Finding Wood For Turning

[@valeriehenschel1590]

Good info, Mike! Yes, east coast has more variety of hardwoods than elsewhere in the nation. There are sooooo many sources of wood other than the expensive hardwood suppliers. Now I just have to learn to say NO! Would seem that wood finds me, not the other way around. Sometimes I think I am running a wood lot, not a turning shop!!!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Very true! Then your bowl logs start cracking and you spend hours converting to spindle stock when you already have enough to last for years! I still have your little dish on the shelf in my office. Merry Christmas, Valerie.

[@valeriehenschel1590]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Take it off the shelf and use it! Green for Christmas? Your box is in my collection of KZbin turners. Sits with a box from Sam Angelo and a bowl from Stewart Furini. Also have a bowl from Kelly Dunn, and pieces from two local demonstrators. Don’t have a Drozda yet!

[@chiphardy7569]

Another great video Mike. I have found that most people are more than willing to give you some of their downed trees for turning. I always take them a bowl or two from the wood. When the word gets out, people will be calling you left and right. I have not had to drop a tree on the farm in quite a while.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Very true!

[@rosshirst5082]

Flint Hills Woodturners had a chain saw party recently at the forestry dump and found a bunch of burls. We all got at least two & had a lot of fun.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

That is what I am talking about! Merry Christmas.

[@rosshirst5082]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Merry Christmas to you too!

[@alanmiller4012]

Thank you Mike, for another very informative video. Early in my wood scrounging, I found a very nice boxwood log at our local compost park. And I recently picked up some free mulberry logs. I have found many different species of wood over the last two years. You encouraged folks to join their local woodturners club. For those who don't have a local club, a number of clubs are now offering sessions on Zoom and KZbin. I happen to belong to the Lancaster Area Woodturners. Our weekly Coffee Hour and our monthly club meetings are now hybrid, available in person, via Zoom or on KZbin.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, I love the Lancaster Coffee hour! John does such a great job as host/moderator.

[@mpart_woodlathe-stuff]

Good topic & very good presentation ! Thanks for sharing🙏 Take care. -Mike

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for watching!

[@fouroakscrafts7240]

Great tips, Mike! Have you been down to the Wood Yard in Concord Georgia? I live in Sharpsburg so it's only about 45 minutes to me. They have a wide selection of native and exotic hardwoods. I've bought wood from them and they have decent prices. Another option is getting in touch with the local power company forestry / tree trimming department. Sometimes you can find out what areas they are trimming tree and find some decent green wood. They have to either haul the wood trimmings off or send it through a chipper. Storm damage is another option. You get to help people clear down trees and get some free wood.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@deyyoung42]

The 40v chainsaws are great for cutting up wood for turning. Free wood is not free - too true! It is a lot of work. Thanks for the videos. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Very true! God bless.

[@arkansasboy45]

I turned a chisel handle out of pecan earlier this evening, but I want to turn some green bowls to put back for later. Thanks for this video and the ideas.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Sounds great!

[@anthonykorsak2906]

Thanks Mike. A lot of great info

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thesweetone]

Pine can be an amazing product. Don't expect miracles out of it but "garbage wood" has produced some of my favorite projects.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

At my age I try to use the best wood on hand for my projects. Otherwise it will be in my estate sale when I pass on. I did turn a nice gavel on commision from an old growth pine framing timber. Tight growth rings and probably a 100 years old when cut based on the ring count.

[@jackthompson5092]

Very interesting Mike. I live in Ottawa, Canada and there is more wood available than I could process in a life time. Keep up with the great videos. Love them.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, will do!

[@hfbowerndesigns810]

Great video Mike. Thanks for sharing the info Take care my friend and stay safe and well Cheers Harold

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, you too, Harold!

[@jimrobb6325]

Hi Mike Thanks again for another year of great video's . As always they are both informative and entertaining . Keep them coming. Have a good and safe Christmas. All the very best tae you and the family fae Scotland

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for your continuing support, Jim. Merry Christmas.

[@hi-dores4111]

Very interesting, thank you

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@harrykeel8557]

Recently I have been getting a lot of my bowl blank wood from the woods around the house. Our Pastor had some trees blown down in a storm a couple of years ago. And I managed to get some of it also, it turned out to be silver maple which had started to spalt and it is absolutely beautiful on the inside now. I also have some walnut , oak and hickory. But I also go to a nearby town and get scraps from a cabinet maker and use that wood for segmentation work. Merry Christmas!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Sounds like a great combo!

[@ronh9384]

Good video Mike. I used to live in Georgia.. in the Valdosta area and still have family there and the Atlanta area. I don’t know what sour wood is. I will have to look that up! 😊

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

It is a fairly bland wood that looks like a cross between maple and Bradfor Pear with very thick bark. You may remember a song reference to sourwood honey. The blossoms do attract bees.

[@ronh9384]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Thanks Mike. I do remember a song like that. Thanks for the reply. Ron

[@roncooney8526]

Great info, as always Mike.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Glad to help

[@LarryDMitchell]

Two years ago we built a home and the craftsman who did our trim and built-ins is wood turning friendly. I asked him if he ever had end pieces or cut offs? He said not often, but if he did he would try and remember to save it for me. Last week he dropped off two very nice 2x6x3 beautiful Walnut pieces. If you're driving by a custom home building talk to the contractor...you never know what you will find.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for sharing!

[@samdelozier637]

Thanks for another informative video and wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas. Sam DeLozier

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Same to you, Sam!

[@tomcoker9882]

Thanks for the ideas Mike. Hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas. Cheers, Tom

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, you too, Thomas!

[@danhealy7341]

Thanks Mike. Have you ever heard of Green Valley Wood Products? They have a great selection of turning blanks, some green some kiln dried. Shipping is free for any but not all of their blanks. I’ve purchased fro them on several occasions and am very pleased with their products. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for the tip! Maybe it will help some new turner reading the comments. Merry Christmas to you as well, Dan.

[@joeoleary5346]

Another great video, Mike. Your knowledge and willingness to humbly share it is remarkable. Merry Christmas to you and yours. 🎄🎄

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, you too!

[@jarmstrong2843]

Mike: Thanks for your great videos. Hope you have a great Christmas. Use the holiday to make nice memories with friends and family; to mend fences where necessary. Merry Christmas!!!!🎄🎁

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Amen and God bless!

[@monophoto1]

Mike When I first got into turning, I found that a nearby manufacturer of 'treenware' (wooden kitchen items) sold kiln-dried cutoffs and defective scraps as firewood. They provided standard boxes that you had to fill yourself from a rack of wood - $6 per box. Pieces were generally 18-24" long, with a broad selection of cross-sections. Some of the defective pieces had splits or cracks, and there were lots of knots, but I was able to pick up quite a bit of nice maple, birch and ash. Sadly, that option is no longer available - they are using the scrap to heat their shop now. Also, there is a commercial bowl turning shop over in Vermont that sells mesh bags of cutoffs - some mixed species, and some single species. Maple, but also quite a bit of black walnut. Some of this material is cross-grain, but still usable for making a detail component of a larger turning. I suspect that there are other specialty furniture shops around the country that also get rid of their cutoffs and scraps this way.

[@monophoto1]

Also, there is a lumberyard near here that stocks a wide variety of hardwoods for furniture makers. Generally, very expensive material. But they have a 'shorts bin' where they dispose of odds and ends of all kinds of stuff - some defective, some just too short to sell - at a discounted prices. It's a hit-or-miss situation, but I make a point of looking everytime I'm there.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

@@monophoto1 Thanks for sharing, Louie, and merry Christmas!

[@MrPete1x]

Thanks Mike, some good ideas. Have a great Christmas and a good rest

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, you too!

[@chewyduck1355]

i am cheap and source wood from wherever I can. hear a chainsaw going on the next block? go see if anything is available. i have found wood in a ditch and turned beautiful little bowls out of it. i am also lucky enough to have a good friend who is a shop teacher. he always has scraps and leftovers for me to use.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

A man after my own heart.

[@mattbarton362]

Great video.i have call apple Apple orchards cut down branches and trees all the time They will give you anything for free at that point

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Great tip!

[@randyjones2204]

Turn more while making videos. That would be great, by killing two birds with one stone. HaHa

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

But then I would have to be able to walk and chew gum which is getting harder each year! 😂