Where do you get your bowl blanks...

[john davey]

I know harvesting your own wood is the cheapest way to get blanks. Of course not all species are available in all areas. Plus this can be hard work some may not want to do. So is there a market for bowl blanks out there. I did see that there are people selling them on eBay and I do see classified adds here from time to time.

My question is two fold here as I have a friend that sells about 200 cord of firewood a year. He is unwilling to do anything but cut the wood as fire wood as that is his bread and butter. But after talking he is interested in talking to me more about selling off blanks. He would provide me with wood that I would have to bandsaw into blanks and then do all of the selling and shipping. If nothing else I think I have a gloat as I now have a good source for wood but I am thinking this could be worth it for me in the long run as a little side business for some tool money . I know I wont get rich doing this but it might me worth while.

So is there a market for bowl blanks via the mail or do I just have a nice wood gloat for myself? Thanks, John.

[Scott Hackler]

Unless your talking about burls and highly figured wood, I am afraid that there is no market for selling and mailing blanks. The cost of shipping (even a large flat rate box) makes it too expensive for ordinary wood.

Burls and figured wood always has a market and even more so if you were able to slab and kiln dry. That removes the "turner only" aspect and applies to general woodworking.

Now there is a market for regular wood blanks IF someone processes them immediately after falling the tree, seals them in paraffin and sets up a booth at the various turning symposiums. Mike Smith with Century Woods proves that, but he spends 3-4 months every year in the pacific northwest harvesting wood.

[Al Wasser]

Besides Mike Smith there are several on line sellers and many more on Ebay. I buy a lot of stuff off of Ebay because the wood species available locally are pretty limited. As Scott says burls and fancy grained woods bring the highest prices

[Chip Sutherland]

Various sources in no order of preference:
1) SWAT Conferences
Mike Smith/Century Lumber - wonderful vendor (like Scott says)
Monk Lumber - wonderful vendor
2) Ebay - have to be spectacular pieces at a good price. Rule: my total cost <= 1/3 of what I can sell the finished piece for. and shipping has to be reasonable. Green wood is heavy so shipping costs are usually more. Last purchase was for six 6" oak burls/$72
3) FOG - Found On Ground wood - storms have provided me with many log rounds
4) Woodcraft - usually catch some pieces on sale; I'm very picky. 1/3 Rule is invoked
5) Wood World of Texas - usually catch some pieces on sale; I'm very picky. 1/3 Rule is invoked. I tend to shop these guys for project wood. Last project was a lectern and they carry 8/4, 12/4 and 16/4 Afr Mahogany. These guys are a huge supported of my favorite woodturning club so shopping with them is a pleasure
6) Choice Woods - great online shopping experience. Good marketing, too. Came thru in a crisis situation with 6 pcs maple 14x14x3 for collection plate commission. Good price but being green the shipping was a big chunk of the cost. Still I stayed under the 1/3 rule when everything was delivered.
7) Bad Dog Burls - have not shopped them yet but OMG they have burl supplies to drool over. To heck with the 1/3 Rule..LOL.

So there is a market for blanks but is the volume you can process and manage large enough to make it worth your time/effort? I would think going to a woodturning conference may be the best approach as online sales are a hassle and brick-n-mortar stores are expensive. You could try selling blanks at woodturning club meetings...if they allow it. In my area there are 4 that would probably be a good target market.

[john snowdon]

I'm really just finally learning how to turn more than pens but I've been purchasing blanks from these folks.

www.turningblanks.net: They have domestic woods and have started kiln drying some of the species they stock.

www.burlsource.com: Bad Dog Burls is near me. Chip is absolutely correct! Rob has some outrageous wood! I've purchased some beautiful Amboyna burl from him and have yet to work up the courage to actually use it! Getting close...

[Rich Harkrader]

I've had great experiences with Green Valley Wood Products (http://gvwp.net/) who also sell on ebay under the username monitorseller. Most of my stuff comes from tree services and construction clearing. As for your question about a side business, I think it varies greatly according to the wood you'll be able to get from your friend. Figured, burl and crotch wood seems to fetch the highest prices. Things like flame box elder or maple, spalted woods and ambrosia/beetle kill/wormy can sell well also. Fruit woods like apple and cherry and pear do well. Again, it just really depends on what kinds of wood you can get from your friend. If it's plain old oak and maple and the like, you might do better getting some kind of mill and making flat lumber.

Rich

[john davey]

Thanks for the replies. I think I miss used the word business. Think more like spare pocket change here. He gets all kinds of wood that grow here. Washington DC area up to the PA line. Cherry, Walnut, Maple, Oak, Poplar and more. I believe I can work this where I can pick out the pieces I want from the collection and then bandsaw it. He is in the landscape business and has been for a long time. This has given him many contacts in the tree business who drop the wood on his lots for him to sell. He gets the wood free as the tree guys do not have to pay to dispose of it. I think I will check out his lot sometime soon and grab a small amount and prepare it just to see how things go on eBay. It seems there are people already doing this on eBay utilizing sizes that fit in flat rate boxes. If no one bites I have some blanks so nothing is lost. At least this would give me a starting point.

I will look into shows and such but don't know of any at this time. But I am sure there are some around here....John

[curtis rosche]

Seems there's gotta be an issue somewhere with constant shipping of wood due to invasive species. I'm just guessig but it would seem some way of knowing all living things from the wood are dead should be used. Like a microwave for 30 seconds or something. Even if it's not manditory

[allen thunem]

it you are looking for "rough" turned bowl blanks try this guy
http://www.roughoutbowls.com

[Chip Sutherland]

Seems there's gotta be an issue somewhere with constant shipping of wood due to invasive species. I'm just guessig but it would seem some way of knowing all living things from the wood are dead should be used. Like a microwave for 30 seconds or something. Even if it's not manditory

I have pondered this question myself. My wood stash piqued my pest guy's interest, too. He just told me to call if I saw any odd flying/crawling bugs or any dust mounds near my wood. The only thing I have ever encountered where the worms and beetles in locally harvested mesquite.

[Russell Neyman]

1. Our local AAW chapter has a wonderful monthly wood auction, and good maple, cherry, maple, and other "everyday" species can be had for bargain prices.

2. I stay in touch with the power, telephone, and cable guys, asking them to give me a call when a storm blows own anything out of the ordinary.

3. For exotics, I have no choice but to buy from a dealer. The best bang for the buck in Puget Sound is The Boardhoarder in Kirkland because he has almost no overhead. Tickled, Woodcraft, and Edensaw are very expensive.