Finding a reliable, quality, supply of wood is crucial if you are to turn professionally and is very useful even if you turning simply for your own pleasure. Good wood is hard to come by and is getting harder to source as old growth stocks from tropical climates are used up or brought under tighter local government control.

Many mills and wood suppliers are also becoming more reluctant to supply individuals buying small quantities of wood. It used to be possible to sort through a stack of wood looking for the best boards and buy just those. Now it is more common to be asked to buy a number of board feet with little choice as to what you get.

In some respects turners have it worse than other wood workers. Turners often require a good thickness of wood which is less common than the thinner pieces required by cabinet makers.

This section of the site aims to put you in touch with wood suppliers around the UK and indicate the sort of material you will likely find there.