where do u find ur wood?

[sawboy88]

I'm very curious as to where u all find your wood...? I see all sorts of "scrap" wood and I see beauty. I wish sometimes I could snatch up every piece I see... I am a huge fan of recycling and making old new again. Maybe I can get some new ideas on where to find some great wood...

[Mottles]

Hello and Welcome

I live in the high desert of Arizona with lots of open spaces to hike. I just look around where ever I'm at for interesting shapes of wood. My favorite found woods are Cottonwood Bark and Cottonwood Limb and Juniper. I even carved a woodspirit in one of our tree's that was partically chopped down

I keep my found wood in a large dock-box in our side yard. I do also buy wood such as Basswood, Butternut, Poplar etc. I have also bought the thicker Cottonwood Bark that I can't find here in Arizona...just not as thick as Montana and Colorado Bark.

[Lazy Carver]

Guess what we do??....??? The samething you do! Carvers are the original green of the environment! Your right, there is much beauty around us... We just have to extract it! Don't be ashamed to use something that is discarded. The majority of what i work with is discarded, dead fall, trimmings, recycled lumber, found wood, bark, etc.... You find your best wood that way!
Good Luck, and best wishes, Bob Vega (Lazy Carver)

[Dan Wegiel]

If you see a tree trimming company clearing along electric lines/telephone lines or along the side of the road, stop and take a look, they cut all different kinds of trees down and if you ask will more than likely let you have a few pieces. Any woods (with permission) has deadfalls, the amount of wood lying on the forest floor is endless and if you don't pick it up, it will just rot. You can always purchase it too but the free stuff is all over, hope this helps.
Dan

[blanchard65]

I burn wood to keep warm, so I cut a lot of wood. I am always on the look out for that interesting piece. Sometimes I get lucky and find some burl.Just have to look at the wood with a open mind. I have a cordless recipercator saw that I have brought on the boat while fishing and cut roots underwater.

[woodsman1st]

Years ago I read that many of the Pallets that you find behind stores; some places sell them very cheap; once you start looking you will be amazed at how many you find.
Why would anyone want a pallet???
A great many pallets are made in the Phillipines; and mahogany is so plentiful, thats what they make their pallets from.
Over the years I have found 8 to 10 of these Phillipine Mahogany pallets; there is a lot of wood in your average pallet; do some nail pulling, then scrub them real good to get rid of the accumulated grime, grease and dirt; then sand them; and you end up with some beautiful Phillipine Mahogany for your carving, book shelves, or anything you can imagine.
While there are probably millions of these pallets laying around in America; my success rate is not high in finding them; but I do find them.

So next time you see a stack of pallets; check them out; you just may find a motherload of Phillipine Manogany; or even some other exotic wood from a different country. It is a worth while search.
Ken

[Donsexton]

I started a thread last year or more this subject is a favorite of mine. One of my best sources is professional tree removal companies. Call the ones in your phone book or better yet if you see a company working in your neighborhood. I always offer the foreman cash for delivery of prime logs. They can have metal in them but a small price to pay for nice logs otherwise. As stated earlier pallets are a good source as well I have a major port near me so hard wood dunnage is also available. National and State parks will have a grounds maintenance crew that can be negotiated with but you will need to go pick them up. Some cities have dumps for yard and garden waste and if you know what to look for you can find some nice wood.

[Robson Valley]

I have found both mahogany and oak pallets.
Mostly, I scavenge the debris piles after logging. Here, they have to "tidy up" all the chunks and log bits to dry. Burn the piles after 4-5 years. Most of it really is knot-ridden, bug-infested junk. But, I have more clear, straight-grained western cedar than I can possibly use in 2 lifetimes.

Another place to look: Many lumber yards have some sort of a bin where they toss 4x4 and smaller pieces, say 48", that come as frames around other materials. Mahogany, oak, cedar, I have brought home some tremendous finds (eg mahogany bearing blocks in my biggest trebuchet = free).

[AlArchie]

I carve a lot in salvaged aspen..blowdowns, etc. Also a good friend in the lumber business gave me six birdseye stump cutoffs which I have split and have drying in the back lot. It's supposed to warm up thes week so maybe I'll be able to get a few chunks ripped down to carveable size.

Al

[jmischel]

Where do I find my wood? Everywhere! It helps that I have many different trees in my yard, and lots of accumulated "firewood" from 15 years of trimming and cleaning up after wind storms. And my neighbors also have trees. A friend has 50 acres covered with mesquite, oak, juniper, sumac (the non-poisonous type), and a few others.

As others have suggested, I've had good luck picking up select pieces from crews who are trimming trees. And a walk down by the creek almost always yields some sycamore, willow, or something else.

I've also had pretty good luck going down to Woodcraft on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. They're forever throwing out small pieces that aren't much good for woodwork or turning, but when you carve small stuff you can get some nice pieces. I've picked up lots of ambrosia maple, hard and soft maple, black walnut, lots of "mystery wood," and even a nice piece of purpleheart one time. I just ask if I can dig through the trash, and they're happy to let me take whatever I can find.

You can find good carving wood anywhere. When you start, you'll pick up whatever you find and a lot of it you'll end up throwing out after a while. But you'll still collect more than you can ever carve.