Where do you buy your wood?

[Michael Stafford]

Paul Douglass originally posed this question in another thread and I thought it was deserving of its own.

I am not one of the fortunate ones who have access to good quality turning stock in the raw, i.e., green wood. Around here I have several different kinds of pines, poplar, oak and some scrubby maples, Bradford pear etc. Nothing exciting.

I am very interested in turning exotics for a variety of reasons. I have a personal goal of turning as many as I can. I also think that the exotics are some of the most beautiful woods in the world. But the argument can be made that it is not the wood that makes the turning it is the form that ultimately will judge the quality of the piece as most woods over time will oxidize to tans, browns, or even blacks.

So, to start the ball rolling, I buy a lot of my woods from a variety of on-line sources as well as a couple of hardwood suppliers that are within driving distances.

I am also fortunate to have a friend who in his travels seeks out hardwood sales and brings back suitcase loads for me. In return I keep him in pens and other turned gifts for his business clients.

I am hesitant to buy wood sight unseen but there are a few on-line sellers that show pictures of individual pieces of wood, both front and back so you can see what you are buying. Companies that do this charge a premium for this one of a kind wood and service. Gilmer's is one such company and their ever changing selection is a good reason to while away some time in front of a computer.

Buying wood this way is expensive and difficult to justify if you don't have a way to recoup your expenses. I used to be reluctant to buy expensive wood for fear of messing it up. My skills have improved somewhat where I don't get quite as antsy putting an expensive piece on the lathe.

Most turners cut their own and this is by far the most cost effective way of obtaining turning stock unless it is just given to you. I do like that method.:p ;)

I am sure others will chime in with lots of other sources and ideas.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Yup...........inquiring minds would like to know!

[John Hart]

I get a lot of my wood from different Sawmills and Pallet Companies....Plus at the Tree Lot...which is a tree service dumping ground...and, of course, whatever I find along the road. When I buy wood, I only buy exotics and generally just burls. My #1 source is Berea Hardwoods because they are close. It's not a real fancy place but they usually have a good selection.....But not today.:(

I went there this morning and picked up some Redwood Burl...Tasmanian Mallee Burl, a hunk of Cocobah, Red Mallee Burl, and a nice piece of figured Myrtle Burl. Usually, they have mountains of wood but they are waiting on a shipment from Tasmania and it won't arrive until May. It's a place I can really get into trouble!!:)

[Jim Bell]

I get most of my green wood at the dump. I like the price and there is no waiting.
Jim

[Barry Stratton]

Living in the frozen north, I pretty much order most of my wood. I get most of my hardwood from suppliers I met thru the big online auction house. The ones I use that also sell turning blocks/slabs/chunks AND have their own websites are:

Gary at Peppermint Springs Furniture, http://www.peppermintspringsfurniture.com/
Great walnut, cherry, and maple, also oak, hickory, etc.. He'll list 50 walnut or cherry pen blanks for 9.99 plus shipping.

Chit at Chit's Exotic Hardwood Cache, www.chitswood.com (http://www.chitswood.com) . LOTS of exotic stuff at this place. Amazing low prices. An example would be Redheart turning blocks (5x5x2) for 2.70 plus shipping - green, coated in anchorseal.

I have NEVER had a problem with any order, you get what is described, and often is is much nicer than expected. You see pictures of the items, and it is your call if you want to buy.

Once I get this lathe thing figured out, I'm sure I'll be ordering turning chunks from them.

[Pat Salter]

I'm still learning so I don't want to waste my practicing on "exotic" stuff unless it's for a special project. For just practicing, I'll take all the "pines, poplar, oak and some scrubby maples, Bradford pear etc" I can find :D but around here it's avocado, pine and eucalyptis (haven't tried any of that yet). But we do have two exotic places here in San Diego County to choose from. I notice that the floors are usually damp from guys drooling all over the place.:rolleyes: . Those are usually the places I buy mine from.
I've also picked up some from club members who bring it in to either sell or give away. I bought a trunk of sycamore 30" in diam. and about 48" long for 20 bucks. I still have some I'm working on.
You might also try getting ahold of some local tree companies and let them know you would be interested in any hardwoods unusual to your area.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Michael I am in the same boat. Out here in the flat lands we have got Cottonwoods everywhere. We have Ash, Elm and Locust. Very seldom do we see Walnut, Cherry, Maple, Oak, etc. I have found some good sellers on the big auction house with good prices but it get so #$%%$$# expensive when you start adding shipping cost.:mad:

[Chip Sutherland]

Curly Woods in McKinney, TX. I'm lucky with these guys being about 15 minutes away. They carry great flat stock. Turning stock gets bought up quickly. Occaisonally, I will have them cut some 12/4 or 16/4 stock for me. My most recent purchases were some 16/4 afzealia and 20/4 asian padauk squares. I posted an afzealia bowl I made for christmas.

I also have a friend who builds custom doors so I get 8/4 and 12/4 cut off blanks that make great platters. These are free.

[Corey Hallagan]

Mike, I am in much the same boat here. I am interested mostly in pen blanks right now. Seems to be alot of different woods available from different sources. John, I guess that explains why Berea doesn't have much really on their website as their catalog shows some great pen blanks. For penblanks I have been buying from Woodturningz.com. You can't go buy their website, you need their penblank list which is great! looking forward to seeing other resources here.

Corey

[Corey Hallagan]

Mike, what is the url for Gilmer's?

corey

Ok, I found it, here is the link for anyone interested: http://www.gilmerwood.com/

[Paul Douglass]

Thank, Michael, for starting this. This is good info. No one mentioned the e-bay stores so I will be leary of them. I did see that some of the e-bay stores are within 250 miles from me in cities I visit frequently. I bet I could stop and look before buying.

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

I have a little business in the internet selling mesquite, spalted hackberry, and spalted pecan bowl blanks as well as those three plus osage orange, brazilian redwood, and tigerwood pen blanks. I am selling wood to pay our adoption legal fees. It is totally on the honor system where you fill out my order form and I ship the blanks to you based on what you ask for. Once you get them, youe pay me whatever you feel is fair plus the shipping. If you think they are lousy then you don't pay much. It is not a profit business but like I said, a way of raising money to pay for our adoption.

I am very behind on orders right now and it is taking me 3-4 weeks to get orders shipped so that may be a problem for some. I hope none of you get mad at me for posting this and hope I haven't violated any of the rules but since the question was asked, I thought it would be acceptable to post this. I apologize in advance if I offend anyone.

My webiste is www.adoptwood.com (http://www.adoptwood.com).

Other good places for pen blanks are Arizona Silhouette with a great selection as well as Woodturningz and River Ridge Products.

[Dave Wimmer]

So far I haven't bought wood. It grows on trees down here in Georgia.

[Ernie Nyvall]

I went there this morning and picked up some Redwood Burl...Tasmanian Mallee Burl, a hunk of Cocobah, Red Mallee Burl, and a nice piece of figured Myrtle Burl.

Sheez John, if these are bowl blank size, I'd have to take out a loan down here to get those same woods... at the places I've found anyway. That haul would be anywhere from 5 to 8 hundred . Heck the piece of buckeye you sent me... probably $75. Too late... I already have it:p :D

Luckily, I have a bunch of free wood from trees that came down in a storm or those that people don't want in their yards anymore or from John Hart.

Ernie

[Jim Ketron]

I find most of my wood at a burn pile or someones yard. I have been fortunate to find some nice woods to work with so far! Thats one of the major things that brought me to wood turning Free Wood! But I would like to have some burls to work with but just cant catch a good deal on e-bay! Dick Parr has sent me a nice Oak Burl I need to get started on and, the only exotics I have worked with my good Friend Big Mike Stafford has gave me!:D Thanks Guys!