I must have a gold mine

[Ernie Nyvall]

I have my grandson (two years old) for the day and we hit the wood and woodworking stores in Houston.:eek:

Anyway, one of the hardwood stores had turning blanks in several kinds of woods... straight grained and burls. I picked up some black walnut that was 3"x12"x12" straight grain for $33.00... sheez, I must have a couple hundred thousand worth as I have two whole trees here. Then there was the mesquite at another store still in the rough... about the same size blanks as the walnut for $65.00. I have a bunch of that too and will get more this summer. I'll be a meyonaire before the year is out.:cool: :rolleyes: Not really, but after seeing those prices, I have a new respect for the wood I have.

Ernie

[Gary Max]

Ernie---the funny part of your story is folks line up to buy the wood.

[George Conklin]

Ernie---the funny part of your story is folks line up to buy the wood.

That's not so funny, Gary. Some of us are in areas that are say,,, tree challenged;) .

It kills me to have to go into my local turning supply store and pay top dollar for this stuff. It hurts even worse when I launch a tiny piece of walnut or cherry that cost $20.00:eek: .

George

[Chris Barton]

I have had similar experiences and have since tried to make friends out of other turners and attend club meetings since swaping and donating wood is almost as much fun as turning. Clubs are a great source of free wood as are tree surgeons/tree services (just ask Dick Parr).

[Gary Max]

George I live so far out in the sticks there is wood everywhere. My entry in the It contest fell across the road and I went down and helped the neighbor cut it up so we could get the road reopened. The bad part is it's hard to sell stuff way out here.

[Curt Fuller]

I know how you feel. When I go into the SLC Woodcraft store or MacBeath's I'm always afraid I might knock something off a shelf and have to buy it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ernie I am in the same boat as you are. 90% of the trees around here are Cottonwood, Elm, Ash and Locust. 50% of that is Cottonwood. There are very few fruit trees cut down. So I will be buying alot of my wood when I get to turning more. Right now I got some Elm and Locust to practice with.

[Bill Stevener]

a great source of free wood as are tree surgeons).

Chris, maybe you can do a trade off some day. :D

Ernie, one of the most impressive trees I remember during the time I spent working in Texas, was the Live Oak, did you ever get a piece of that?
Just wondering what it may be like.

Will see if I can post some info. on hook sizes for you, on Val's. post, later this eve.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Ernie Nyvall]

It hurts even worse when I launch a tiny piece of walnut or cherry that cost $20.00:eek: .

George


Ouch!!

Ernie

[Ernie Nyvall]

Chris, maybe you can do a trade off some day. :D

Ernie, one of the most impressive trees I remember during the time I spent working in Texas, was the Live Oak, did you ever get a piece of that?
Just wondering what it may be like.

Will see if I can post some info. on hook sizes for you, on Val's. post, later this eve.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bill, no never got any live oak. That is one that you'd surely have to find a tree surgeon trimming or taking down. I've never seen one blown over and I don't think they die.:D

Ernie

[Ernie Nyvall]

Ernie I am in the same boat as you are. 90% of the trees around here are Cottonwood, Elm, Ash and Locust. 50% of that is Cottonwood. There are very few fruit trees cut down. So I will be buying alot of my wood when I get to turning more. Right now I got some Elm and Locust to practice with.

Bernie, luckily I have familial sources for wood and they all like bowls, so I wont be buying any time soon. Well, maybe when I get better I'll buy some burl... just not right now.

Hey, that elm spalts real nice. You should take a piece and bury it in some shavings outside. It'll look great.

Ernie

[Lloyd Stahl]

Chris, maybe you can do a trade off some day. :D

Ernie, one of the most impressive trees I remember during the time I spent working in Texas, was the Live Oak, did you ever get a piece of that?
Just wondering what it may be like.

Will see if I can post some info. on hook sizes for you, on Val's. post, later this eve.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bill/Ernie/anyone else interested - Live Oak does indeed die :( and I have quite a bit of it for sale as turning wood and table/bar slabs.
Lloyd

[Ernie Nyvall]

Bill/Ernie/anyone else interested - Live Oak does indeed die :( and I have quite a bit of it for sale as turning wood and table/bar slabs.
Lloyd

Loyd, you have a bit of wood there. The mesquite is quite impressive. Now that's a tree that's hard to kill... as lond as a root is living. As far as the live oak... I was kidding, but have seen some very old ones that eventually spread so that they black out the sky.

Ernie