Details of Wood Supplier In India

[Vinodhd675]

Dear All, 

Can anyone help with wood suppliers in India for Model Ship Making. 

Regards,
Vinod

[Charles Green]

Vinod:

 

It looks like you have drawn a blank from the rest of us!  Have you inquired to local modelers or clubs?  There may be tree species indigenous to India with wood excellent for modeling that are unknown to anyone outside of your country.  It's possible the Asian variety of box wood may range into NE India.

 

I've done a little digging and found a US supplier "The Lumberyard", that sells West India Boxwood: Gossypiospermum praecox or Casearia praecox.  Not of the specie Buxus, but like many other woods, it has characteristics of box that make it desirable for modeling. It may be available to you locally.

Edited March 23, 2022 by Charles Green
Additional information.

[mtaylor]

Vinod,

You may have to do the same as many of us here....order from companies on line.   We do have a number of sponsors (listed on the main page) who supply wood.  They would also be able to tell you if they can ship to India.

[allanyed]

 Just as an FYI I believe West India boxwood is from West Indies, not India so there is the same issue in shipping or worse as the Lumberyard gets it from their source then would have to transship to India.  If possible it is better if Vinod finds a local wood supplier rather than one from the US.  

Allan

Edited March 24, 2022 by allanyed

[Jaager]

Vinod,

 

If you are just dipping your toe into all of this, then paying for expensive imports may be the way your have to go.

 

If this is a long term prospect.  If you are considering scratch POF and working at the higher range of scale =>1:72, then becoming self sufficient may be the more economically practical option.

The initial investment in tools is a bit daunting,  but the savings over time will fairly quickly get you into the black.

If you do this, then perhaps YOU could become the supplier in India.

 

Tools:

A quality and powerful 14" band saw - with bimetal or carbide blades - the all steel dull and break too quickly and the low cost ones have too much set and really chew up the face of the cut.

A thickness sander - you can make your own from a 1/3-1/2 HP motor, but a Byrnes is the gold  standard.

Something with an edger function if you sell to others.

And for turning resawn and sanded stock into strips and miniature timber

A Byrnes table saw.   unfortunately for those outside the US, there is really no real substitute.

 

As for wood -  I am highly biased toward using species that are domestic for you. 

In light of this, in your place, I would seriously  investigate the following species:

Ailanthus altissima - Ailanthus, tree of heaven, Chinese sumac   if it is as open pore as is suggested - its use would be where it is hidden, or sealed and painted.

Alstonia scholaris  - Indian pulai, white cheesewood, milky pine, blackboard tree

Aglaia cucullata  - Pacific maple, aglaia, bekak, amoora, tasua

Acer pseudoplatanus  -  Sycamore maple, European sycamore

and maybe the star that we wish we could get:

Chloroxylon swietenia  -  East Indian Satinwood, Ceylon Satinwood

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Jaager

[Roger Pellett]

I would like to add to Jagger’s excellent post.  Many years ago, I was on a business trip to Taiwan and decided that I wanted to bring home some Teak Wood.  Teak is not a good ship modeling wood, but it makes nice ship model display cases.  After some persuasion my business contact took me to a small woodworking shop who sold me a nice piece of teak and cut it into two pieces so I could check it with my luggage for the flight home. I still have some in my stash.

 

I would visit small woodworking shops where you live.  These will almost always be out of the way sort of operations.  They should be equipped with a power saw to break down lumber.  The guy in the shop in Taiwan had a bandsaw.  A decent sized table saw will work too but it will produce more waste.  I would first see what sort of woods that they have.  There are probably excellent woods in India that we are unfamiliar with.  You are looking for close grained woods without a pronounced grain structure.  Your shop should be able to saw the wood into billets or slabs.  If you can get to this point perhaps you can work with your shop to produce more finished sheets.  Otherwise you will need to invest in the miniature saw and sanding equipment that Jagger mentions.

 

Roger

[Vinodhd675]

Thanks all for response, its great help.

[Charles Green]

Vinod:

 

Tell us what you find.  There are a lot of wood junkies on this site, all waiting to hear.