Help finding wood?!?!

[Jeff Borges]

ok.. I have been practicing on all my errrr scraps ..not sure how hard maple becomes a scrap ....now I need some real wood...I have picked thru a few firewood piles locally.. most of it scrubby oak...

the bay seems like these guys really favor their wood....a burl for 75 bucks? he can keep it!!!

Anyhow, I am open to suggestions on how to find wood, otherwise my lathe will just gather ..errr dust?

any help guys?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Where you located?

[Jeff Borges]

Southern california, Steve

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

Hi Jeff! The best friend you can have can be a tree service guy. If you see one removing a tree just pull over and ask for a piece. Give him a card while your there and tell him what your looking for. Give him a bowl or a case of his beer of choice once and awhile and before you know is he'll be delivering it to your door. Works for me.

[Steve Schlumpf]

OK, that rules out a lot of your forest options. One of my sources for spindle stock is the local self-help center. Up here it is called Menards - anyway, any place that sells wood will usually cut the wood to size as a customer service. They sell the cut-offs at a very cheap rate and is always worth checking out the cut-off bin every time I am in the store. I can pick up 4' sections of red cedar 4x4 for $1.69 each during deck building season. Can usually pick up sections of 2x12s for platters, bowls, etc just as cheap.

Other option is simply to put the wood out with everyone you know. Sooner or later there is storm damage or someone cuts down a tree and you can score some wood.

Hope that helps a little.

[Jeff Borges]

thanks guys.. will keep trying...

Just got a chuck and want to try screwing up more nice wood!!!!

[Joash Boyton]

Get A Chainsaw

[Dennis Peacock]

A chainsaw would be nice and talk around to some tree services. Never know what a bowl delivered to one of the guys doing the work will give you in trade. We had a tree service stop by here one time and they delivered a truck load of cuttings and mulch for free. Needless to say, I had plenty to burn and practice my turning on.

[Gary DeWitt]

I'm in SoCal too, and have found a few sources. Craigslist (dot com) has a free section and is searchable by keyword, just search "firewood". You'll find people who have just cut down a tree on their property and want you come by a take the logs away. Some will even post phone numbers, so you can ask first how fresh the wood is, what specie, etc. Of course, you'll need a chainsaw to liberate your blanks. And a band saw would be nice.
Another source, especially for spindle turning, is discarded furniture sitting out on the curbs. Always carry a few basic tools to disasemble with, even a hand saw. See a table with wood legs, just swoop in a take 'em! Just today I glued up some mystery hardwood from a table base I salvaged, into a four piece block for an inside-out turning. I had to trim it up on the table saw first, but it only took a minute. No reason to enrich the wood dealers when there is so much material to hand! Also, once you have a chain saw, you might go around your neighborhood after a storm (we do have one every few years) and find downed public trees or major branches, like from along road sides between the sidewalks and curbs. Check with your city officials first, but they may welcome the help. If you're anywhere near Glendale, the woodturners guild there holds monthly meetings where they raffle off chunks of walnut, mahogany and others that are donated to them by a furniture manufacturer. Their contact info is listed here:
http://www.woodturner.org/

[Jeff Borges]

i hadn't thought of a local "club"! thanks gary...maybe I'll see you there

[Jon Shively]

Jeff, I am new to this turning thing even though I have hauled firewood with a pony before I was old enough to drive an automobile. Amazed at what constitutes good turning wood and the price asked and received for it. Anyway, just last night at the local hardware store I happened to see the owner of a high end cabinet shop. Asked if they ever threw away pieces of wood 3"X3"X8". He asked me if I owned a lathe, and I said I had just bought one. He said there was nothing more satisfying than working on a lathe and sure he had no use for anything that size, feel free to stop and ask the two guys in charge for the opportunity to rummage through the scrap bin before they burn. Oh man, think I will wait until Tuesday so I don't look so "hungry"!! But that is another option. Oh, this shop also is known for Corian (sp?) counter tops so am looking to garner a few of those blanks for pens also.

[Thor Sorensen]

Many municipalities have a yard wast disposal site, at ours besides piles of leaves there were plenty of large branches, tree stumps, hole trees etc. I have not been there since I picked up turning, but am planning on going after I get a chain saw.