More Information

A natural edge is almost as it sounds, it is just how the edges are on the timber when milled. Some can be more waney or curvy than others. Certain pieces may still have the bark on maintaining a live edge, this can be taken off to keep the natural edge of the wood but taking away the bark for hygiene purposes as bugs may be in there! For planks we are only able to get the long sides live edge, as the trunk is milled the two short sides get cut.  A popular request for us is to have one natural edge and the other to be cut straight to sit flush against a wall e.g. for a shelf.

Live/natural edge isn't to everyone's taste, therefore we can cut the edges off to achieve straight sides on all sides. 

This is the raw state of the timber that has been cut from a trunk but not yet been planed - leaving it with a more imperfect and rough texture. These pieces will be cheaper than planed, leaving the customer to do what they want with the piece depending on the use of it. Some pieces can be left sawn and some pieces cannot be planed so have to be as they are due to shape or size. 

A board that is cupped or twisted, simply means that during the drying process the boards have warped somewhat. Some will be worse than others, but depending on what they are used for the boards are still perfectly fine to be used. With the right tools it can also be corrected or being cut down in size can somewhat eliminate the place where the board cups or twists.

You may find these stickers on some pieces, it simply means these piece has had wood worm and may of left some holes in the board. We spray them with a chemical before they go into the barn or the website to ensure no more damage can be done.

In particular, woodworm can be found in elm and oak.

Most of our stock is planed, others rough sawn. The process involves removing thin layers of wood from the surface to create an even and smoother finish. It improves the quality of the product and durability too. The wood is put into the planer and then taken out and turned out and put in the other way. This process removes, saw marks or rough edges. It also brings out the grain that is underneath the wood that you wouldn't know was there! Pieces can also be planed down further than what they already are to achieve a certain thickness if the piece is too chunky.

Most of our stock is planed, however it doesn't give a completely smooth finish. In order to produce this, we offer a 2 stage sanding process which leaves the wood soft to touch and ready to treat. A machine is used in a circular motion to ensure the board becomes smooth and flat. Each piece is individual and some may require more sanding than others, especially sawn boards and rounds.

As a layer of protection, we use a mineral oil on our timber which is produced here in the UK. It is specifically selected for its wood penetrating properties.
It is food safe, odourless, non-toxic and doesn't leave a sticky residue. It enhances the grain and leaves a lovely water resistant finish.

We also offer Danish oil, which is made from tung oil that provides an attractive finish to all woods.
This high quality oil is heat, water and alcohol resistant. It has a low toxicity and leaves a lovely satin finish.