Wood sources online

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

as far as chain saw safety. There was an on-line chain saw safety course a few years ago, certainly better than just going out and doing. My Mrs. went out and bought a little 14 inch Stihl chain saw for herself and I had her go through that course. I got her a bright pink hard hat for when she was in the woods cutting with me. Chain saws are very intimidating and having a healthy respect for their danger is a good thing. I know I do some things that would make loggers cringe. But I am darn careful about most things.

[Robert Willing]

I live about 60 miles from Bellforest. Whenever I go to Marquette, MI I stop and look thru their rummage pile and sometimes get scraps for as little as $2.00. love that place.

[Scott T Smith]

Call Chris Sommerville at Somerton Ridge Hardwoods in Suffolk VA - not that far from you. A great supplier and quite a variety of wood in stock. Very reasonable prices too.

http://somertonridgehardwoods.com/

[paul vechart]

Try turningblanks.net they are in South Carolina. They have a good selection and are reasonable. I will order from them again.

Paul

[Richard Dooling]

Wow, a lot of helpful info here – thanks everyone!

I have some decent sources for logs but I have to admit that the chain saw intimidates me a little. I’ve been using shop tools for decades but the chainsaw seems a different dog altogether.

I do need to have a better work platform that I can feel confident in. I also need to be able to get the wood up off the ground. My knees and back are as old as I am.

As with anything I’m sure I’ll get better and more confident with experience but I want to keep turning while I figure out how I want my cutting station and storage. That and looking at woods not readily available here prompted me to start this thread.
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Perry, West Penn looks interesting. I see they do specify bowl blanks on their site.

Jay, I do check Craig’s list but have found little that’s interesting. Still, I do check!

Thanks Keith, I’ll be on the lookout. BTW we met some time back while I worked at the Norfolk Woodcraft. You gave me a hat!

John K. Jordan, I’d love to see your part of the country! I found a copy of The Good Woodcutter's Guide and have ordered it. I previewed a little of it on Amazon. It looks good.

Also, are you saying that the famous John Jordan leaves the logs whole and unsealed?

Perry that’s a good reminder. I found a few videos before but I need to look again.

Scott, thanks for the tip and the name. Suffolk is very close to here. I’ll contact them.

Paul, this is interesting. I found them with a Google search the other day and I liked their site. Thanks for providing a recommendation.

[John K Jordan]

Also, are you saying that the famous John Jordan leaves the logs whole and unsealed?

Yes. John said he never gets wood in short log sections but in a longer log, even if he has to buy the log and pay for delivery. He never coats the ends. Sets the log up off the ground and keep it cool and out of the sun. When ready to turn something, he cuts off 6" with the chainsaw and throws it away, inspects the newly exposed end of the log, and if OK he cuts off what he needs for just that one turning. This method might be more difficult for those who don't have room to keep whole logs or like a big variety of species. BTW, he does store chunks of wet wood for a short time (a day or two) by wrapping in plastic like saran wrap, for example, to carry to a demo or class. He gave me one of his hollow form blanks once that was wrapped like that.

Also, I hear this over and over: don't collect too much green wood!

The best advice I've heard comes from several people. One expert, Steven Russell, recommends something he learned the hard way: never acquire more green wood than you can turn in a week or two! In some parts of the country green wood is so abundant there is always more. It is easy to take more than you can use and end up with piles of splitting or rotting firewood. I've read messages from people here and on other forums who had this problem!

As mentioned, I don't turn much green wood so my method is a little different: I try not to take more wood than I can process into blanks to dry within a few weeks. It's hard, especially since there are so many trees here on my own property. Most of the wood from wind falls and trees that need to be removed goes to waste.

BTW, Stephen Russell has a wealth of turning information on his web site: http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/
If nothing else, look at the Main Library and the Tips Library.

JKJ

[ELY WALTON]

Thanks everyone! [...] In the end the only real answer is to process the wood myself - got to figure that out.

FWIW, I have a 16 in. cordless chainsaw with a 40v Lithium battery (don't laugh - cuts great - even rips!), which I keep in the back of the car just in case I see something along the side of the road. It is powerful, quiet and quick. Also, if you go to your local Craigs List, it may have a section called "free." Just search for "wood" within a radius of your zip code, and you may find some opportunities to pick up a few pieces of something ...

Ely

[Richard Dooling]

Also, I hear this over and over: don't collect too much green wood!

The best advice I've heard comes from several people. One expert, Steven Russell, recommends something he learned the hard way: never acquire more green wood than you can turn in a week or two!

JKJ

Too true. I had two trees removed and kept the wood. Then I realized I hadn't really come up with a way to deal with all that wood and I've allowed it to become mostly junk. Lesson learned. Just because it's available doesn't mean I can use it.

I've mostly figured out my storage, although it is limited. I have saws and most safety gear. Trying to figure lifting logs onto a stand i like.

Wish I'd known about the idea of leaving the log whole before a sectioned a 6 foot sassafras. Thanks for the link.

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Ely, new battery tech is pretty amazing. I'd say I now use cordless drill over 90% of the time. What model saw do you have?

[ELY WALTON]

[...] Ely, new battery tech is pretty amazing. I'd say I now use cordless drill over 90% of the time. What model saw do you have?

Hi Richard! I chose the GreenWorks 40v with 16 inch bar. The reviews were good and the quality seems OK for that class of saw so far. (The saw without the battery is priced in the disposable range.) I read somewhere that Stihl bought a minority share of the Chinese parent company and just that association helped me with the decision.

If you go this route, you are kind of locked into GreenWorks 40v battery family of other stuff (e.g., trimmers, lawn mowers, etc.)

Have fun and be safe! Ely

[Len Mullin]

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.

Bob, I got a pretty good chuckle out of this response, I just figured you were an American but I may be wrong. Anyway, I would love to be able to mail items at the price that Americans can. Mailing anything here in Canada is scandalous, the prices Canada Post charges to mail anything are unreal. They double charge, you get charged the postage, then you get charged for the weight and cubic inch size. Canada Post is hurting, they've cut way back on services and employees and sky-rocketed the prices.
Len

[John K Jordan]

...there's a reason turners don't usually buy wood. It's just not economical for anyone involved.

Bob,

Seems to me that depends on the type of woodturning done and the turner's location. Bowls from green wood in areas where trees grow, yes, many turners don't buy wood, although I do know some "high-end" turners who say they buy logs, probably to get exactly what they want and the cost doesn't matter much. And judging from our club's annual wood auction MANY turners even in the heart of hardwood territory are willing to pay significant money for wood for bowls and otherwise. Some don't or can't use a chain saw for physical reasons; some don't have a way to lift and transport.

People who live in places where there are few trees or nearly no hardwoods often buy wood. For example, a friend from a western desert area visited here on the way home from John C Campbell - said she simply couldn't get wood where she lived. When she left my place her station wagon suspension was bottomed out from wood, some big slabs from my sawmill. She insisted on paying anyway, saying she simply couldn't get wood without a huge expense.

Turners who don't live beyond the green bowl may have little use for them, but people like me who enjoy turning exotics like ebony, lignum vitae, rosewoods, etc. often buy wood - some are fairly big chunks imported from Peru (up to 12x12x8"). Quality burls almost always bring a good price from turners. I had four planks of northern basswood shipped here from Wisconson to turn, the biggest 4"x12"x48" thick.

My favorite dealer for exotics, btw, is Pete Keckle (Big Monk Lumber in KY) who brings a huge variety of wood to many of the regional symposiums. He does brisk sales, makes money, customers go away happy. BTW, Pete doesn't have a "store" to visit (I wish he did) but does list items on his web site and sells by mail. He does occasionally have domestic woods so it might be worth a call. I called him last year and asked him to stuff as many African Blackwood clarinet bell blanks into a large flat rate box - had them in my hands two days later. (BTW, I've known Pete for years and he's a wonderful guy to deal with.)

This is one thing I made from Dogwood and one of the clarinet bell blanks. I'll gladly pay for such wood!
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Bob, I got a pretty good chuckle out of this response, I just figured you were an American but I may be wrong. Anyway, I would love to be able to mail items at the price that Americans can. Mailing anything here in Canada is scandalous, the prices Canada Post charges to mail anything are unreal. They double charge, you get charged the postage, then you get charged for the weight and cubic inch size. Canada Post is hurting, they've cut way back on services and employees and sky-rocketed the prices.
Len

Canadian post sounds like a bummer. I've run into a bit of that too and was surprised at the cost of shipping, almost as bad as shipping to Italy. We have exchanged a few things with Canadian friends by way of a "courier" - a Canadian acquaintance who periodically drives between here and there.

JKJ

[Randy Red Bemont]

West Penn has a huge sale starting on the 25th I believe.

Red

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