Finding wood

[blackbeard]

I would like to get a little help on finding some wood for carving. Can there be wood found in the woods fallen trees? What to look for? I am on a budget and I don’t what to stop my bird carvings. Thanks

[Magicman]

You can try Cedar, Poplar, and if you like stylized carvings of birds any hardwood such as Walnut, Cherry, Holly can be Power carved.
Larry

[Donsexton]

Yes you can use found wood, call your local tree removal guys they will hook you up as well. If you need cured wood you can use pallets and dunnage all hard wood.

[blackbeard]

Thanks Larry and Don I will look around at discarded wood and walk abit slower through the forest

[Robson Valley]

When BC loggers finish in a block, they have to do some site mitigation in preparation for replanting.
Mostly, this means piling up all the log chunks and skinny pieces to dry for a few years then they torch it off.
Firewood cutters get in there with power saws and take away as much as they can.
Being the sole wood carver in my village, I get in there and scavenge all the good carving wood that I can find = mostly 24" from the shake-block cutters, straight grained, some 6" x 6" x 24" and 12+ growth rings per inch = western red cedar. More free wood than I can carve in 2 lifetimes. The shake block cutters can't sell a bolt with a knot in it any bigger than a pencil so they leave it behind. I might get a 4" x 6" x 24" from that.
I buy from two local cedar mills. 3" x 12" x 12' was $20. 24" log x 8', rainbow, $10. I can buy clear bolts from the shake block cutters, 6" x 6" x 24" for $5 each but haven't needed to do that yet.

[Claude]

If you live in a place with a homeowners association, they often trim trees or cut down trees that are beginning to encroach on areas. Give them a call and find out when/where they are carving. As Don suggests, look up "tree surgeon" in the yellow pages.

Claude

[pallin]

Among the challenges of using found wood is identifying the species and judging the condition of the wood for carving. Often limbs that have fallen from trees are very dry and brittle. As suggested, it might be best to contact a tree surgeon who knows what wood you're getting and how long it's been down.