Would Anyone Like a Blank Exchange?

[Christopher K. Hartley]

We have a new request to participate in the "Dirty Turning" event. If you didn't get to participate the first go round but would like to swap a blank with our new participant please let me know. His name is Mike Wenzloff.

[Jeff Horton]

This brings up something I have thought about. Just offering to swap what ever you have for something different. For example I have lots of walnut and may have a lot more soon! I may have a lot of the spalted sweet gum too. I have thought of just offering to swap with someone for something I don't have in my area. Of course the drawback is finding a reasonable way to ship it.

My thinking was, assuming there is not rule against this, post a photo and say you would like to swap and see if anyone was interested Then the offers could be done by PM so as not to clutter up the board.

BTW a fellow I know used to carve decoys and he used Tupaloe Gum. This Cajun fellow used to harvest it from the swamps and he just chainsawed it to size and slapped a mailing label on the wood and shipped them UPS. No box needed. Sure was a funny looking site!

[Tom Jones III]

I like the idea of an open swap thread. We can set the assumption that everything will fit in a flat rate box (11"x8.5"x5.5") unless otherwise specified. You could post to the thread whatever wood you've got commonly available and if there is a wood we are interested in trying. Then we can PM for possible swaps.

For example, I've got plenty of mesquite and native Texas pecan. I'd love to try walnut and holly.

Info about the flat rate box
http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stor...1697&langId=-1

[Christopher K. Hartley]

I think this is a great idea. Maybe John or another of our moderators can tell us if it is permissible.

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

Have plenty of Holly. Sassafras and soon black walnut as soon as a friend makes settlement on a new house and would love some mesquite, pecan or some blackwood for collers and such! Let me know! This will be cool!

[Dennis Peacock]

What about this idea......

You have a roughed out dry bowl that needs to be finish turned from rough, dry bowl to a finished piece. You ship the dry roughed out bowl to whoever wants to swap.

Reduced weight in shipping.
Reduced cost in shipping.
The real challenge is to finish turn someone else's roughed out bowl.

[Pete Jordan]

That makes a ton of sense Dennis!

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Hey this has gone from Cool to Cooler to Coolest

[David Fried]

I think if I received a roughed out bowl from Travis, et. al. my hands would be shaking too much to finish turn it!

[Dennis Peacock]

Well, I just figured that it would be a way to exhange some nice wood, reducing the cost for everyone, increasing the overall challenge in finish turning someone else's form that would help each person to break out of an old habit of form or style. It's a way to grow some in your turning skills with some nice wood and increase the FUN factor. Kinda adds a little "mystery" to it all...even to applying the final finish.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Good idea Dennis, and you would not have to deal with shipping "Wet" wood.

.........but, please announce this on the general forum or somewhere like that, maybe we can draw more into the Vortex.....

[John Miliunas]

I think this is a great idea. Maybe John or another of our moderators can tell us if it is permissible.

Well, it looks as though you already have a moderator involved in the "planning stage" for this so, you should know the answer! I see no problem whatsoever in doing something like this. It's simply an extension of the community atmosphere we have here! If you decide to go with it, let me know and, if it stays on the Turner's Forum, I'll "sticky" it for you. If it goes in the General Forum, you'll have to plead your case with Ken! (But, he's a turner, too! )

[Jeff Horton]

I like that idea a lot Dennis. I hate having to pay $8+ to get a single blank when I get most of mine free. Scared I will blow it up or turn my first funnel.

If you roughed out a bowl to swap you could leave it a bit larger than normal to give the new turner a little freedom too.

[Ed Scolforo]

Sounds good to me, Dennis.

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

The idea of a preturned blank is a great idea ,but 8 bucks is cheap to try a blank of wood you nomally wouldn't have a chance to turn! Try buying a peice of wood from Woodcraft for 8 bucks. I see 2 threads a possibility