Wierd Woodz!!!!

[Mr. Don]

Here are some strange and beautiful woods to try....I have made small vases, goblets, candlesticks, used them in inlay and segmented work. Very well worth the trouble.
1.) Ocotillo, a shrub from the S.W. desert...turns and finishes very well, with mini-bullseyes all over.
2.) Manzanita (not the root or burl). Very colorful from red through white shades....very wild and likes to warp and crack. .once dry, turns well, but very hard. Finishes and polishes very well. Found along the I-5 corridor from Shasta Lake in Northern Ca. up to about Roseburg, Oregon. I have found it up to 4" dia.

 

[dkulze]

More wierd and wonderfuls:

Oak galls. These are the golfball-baseball sized growths on small oak branches caused by wasps.

Shrub root balls of all types. Often pruned at ground level to create multiple stems. This creates all kinds of colors and eyes.

fence posts. Once you clear out all nails, the wood is wonderfully distressed.

Dietrich

 

[MichaelMouse]

Pays to avoid some kinds. Get as good an ID as possible and check the list before you go too far. Stink and sap usually give a warning.

 

[Angelo]

Manazanita

Mr. Don,

I have been looking for a source for manzanita wood. Not Burl, Not root or curly but straight grain (as straight as manzanits gets) for a project I have in mind.

Would you be willing to sell or trade for some pieces that are approx 12 to 16 inches long?

Angelo