• Congratulations to Curt Vogt winner of the February 2025 Turning Challenge (click here for details)
  • Congratulations Mark Durrenberger for "Ripples in Apple" being selected as Turning of the Week for February 24, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Aspen Log Search

N

Navi

Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Messages
9
Likes
0
Location
California
Greetings,

I've been searching for some Quaking Aspen logs to do a few turning projects with for quite some time, but haven't had much luck. Living in the very heart of the Los Angeles metropolis, any pertinent hardwood timber is scace to come across in nature and I've mainly been obtaining my lumber from various suppliers many miles away. If anyone happened to know of a good source of Aspen Logs and could kindly point me in the right direction, I'd be greatly appreciative. Much thanks!
 
Kenny said:
Good Luck. What family is Aspen log? it sounds like fir?
Click to expand...

Kenny,

Its in a group of a number of deciduous trees that grow along watercourses including cottonwood and willow. They are what gave Golden, Colorado its name, but the tree is widespread over the Northern Tier of of the US and Southern Canada.

Mark
 
George Van said:
What size blanks are you looking for? I may Be able to help you out.
Click to expand...


I'm very interested in some that are about 20†long, and 15-24†in diameter. Let me know, thanks!
 
wild guess

Are you turning lamp shades? I read an article once about a turner that turned lamp shades . I believe he used Aspen. The sizes you are looking for sounds about right.
 
Curious

Navi;
You asked about "quaking "aspen. I am just curious what that looks like. Where I live we have lots of aspen almost in our back yard. I dont know the difference between quaking aspen and another type but mine is very white and has almost no grain pattern except and odd board that has some dark brown streaks of coloring.
I have used over half of the pile shown below on various projects. It is one of the softer woods in the hardwod classification.
I have sent some of this white aspen to a few pen turners in the form of 3/4" x 3/4" x 6" blanks for people that wanted white wood to make pens and pencil sets for wedding gifts and a few other occasions where white pens were desireable and some wanted the white wood for just accent wood as in centre bands etc when using darker woods.
Also below is one of the many aspen pens I have made. It has been mostly ladies that have been attracted to the white ones.
Does quaking aspen look anything like this ?
W.Y.
40624392.jpg

66243767.jpg
 
Last edited:
Good guess, yes, I'm definitely doing some shade projects. From what I've learned, "Quaking" refers more to the leaves that shake in the wind; the resulting species turns out to be very whitish in color. In the mid-Atlantic region, aspens are sometimes referred to as Popple which is more yellowish in color and something completely different. I'm still searching for any supplier suggestions, any recommendations? Thanks!
 
Navi, I will check out back tomorrow, I will let you know. I am in Wisconsin, we have quaking and bigtooth aspen here. I have both on our woodlot. I have some spalted but that would probably work for lampshades. Do they ever use basswood for shades?

If I have your size I would send you some if you would want to pay the freight.
 
George Van said:
Navi, I will check out back tomorrow, I will let you know. I am in Wisconsin, we have quaking and bigtooth aspen here. I have both on our woodlot. I have some spalted but that would probably work for lampshades. Do they ever use basswood for shades?

If I have your size I would send you some if you would want to pay the freight.
Click to expand...


Thanks George, I'll definitely cover all your expenses for sure. Look forward to hearing from ya.
 
At our cabin, in northern MN, there are more aspen then all the other trees combined. Also the most harvested tree. Used for papper.
We have Quacking aspen, big tooth aspen, balsam popular, and balm of giliad. All refered to as "poppel." When one gets in the way, or blows over, we use it for firewood.
"daytime" wood as it is not a good firewood. Sure makes a nice outdoor campfire. Don't wory about cutting a poppel. When cut the roots will send up 20 trees to replace the one you use.

I have not tried turning any of it. Which is the white easly turned varitey. ?
 
Aspen (nice name for a weed)

Hey, I'm in Northern MN also and I will give you a truck load of the stuff if you want to come and get it. :) I'll even help ya load it. Joel
 
jmr2001 said:
Hey, I'm in Northern MN also and I will give you a truck load of the stuff if you want to come and get it. :) I'll even help ya load it. Joel
Click to expand...

lol, outstanding, thanks Joel.....hmm...now if I can only figure out the best way to get a huge truck and trailer out there and make it all 2000 miles back safely *ponder*......
 
hey navi, where in los angeles are you, i am in playa del rey, also always looking for wood.
i have a shipment coming from florida, about 1100 pounds of norfolk pine. should be here in 2 weeks or so, thank you ebay.

sascha
 
Meetings

As often as I can. Seems like I have to miss half of the meetings. Either for work (I work second shift and every other weekend) or military (again another weekend lost). Hey I was just thinking... how do I have time to turn? Went to the all day Ray Key workshop. I had him cracking up. It appears he likes to laugh at other peoples mistakes and boy did I make some that day. So are you a member. If so I probably all ready know you. Sorry I guess this has nothing to do with that wood that will remain nameless. Good for nothing waste of forest land. Have I told you I really don't like Aspen. Peace :p
 
Joel, I am also a member, I was at the Ray Key demo but I wasn't able to get back for a workshop. I'm the guy that comes from Mercer, WI. Maybe we will meet on the 11th, I haven't recieved a notice from Terry but Jon S. said we would be in the new building.
 
Sascha said:
hey navi, where in los angeles are you, i am in playa del rey, also always looking for wood.
i have a shipment coming from florida, about 1100 pounds of norfolk pine. should be here in 2 weeks or so, thank you ebay.

sascha
Click to expand...


hey sascha, i'm in the south bay, a little bit south of where you're located. let me know how that norfolk pine works out for ya.
 
norfolk island pine

Sascha said:
hey navi, where in los angeles are you, i am in playa del rey, also always looking for wood.
i have a shipment coming from florida, about 1100 pounds of norfolk pine. should be here in 2 weeks or so, thank you ebay.

sascha
Click to expand...


hey sascha, i was wondering if all 1100 lbs of that norfolk island pine came from a single auction and how many logs that amounted to (and their average length & diameter). I'd be interested in trying some out if you happen to have an overabundance in stock. *chuckle* Thanks a lot! Hope to hear from ya.
 
Navi, I'm in Steamboat Springs, CO. We have more "quakies" than you can shake a stick at. Pun intended. Latin name Populus Tremuloides. I can't ship you any but if you can fire up a truck or Uhaul or something, come out and we'll fill 'er up! Aspen gets nice burls, too. Kinda rare, but I have secret stashes.
Hey, I grew up in Hermosa. Don't get back there much but when I do we'll have to hook up.
 
Sounds Great !!

David Winters said:
Navi, I'm in Steamboat Springs, CO. We have more "quakies" than you can shake a stick at. Pun intended. Latin name Populus Tremuloides. I can't ship you any but if you can fire up a truck or Uhaul or something, come out and we'll fill 'er up! Aspen gets nice burls, too. Kinda rare, but I have secret stashes.
Hey, I grew up in Hermosa. Don't get back there much but when I do we'll have to hook up.
Click to expand...


Hey David,

That sounds really great, thanks! I'm trying to find a way to somehow drive out to Colorado and rent a UHAUL down there to drive back. Mind if I contact you if and when I figure it out? Hey, Hermosa is right near where I'm around now. Nice area, nice weather.....no aspen here though *chuckle*. We'll definitely have to meet up if you're in the area.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top