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Thread: Wood sources online

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Hampton Roads, Virginia
    Posts
    894

    Wood sources online

    Since I'm limited in storage space and chain saw skills I am mostly purchasing my wood.

    Any recommendations for online sources? Local sources I've found are pretty expensive and don't necessarily cater to the turner.

    Thanks
    RD

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Northern Ohio
    Posts
    524
    What is it that you are looking for?

  3. #3
    One of my favorite online sources is Bell Forrest Products:
    http://www.bellforestproducts.com
    Good selection and reasonable prices.
    There are many others if you do a search. eBay can yield some decent deals and for something different, try Gilmer
    http://www.gilmerwood.com
    Last edited by David DeCristoforo; 10-09-2017 at 2:08 PM.

  4. #4
    most suppliers are expensive. 5 to 10 dollars a board foot are usual and then the cost of shipping. When I lived in Northern Virginia, there was a place outside Dc for hobbyists called Colonial Hardwoods. Dunlap Wood Crafts is in Chantilly, they have a web site.. I have not been to either in over 20 years. Bought a nice curly maple long rifle stock plank from Dunlap years ago. There are a fair number of backwoods saw mills down that way. Some times you can order planks at a reasonable cost, depending on what you want. Our local miller is only part time, but for a please and thank you, he lets anyone root through his cut off pile. I get much of my wood from him. There is also a high end furniture factory in the next town. They mill their own parts out of kiln dried lumber and you can sometimes get cut offs from them for free. I got some hard maple cut offs left over from making tapered table legs. 2&1/4 thick and up to 4 inches wide and some pieces 24 inches long triangulars. . Made several rolling pins as gifts out of those pieces. I recently cut down a small plum tree that died. amazing colors inside. only 7 inches diameter at the base. Something an electric chain saw can easily handle. I understand that storage of drying wood is a problem, but there are sources of kiln dried stuff if you ask around. A furniture place near Gettysburg sells melon crates 4ftx4ftx3ft of oak cut offs for $40. Some is two inches thick. Heck I once got most of my exotic wood free from a casket company. Cherry, teak, mahogany, etc. Our local turners clubs gets offers of wood from trees that have been cut down. Clean it up for the wood. If a dozen members show up to gather the wood, two or three have chain saws. My local club cost $30 a year. That is incredible deal, just for the wood you can get.
    Last edited by Perry Hilbert Jr; 10-09-2017 at 2:21 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Hampton Roads, Virginia
    Posts
    894
    William,

    I guess I could gave been more specific. Doh!

    I'm definitely experimenting at this stage, but:

    Domestic hardwoods mostly. Walnut, cherry, sycamore and maple primarily. Others if available. Green or KD but I mostly turn dry. Of course interesting grain is a plus. I'm not real interested in woods that have a huge color shift like osage orange. I like turning it but dislike the brown color shift.

    I can get 8/4 maple at a decent price - thicker is harder to find. I'd like to get more 3, 4 inch and thicker without mortgaging the house. Also 3 x 3 and 4 x 4 lengths for boxes and vases.

    I know nothing's cheap unless you can start processing wood yourself and that's my intention. For now I'll purchase.

    Thanks
    RD

  6. #6
    Shipping costs these days are exorbitant. Unless you're looking for small blanks that can be economically packaged in flat rate boxes, you're better off buying locally. Even then, there's a reason turners don't usually buy wood. It's just not economical for anyone involved.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Brentwood, TN
    Posts
    684
    I would recommend contacting and joining a local wood turning club. Folks generally come upon more wood than they can process (whole trees, etc.), and will notify club members of new stock that is available. Even not owning a chainsaw, friends in the club will give a piece or two because they know it will go to the fire pit eventually if they hoard. My advice: Also, get an electric chainsaw (battery perebly, or corded) and learn how to prepare green wood safely at home. Here in TN, every storm will produce tons of free wood if you can hoist it to the trunk of your car.
    Maker of Fine Kindling, and small metal chips on the floor.
    Embellishments to the Stars - or wannabees.

  8. #8
    Try West Penn Hardwoods in Hickory NC. https://www.westpennhardwoods.com . They have all kinds of wood blanks for turners. A way cool place to walk through if you're in the area.

    Red
    RED

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    TX, NM or on the road
    Posts
    845
    I make game calls, so I only use blanks that are less than 2x2 square. My online source is almost exclusively Bell Forest Products. Shipping can eat you alive, and that is not including the costs incurred with the wood. My suggestion would be to make good friends with a local tree service, and start processing your own. A $50 electric chain saw will become your next best friend. Not sure on your location, but here at the city recycle location I can pick up tree limbs, trunks etc., for free. Just a lot of labor to get to the end result of blanks. They are all cut, sealed etc., and then air dried. My saw is a Harbor Freight $50 chainsaw.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Hampton Roads, Virginia
    Posts
    894
    Thanks everyone!

    I've looked at the links and Bell Forest seems like a good resource and your endorsements mean a lot.

    I've found a couple on eBay and if any pan out as being exceptional, I'll follow up.

    In the end the only real answer is to process the wood myself - got to figure that out.
    RD

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Colorado Springs, Co.
    Posts
    98
    Richard ... You have come to the right conclusion. You have fabulous wood all around you. All you have to do is start listening for chain saws and following trucks pulling wood chippers. Go to a club near you. Within a week you will have more good wood than you can turn

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    lufkin tx
    Posts
    2,054
    E-Bay is a good source for green wood especially--cheap but freight is kinda rough.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Asheboro,NC
    Posts
    133
    You might try Craigslist for the nearest town you and go to "for sale" and go to free stuff. ( https://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/search/zip )

    I live in NC and check the local CL daily,most often the free wood is oak or pine, but sometimes there is good wood listed like maple or walnut. Sometimes they want you to take all of it and some are ok with me just taking what I can turn.

    Jay Mullins

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760
    Richard,

    Watch our Classifieds Forum here. I will have some black cherry in a couple weeks that I am willing to give away to local woodworkers. I'm just waiting for the weather to cool down a bit before my friends and I cut the tree down, there will be more then we can use. I'm in Gloucester County just across the York River from Yorktown.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Dooling View Post
    In the end the only real answer is to process the wood myself - got to figure that out.
    If you decide to get into processing you can get a lot of help here. I process a lot of tree parts in to turning blanks and would gladly share what I've learned. I use gas and electric chain saws and a bandsaw that will cut 12" thick. Come visit E TN and we can have a wood processing day!

    processing_wood_.jpg processing_wood_2.jpg processing_wood_3.jpg

    It does take some storage space. I use wire shelves to dry in the shop and in some sheds.

    drying_IMG_5757.jpg

    The BIGGEST thing is safety, especially with the chainsaw but also with the bandsaw. When I started chainsawing I read everything I could find about how to be maimed or killed with a chainsaw. (One favorite book is The Good Woodcutter's Guide.) The chainsaw mfgrs have great info in the manuals on their websites. The worst thing is to watch cousin Bubba who knows everything, just ask him.

    I use Stihl saws. My favorite for in the field is a 250 with an 18" bar - light enough in weight to control and will easily cut through a log twice the log diameter. Not nearly as macho as a big saw with a 24" bar (I use that one rarely) but a LOT easier to handle, less tiring, and safer. My favorite for the shop is a Stihl electric - light weight, plenty of power, stops instantly for safety, and can be used both outside and inside.

    For green wood storage one good way is to store the logs outside and cut off just what you need to turn something. That's what the famous John Jordan said he does - keep the log off the ground and out of the sun, cut off about 6" to remove any end cracks then cut a blank to turn.

    JKJ

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