W.L. West & Sons Ltd.
Timber Talks - April 2009

Positive Future

April has come to an end and it’s the end of another handful of companies in our ever shrinking trade.

In March we had a good month, be it just below where we were last year. Everyone’s optimism was turned up a notch or three, but April was hard work, in fact, we managed approx the same number of invoices as 2008 but sadly a lot less value. So, where are the positives for May? We start the season off with the Wests Wood Show (Friday 8th & Saturday 9th May), a quite unique couple of days. There are good insights to Harp making, Wood Turning from some of the most well known turners in the UK and other craftsmen and women at work.
 
We open up the works to show off what we do and how we do things here. The last few years has seen a steady growth in people attending and moreover, familiar faces from both the trade and enthusiasts. There is also a timber auction on site both days too. Our catering tent will be busy keeping your thirst quenched and hunger beaten. It’s worth the effort to come along.
We have installed a Multi Rip saw made by Raiman, part of the Weinig group. This is just brilliant. It is a really useful machine for small and long runs, it is just amazing to see it cut parallel in accuracy, at speed. The machine is the first of its kind in the UK, we gather, and it’s flexibility is just superb.  We added an uprated motor for the hardwoods we use, but it really is a useful tool and once we have settled it in we should be able to pass on some savings in ripping to width to our customers.
Ask the sales team shortly for more information.

Trade News

We are currently stocking some new E/Oak 54mm T/T from a brand new mill in Europe. It is good and the sizes are well in our league. It comes with good colour match and has also been kilned well.
 
New stocks of T/T Am Black Walnut had come into stock and one great order then used nearly all of the 54mm! Excellent order!

The U/S redwood is really gathering pace now. We have had really positive feedback from our increasing customer base on this subject; why we did not do this before……. really!!

The aim is very important to get the right shipper and the right grades to offer best value, which so far seems to be working according to plan.
Sure, at the moment we are staying principally with the ‘Plum sizes’, and in effect this works in our favour as we are able to buy well. But we are also able to cherry pick what we want. We have had great support from the agents, with more to come. It is helping with deliveries and cash flow. Long may it continue, providing we stay at the top of the quality ‘tree’.

The realisation that we can re-dry to internal moisture contents has been a real benefit to kitchen and furniture makers in particular, the movement [shrinkage] is far less and the timber becomes more predicable, please let’s have more enquires, we want them!

We have machining time available currently, with reasonably fast turnaround times. We can machine a wide variety of profiles, and we are about to catalogue our profile drawings to enable them to be available by email and on our website. We will also be starting to add your profiles to your personal records to enable us to recall your past purchases. This is quite a large task and we hope to have this available in the next couple of months. We believe that no other company in the market is doing this.

Decking sales are starting to pick up….. well there’s a thing! With all of the choices on the market, beware of a recent Softwood decking exposé. The new Tanalith ‘E’ treatments we are all aware of has less ‘Skull and Cross Bones’ on the tin than in the past. This is good from an environmental point of view. The Forestry Commission and other public bodies are increasingly worried about disposing of a material with large proportions of heavy metals. Imagine all the miles and miles of fencing pre-1990 with all the Copper, Chrome and Arsenic in the timber, it cannot [and should not] be burnt. The timber has to be disposed of in a very professional way. The new treatment only allows for the outer edges to be treated, any cross cut ends will accelerate rotting in the centre rather like fluids passing in a drinking straw. The effect by sunlight, which in the build up of radiation in the face of softwood decking increases the chances of face checking. This leads to splinters, but more importantly, allows moisture penetration and allows water to get into the core of the section, thus increasing the opportunity to rot. False Economy comes to mind. All ends need to be treated. All the comments re ‘80 year old timber makes good decking’, read the small print! Choosing hardwoods for that small cost more gives hugely longer life and the need for maintenance is much reduced compared to softwood. In addition they will cause no environmental problems and are Carbon Neutral in their disposal.

Lets’ be positive in May. All enquires are Very welcome. New speeds in cut to size component cutting offer better value. We are keen to help, keen to quote, keen to have your orders and to give the best results possible.

W.L. WEST & SONS LTD
Selham, Petworth, West Sussex GU28 0PJ
United Kingdom

Tel: 01798 861611   
Fax: 01798 861633   
E-mail: sales@wlwest.co.uk

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