Where do you obtain your turning wood?

[Victor Robinson]

I'm just curious where most turners obtain their wood. For the purposes of the poll, please specify where the BULK of your wood comes from.

I've been bitten by the turning bug but it unfortunately dawned on me that there's not very much free wood around these parts, aside from softwoods (e.g. reclaimed construction lumber) and red oak. Can't exactly walk into the backyard and get some maple/birch/cherry/walnut etc. Additionally, I live in an urban area, so there just isn't much in the way of firewood or tree-cutting going on. Unfortunately, for me, this means this is going to be very much a "pay to play" activity and I need to find online sources of blanks and pony up shipping. :rolleyes:

How about you?

[Roger Chandler]

I go to the woods and cut occasionally, downed trees on a friends farm, also have a tree arborist who blesses our club occasionally, and also from time to time a piece might be picked up at one of the silent auctions of the turning clubs I belong to......for a very nominal cost.......maybe a buck or two.

[Dan Hintz]

I fit into a couple of categories in your list, but I chose "find it myself". Some comes from friends, some I harvest myself, some I purchase (the more exotic stuff I obviously purchase... no easy trips to Australia).

[Bernie Weishapl]

I harvest a lot of mine here. We are very rural here but where I used to live as a kid the gentleman lets me harvest trees there near the creek. Just wished we had like cherry, apple, maple, etc. but most of the wood we have is ash, elm, cottonwood, osage orange, honey locust with some occasional mulberry. The local tree trimmer supplies me with some occasional maple. I have driven to Missouri for a whole load of black walnut. I will buy wood sometimes if I need it for a special project.

[Thom Sturgill]

Like Dan I fit more than one category. i purchase some online or at a Woodcraft store when I'm near one, but get a lot through the turning club.

[Russell Eaton]

I find and process most of mine, but try to process it on my sawmill. The blanks are more square than with a chainsaw.

[Rodney Walker]

So far it's been what I can find along the side of the road. Recently I called a local guy who runs a Craig's list ad for turning blanks. He sold me more very good wood at very reasonable prices than I've picked up in approximately 2 years of looking for free stuff. I don't own a chainsaw so my options are somewhat limited until I do.
Rodney

[Alan Trout]

I find my material where ever. Mostly found, scavenged, or given wood and materials. However I have bought a few pieces and of course I will pick up a chainsaw when I need to.

Alan

[Jerry Marcantel]

Call your city and county DOT, and get with the guy responsible for landscaping...... You shouldn't have a problem getting wood from your city....... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Greg Just]

Like others have said, it depends on the project. I do harvest my own when I can but if I'm making a segmented piece or a coffee mug I buy kiln dried wood normally at the local Mills Fleet Farm.

[Pete Jordan]

I made friends with a tree cutter. I give him turning lessons and he gives me wood.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Whenever possible, I harvest myself. I've put the word out with most everyone I know that if they know of a tree going down, let me know. They usually get a bowl as a finder's fee, along with the owner of the tree. Local arborists can let you know when they're taking something down interesting - I got to know a few when I noticed their trucks were always fueling up at the same station I use in the morning. A little conversation is often all it takes.
There's a woodlot outside of town that will sell me offcuts from figured maple logs they harvest and sell to instrument makers - not everything makes the cut, the rest is often cut up for firewood unless I often to take it off their hands. Sometimes only costs me a tip to the guy that helps load it. Usually I offer to pay a little to keep the relationship going. Sometimes I've gotten freshly cut cherry, sycamore and alder there, too.
Just north of you in the Sacramento valley is one of the largest sources of nut woods in the west - Walnut, pecan, olives, pistacios all grow everywhere. There's a number of walnut sawyers up there that sell very large slabs to furniture makers. I visited one near Chico and found that they had a scrap pile that measured in the acres. They didn't use the top cut from the logs, often in the 36 to 40 inch diameter. The top cut is often 6 to 8 inches thick on a log that size. They let me help myself, and even threw in an older burl about 40" in diameter before I got out of there. It wasn't the freshest burl I've seen, but the price was right, and it turned into a lot of blanks.
The point is, Ask around. Let people know what you're doing, they'll usually go out of their way to help. Arborists need to get rid of whatever they can't chip. That means paying to drop it in a landfill. Sometimes they'll deliver it to you just to get it off their hands.
The suggestion to get together with your city or county landscaper - we actually have a city arborist here. They've got the same problem and often have a yard they haul it all off to.
Finally, I only buy pieces I can't get any other way.
Good hunting.

[Dennis Ford]

I voted "Find and harvest it myself" because that happens quite a bit. This is usually dead or fallen trees. If it is quite a bit of fresh wood, I share with other local woodturners. I also get quite a bit when they share with me. I occasionally buy a special piece.

[John Keeton]

When I first started turning, I bought nearly all my wood, but in the last year or so, I have accumulated a fair amount of local wood from various sources, including neighbors, tree trimmers, CL, etc. We have acreage and some woods, but I haven't yet been able to justify the time and trouble of felling trees for wood.

North of you is home to some of the nicest turning wood available. One source you may want to check out is Northwoods (http://www.nwfiguredwoods.com/) - Les and Susan are good folks and even with my distance from them, I have made a few purchases and have been pleased. Their cut blocks are a nice way to get some highly figured wood with less shipping and less "processing" time on your part. They also often take road trips with stops along the way. Get on their email list.

There are several sources I have used in the eastern half of the country, but shipping might be prohibitive. Most folks sell green wood and it can be quite heavy.

[Tony Profera]

So far club offerings and trees I see around town.

[Peter Turbide]

Victor,

Take alook here it's located in Santa Rosa they make gun stocks lots of cast offs and pallets of walnus about 2X3X10 for sale.

http://www.calicohardwoods.com/ (http://www.calicohardwoods.com/)

[Jon Nuckles]

I am also in the middle of a large city, but was able to find an arborist who provides me with lots of wood. He drops it at his lot and I cut and take whatever looks good, leaving the occasional gift of quality microbrews. It is sometimes feast or famine, but I have plenty of roughouts to see me through the lean times. Look up your local arborists or city crews and make a few calls; you may end up with more wood than you can handle!

[Robert Henrickson]

Just listen for a chainsaw -- that syren/siren's (take your pick of spellings) seductive call to the woodturner! That works in the 60 year old subdivision where I live -- lots of mature trees. If you see a tree crew working, stop and try asking for a few pieces -- I've only been turned down once. Usually they'll fill the car.

[Victor Robinson]

Well, I don't suppose there's anything particularly surprising in the data to YOU all, lol.

I hope the one turner with the secret might be willing to share. Or at least PM me. :D

And thanks all for the advice and sources...as I get further into turning I'll definitely try to make some contacts. As a beginner I can't even repay with neat turning projects..."Look, I made you a rod! It's actually straight!"

[Bill Wyko]

What can I say, I'm a segmenter. I buy it by the BF.

[Harry Robinette]

I get all my wood from trees.:D Mostly stuff from downed trees and people know I turn and there's always someone calling me that has wood.

[Mike Cruz]

I voted for the revving chainsaw, though the second choice is a favorite, too...

My real answer is: TREES!!!:D

[Fred Perreault]

I am lucky to be able to get some wood from my own property, and because of my contacts with many local contractors I get calls all of the time. The occasional storm produces a selection of trees, both beside the road and in bulk from cleanups. I even have some friends who drop a load of stuff off at my hacienda. I have educated some of the contractors about what wood and parts of the tree are better than others. I get a rare burl, but lots of crotch sections and large diameter logs. A gift once in a while keeps them interested. My offcuts and culls are fodder for some friends who heat with wood. If you put the word out, it's likely that you might get more wood than you can use. I consider myself very fortunate.

[Victor Robinson]

Sometimes it makes me wonder...do y'all have access to free/cheap wood because you're turners or are you turners because you have access to free/cheap wood!

[Bill Bukovec]

I usually get mine free. It helps that I have a chainsaw.

This summer I noticed a downed sugar maple a few blocks from my house. I stopped and asked the homeowner if I could have it.

He said it wasn't very good for firewood because the tree had some rot. I said that's OK, I use it for wood turning. He looked at me funny and said, "You mean make stuff from firewood?". I said yes. Not all the wood is usable, but I will haul it all away for you.

Well, the "rot" turned out to be some very nice spalting. I roughed out a bunch of nice bowls. One bowl had four holes where they had tapped the tree for syrup. It also has a nail in it.

The solid pieces were milled into lumber using my bandsaw. Once dried, it will become rolling pins and rocking chairs.

In the fall the folks across the street had a huge red oak go down. I got lots of firewood (to burn in my shop) and more bowl stock than I can possible use.

If it's free, it's for me.

[Fred Perreault]

Victor, I'd have to say that I haven't figured that out myself. I think that my interest in turning developed about the same time that I was able to get a cheap Sears monotube lathe with some basic tools, and also knew that I had access to lots and lots of wood. I had other tools, such as chain saws and a band saw. But in the end it is advantageous making contact with other folks who handle wood frequently.... arborists, landscapers, excavating contractors, town highway dept., next door neighbor.... and on and on. I'm not sure that I would have such an elevated interest in turning if it weren't for the chase for the wood. Plus, there can be many interesting back stories to the find. This particular wood came from the oldest home in town... c.1752

It was dropped off after Hurricane Irene.... really big... red maple I believe

250813

[Mike Cruz]

Victor, I have 9 acres of my own woods. I have umpteen acres of neighboring woods (neighbors tend to be happy to give me stuff if I'll make stuff for them), which goes for other people (along the road, my sawyer, and arborists) as well...

[Donny Lawson]

For me, I have more wood than I could use for years to come. Where I work I can bring home wood everyday. I just about quit bringing it home. It's unreal what my backyard looks like now.

[Robert Kirk]

I have found that the local tree surgeon will call when he cuts different types of trees for a small finders fee. but the wood is free

[Mike Cruz]

Ain't if funny how much wood you can give to others, Donny. You can only hope it is getting used...

[Rob Sitze]

Most of mine comes from me or my neighbors cutting down trees. In fact I have a maple now that is half dead that needs to come down, but I've so much maple now that I don't know what I'm going to do with it. But it won't go to waste.