Relocating and nervous

[Chuck Wood]

Hi,

Shortly, my family and I will be relocating from central Kansas to New Mexico. I'm a bit nervous for several reasons: giving up my shop, trying to find a new property with room for new shop, etc. What concerns me most is if there will be a decent wood supply. I've been turning mostly from "fire wood". Endless supplies of Black Walnut, Cherry, Pecan (yes Pecan, its great), and about any other type of wood I pick up from my local specialty fire wood dealer for cheap, cheap, cheap. Wondered if anyone out there is familiar with the area and can help put me at ease. 🙁

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[dkulze]

Not from down there but Mesquite comes to mind. Oak, of course. Various willows and cottonwoods. Where in NM?

Dietrich

 

[Chuck Wood]

Oh no, I was afraid someone would ask cause I'm still figuring out how to spell Albuquequre, no wait Albuquerque. Will have to get used to the lack of vegetation but Mountains look great. I did see a few cottonwood types and some pine types higher up.

 

[Mr. Don]

To Nervous about New Mexico

Aw...just spell it "ALBIKURKY"!!!!! There should be good assortments there...I have often wondered...has any of yoo-awl ever turned any Palo Verde....that real green wood that is all over the S.W.????? PEE ESS...there should be a local chapter of A.A.W. there....HHHMMM?!?!

 

[Bill Boehme]

I spent two years in central Kansas (Fort Riley) and I go backpacking to New Mexico every year (Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Gila Wilderness and sometimes Pecos Wilderness). My first thought is that I can't imagine anyone from Kansas worrying about finding wood in any other part of the country. There are some arid areas in New Mexico, but there are lots of forest areas with a really wide variety of great wood for turning. Since I go to wilderness areas, I can't take any wood, but I would really like to get ahold of some alligator juniper. I have not found any large mesquites in New Mexico -- they all seem to be in Texas.

 

[Chuck Wood]

OK, I guess the wood access sounds to be OK. Maybe I'm just nervous about loosing my shop and starting over......

 

[tdrice]

Kansas wood

Bill,
My brother still has the family farm in North-Central Kansas. It has a small creek running through it. When I need wood I go back there and pick up all the ash, walnut, elm, locust, oak, cedar and osage orange I can haul on my 24 ft. flatbed trailer. Wood is where you find it.
Terence

 

[Tom Lewis]

I live in Carlsbad NM. Outside of Town wild black walnut is pretty plentful. One seed Juniper and alligator juniper are beautiful woods. Pecan is very plentful in town, mulberry, cottonwood, sometimes box elder, elm,and ash. We have plenty of fruit trees and sometimes I can get apple, pear, apricot, peach. We have mesquite, but it does not get very large.
Albuquerque is about 300 miles north of Carlsbad so your supply may be somewhat different.
The Woodcraft store in Albuquerque is a great place to visit. I wish I lived closer. They have several lathes in the back room and do a lot of turning.
Best wishes on your move. I moved from Phoenix AZ to Carlsbad in 1970 and have never regretted it.

 

[hockenbery]

Chuck,

I have some good friends who moved to NM and we visited them in Allto before they moved again to Colorado. Their best souces of green logs was yard trees. People have been moving west for a 150 years and bringing familiar eastern trees. They water them and they grow big. If you are near any city you should be ok.

My advice: contact the local clubs near where you will be moving those club members will have sources.

We moved to central Florida in 2004. Called a local club got invited to a meeting. The next week I was in the woods cutting wood with the club. One guy brought a tractor and loaded my truck with pieces I couldn't lift.

The most valuable thing is we had a dozen new friends all of whom love woodturing.

Happy turning,
Al