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Thread: I've enough wood to tire a woodpecker!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    South of Fort Worth, Texas
    Posts
    296

    I've enough wood to tire a woodpecker!

    I've told ya'll about this before but it seems that a pool cue company had a lot of wood (a LOT!!! of wood!) that they could not use and gave it to my school district to use in shop classes. That would be fantastic . . . except that we don't have shop classes!

    I was told today that I could come by and pick up some wood for the Freedom Pens Program. After work I went to the warehouse and saw 20 pallets of this stuff!! It is the square blanks used to make the butt end of pool sticks and is all Brazilian Hardwood . . . whatever that is! The pieces are unsuitable for the pool sticks because they are slightly bent, twisted, or have a water stain on them. There is absolutely NOTHING that would prevent the wood from becoming pens!

    I picked out the smallest pallet and they loaded it on my pickup with a forklift. You should've seen my truck squat when then sat that pallet on it!!!

    I called a friend who has some extra storage space and met him there. He used his forklift to offload the pallet and put it in storage for me.

    A quick count was made . . . 25 pieces across times 15 pieces high . . . and double that because it's stacked two deep . . . carry the ought . . . I came up with about 750 pieces of wood!

    Each piece of wood is 1 1/2" by 1 1/2 inches by 21 1/2 inches . . . Hmmmm . . . resaw them lengthwise both directions . . . that makes 4 pieces divided by the blank length means each piece will make 16 pens . . . multiplied by the 750 pieces . . . carry the ought again . . . WOW . . . I have enough pretty wood to make 12,000 pens!!!!

    Anyone wanting any wood for Freedom Pens I can FIX YOU UP!!! Warning, though, this stuff is HEAVY! It has a high oil content and close grain similar to cocobolo. Shipping won't be cheap.

    I don't have a clue as to what it will cost to mail it anywhere. What may be better than mailing is to bulk truck to a specific area where a large amount can be distributed locally to save on shipping costs. If there is anyone in the DFW area who wants some of this wood for Freedom Pens, I'll be happy to have you come and get it, or I can meet you somewhere to deliver it.

    I really prefer, however, for the wood to be used for Freedom Pens and not a commercial venture (I know . . . I know . . . you'll make a couple of pens or so for yourself, friends or family and I'm OK with that. I just don't want to misrepresent to the school district what is being done with the wood, plus I really don't want to work hard on this thing for someone else to make money off of it).

    If you have a turn-a-thon or demo coming up and need some wood . . . this is it! The wood turns great and finishes nicer than anything else I've worked.

    Here's a photo of the pallet:
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Had a Universal 50 watt laser for 3 years and upgraded to a Trotec Speedy 360 80 watt. Shop is full of woodworking tools and equipment that I'm trying to wear out.
    Favorite wood is Mesquite. I love long walks along the sawmill stacks. Looking for tools that understand the inner me - who love me for what I can do with them.

  2. #2

    Thumbs up

    Looks like quite a HAUL there Jerry.

    Steve


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    288
    Hey Jerry,
    What a score! You say this is only ONE of the pallets? This could keep the pens comming for the entire Government!
    Can you see what the shipping cost would be to fill one of those free-be Post Office boxes, like Ken uses? Are you going to figure out different ways to ship the blanks? Let us know; I'm interested in getting some.

    I also want to thank you for the time & effort you spent from your already jammed schedule, to upload my pen pic. It seems like the truely dedicated people, ALWAYS find time to help, no matter what the task.
    Thanks, Jerry.You are a true champ!

    John....an excitedly happy Freedom pen turner.
    NOTHING beats a failure,but a try.
    -------------------------------------------
    Have a Blessed Day,

    JMC

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Johnson City, TN
    Posts
    665
    Jerry

    Wow, that's a load! I would love to have some for these pen kits that I have from Ken. I would be glad to pay shipping. Just let us know if you will ship them and how much it is.


    Sparky Paessler
    Sparky Paessler

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Blackfoot Idaho
    Posts
    274
    Hi Jerry,

    I have an idea, but I don't know how to pull it off. In June we're having the second annual Penturners Rendezvous, and I would like to promote the Freedom Pen Project in some way. It would be nice to get a palat of this wood and give it out with information about the FPP and where to send pens. We hold this in conjunction with the Utah Woodturning Symposium, so I could also promote the FPP the same way at the swap meet night. I mean, any woodturner is going to pick up a free piece of beautiful tropical hardwood! And when they read what the FPP is all about, they may even make some pens and get involved!

    I just don't know how to get a pallat to Provo Utah from where you're at! Any ideas? Maybe check and see what the freight would be, and I'll scrape up donations to cover it! What do you think?

    Scott.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Indiana, PA
    Posts
    287
    Jerry,
    I'm interested here in PA. If you/we can figure out how to get some. Let me know. I'll pay for shipping, probably best UPS or FEDEX.

    Let me know either post here or email me at smallturnings@yahoo.com

    Blake McCully

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    South of Fort Worth, Texas
    Posts
    296
    This evening I cut a couple of the pieces into 4 equal lengths of 5 1/4" which should be long enough for most pen blanks. Each piece can be split both directions lengthwise to make 4 blanks. That done, I can fit 9 of the pieces into a Post Office flat rate envelope - enough for 36 pen blanks.

    The shipping will be $3.85 but I'm gonna charge $4.00 because I'm going to wrap the envelopes with clear packaging tape so that they won't come apart like they did with the corian shipments. At 15 cents over the shipping cost, I'm not making any money off of you after I pay for tape! Considering the weight, I'm not so sure that if you need more than 36 blanks, it wouldn't be cheaper to let me ship it in more than one flat rate envelope!

    I went by WalMart today and got a roll of the brown shipping paper and some duct tape. I'm thinking that for larger shipments - say 8-10 pieces - I can just tape it together and wrap it in the brown paper with a label on the outside. I'll put one together and take it to the post office to get an idea on shipping cost.

    A buddy of mine took a piece and planed it to show off the grain. WOW! It's pretty stuff! I didn't have time to take a photo but I will Wednesday afternoon and post it in the evening.

    I'm all for the idea of getting a pallet of it to Provo . . . how that's gonna happen is another story! I'll check with a freight company to get an idea on cost. Anybody going on vacation from DFW that can carry some?

    Thanks!

    Jerry
    Had a Universal 50 watt laser for 3 years and upgraded to a Trotec Speedy 360 80 watt. Shop is full of woodworking tools and equipment that I'm trying to wear out.
    Favorite wood is Mesquite. I love long walks along the sawmill stacks. Looking for tools that understand the inner me - who love me for what I can do with them.

  8. #8
    i would definately be interested in some just want to see the graining on it

    so when you going after more


    if that was just te small skid i would love to see the others

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Gainesville, Florida
    Posts
    743
    Jerry,

    I'd be more than happy to try a pack. Just let me know how to get my $4 to you. We really appreciate your hard work on this issue as well as all the effort you've already put into the FPP.

    Do you have any idea regarding the wood species yet?
    Kent Cori

    Half a bubble off plumb

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Conway, Arkansas
    Posts
    13,181
    Jerry Ol' Buddy.....

    Just send me a couple of packs of them blanks. I still have about 80 to 90 more FPP pens to turn before I say that I'm done.

    One of these days, I'm gonna plan a trip to come and see you in PERSON!!!!
    Thanks & Happy Wood Chips,
    Dennis -
    Get the Benefits of Being an SMC Contributor..!
    ....DEBT is nothing more than yesterday's spending taken from tomorrow's income.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Arizona (Between Phx & Tucson
    Posts
    10

    Thumbs up Blanks

    Hi Jerry, I would sure like some of the blanks. I'm just today mailing another 24 pens in! I have just about exhausted my supply of blanks as I don't have $$$ for many. I would happily send you $8 for 2 packages through paypal if you have an account there. Let me know and I'll email you my address. My email is alnbev@starband.net
    Thank you for your efforts to this fine project.

  12. #12
    If you are wrapping 8-10 in a brown paper package, UPS might be cheaper... I am definately interested in 10 -20 for the 2 day turnathon my clubs are holding in June or early July..

  13. #13
    Jerry,

    I'll do (2) packages @ $4.00/pkg. e-mail me at kurtandkaren@vermontel.net with the address of where to send the money order and I'll reply with my mailing address.

    Thanks Jerry, for the opportunity to work with different than normal wood.
    Last edited by Kurt Aebi; 09-15-2005 at 5:30 PM.
    Wood is Good!
    Greetings from The Green Mountain State!

    Kurt

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    537

    Wood

    Hi Jerry, You can send me 3 pack of wood. I think you have my address. Do You pay pal ??
    Thanks , Earl Reid

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Neoga, IL
    Posts
    338
    Count me in for a pack.
    JB

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