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Sorta dumb question

J

Jim Stoppleworth

Joined
Apr 7, 2005
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Location
Saginaw, Michigan
I did some work (screenprinting) for a tree service and got to talking to him about wood and he said when his trucks were in my neighborhood he could drop off 8' logs of whatever I wanted. Since it was so far back to their storage area it would save him money. I told him walnut, ash, maple, and cherry. This is Michigan so what did I miss that is good turning wood that a tree service is probably going to be cutting?

Stoppy
 
Careful

Stoppy
The boss at the tree service may be a nice guy but I bet his helpers are not as nice or smart. A freind of mine (a rather attractive young lady) asked some tree service guys if they couldn't leave her a load of wood she could cut for firewood and while they are at it a load of mulch from the chipper to put around the bushes and trees. She went to the store and when she returned her wish was granted and the tree guys were gone. In a thousand years she couldn't burn the wood they left her and it was a year later before she got her car in the garage from the pile of mulch they put on her driveway. I expect they thought she would be impressed. These deals require a little more supervision than granting permission for your driveway to be the dump of the neighborhood for the tree crew. Just be careful. I have had great luck going to the Tree Service's Yard cutting and collecting as needed, then rewarding the boss with something for permission to play in his yard.

Frank
PS: Sorry but today I am just full of warnings and doom.
 
Frank,

I've been doing work for them, and they for me for over 20 years. Since I have couple of acres they can put them on I thought I'd give it a shot. If I had a city lot your warning would be of significance. As it is LOML isn't overly thrilled with the idea,either. She remembers the semi-load of firewood that took over a year to cut up. :D But I didn't have a lathe then. :D :D

Jim
 
Personally, I think you hit the woodturners equivelant to the motherload.

I tell the arborists what sizes I want and what species.
I prefer trunk only, from ground to just past the fork. No branch wood. (Branch is less stable because of the compression/reaction wood).
Ask them what species they have and if you are there when they come by, don't be afraid to reject it.
The difference in wanting firewood is that wood would have to dry first. In this case, the wetter the better!
 
Stoppy said:
what did I miss that is good turning wood that a tree service is probably going to be cutting?

Stoppy
Click to expand...

I think the big thing you missed was the ornamentals and landscaping trees Most of them will be smaller but they often have very interesting grain details or striking colors which you just can't buy without maxxing out the am ex. I also wouldn't reject branch wood on the fact that it is reactionary. While it has a lot of problems if you are doing flat work with it, but for turning I have no problems using it because anything I rough turn is going to warp twist and turn and reactionary wood is where you will also have the most distinctive grain patterns. I have a friend who harvest urban timber and I am some other turners are more than happy to have branch wood which would otherwise go to firewood. It is really hard to concieve of throwing out 20 and 30" branches of red oak, black walnut and ancient elms that developers feel the need to get rid of in my area. Also I like turning crotch wood if you specificly ask for it. It makes spectacular platters.
 
Don't forget ornamentals. Dogwood, redbud, holly, rhododendron, lilac, box elder and fruit trees come to mind. Make sure you reward him with bowls and pens from different types of wood so he will understand why you want the wood.

If you get too much wood to turn have a mobile sawmill come and make some lumber. Sell it green run of the mill at a cheap price and you will never have too many logs laying around. Even priced for a good profit the hard wood lumber will not last long.

Dave Smith

More wood than room in Longview, WA.
 
What works really well is to obtain permission to pick through their log yard. This is the deal I have with the local wood guy, and it gets me access not only to the trees he cuts but to the waste piles and log piles that other companies pay him to dump at his log yard. The latest score was an apple trunk that was approx 3'x2' diameter and mostly sound.

You'll find you have more problems with too much wood than with too little. I'm pretty much down to unique pieces and burls at this point cause I've got just too much cherry, tiger maple, walnut, etc.

Dietrich

P.S.(want a 200lb cherry or maple burl?)
 
You'd be surprised. For most folks, there's such a thing as toooooo big. Still trying to figure out what to do with them. Seems a shame to cut them up.

Dietrich
 
other wood

Stoppy-we're almost neighbors!!?40 mi from Lansing area? Russian olive has a nice brown wood, altho soft, and black locust is pretty. Honey locust is one of the hardest woods I have turned (sharpening every 4-5 minutes), and I'd avoid it-seems to have splits coming out of nowhere. Elm especially spalted is attractive and good to turn. Birch, esp yellow birch, and if spalted a little (gets punky real fast) is great-nice soft feel. Sassafras (someone just showed an example in the last few days on this forum), altho soft is attractive, and I have turned some from dying trees on my land. And if they have any burl wood, I will take that nasty stuff off your hands so you don't get injured ;) :D Gretch
 
Frank Kobilsek said:
.......the line from Lost in Space "Danger Will Rogers Danger" is stuck in my head today....
Click to expand...
Try to unstick it and substitute the name Will Robinson (as in "Swiss Family").
I think that the Oklahoma humorist/sage would have enjoyed LIS if he had still been around at the time. My role model in the series was Evil Doctor Smith.

Bill
 
Frank Kobilsek said:
Stoppy
Steve is right like I said the line from Lost in Space "Danger Will Rogers Danger" is stuck in my head today. Enjoy.
Frank
Click to expand...

Will Rogers!......I'm sure there is some psychological brain cramp in there somewhere! I can just see and hear Will Rogers sharing his mid-Western witticisms with all of the Robinson family, Dr. Smith and the robot. Sorry! I couldn't resist.
 
OK I'll better now!

WOW, Will Rogers vs. Will Robinson! Rough hollowed a chunk of cherry stump last night so I should be better today. That was a major brain cramp.

Thanks for humoring me. Everybody have a great day!

Frank
 
dkulze said:
You'd be surprised. For most folks, there's such a thing as toooooo big. Still trying to figure out what to do with them. Seems a shame to cut them up.

Dietrich
Click to expand...

Dietrich, there is no such thing as too big! I remember the classic Tim Taylor line: "There's no such thing as a tool I don't need!"

I had a crane bring in a 60" diameter maple a couple of years ago. It is still sitting there, and it if turns to firewood, it was still a good deal! At the least, it makes for a good conversation piece. :cool2:

Bill
 
Yeah but...................

Bill Grumbine said:
Dietrich, there is no such thing as too big! I remember the classic Tim Taylor line: "There's no such thing as a tool I don't need!"

I had a crane bring in a 60" diameter maple a couple of years ago. It is still sitting there, and it if turns to firewood, it was still a good deal! At the least, it makes for a good conversation piece. :cool2:

Bill
Click to expand...

this reminds me of a couple of friends that a few years ago bought a burl off ebay, somekind of Texas oak. It WAS TOO BIG. They could have bought an acre of woods locally for what it cost to ship. :eek: They are still turning pieces of it. :D
 
Bill Grumbine said:
Dietrich, there is no such thing as too big! I remember the classic Tim Taylor line: "There's no such thing as a tool I don't need!"

I had a crane bring in a 60" diameter maple a couple of years ago. It is still sitting there, and it if turns to firewood, it was still a good deal! At the least, it makes for a good conversation piece. :cool2:

Bill
Click to expand...
Your comment about the crane reminded of an incident many years ago when one of the bean counters at work called and asked if I was still using the crane that I was being charged for. Boy, did that get my attention. I finally convinced him that I was just a young engineer sitting at a desk and wouldn't know what to do with a crane even if I had one. So, then he asked if I knew who was using it now. Bean counters!!!! Ugh!!! What are they good for???? Absolutely nothing!!!

Bill
 
Stoppy said:
Dietrich,

Would love a 200 lb burl, but don't have the $6000 for a lathe to spin it.
I can't imagine you don't have turner friends who'd nearly kill for something like that.

Jim
Click to expand...
Uhmm, I do!
 
Gretch said:
Stoppy-we're almost neighbors!!?40 mi from Lansing area? Russian olive has a nice brown wood, altho soft, and black locust is pretty. Honey locust is one of the hardest woods I have turned (sharpening every 4-5 minutes), and I'd avoid it-seems to have splits coming out of nowhere. Elm especially spalted is attractive and good to turn. Birch, esp yellow birch, and if spalted a little (gets punky real fast) is great-nice soft feel. Sassafras (someone just showed an example in the last few days on this forum), altho soft is attractive, and I have turned some from dying trees on my land. And if they have any burl wood, I will take that nasty stuff off your hands so you don't get injured ;) :D Gretch
Click to expand...

Gretch isn't Haslett just south of East Lansing? If this turns out to be as much wood as being described to me I'll be looking for turners who want a share of it. We'll see!
What AAW chapter do you belong to? I haven't been able to hook with one yet.

Jim
 
local chapter

Jim-I am east of E. Lansing right on I 69.
I think the nearest turning club one is near Kalamazoo (80 mi?), or SE mich (70+?mi) I don't belong to one due to the travel. If you're ever driving around, supporting the arab countries and the Texan oil bazillionaires (sorry, guys, had to get that dig in ;) ) give a holler and drop by. Can let you use my chain saw or we can be dueling chainsawers!!! I have 2 storage sheds (10x16'), 2/3 full of wood treasures gathered from Mass, MIch, an annex of tarp covered pile of ambrosia maple (not very pretty tho-from the firewood), a 40'x2' hi stack 16-20" long logs along the driveway, 12 cords of 8' long firewood (red oak, maple, a few ash, some hickory), and a basement with 1/8th of the floor piled with works "to be in progress". Will share. :) Gretch
 
Gretch said:
Jim-I am east of E. Lansing right on I 69.
I think the nearest turning club one is near Kalamazoo (80 mi?), or SE mich (70+?mi) I don't belong to one due to the travel. If you're ever driving around, supporting the arab countries and the Texan oil bazillionaires (sorry, guys, had to get that dig in ;) ) give a holler and drop by. Can let you use my chain saw or we can be dueling chainsawers!!! I have 2 storage sheds (10x16'), 2/3 full of wood treasures gathered from Mass, MIch, an annex of tarp covered pile of ambrosia maple (not very pretty tho-from the firewood), a 40'x2' hi stack 16-20" long logs along the driveway, 12 cords of 8' long firewood (red oak, maple, a few ash, some hickory), and a basement with 1/8th of the floor piled with works "to be in progress". Will share. :) Gretch
Click to expand...

You certainly sound woodeprived! :D :D
Let's see what I get I might have some to trade with you.

Jim
 
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