Why do I want to buy this so badly?

[Jason Whelehon]

And make a $15,000 dining room table out of it!?!?!


http://www.westpennhardwoods.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=2103&category_id=881

[Tyler Howell]

I feel your desire
Go for it!!

[Bruce Page]

It is stunning but $148.11 a board foot? Yikes!
:eek:

[Jason Whelehon]

Rockler's got a 5' piece about 30" wide and a STRONG 4/4 for $1400.

Dimensions are by eye not ruler. It was priced at a BARGAIN of $50/sqft. The peice was straight and flat and had a natural edge on one side. It'd be a heck of a table but for $1500... a bit pricey.

[gary Zimmel]

Now that is a piece of wood....

My vote is for you to go for it Jason!

[Jason Whelehon]

My vote is, 14 or you guys should give me $100 each and I'll make a table out of it!

or, 140 of you send me $10...

or, 1400 of you send me a $1

;)

[Dave Lehnert]

A hardwood dealer in town has some on display. Looks like it could be from the same tree.

[Matt Hutchinson]

Well, according to the owner of the local Woodcraft store, this tree is the first waterfall figure that's been seen in decades. (Or in a tree of any significant size in decades.) He had a big waterfall bubinga board on display, stating that woodcraft bought all they were able to from a huge tree, bigger in diameter that a volvo station wagon (he had a picture of it - a truly massive tree). I assume since Woodcraft (corporate) was only able to acquire a fraction of the tree that the rest was bought by other seller's that could afford it. Sounds like it's quite a rare find!

Hutch

[Frank Drew]

Very expensive, and cut in half and joined the width (ca. 40") would be fine but I'd prefer longer than 54" for a dining table, so you'd probably have to buy two long boards and use the offcuts for other projects..... but what stunning material! I don't think you'd ever tire of looking at it, so think of it as a lifetime of pleasure. Cheap at twice the price! :D

(I've seen some veneers just about as spectacular so I guess I'd be tempted to go that route and save some serious coin; in fact, I'm surprised that this log didn't go to veneer.)

[Peter Quinn]

Why do you want to buy it? It is a fantastic expression of nature's inexplicable beauty. Even if it were less rare it would be no less beautiful. Stunning.

Being that it is rare and expensive buying it and using it will put you in a select group of wood workers, which may offer additional appeal. Then you can proclaim "I got a piece of THE TREE!"

I think the last single tree that raised this kind of attention may have been "THE TREE" (very very quilted mahogany) that David Marks refers to in one of his veneer programs. That one is long gone, this one you have a chance at.

[Lee Hingle]

That's kind of high in my opinion. Gilmer wood had a huge log a while back - you could get a 40"+ wide 8/4 board 10-12 feet long for about $4000. With stunning figure, as well.

Lee

[Don Bullock]

Why do I want to buy this so badly?...and make a $15,000 dining room table out of it!?!?!

Do you have to have a reason?;):D

[Gary Herrmann]

Jason, I look at that chunk of bubinga every time I go into Rockler. If it were me, I'd look for something thats at least 6/4, preferably 8/4 if I was going to make a dining room table out of it.

But if you gotta, you gotta.

[scott spencer]

We were there this spring. The wood in that place was amazing! We got to meet Rocky and look around a bit. They had pallets 2"x2"x 12" exotic sticks...many of which were in the $20 range. Quite a treat to see 40" wide x 12' long exotics that were perfect.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Well, according to the owner of the local Woodcraft store, this tree is the first waterfall figure that's been seen in decades. (Or in a tree of any significant size in decades.) He had a big waterfall bubinga board on display, stating that woodcraft bought all they were able to from a huge tree, bigger in diameter that a volvo station wagon (he had a picture of it - a truly massive tree). I assume since Woodcraft (corporate) was only able to acquire a fraction of the tree that the rest was bought by other seller's that could afford it. Sounds like it's quite a rare find!

Hutch

A few months ago Woodworker's Journal (Rockler's magazine) printed an article on the tree that wood came from. It was huge and is supposedly a rare find for that combo of size and figure. Then they commisioned one of the ugliest pieces ever made. It truly was an affront to the beauty of that bubinga. They received a lot of negative letters over that one.

[Bob Hallowell]

I been there many times but not since Rocky has brought the tree back. What a place and they even let you drool on the wood and walk around by yourself.

Bob

[Jim Knishka]

My local woodcraft has a more modestly sized piece of fantastic bubinga for $600. The manager noticed I was looking at it as I was leaving that I was admiring it and he said "It needs a home". I told him that if I bought it I would too...