Trend Timbers

Wood Turning Blanks

About our wood turning blanks
Trend Timbers stocks a broad range of wood turning blanks for bowls, spindles and squares, cut from species chosen for grain, colour and workability on the lathe. Our range includes walnut, camphor laurel, huon pine, jarrah, mahogany, coachwood, red cedar and more, so whether you’re after a striking feature grain for a platter or a stable, even-grained timber for spindle work, you’ll find something suited to the job. Get in touch if you’re after a species you can’t see listed.

Choosing a blank: size and species
The right blank depends on what you’re turning. Bowl blanks are generally cut close to square, with the thickness set by the finished bowl’s depth plus an allowance for mounting and any warping during drying. As a rough guide, allow extra diameter and thickness beyond your intended finished piece to give yourself room to true up the blank and turn away any surface checking. Spindle blanks are longer and narrower, sized to the piece you’re making — a pepper mill or goblet needs more length than a set of finials or small handles.
Species choice matters as much as size. Dense, close-grained timbers such as jarrah or mahogany tend to hold fine detail well and take a crisp finish, while timbers with strong figure, like camphor laurel or walnut, are better suited to simple forms that let the grain do the talking. If you’re new to turning, starting with a stable, well-behaved species is a good way to build confidence before moving on to timbers with more pronounced figure or a tendency to move as they dry.

Beyond turning stock, we also cut carving wood, thin dressed box making timber and pen blanks, and keep naturally featured pieces suited to epoxy resin work.

Visit us or order online
Trend Timbers has been trading from our Mulgrave yard in Sydney’s north-west since 1969, and we ship timber Australia-wide. If you’re local, you’re welcome to come in and select blanks in person to check colour, grain and weight before you buy. If you can’t see the species or size you’re after listed online, get in touch — email info@trendtimbers.com.au or call (02) 4577 5277 and we’ll let you know what’s available.