So, I met this guy...

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
So, I met this guy...

And he said he collects wood and is a wooden boat model maker. He used to cut trees for a living, and sold the business to several employees. Now, they bring him a dump truck full of lumber and dump in in his front yard :eek:. He dries the wood, cuts it and sells it to model makers - think small strips 1/8" x 1/8" x 24".

Why the front yard? Well, years ago they started at the back of his lot, but he now has 60-70 yards of solid piled logs; some cut into slabs for drying under tarps, others half cut up for when he needs a chunk. Oh, his wife freely picks up anything she wants and burns in in the fireplace... :eek::eek:

So, as we got talking, he said he has so much wood in his workshop, he has to burn it to get to his bandsaw... "I'd love to get rid of it all.," said he! Being the nice guy I am, I offered to help the poor guy out...

The next week (in October) I came to his house and brought four empty printer paper boxes (the kind that hold 10 reams of paper). I did not know what to expect, and didn't want to seem greedy (YES, I did pay him a bit eventually).

When I saw his "workshop" I was totally unprepared... It was on the upper level of a small barn, the roof was almost falling in, and there were 1,000's of piled cutoffs. These ranged from 1/2" x 1/2" to 2" x 8" boards, all the way from 12" long to 4' long. It was about 14' x 18' x 6' high. In the middle was a Jet Band saw, and a Jointer/planner. The path to get to these tools was about 10" wide. He said it was floor to ceiling kindling. :eek::eek::eek:

Now, he said the problem he had, stemmed from model builders wanting only plain-grained wood that will not distract from their models. He said anything with any grain, patterns, burls, or striking features was unusable. He had to cut away anything with any features, and get to the "valuable" plain-grained stock.

He said I could take as much as I wanted... I dutifully filled by 4 boxes. I suspect I had enough to cut 800+ blanks... I offered him $100, and he said he would only take $50, but only if I promised to come back. :)

He felt very guilty about taking my money, so as we were leaving he kept grabbing chunks of more stuff and putting then into my van. He said he really wanted to get rid of some "nasty, knarly worthless pieces that were heavy and too hard for his wife to burn. They looked really bad, but I asked him what they were... "DESERT IRONWOOD, I have no use for that stuff, too many colors - please take it." We carried 3 pieces to the van, one I suspect weighs 90 lbs and will stay outside until my sons get home today as it is above my "lifting restriction" after hernia surgery last week.

He gave me a branch from his firewood pile in the house. That is what I used for the pen. Being a branch, it is fully cracked down the pith, but I wanted to try it anyway. Not nearly as colorful as the later blanks, but I like the pen just fine. He and his wife will getting some nice Desert Ironwoods pens - him a sketch pencil for his model designs.

Yesterday I began to cut up some: Osage Orange, Madrone, African Blackwood - with sapwood, Bloodwood, Lemonwood... About 1/3 is not even identified...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2460.jpg
    IMG_2460.jpg
    148.7 KB · Views: 219
  • IMG_2461.jpg
    IMG_2461.jpg
    160.7 KB · Views: 196
  • IMG_2451.jpg
    IMG_2451.jpg
    156.9 KB · Views: 219
  • IMG_2466.jpg
    IMG_2466.jpg
    159.3 KB · Views: 257
  • IMG_2467.jpg
    IMG_2467.jpg
    51.9 KB · Views: 179
  • IMG_2453.jpg
    IMG_2453.jpg
    179.1 KB · Views: 195
  • IMG_2455.jpg
    IMG_2455.jpg
    267.9 KB · Views: 232
  • IMG_2470.jpg
    IMG_2470.jpg
    137.5 KB · Views: 209
  • IMG_2469.jpg
    IMG_2469.jpg
    126.1 KB · Views: 188
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
Forgot to add the picture of the "stash."

And for those wondering: I am not selling these at this time. If I get a nice selection, I will put a table sale at the MPG and MAPG (I hope to attend) as a fund-raiser to support the IAP Collection. (We will soon have custom-made display cases from an IAP Member; almost done!).
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2471.jpg
    IMG_2471.jpg
    237.1 KB · Views: 341

Curly

Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
4,828
Location
Saskatoon SK., Canada.
You know you could teach the old guy what pen makers and turners want and he could expand his business by selling them his junk. Your fee would be all the wood you could use for free.
 

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
You know you could teach the old guy what pen makers and turners want and he could expand his business by selling them his junk. Your fee would be all the wood you could use for free.

Tried that! He said he does not want to be bothered... A super nice guy! Just wants to be able to get back to his bandsaw. His shop is on the upper floor of his barn. The day I came, he was hobbling around on crutches - he broke his ankle 2 weeks prior falling off of a ladder cleaning his gutters.

I will not take advantage of him though. Just need to be creative how to...

He also gives a lot of donations to the local AAW Club - he also has a lathe, so he is not naive to our wants.
 
Last edited:

Curly

Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
4,828
Location
Saskatoon SK., Canada.
Tried that! He said he does not want to be bothered....

I'm happy to see that you tried and my respect for you has increased. I suppose if you wanted to get in the blank selling business he would be a great supplier. Pretty much all of us would love to have a guy like him in the area we live in. Do his ex employees sell lumber on line?
 

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
Wish I had those kind of friends.


Jon: But you do!

What I gave you I thought was some of the Desert Ironwood. But after playing yesterday, I strongly believe it was some of the African Blackwood with sapwood. My Bad... You're good!!!
 

mike4066

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2014
Messages
353
Location
Akron, Ohio
Wish I had those kind of friends.


Jon: But you do!

What I gave you I thought was some of the Desert Ironwood. But after playing yesterday, I strongly believe it was some of the African Blackwood with sapwood. My Bad... You're good!!!

I cut down the piece you gave me and it looks like African Blackwood, but its so dark that it also looks like a piece of Gabon Ebony I have as well. It doesn't matter to me though, it's going to look nice on something.
 

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
Wish I had those kind of friends.


Jon: But you do!

What I gave you I thought was some of the Desert Ironwood. But after playing yesterday, I strongly believe it was some of the African Blackwood with sapwood. My Bad... You're good!!!

I cut down the piece you gave me and it looks like African Blackwood, but its so dark that it also looks like a piece of Gabon Ebony I have as well. It doesn't matter to me though, it's going to look nice on something.

Hi Mike:

Yup, I think those pieces are African Blackwood. I have not worked with them yet. Too many options, too many projects, too few hrs in the day... But I do have some of the Desert Ironwood to pass out!!!
 

Skewer

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2014
Messages
295
Location
Kentucky
Nice! I'm not sure if I'll have dreams of a barn find stockpile of pen blanks or nightmares of it getting burned in a fireplace.
 

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
Many of us love wood... Many of us hoard wood... Many of us share wood...!

This "Guy" is a great person (I will respect his anonymity) I will work hard to meet his ideals!

Anything he donates will be used for "Donations." As it should. Tomorrow, cutting more Ironwood! - Prepping for the MPG/MAPG.
 

robutacion

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Hum...!, look at you, "sometimes" we meet the right people...!

I'm still waiting for the day I can convince the old fellow from the local timber mill to take me to have a look at his place and big yteasure shed, he keeps talking about...!

Cheers
George
 
Top Bottom