Where to get wood for bowl blanks

[Jeremy Killingbeck]

Where have you guys found the best place is to find wood for bowl blanks? I have used wood from local trees that have fallen, but I would like to find some more interesting wood to turn. Where do you find Apple wood & sparred wood at?

[Marty Tippin]

Local tree services are a good source. They're usually happy to get rid of the wood they cut. Check the "Free" section on your local Craigslist as well - the tree services frequently leave the cut logs behind and folks are stuck trying to get rid of the pieces.

I have not and won't pay for a piece of wood to turn into a bowl - there are way too many free sources. "Exotic" stuff other than locally-grown could be found oneline or at local hardwood stores. I'm personally not interested in making bowls from that stuff, but others certainly do -- I'd have a hard time paying $20 or $50 or more for a blank, only to screw it up and make expensive kindling from it...

You'll eventually need a chainsaw and/or a band saw to process the logs into bowl blanks if you don't already have one or both.

[Roger Chandler]

Much like Marty, most of my wood comes from self harvest. I am a member of two local AAW chapters, and one of these has a tree trimmer that communicates with us when he has some wood he thinks we would be interested in . We get calls from time to time from members of the public who have a tree coming down and then I have a friend who manages a farm of 276 acres which is mostly timber, and we cut firewood and sometimes turning wood on that place.

I seem to have access to more wood at times than I can get to, but once in a while, I see a piece of wood that I purchase..........mainly something not native to America like purple heart, or perhaps claro walnut that comes from California or the west coast states.

Do you have a chainsaw and are you healthy enough to harvest trees? Free wood will certainly cut down on the expense of this hobby we call woodturning, and as you get known for turning, you will find people will look you up and ask you to take down trees or get wood out of their way.......just be careful, because you can get yourself in over your head!!! :eek:

[Hunter Locke]

I get them from my lumber guy, he has a big crate of stuff for turners that comes off of trees he mills or that he's collected over time. Prices are unbelievably low. Just glad I know the guy.

[Hal Taylor]

Like most turners I usually do not buy wood. Saying that I live near these guys www.turningblanks.net/ They are super nice and have lots of bowl blanks. I go out there every now and then and will buy occasionally. Plus their burn pile is usually loaded with goodies.

[Stan Smith]

I'm on Gary's mailing list. He runs NC Wood. He has some great domestic and exotic wood with lots of figure. I've bought some blanks from him and it comes sealed in wax. You do have to check the moisture content before you use it though. The only wood that I've bought from him, that I could turn right out of the box, is pen blanks. If you have a source for free wood and you like it, that's the obvious source to begin with.

[Scott Hackler]

I either trade with turners from different parts of the globe or buy the fancy burls from Mike Smith with Century Woods. Mike has the best prices and is a heck of a good guy to boot.

[Reed Gray]

Your local arborists are the best source. You never know what or when some thing like apple, pear, plum, etc. will come up. After any big storm is a good time. Give them a bowl a couple of times, and they will start to call you when they take some thing interesting down. Give them a few more bowls, and they will start bringing stuff by. You can also check fire wood cutters. They get a lot of stuff, and again, you never know what or when... If you have to buy, it is pretty expensive. Some times you can find a local lumber mill and can pick up ends. Also if you know of some one who has the portable mills, they can be a source. Some cities have log dumps for wood that goes down and city crews have to deal with it. Some places also have yard waste recycling centers, and some interesting stuff can be dropped off. Construction sites, and excavating companies can have access as well. Keep an eye out.

robo hippy

robo hippy