where do u find ur wood?

[motleyjust]

I live in the city and don't have a vehicle, so I don't get a chance to go very far. Most people around here, when they trim or cut down trees stack in in the alleys for bulk pick up. Most of it is not very big, but I have gotten some walking sticks and pieces for small carvings.
I am in Phoenix, so there is mostly what a lot of people would consider exotic woods; mesquite, olive, china berry, chaste tree, acacia, etc. The walking stick I use now came from one of my fig trees, and I have a carob in my front yard and bamboo on the side. The down side is most of the branches tend to be twisted, so it is hard to find any straight for a long enough distance for a staff.

[mgarlit]

I hike in the local state parks to fish, mushroom hunt, turkey hunt, or just hike. There's plentiful downed trees and bark to pick from. I carry a small canvas bag and a folding saw for the pieces too large to carry. I also look along the Mississippi. Whenever the water recedes, it leaves behind all kinds of tree roots, cottonwood bark, cedar chunks, old fence posts. All kinds of carving possibilities. Two things about found wood. First, you have to let it dry well. Second, you have to regulary sharpoen your tools. Found wood, from forest floors and waterways, has dirt and sand that quickly dulls your tools.

I also check out discarded wood. Old table legs, walnut, cherry, oak, can make great carving materials. Pallets and load blocks are great. I have some banana wood I got from some load blocks that, when shaped and sanded, made beautiful carving knife handles.

Have fun. Searching for the wood is part of the satisfaction of found wood carving

Mike

[artolver]

You all have some great idea's for finding the wood. I mainly look in the woods and along rivers. Although I mostly carve in cottonwood bark I have carved in Cedars that are scrapes from the saw mills. My next door neighbor runs a nursery and a lot of the trees are getting very old and have to come down so my wood pile is growing with catalpa, hazel nut, maple, plum trees, lilac tress etc! Some from my own yard. Anybody that is able to come to the house I would be glad to share! So maybe check with your nurserys that have been in your area for a long time too!

Art & Dorothy

[E George]

Our property was once a corn field and is surrounded on three sides by tree lines. Types of trees include wild cherry and walnut. I have quite a stock of cherry wood that I found here.

Discarded furniture is often a source of mahogany. Once I helped my Dad cut up an old mahogany bed in exchange for some pieces. Recently, my wife threw out a couple of old mahogany chairs that I intercepted and cut up. Chair piece are ideal for small carvings.

Once while on vacation at the Jersey shore I came across a pile of wood in a marina that was from a old wooden boat. I managed to get a couple of nice pieces of mahogany from the pile before workers burned it.