Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

I've done a few of these and now I'm ready to move on. However, short of
getting a chainsaw and finding a scrape pile or visiting a neighbors
yard when they are away on holiday, there is little to be had that is
any good (unless you want cottonwood).

Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?

The only answer I have for you will still require a chainsaw. Find a local
tree trimmer and have them (ASK them as they may already have other revenue
producing avenues available to them) send some wood your way. You need to
make it really easy for them though. They are usually really busy and
mostly just have time to dump and run. IF you can get lucky, you'll find
one that'll just unload a few good pieces a week. Most that I know wants to
dump truck loads all at once.

You'll still need to have a saw to cut it into blanks unless you would like
to get into turning large endgrain pieces.

As to nice burls and such pieces of wood ... well ... I just go out and cut
those myself. Not an option for you, I guess.

Good luck,

- Andrew



"william kossack" wrote in message
news:HvFRb.130974$5V2.664718@attbi_s53...
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

I've done a few of these and now I'm ready to move on. However, short of
getting a chainsaw and finding a scrape pile or visiting a neighbors
yard when they are away on holiday, there is little to be had that is
any good (unless you want cottonwood).

Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?

Greetings and Salutations...

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 02:54:31 GMT, william kossack
wrote:

Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

I've done a few of these and now I'm ready to move on. However, short of
getting a chainsaw and finding a scrape pile or visiting a neighbors
yard when they are away on holiday, there is little to be had that is
any good (unless you want cottonwood).

Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?

Well, it helps to live in a state that has forests. The
Desert, while lovely in its own way, does not quite have the
proliferation of trees that make it easy to get stock for turning.
I will go out in my front yard and whack a limb off a tree, if
necessary, however, in the fall and such, the local tree-trimmers
are so snowed under with wood that they will almost buy YOU a
six pack to take it away. However, I live in East Tennessee.
Ebay is a source, but, it can be pricy. Actually, to
get anything sizable at all is going to cost, mainly because
of shipping. I have a chunk of maple on my back porch right
now, waiting to be turned. It is about 20" across and 8" thick
(in a rough octagon). I suspect it weighs at least 40 lbs even
after drying a while. That makes shipping a tad expensive.
Maybe you could make contact with some of the other
turning clubs out in the area, and see if it might be possible
to work out some sort of "care" package...or a field trip...
Beyond that, I would suggest that you explore the
exciting world of segmented turning. That allows you to use
many small pieces to create as big a blank as you want.
Regards
Dave Mundt

"william kossack" wrote in message
news:HvFRb.130974$5V2.664718@attbi_s53...
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

I've done a few of these and now I'm ready to move on. However, short of
getting a chainsaw and finding a scrape pile or visiting a neighbors
yard when they are away on holiday, there is little to be had that is
any good (unless you want cottonwood).

Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?


1. Contact arborists through the yellow pages - you'd be surprised at the
wide range of trees they cut down.

2. The City Council should have an arborist, probably several, who look
after the trees on city land. They can be very obliging and can sometimes
tell you when they will be cutting down a particular specimen in your area.
Mine let me know of a huge burled maple that was due to come down.
HTH
Graham

unless of course they already have a deal with the local woodworkers guild
to give it to them...
in article d1GRb.307311$X%5.108102@pd7tw2no, graham at
wrote on 1/27/04 7:30 PM:


"william kossack" wrote in message
news:HvFRb.130974$5V2.664718@attbi_s53...
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

I've done a few of these and now I'm ready to move on. However, short of
getting a chainsaw and finding a scrape pile or visiting a neighbors
yard when they are away on holiday, there is little to be had that is
any good (unless you want cottonwood).

Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?


1. Contact arborists through the yellow pages - you'd be surprised at the
wide range of trees they cut down.

2. The City Council should have an arborist, probably several, who look
after the trees on city land. They can be very obliging and can sometimes
tell you when they will be cutting down a particular specimen in your area.
Mine let me know of a huge burled maple that was due to come down.
HTH
Graham

William,
You're in one of the best parts of the country to find downed wood. After
the thaw comes to the higher altitudes take a ride up to some of the areas
above 7,500 feet and you should find a lot of fallen trees. A small rented
chainsaw (or a big bowsaw) will allow you to recover all you can carry in a
car in a day's time. The last time I was in the Fort Collins area, I went up
Buckhorn Canyon, and there was literally tons of trees down after the
winter(s).

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX
****************************

"william kossack" wrote in message
news:HvFRb.130974$5V2.664718@attbi_s53...
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

I've done a few of these and now I'm ready to move on. However, short of
getting a chainsaw and finding a scrape pile or visiting a neighbors
yard when they are away on holiday, there is little to be had that is
any good (unless you want cottonwood).

Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?

Another alternative is to go into segmented turning. There you can use
little pieces glued together to form big pieces!

Leif
"william kossack" wrote in message
news:HvFRb.130974$5V2.664718@attbi_s53...
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

I've done a few of these and now I'm ready to move on. However, short of
getting a chainsaw and finding a scrape pile or visiting a neighbors
yard when they are away on holiday, there is little to be had that is
any good (unless you want cottonwood).

Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?

william kossack wrote:
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

Most of us own chainsaws and bandsaws, you'll need one of each, at the
least. Arborists and county trimming crews are good sources of wood, so
is th eside of the road after a snow, wind, or ice storm. If you had a
chainsaw, you could drive around in your truck, you do have a truck,
right, and offer to take down the limbs that look like they're about to
go. You shouldn't be paying for wood in CO. Get some anchorseal or
endgrain sealer (Woodcraft) and use it diligently. Also do a Google
search on LDD in this NG. Get a saw you like, 'cause you're gonna need
it.

Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

I have gotten some wood from local cutters. There is a wide selection
of wood growing around the denver metro area. For example, I have some
chunks of hackberry waiting for spring and I've also got some russian
olive and aspen.

My wife gave me a little electric chainsaw for christmas (used to cut
up the hackberry into usable blocks)

However, I'll give you a for instance.

A friend in Texas has seen some of my smaller bowls and would like one
out of mesquite. A family member wants one out of buckeye and another
also wants a bowl from a wood not available locally in colorado.

I did give one bowl to a brotherinlaw this christmas returning an
Alder blank he gave me last year. I made a box from purple heart to
hold the bowl, lined the box and filled it all with candy. If only
others that are making requests could supply me with wood then my
problems would be over.

wrote in message ...
william kossack wrote:
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if lucky
8x8x3.

Most of us own chainsaws and bandsaws, you'll need one of each, at the
least. Arborists and county trimming crews are good sources of wood, so
is th eside of the road after a snow, wind, or ice storm. If you had a
chainsaw, you could drive around in your truck, you do have a truck,
right, and offer to take down the limbs that look like they're about to
go. You shouldn't be paying for wood in CO. Get some anchorseal or
endgrain sealer (Woodcraft) and use it diligently. Also do a Google
search on LDD in this NG. Get a saw you like, 'cause you're gonna need
it.

Dave in Fairfax

william kossack wrote:
I have some
chunks of hackberry waiting for spring and I've also got some russian
olive and aspen.
My wife gave me a little electric chainsaw for christmas (used to cut
up the hackberry into usable blocks)
A friend in Texas has seen some of my smaller bowls and would like one
out of mesquite. A family member wants one out of buckeye and another
also wants a bowl from a wood not available locally in colorado.
I did give one bowl to a brotherinlaw this christmas returning an
Alder blank he gave me last year. I made a box from purple heart to
hold the bowl, lined the box and filled it all with candy. If only
others that are making requests could supply me with wood then my
problems would be over.

The electric chainsaw probably won't last very long, but use it while
you can. Taht's a nice selection of local woods, perhaps the model to
use is when someone asks for a wood you don't have, tell them to send
you some and you've send it =back in a different shape. A person in
Texas shouldn't have any problem coming up with mesquite. Someone in
Ohio should be able to come up with Buckeye, etc. If you take requests
it'll lead to people not getting what they had in mind, and a lot of
cost. Something to think about.

Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

I was thinking just that. I was also thinking of sending them a bill
for the wood and the work but
I like to keep the few good friends I have.

wrote:

william kossack wrote:


I have some
chunks of hackberry waiting for spring and I've also got some russian
olive and aspen.
My wife gave me a little electric chainsaw for christmas (used to cut
up the hackberry into usable blocks)
A friend in Texas has seen some of my smaller bowls and would like one
out of mesquite. A family member wants one out of buckeye and another
also wants a bowl from a wood not available locally in colorado.
I did give one bowl to a brotherinlaw this christmas returning an
Alder blank he gave me last year. I made a box from purple heart to
hold the bowl, lined the box and filled it all with candy. If only
others that are making requests could supply me with wood then my
problems would be over.



The electric chainsaw probably won't last very long, but use it while
you can. Taht's a nice selection of local woods, perhaps the model to
use is when someone asks for a wood you don't have, tell them to send
you some and you've send it =back in a different shape. A person in
Texas shouldn't have any problem coming up with mesquite. Someone in
Ohio should be able to come up with Buckeye, etc. If you take requests
it'll lead to people not getting what they had in mind, and a lot of
cost. Something to think about.

Dave in Fairfax

william kossack wrote:
I was thinking just that. I was also thinking of sending them a bill
for the wood and the work but
I like to keep the few good friends I have.

Sending a bill won't fly unless they are contracting with you to produce
a piece to spec. Don't do that, BTW, people don't know what they want
and can't describe it, they also change their minds. It just isn't
worth the frustration, we've had that discussion here before, I think
1/2 a year back was the most recent. OTOH, Telling them that you don't
have access to that neat wood that they want it made out of, but would
be happy to send one back if they send you two, should make a fast way
to tell who really wants something. Tell them it HAS to be uncracked on
the ends, fresh cut and sealed (tell them how). It'll give them a
better appreciation of what you have to do to make the bowls. People
who don't make them figure that it's asa easy as going to the store and
picking one off the shelf.

--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

how does the russian olive turn (in your opinion)? when i saw a cross
section, it looked like it had really huge rings and i thought that meant it
was soft wood.

my parents have a large one in the yard that needs some "love" and i thought
i might "preserve" some of it, if it turns well.

Rob


"william kossack" wrote in message
om...
I have gotten some wood from local cutters. There is a wide selection
of wood growing around the denver metro area. For example, I have some
chunks of hackberry waiting for spring and I've also got some russian
olive and aspen.

My wife gave me a little electric chainsaw for christmas (used to cut
up the hackberry into usable blocks)

However, I'll give you a for instance.

A friend in Texas has seen some of my smaller bowls and would like one
out of mesquite. A family member wants one out of buckeye and another
also wants a bowl from a wood not available locally in colorado.

I did give one bowl to a brotherinlaw this christmas returning an
Alder blank he gave me last year. I made a box from purple heart to
hold the bowl, lined the box and filled it all with candy. If only
others that are making requests could supply me with wood then my
problems would be over.

wrote in message ...
william kossack wrote:
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on
your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if
lucky
8x8x3.

Most of us own chainsaws and bandsaws, you'll need one of each, at the
least. Arborists and county trimming crews are good sources of wood, so
is th eside of the road after a snow, wind, or ice storm. If you had a
chainsaw, you could drive around in your truck, you do have a truck,
right, and offer to take down the limbs that look like they're about to
go. You shouldn't be paying for wood in CO. Get some anchorseal or
endgrain sealer (Woodcraft) and use it diligently. Also do a Google
search on LDD in this NG. Get a saw you like, 'cause you're gonna need
it.

Dave in Fairfax

I've done a couple bowls on my crappy grizzly lathe (1/2 hp that
probably is not). As a result I cant really relate how difficult it is
except that I had to sharpen my chisels more often to keep a good edge.
However, compared to other woods I've turned russian olive is tough.

The bowls turned out really beautyful. My first I did not make a deep
enough mortis in the bottom so it popped off my chuck and went bouncing
across the driveway. About the third time it cracked but not bad enough
that I could not finish it. I later clamped it with some tightbond
before finishing. My second I turned down to about 1/8 of an inch or
less and held together better.

Russian olive needs to be turned wet. It is proned to cracking so you
have to finish it quckly to avoid fractures.

If you go to the last pic at
http://home.comcast.net/~wskossack/boxes.html
the bowl on the far right is russian olive.

one thing I learned about after doing the russian olive is roughing out
a wet bowl first down to about 1 inch and then bagging it in a paper bag
with the shavings to let it dry slowly. The aspen bowl in the front
center and the ambrosia maple bowl behind it were done in this manner
before I got wrapped up into finishing some 40 boxes for christmas. The
advantage of this is the wood then drys slowly, distorts, and hopefully
does not crack. Once it dries remount it and round it again and finish
it. The russian olive bowl is really badly out of round because I did
it in one session and then let it dry. Part of me wants to try the
roughing out of the russian olive and see if it does not split while in
a paper bag.

There are so many big russian olive trees out there that are being taken
down by open space managers around denver and they would gladly give you
the wood. I also know people that say they have groves of them and want
to get rid of them. The thorns are a really big problem and it is just
plain tough to cut. Many people that have large russian olive trees on
their land hate them.

Rob McConachie wrote:

how does the russian olive turn (in your opinion)? when i saw a cross
section, it looked like it had really huge rings and i thought that meant it
was soft wood.

my parents have a large one in the yard that needs some "love" and i thought
i might "preserve" some of it, if it turns well.

Rob


"william kossack" wrote in message
. com...


I have gotten some wood from local cutters. There is a wide selection
of wood growing around the denver metro area. For example, I have some
chunks of hackberry waiting for spring and I've also got some russian
olive and aspen.

My wife gave me a little electric chainsaw for christmas (used to cut
up the hackberry into usable blocks)

However, I'll give you a for instance.

A friend in Texas has seen some of my smaller bowls and would like one
out of mesquite. A family member wants one out of buckeye and another
also wants a bowl from a wood not available locally in colorado.

I did give one bowl to a brotherinlaw this christmas returning an
Alder blank he gave me last year. I made a box from purple heart to
hold the bowl, lined the box and filled it all with candy. If only
others that are making requests could supply me with wood then my
problems would be over.

wrote in message ...


william kossack wrote:


Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on


your


lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if


lucky


8x8x3.


Most of us own chainsaws and bandsaws, you'll need one of each, at the
least. Arborists and county trimming crews are good sources of wood, so
is th eside of the road after a snow, wind, or ice storm. If you had a
chainsaw, you could drive around in your truck, you do have a truck,
right, and offer to take down the limbs that look like they're about to
go. You shouldn't be paying for wood in CO. Get some anchorseal or
endgrain sealer (Woodcraft) and use it diligently. Also do a Google
search on LDD in this NG. Get a saw you like, 'cause you're gonna need
it.

Dave in Fairfax

Russian olive helps keep the wind from drying the fields, though.

BTW, aspen is in that group of woods which are bullet-proof at drying. If
you like, a cool, shaded spot will be all you need. If your spot is cool
and shaded enough, like the floor of my basement, it's all you need for
almost anything.

Short of steaming and forming in the microwave, which I've done with some
success, you can't control what the wood's going to do, any more than you
can control your spouse when she releases her stresses, though even there a
sauna helps....

"william kossack" wrote in message
news:n4%Sb.150968$Rc4.1202453@attbi_s54...
There are so many big russian olive trees out there that are being taken
down by open space managers around denver and they would gladly give you
the wood. I also know people that say they have groves of them and want
to get rid of them. The thorns are a really big problem and it is just
plain tough to cut. Many people that have large russian olive trees on
their land hate them.

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 02:54:31 GMT, william kossack wrote:


...
Do you find stuff on ebay? or are there suppliers that have larger than
normal chunks for turning?


YES, keep an eye on ebay - search for 'greenwood' 'green wood'
'turning' and a bunch of other words. Nobody seems to have standardized
on what keywords to use. You will be able to find some "exotic" (not
what you have in your 'backyard'.

mike


--
Michael Vore, W3CCV M-ASA [Ka8]; WHIRL, ABC; CAW, CW, AAW
http://mike.vorefamily.net/ohmywoodness - NEW * * Turned Wood items
http://mike.vorefamily.net/thewoodenradio -The weblog