Wood auction results

[John K Jordan]

If your club is looking for a fund raiser, you might consider a wood auction. I posted before that our Knoxville club annual auction was coming up (it was tonight) and the results are in: we brought in $1657.

This was a few dollars more than last year and really helps fund things we couldn't do otherwise. Members donate wood and I get to be the auctioneer (and stand-up comedian) and sell the wood back to club members. Besides all kinds and sizes of turning blanks we had a bunch of cored and roughed bowl blanks, some pretty big, all dry and ready to turn. Those were popular. I cut blanks with my sawmill and shop bandsaw and collected other wood from my stash, some air drying for over 10 years. I think I posted this picture before, part of what turned out to be 7 big tubs of blanks I hauled to the meeting:

auction_wood_2018.jpg

We encourage all club members to bring a bit of wood but we do have some rules: one is leave the firewood at home! No log sections - logs must be cut into pieces flat on at least one side, cut round if possible, ready to mount on the lathe and turn. It does help the club but the best thing is getting wood into the hands of turners. Some people have no good way of cutting blanks from trees.

I don't know how this would go over in other clubs but if you have a bunch of active turners it might be worth trying!

JKJ

[Jay Mullins]

Congratulations for a job well done. Sounds like your club has a lot of members that get involved. All clubs need members like that.

Jay

[John K Jordan]

Congratulations for a job well done. Sounds like your club has a lot of members that get involved. All clubs need members like that.
Jay

Yes! I'm a member of two clubs and they have a number of active members. We have good demos, both from within the club and hired from outside, turning challenges, special workshops (some with well known turners), auctions, raffles, door prizes, and other things like charity programs that generate enthusiasm. Many months there are almost too many things for show-and-tell, a good thing! So many are willing to share their time and expertise. Several people open their shop to new turners and to those who just need a bit of assistance or encouragement. Good clean fun!

JKJ

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Good for you. I took some extra wood I had, mostly spindle blanks to one meeting and offered it free and got one taker who took one piece of elm. I also offered green cherry to anyone who showed up when I cut it up. Also no takers. That cherry was 28 inches in diameter chest high, just to crooked for a saw mill. I find it amazing that some folks would pay through the nose per bd ft for what they could get for free.

[John K Jordan]

Good for you. I took some extra wood I had, mostly spindle blanks to one meeting and offered it free and got one taker who took one piece of elm. I also offered green cherry to anyone who showed up when I cut it up. Also no takers. That cherry was 28 inches in diameter chest high, just to crooked for a saw mill. I find it amazing that some folks would pay through the nose per bd ft for what they could get for free.

Yikes, I would have taken some of the cherry just to cut into blanks to dry. Your story is incredible and difficult to understand but I've heard similar tales from others in clubs around this end of the US. It would be interesting to figure out what is different in different areas. I can't tell you how many woodturners have come to my farm when I have trees down and wood to give away. Some have loaded up tiny cars, some with trucks or trailers. Some people bring wood for me to cut into blanks then take what they need, I save some for drying, and we zero problem giving away (or selling/auctioning) any excess to other turners. Lots of members do like turning bowls and some make Beads of Courage boxes too.

I don't often have big wood for bowls and such but it is widely available from the tree services, the county road department, and others. Sometimes people contact our club when trees are coming down and wood is available - the club sends out a notice and people show up to get chunks. We sold plenty of spindle blanks at the auction too - some people will cut them up further to make pens, for things to sell or for presents, some make Pens for the Troops, and both clubs make Christmas ornaments to sell to support charities. The ornaments at one club have provided over $4000 each of the last few years to the local Children's hospital. Since I cut and dry blanks often I have a LOT of dry spindle spindle blanks perfect for ornaments and finials.

I'm sure none of these things would happen without a few energetic volunteers spearheading and lots of members turning. I know that some of the people who bought spindle blanks at the auction got them to turn for some of the charities. I wonder if some areas simply have a "shortage" of spindle turners.

JKJ

[John Keeton]

Great auction results, JKJ! Must have been the superb skills of the auctioneer.

[John K Jordan]

Great auction results, JKJ! Must have been the superb skills of the auctioneer.

Ha, thanks! But I have no auctioneer skills, can't do the "25, gimme 5-5-5, will ya gimme 25" rhythmic hypnotizing chant. One thing is keeping it fair and building trust - I examine and brutally dis a blank with defects - things are moving too fast for the buyers to examine the wood and I don't want anyone paying for an unpleasant surprise. I even wrote "FIREWOOD" on one blank to the vocal dismay of the guy who brought it! And I'm real quick with the going-going-Gone.

Probably more the comedian side, plus perhaps keeping it lively with things like the two dozen fresh farm eggs I brought to add to random lots, a walnut-color chocolate bar added to a stack of walnut blanks, and some fun with sticks of ebony. Only two jokes, I think, but lots of banter, barter, and baiting. Funny, but thinking of it just now my theory of operation is the same as with my kindergarten SS class - make it lots of fun and everyone goes away in a good mood and looks forward to the next time! Good clean fun.

[Walter Mooney]

Perry, all I can say is that had you been anywhere near those of us in the GCWA in Houston, we would have devoured that cherry! We don't get anything like that in our part of the world. We have to live with ash, silver maple sometimes, mesquite, oak, magnolia sometimes, and a few other species. We don't have too many walnut trees, no BLM, and certainly no 28" diameter cherry trees!!! WOW