Turning Blank Excursion

[John Hart]

Well, yesterday, in the rain, my buddy and I took his truck out to Amish country to look for turning blanks at the sawmill. The folks there are very nice and agreed to sell us these ends by the truckload. This pile is one of five or so. It is mostly Cherry, Ash, Oak, Maple and Poplar. We spent quite a bit of time digging and getting the prettiest pieces we could find. Gonna spend the next week cleaning, photographing, cataloging, and sealing. In all, we got about 400 blanks. This was fun!

Oh...and I need a haircut.:eek:

[John Shuk]

Holy cow! Thats awesome. How much does a haul like that set you back?

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Congrats on the find! I drove by a sawmill last night that has similar piles. I was eyeing it up for turning blanks..

[Mike Ramsey]

Wow! nothing like that around here. John if you want to sell a few of those and ship to
Texas let me know...

[John Hart]

Wow! nothing like that around here. John if you want to sell a few of those and ship to
Texas let me know...

Yeah...ya know what Mike, I was thinking that that might not be a bad idea. Since I have access to this place and inexpensive wood is hard to come by...maybe I could help out as long as my expenses were covered.

I have a website where I could start a new store for turning blanks and sell them cheap. I'll have to give this a couple hours thought.

Whaddaya think?

[John Hart]

Holy cow! Thats awesome. How much does a haul like that set you back?

Oops...sorry John, didn't mean to ignore ya... Well, the price for the wood wasn't too bad....couple of bucks :rolleyes: The Amish are very kind for the most part and there's some give and take involved..you know, like shelves and bowls and different favors. It's nice to help them out...quite a nice community.

[Mike Ramsey]

Yeah...ya know what Mike, I was thinking that that might not be a bad idea. Since I have access to this place and inexpensive wood is hard to come by...maybe I could help out as long as my expenses were covered.

I have a website where I could start a new store for turning blanks and sell them cheap. I'll have to give this a couple hours thought.

Whaddaya think?

Sounds like a good idea to me !!!
Let me know.

[John Shuk]

I'd probably buy a couple.

[John Hart]

Ok...well, I gave it some thought, and I'm going to go ahead and set up a store on my site, but it may take a few days to set up. So, instead of you guys having to wait, what kind of wood are you interested in? This afternoon I cleaned up some cherry. This is just 5 pieces. A B C D and E

Exhibit E is really cool...It's curly and it has some great colors and inclusions

I'm going to put in a full day getting all this sorted out tomorrow so just let me know what wood types you want and I'll set them off to the side and take some pictures.

I just might have fun at this.

Oh..I forgot to tell you...I cleaned each one up and sanded the faces a little and then put some BLO on them to show the grain.

[Carole Valentine]

John, are these kiln dried, air dried or green? If they are at all green, you will have to seal them with something...especially the cherry. It cracks terribly, especially if there is any pith left in it.

[John Hart]

John, are these kiln dried, air dried or green? If they are at all green, you will have to seal them with something...especially the cherry. It cracks terribly, especially if there is any pith left in it.

Yeah...I have my work cut out for me don't I? They are all air-dried, but not for very long...so I'll treat them as green. I have 400 pieces that I have to clean up and seal so I have a big day tomorrow.

These five pieces were just me trying to get an idea of what's out there in my garage. I have them wrapped up and they'll get sealed first thing in the morning.

I don't have Green Seal but I read in another thread that Latex paint works just as well. Is that true? I hope so, cuz I gots plenty of that.

[Mike Ramsey]

John I'd like some pieces of the cherry and maple.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Wow John, did you have a rope and climbing shoes to get down off that mountain of wood?
I think I'd fill a trash can with anchor seal and just dip them. Thinking about that, you could then place them on a plastic tarp that is mounted some way up on some saw horses. Let one end of the tarp funnel down into another bucket to catch the runoff for reuse. Just a thoyght/

Ernie

[John Hart]

Hi Ernie,

This Anchorseal....where do I get it, and how much does it cost? I feel like I really need it for this project, and dipping sure sounds better than painting.

Mike,
I sent you a PM

[Ernie Nyvall]

John, I got mine at a local store which is not a chain, but if there is a wood store in your area, I'm sure they would have it. A google search brings up several places. I think Rockler and Woodcraft both carry it, but a weeks tome in shipping would be too long to wait before sealing, so I'd try finding it within driving distance.

Hey, they may have some they would sell you at the very place you got the wood. Some mills coat the ends of their logs. I'd definitely try that if there was a mill in my area.

Ernie

[Dominic Greco]

This afternoon I cleaned up some cherry. This is just 5 pieces. A B C D and E

Exhibit E is really cool...It's curly and it has some great colors and inclusions

I'm going to put in a full day getting all this sorted out tomorrow so just let me know what wood types you want and I'll set them off to the side and take some pictures.

I just might have fun at this.

Oh..I forgot to tell you...I cleaned each one up and sanded the faces a little and then put some BLO on them to show the grain.

John,
First off, NICE catch! That is some haul you got there!

I noticed in one of the photos of a cherry turning blank that the end grain was showing a pith section (center of the tree). Keeping the pith in a green turning blank is asking for it to check and crack. Especially if it is cherry. If I were you, I'd cut the the pith right out and seal the end grain pronto.

Just a thought: You know, if you have some small-ish highly figured pieces, I'd cut them up into 7/8" x 7/8" x 7" long pen blanks, or 2" x 2" x 3" bottle stopper blanks. You'd be surprised at how many people would buy them. The only thing is that the blanks have to look pretty special. Burl, fiddleback, or curly woods work best. For pens and bottle stopper, bland wood doesn't sell that well.

Good luck setting up your store.

[John Hart]

thanks Ernie....I'm going to swing by Rockler first thing in the morning, pick up some sealer and get this project underway. This just seems so worthwhile.

Thanks for the input Dominic. You just confirmed something for me. I was wondering about pen blanks so we threw a bunch of pieces in the truck just for that, just in case.

I was looking at other websites and they really gouge the folks I think. I want to do this to help...not to get "what the market will yield"....hopefully, it will be a successful thing.

[Charlie Plesums]

Here is the link to the source of Anchor Seal.

https://www.uccoatings.com/uccoat.php

Note that the delivered price of 5 gallons is only a little more than the price of one, etc.

I often said that laytex paint worked fine, but once I tried anchor seal, I was sold. Easy to use, and dries transparent so you can still see the wood.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

And I thought I HAD A LOT OF BLANKS!

Not in the same league as you. Happy turning.

Bruce

[Carole Valentine]

Don't use latex paint! You can't see the wood thru it so you have no idea what the blank looks like.

[Martin Shupe]

John,

Charlie has the right idea, buy the anchorseal directly from the manufacturer...it is much cheaper than at my local Woodcraft, and they ship it pronto. I bought some once, a couple years ago, and was well satisfied with the product and service.

If you have any cherry blanks that are 12-16/4 (at least 3 inches square) or so and about 24 inches long, I am interested. I would prefer straight grain and no pith, as I would use them for Shaker round stand center columns.

[John Hart]

Here is the link to the source of Anchor Seal.

https://www.uccoatings.com/uccoat.php

Note that the delivered price of 5 gallons is only a little more than the price of one, etc.

I often said that laytex paint worked fine, but once I tried anchor seal, I was sold. Easy to use, and dries transparent so you can still see the wood.

Thanks Charlie, I went to that site and their prices are great. I'll order some today.

Carole...fear not m'lady...I shall go the route of the see-through wax emulsion.

Martin....Thank you sir...I am definitely going with the anchorseal. I stopped at Rockler this morning and got a couple of quarts of their house brand (which is probably just a re-labeled anchorseal bottle). That oughta hold me over for a little while. As far as the Cherry, I don't have any that are 24" long, but my senses tell me that the Amish folks are going to be happy to supply that type of thing. I will be out there this week and I'll check.


....Not in the same league as you. Happy turning..
You got that right Bruce!!! Someday maybe I'll be as good as you! :)

[Andy London]

That is a really good find John....I say take it all :rolleyes:

Just watch for the pith....can create a lot of issues for turners as you probably know, just happened to notice it in a couple of your images.

Looks like some of it may have spalt, if they have been dumping this at the mill somewhere and you can get to it, if it's been there a couple of years it's probably spalted....may be worth a look.

Andy

[John Hart]

That is a really good find John....I say take it all :rolleyes:

Just watch for the pith....can create a lot of issues for turners as you probably know, just happened to notice it in a couple of your images.

Looks like some of it may have spalt, if they have been dumping this at the mill somewhere and you can get to it, if it's been there a couple of years it's probably spalted....may be worth a look.

Andy

Yup...I am going to take it all...I figure about 40 trips with a large truck oughta do it. The pile you see is one of the smaller ones....There's one pile that is easily 15 feet high and 20 feet in diameter. Haven't attacked that one yet.

On the Pith....Yeah...I've been pretty diligent today while cleaning this stuff..and I can now see that I made a number of bad choices picking out of the pile. On my next trip, I'm going to be more picky...but then, even the pithy ones can be cut down to pen blanks I suppose.

That's a good idea about the spalted wood. I got a couple of nice pieces, but I bet they have an older pile out back somewhere. I'll take a look.

Thanks!

[Andy London]

Yup...I am going to take it all...I figure about 40 trips with a large truck oughta do it. The pile you see is one of the smaller ones....There's one pile that is easily 15 feet high and 20 feet in diameter. Haven't attacked that one yet.

On the Pith....Yeah...I've been pretty diligent today while cleaning this stuff..and I can now see that I made a number of bad choices picking out of the pile. On my next trip, I'm going to be more picky...but then, even the pithy ones can be cut down to pen blanks I suppose.

That's a good idea about the spalted wood. I got a couple of nice pieces, but I bet they have an older pile out back somewhere. I'll take a look.

Thanks!

Yes those with a pith would make good pen blanks, just cut around them.

I'm not sure what your situation is there with respect to wood heat but for the stuff you are not able to use, it would be cheap heat for the house or shop.

The place I was at on the weekend had a pile of slabwood (hardwood), probably 20 feet high and a couple thousand feet long. Boy I would love to have some of that as it's perfect for burning, and there are thousands of projects for turning also as some pieces are really thick. They sell it to the public for $5.00 a pick up truck load and camp grounds but he said there just isn't much demand for it. I cringe as this little mill mainly cuts figured wood so the slabs looked pretty good to me.....course most woods do :D

You could also spalt some of this wood, Ohio is one of the few states I have never been to so I don't know your climate that well. Pick up some peat moss, get it wet, make a layer on the ground, put pieces of wood over it, cover with more moss, cover with a dark tarp and if your climate is hot, you will have spalted wood by fall in most of the species you mentioned. If you do this, keep the peat moss damp. I have a swampy piece on my property that has lots of peat moss, boy it is excellent for spalting woods.

You are right on the cost of blanks etc. some of these places must make a killing but then again I wonder how much they sell at those prices although I would pay a good dollar for curly cherry as we do not have it locally. I am hoping to visit Jim Becker in June, there is a place near him that has it so I will be picking a load up.

Good Luck, you will have fun selling this stuff and it should put quite a few new toys in the shop....who knows might end up being a side business for you that does very well.

Andy

[Harry Pye]

John,

Here is a web address for Anchorseal:

https://www.uccoatings.com/prod_anchorseal.php

Our club usually buys it in 55 gallon quantities and then sells it to the members in gallon quantities. I've heard that latex paint works and have used it on a couple pieces. The wood has been sitting outside for a year or so and is so badly checked that it may not be useable. If you use paint, I'd suggest putting it on really thick or use two or three coats.

[John Hart]

Yes those with a pith would make good pen blanks, just cut around them.

I'm not sure what your situation is there with respect to wood heat but for the stuff you are not able to use, it would be cheap heat for the house or shop.

The place I was at on the weekend had a pile of slabwood (hardwood), probably 20 feet high and a couple thousand feet long. Boy I would love to have some of that as it's perfect for burning, and there are thousands of projects for turning also as some pieces are really thick. They sell it to the public for $5.00 a pick up truck load and camp grounds but he said there just isn't much demand for it. I cringe as this little mill mainly cuts figured wood so the slabs looked pretty good to me.....course most woods do :D

You could also spalt some of this wood, Ohio is one of the few states I have never been to so I don't know your climate that well. Pick up some peat moss, get it wet, make a layer on the ground, put pieces of wood over it, cover with more moss, cover with a dark tarp and if your climate is hot, you will have spalted wood by fall in most of the species you mentioned. If you do this, keep the peat moss damp. I have a swampy piece on my property that has lots of peat moss, boy it is excellent for spalting woods.

You are right on the cost of blanks etc. some of these places must make a killing but then again I wonder how much they sell at those prices although I would pay a good dollar for curly cherry as we do not have it locally. I am hoping to visit Jim Becker in June, there is a place near him that has it so I will be picking a load up.

Good Luck, you will have fun selling this stuff and it should put quite a few new toys in the shop....who knows might end up being a side business for you that does very well.

Andy

That's a pretty cool idea to make your own spalted wood. Sheesh...I was at Rockler today and they had spalted pen blanks for $6.99 a piece. If I was sitting down, I would have fallen off my chair! I agree...this oughta be fun.

[John Hart]

John,

Here is a web address for Anchorseal:

https://www.uccoatings.com/prod_anchorseal.php

Our club usually buys it in 55 gallon quantities and then sells it to the members in gallon quantities. I've heard that latex paint works and have used it on a couple pieces. The wood has been sitting outside for a year or so and is so badly checked that it may not be useable. If you use paint, I'd suggest putting it on really thick or use two or three coats.

Thanks Harry...yeah, Charlie mentioned that site earlier and I checked them against all the other vendors. Yup...they have the best price. I'm ordering their 5 gallon. Rockler was 3 1/2 times the price so I just bought a little to tide me over til my order comes in.

[John Hart]

Well...I got my new store set up for selling these things. It's called "The Turner's Corner". If you'd like to take a look, I put the website in my profile. I'd appreciate criticism. I really want to do this right and I'm unsure about pricing and stuff.

Thanks

[Shane Harris]

Hey John, Nice haul.

Here's a link to Anchorseal's manufacturer's website:

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

Here's a link to the description page.

https://www.uccoatings.com/uccoat.php

The more you buy, the less $ it is. A friend of mine buys it in 55 gal drums. It's roughly $7/gal that way. By the gallon, it's $25.50. You have to enter your zipcode before it'll give you any prices. You can then play with container size and quantity. For 55 gals (listed as 10- 5gal cans, but I think they ship in 55 gal drums), it's $385. Works much better than latex paint IMO.



HTH,

Shane

p.s. Mental note to self, read to end of thread before posting. Sorry for repeating info already given... :o

[John Hart]

.... Sorry for repeating info already given...

Thanks Shane. Look at it this way. It's quite an endorsement when three different people recommend the same vendor! ;)

[Glenn Hodges]

You can make it 4 testimonials. All the logs I bring home are end coated in Anchorseal as well as the bowls to big to get into my DNA vat. Coat them the sooner the better, and more than one coat will not hurt. I order it by the 5 gallon bucket. I use a wide brush...remember to super clean the brush on the side of the log or bucket because the brush will get really stiff if you leave a lot of Anchorseal on it.

[Blake McCully]

John,
When we get together on June 4 to go to Berea, I'd sure like to take a look at what you have. Maybe leave some PA cash with you :D

I'm going to have to look at some of the Amish sawmills around here to see what they have. I don't know why that never occurred to me before.

See you next month.