoods,, Iroko, Made in West Sussex, Oak Ledged & Braced Doors, Oak,, timber, wood, Worktop, Worktops
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on March 28, 2012

http://wlwest.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/solid-hardwood-worktops-a-natural-part-of-your-kitchen/

From Acorns to Oak trees …. to Oak Framed Buildings

www.wlwest.co.uk

I don’t think any of us have driven through Englands pleasant land without seeing, in some way, shape or form an Oak Framed building. They are traditional as Roast Beef or Fish & Chips (although from Jamie Oliver’s recent series, neither were British inventions!!).

There can be nothing more beautiful and inspiring than seeing the construction of an Oak framed building taking shape. We have been working with Oak builders for decades, we would like to think back to Nelsons day, but that’s a blog for another day.

Our series of Oak Framed buildings are manufactured out of quaility European Oak. They are exclusively made from PEFC Oak. These buildings are cut from Green Oak and as such will be manufactured to order. All joints, mortices and dowel holes are precut and drilled, dowels are supplied. The building arrives in kit form with plans and all joints marked.

The uses are only limited by your imagination, Garages, Studio’s, Jacuzzi Shelters, Barbeque Houses, Workshops the list is endless.

The buildings are supply only but we are working with another of our suppliers to offer a building service and assistance in obtaining planning permission where applicable.

We are able to supply the external cladding to suit your requirement, together with Cedar shingles for the roof. Oak garage doors will set the buildings off to a tee, and we can make these in our workshops, all hand made to fit your requirements.

So, have you gots some space in the garden or padock that would be an ideal location for one of these buildings. May be a swimming pool house, a new workshop a home for that collection of vintage motor cars! Just about anything is possible.

We have the full range of buildings listed on our main website with exploded drawings, click here or any of the pictures to take you there.

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk


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by Dave West @ wlwest on March 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Barbeque House, Beam, Cladding, Constructional, Fencing, Field Gates, Gates, Gazebo, Hardwoods,, Made in West Sussex, Oak Cladding, Oak Framed Building, Oak Ledged & Braced Doors, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, Pergola, Special Project, Studio, timber, Timber Framed Building, Timber Framing, Vertical Cladding, wood, Workshop
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on March 23, 2012

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Wine meets Wood ……. Oak in particular

www.wlwest.co.uk

What does this tree have to do with this glass of wine?

So, where do you think these two, initially, unlikely partners would meet? Yes of course, in the Wine Barrel. One of our French suppliers are experts in the Barrel market, their buyer is always looking for large trees of a first class quality for this market.

The picture shows a couple of the logs of the dimensions that they look for in the French forests. Now our colleague is about 5′ 7″ tall so you can see that these logs are quite large. As a result the price for these logs reaches nearly double what we pay for first quality plank. These boules are destined to be made in barrel staves.

But there is another area that Oak and Wine meet. Obviously a vast amount of wine is now produced using more mdern methods through stainless steel vats. Other than being a clean and robust container, they give little to the character of the wine, our suppliers then make various alternatives to flavour the wine, from net bags of small cuts of Oak to short staves. These are ‘toasted’ to give different flavours.

  • Fresh Oak – smoothness, intence coco aromas
  • Light Toast – vanilla, coco, fresh Oak aromas
  • Medium toast – vanilla with some sweet notes of coco & spices
  • Medium+ toast – complexity, vanilla, spices, cacao
  • High Toast – rich content of toasted empyreumatic notes

So you can see, there is more to timber than you first thought. It is natural, renewable, versatile, beautiful and clearly, flavoursome!!

If you have an interest in Oak specifically for the wine trade, give us a call, we are sure we will be able to help you.

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk


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by Dave West @ wlwest on March 19, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, timber, Wine, wood
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on March 19, 2012

http://wlwest.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/wine-meets-wood-oak-in-particular/

The Power of Oak ….. the master of European Timbers

www.wlwest.co.uk

We told you in the previous Beam blog about the power of Oak, and its ability to be stronger than bricks and mortar. We weren’t exaggerating when we said that, it is a remarkable hardwood. We have seen examples of Oak being used in buildings and as the timber has started to dry, it moves and splits and can push walls apart!!

We have recently been to France to buy planking logs, we are very selective as we are buying for 1st quality boards. The last load came in this morning, great logs with one exception!

Nice log, looks OK dosen't it?

Hang on whats that at the other end?

Crikey, how did that happen?

Thats a hell of a split!!

Just shows you the power of tension in Oak. We would not have spotted this issue, the log had been crosscut in the woods after we had done our selection. Just shows you that all is not always what it seems!! I think we need to have a word with our supplier!!!

Call us for all of your Oak requirements.

01798 861611

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by Dave West @ wlwest on March 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Hardwoods,, Hunting Gates, Oak Plank, Oak Through & Through, Oak Trees, Oak,, timber
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on March 15, 2012

http://wlwest.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/the-power-of-oak/

We’re Beaming !!

www.wlwest.co.uk

Structural Oak Beams are another string to our bow. These can range from fresh sawn (Green Oak) to air drying beam. Currently we have sizes 150 x 150mm, 250 x 250mm and 300 x 300mm in Air Drying stock. These vary in length from 3.00m to 6.00m.

These beams move very quickly so give our Sales Team a call 01798 861611. Remember, if your size requirement falls inbetween these sizes, we may be able to re-cut them to your requirement.

We also have a number of older beam stock that is more suited to aesthetic use, mantlepiece’s, decorative Oak etc. These are very grey but can be planed to bring the brightness of the timber back. They generally have a lot of character in them and may well be a little twisted. That doesn’t mean their not beautiful, they are and in the correct place will, undoubtedly enhance the surroundings.

The popularity in using Oak has returned, thankfully, it is stronger than steel, it is stronger than bricks and mortar, and it is certainly more pleasing to the eye. But it is a living material, and it will continue to crack, split and creak well after your builders have finished installing it. That is the Oak continuing to dry out.

But does Oak beam ever really dry out? Well we are sure that it does not. In the 1970’s a small church which nestled under the downs close to Midhurst was deconsecrated and pulled down.  Materials salvaged from the church were sold off and the purchaser of the Oak Beams from the roof brought them into our sawmill at Midhurst to be resawn.  Jim West, who looked after the mill at that time asked what finished sizes were required as he would have to make allowance in the resawing for shrinkage.

The new owner looked aghast at Jim and said “these beams have been in the roof of that church for three hundred years and before that they were in a warship. They are as dry as a bone, they will never shrink.”  Jim said O.K. but I would like you to be here when we saw them and to check the measurements as they come off the saw.  This he did and took the beams away on his lorry a satisfied man.

A number of months later Jim had another visit from the beam man who said that he had come to apologise because he had not believed the “expert”.  All of the beams had now shrunk in their cross-section from the resawn sizes.

We still get asked if we supply “Kiln Dried” Oak Beams  and we are still not believed when we say that it is not possible to kiln dry any thickness greater than 3 inches or 75mm successfully. So you see, we are pretty sure you can’t fully dry Oak Beams!!!

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk


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by Dave West @ wlwest on March 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beam, Constructional, Oak Cladding, Oak,, Vertical Cladding
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on March 12, 2012

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Where can you get Australian Burrs (Burls) and Exotic Timber From??

www.wlwest.co.uk

Well from us of course!! Didn’t you know we have a shop dedicated to the lover of wood? Yes, anyone can pop into our shop Monday to Friday 8.00 am ’til 5.00 pm and Saturday’s 9.00am ’til 1.00pm. We have tools and machinery, finishes and timber. So you could call us a ‘One stop shop’!!

But back to the headlines.

We have been importing Australian Burrs from Eastern Australia for several years now. It took us some time to find a supplier but as with buses and policemen, once we found one, 2 or 3 came out of the woodwork (excuse the pun).

Now, don’t get us wrong, we dont import in container loads, normally its about 1.5 tonnes at a time, and smallish sizes. These are aimed at the wood enthusiast’s, wood turners, carvers , indeed anyone who loves different timbers.

Currently we have a selection of Burr’s, square and turning blanks in Jarah, Red Mallee, Coolibah, Sheoak Camphor laurel and a few others. There are various sizes of Australian Burrs, from as small as 150mm diameter to ones of 400mm diameter plus a little more with some of them. Turned or machine carved these Burrs finish extreamely well and can give a superb finish.

We don’t stop there, we stock Exotic Timbers as well, aimed at the same customers as the Australian timbers, we have a variety of stock including Caretto, Purpleheart, Padouk, Cocobolo to name a few.

So whether it be Australian or Exotic, temporate hardwoods or finishes, pop along and have a browse at what we have to offer.

Oh! and dont forget …………. On Saturday 17th March 2012 we have The Pompey Pen Maker here demonstrating. Click here for more details.

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by Dave West @ wlwest on March 9, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Australian Burrs, Australian Timber, Coolibah, Exotic Timber, Jarah, Mallee, Pen Blanks, Pen Making, Retails Hardwood Shop, Sheoak
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on March 9, 2012

http://wlwest.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/where-can-you-get-australian-burrs-burls-and-exotic-timber-from/

Contemporary Downland House

www.wlwest.co.uk

In the current times it is very hard to find a building team that is so dedicated to produce a unique building to amazing high standards such as Downley House.

Situated on the South Downs, the owner bought a derelict house and has incorporated the frontage of the original house into a contemporary building for his family.

We had only a small part to play in the build which I am sure Kevin McCloud would have been proud of.

The uniqueness of the project has been realized from a dream, into a home. The owner had a quite specific vision and worked with his Architect to make it happen. Skilled tradesmen ensured that there was a practical and quality outcome.

The site for the home has been excavated from the side of the downs. The building has incorporated many different building materials from concrete, steel and copper to natural stone, timber and glass, all blended expertly to produce a spectacular outcome.

Part of the external walls have been vertically clad with Oak Cladding, with selected 1–2 grade European Oak, which is FSC certificated. The timber has been fixed and allowed to start weathering naturally, using stainless fixing with the drill holes being greater than the shank to allow for movement throughout the seasons.

The Oak was conditioned before sending it to site to ensure the moisture content was approx 16%+-2% to give this the best chance for minimum movement. Some sound small features are permitted to keep costs to below budget and ensure the timber cladding looks real and natural. The lengths are all under 2.50m to ensure perfect vertical alignment with a clever head joint to act as a feature and a practical weather.

The addition of specially selected Oak beams to form a substantial pergola makes this more of a mansion than a house. It is a wonderful example of clever design, expert trades and superb materials being brought together to result in a spectacular property that will stand proudly on the Downs for decades to come.

You can read more on the owners own Blog Site click here to link to it.

01798 861611

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by Dave West @ wlwest on March 5, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beam, Cladding, Oak Cladding, Oak,, Pergola, Vertical Cladding
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on March 5, 2012

http://wlwest.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/contemporary-downland-house/

Fencing the South Downs

www.wlwest.co.uk

We have been working with Brighton & Hove City Council since 2009 installing and repairing fencing on their estate.

It is pleasing to see that they are choosing traditional fencing for a project that is ongoing on the Sussex Downs.

They have been creating areas to re-populate with sheep, to get the downs back to a state that they would have been in several decades ago.

We have been installing Cleft Rail Fencing on Oak posts with galvanised stock fence on one side of the fence.

We have installed Oak Field and Hunting gates keeping the whole installation very close to what may have been seen on the downs many years ago.

The gates are made by hand in our workshops in West Sussex, truely – Made in England. Sometimes we don’t make enough of handmade quality, choosing price and mass produced over, traditional. We are proud that our Gatemaker has been with us since school and produces what we think are some of the best gates around. Look out for our distinctive blue tags. Some that were probably made 3 or 4 decades ago are still out there, a true testimony to quality!!

Our fencing division PRO FENCING are based in Farnham, but cover Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and into London. They would be more than happy to visit you to provide a quote for replacing your fencing. We supply and install all types of fencing – Domestic – Commercial – Farm

Call our Sales team on 01798 861611 or 01252 726391 or email:sales@wlwest.co.uk


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by Dave West @ wlwest on February 29, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Cleft Rail, Fencing, Field Gates, Gates, Handmade, Hunting Gates, Made in West Sussex, Yew
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on February 29, 2012

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Olympic Effort for the London Buses !!

www.wlwest.co.uk

Late in 2010 we were approched by Art Public to become involved in the Bus Tops project for the 2012 Olympics. They asked us to build a number of timber cases to house screens to show electronic art in 30 locations across London in the run up to the 2012 Olympics (the first prototype can be seen above). The project was one of 12 commissions across the nation, one in each of the English regions and one in each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The original idea was to construct these using London Plane trees sourced from the many Boroughs of  London. We spent a lot of time with Art Public manufacturing and modifying the prototype case as we came across technical issues.

To enable us to mill the logs through our sawmill and dry the timber, it was essential that we received enough timber by September/October 2011 to produce the cases ready to go live in January 2012.

Unfortunately, Art Public were unable to locate enough volume of London Plane to do the job. Thankfully, in stepped Windsor Great Parks. We visited the park forester to select enough English Beech to do the job.

Now, those of you with a modicum of timber knowledge will know that neither London Plane or Beech are durable species, this was pointed out to our customer, who clarified  that the project was planned only to last for 9 months. So we treated them with a good oil to protect them from the elements in that time. That in itself produced problems in achieving a good dry surface with the reduced temperatures experienced in November and December.

The project went live as scheduled in January this year. We are proud to be working with Art Public on this project, and hope that we will have further projects together. We are also happy that we have been involved in some way with the 2012 Olympics. This was the second Olympic project for us, having been involved in machining some of the decking material for the Olympic sailing village in Weymouth.

If you have an special project that you would like help to bring to fruition, give our sales team a call. We pride ourselves in working closely together with our customers to ensure a successful conclusion to a project. 01798 861611

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by Dave West @ wlwest on February 22, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beech, Bus Tops, London Plane, Special Project
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Posted by Dave West @ wlwest on February 22, 2012

http://wlwest.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/olympic-effort-for-the-london-buses/

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