Timbers come in so many varieties and species it can be hard to pinpoint a particular favourite, but choice often comes down to what is available at the time. We are blessed living in Canberra with so many different trees. Our local Woodcraft Guild has access to some of the trees that are felled or removed for various reasons. These trees could have fallen down in a storm or been removed because it died or became too dangerous. These timbers are milled and dried, which can take 1-2 years, before being sold. This is fantastic as it utilises a resource that would normally be chipped and used as mulch.
Our preference is for softer timbers as our chosen method of cutting out shapes is with a scroll saw. Of course, appearance of the timber is of great importance. Colour, grain, texture etc. all play a part in how the finished product appears, with sometimes a small knot or burl appearing in the final product as a feature.
On occasion, we also source commercially prepared timbers if they are suitable for our products.
Sometimes timbers are also sourced from deceased estates or sales where someone has collected fine timbers for decades and was never able to use it.