Wood finding, how do you do it?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Status
Not open for further replies.

Skye

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
3,487
Location
Rock Hill, SC
Let's say you take a stroll through a few hundred acres of woods looking for possible pen material. Could be dead stuff, could be green that will be dried.

In the US, what would you look for? What particular trees do we have here that would be worth taking an axe to? We all know of zebrawood and cocobolo, but what about what we have here? Anyone have some leads on trees in certain areas we should keep an eye out for?

Personaly, I cant tell one tree from the next. Wasnt raised needing to know one from the next. I think a short faq with some good tips, maybe some shots of leaves of particular trees would be a good thing to have.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

ryannmphs

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2004
Messages
449
Location
Memphis, TN, USA.
Usually I just drive down the street and see what people have cut down. I stop and ask if they know the type of tree, then if I see some pieces I want I'll ask permission to take some. If no one is home, I'll grab a few pieces and come back for more later[:D]

Now, I usually don't look for any type in particular, just whatever I can find. I do have some exceptional pieces of very curly black walnut, beautiful cedar, some nicely spalted white oak and maple.

There is a book out there, can't remember the name of it, but has to do with selecting the wood, how to cut the rough blank (orientation, size, etc.). The cover has a tree on it (boy that narrows it down don't it[:eek:)])
Ok, so I found it. "Turning Green Wood" by Michael O'Donnell.

Ryan
 

its_virgil

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
8,098
Location
Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
First of all, Skye, I hope you don't take you ax to a healthy growing Oxygen manking tree just for a few pen blanks. I so like your enthusiam, though. There are many trees that produce some gorgeous woods here in the USA, and espcially here in the glorious state of Texas, home of the College Football National Champion "Texas Longhorns". Now back to penblanks. Keep an eye on what is happening around you. Trees in citys go down every day. I can get all of the mesquite that I want and never fire up a chainsaw or ax. Lots of walnut, osage orange, cedar, all kinds of oak, pecan, and others here in my area of the Lone Star State. In other areas of the USA you will find maple, ash, beech, cedar, and the list goes on and on. Just 18 months ago I obtained some very nice bird's eye maple and fiddleback maple from a gym floor just before it went to the dump....70,000 linear feet and I only had a place to store about 800 feet of it. So, leave the ax at home and just look around as you drive around and there will be lots of free wood for you to get and some else will have cut it and stacked it. Listen too, for the chainsaws and tree eating machines. Be sure and ask first.

There are quite a few places on the net that have all of the tree info anyone would ever need. Just do a little searching and you will be inundated with tree info. Happy hunting and penturing.

do a good turn daily!
Don


Originally posted by Skye
<br />Let's say you take a stroll through a few hundred acres of woods looking for possible pen material. Could be dead stuff, could be green that will be dried.

In the US, what would you look for? What particular trees do we have here that would be worth taking an axe to? We all know of zebrawood and cocobolo, but what about what we have here? Anyone have some leads on trees in certain areas we should keep an eye out for?

Personaly, I cant tell one tree from the next. Wasnt raised needing to know one from the next. I think a short faq with some good tips, maybe some shots of leaves of particular trees would be a good thing to have.
 

Dario

Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
8,222
Location
Austin, TX, USA.
I agree with both posts. Find free trees...they are all around you. Owners usually are more than happy for you to take them away. There are some who knows the value of what they have and will ask for some payment but still a lot cheaper than buying somewhere. My last score was from a construction site and they sold a tree to me...the deal was still too good to pass up.

Be careful with urban trees...they usually have nails, screws, and other materials imbedded in them...which can damage your equipment or hurt you.
I encountered a few myself and really concidering a metal detector now.

Here in Texas there are only a few trees...so I learned about them easy [;)]...may not be the same where you are. Interest will help you learn fast though.

Good luck and be safe!
 

pen-turners

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2004
Messages
201
Location
Honolulu, HI, USA.
Skye,
Contact the county or city you live in and find out the schedule for tree trimming. A lot of times the tree trimming truck has a shredder hooked onto the back of it and most, if not all, of the wood they trim goes to waste. I live in Hawaii and get most of my wood from these guys. For a 12 pack of beverage, they will save some really nice pieces on their cutting rounds and drop them off at my place on their way home. I have about 30 monkeypod and Milo and Kuari bowl blanks drying out in my shed right now. About every other week a couple more are waiting for me on my front step when I get home from work. All because of a free pen I gave one of the workers.

Just think outside the box and be inventive,

Chris
 

Skye

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
3,487
Location
Rock Hill, SC
All good advice guys. Here in South Carolina, you know many people with many many maaaaaany acres of land, so permission isnt a problem. I wouldent hack down a tree, no need to considering I dont have a shop, but there are plenty of dead trees laying around or just lower limbs that can be trimmed. What I didnt know (gathered a few from above) is what looks good turned. I like the more contrasting colors in wood, so what they look like turned, which is hard to gather by looking at a tree is what I need. I'll keep an eye out for some of the ones above. I'll keep an eye out for what the city has cut down also.
 
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Messages
2,372
Location
Drums, PA, USA.
Check your city dump. Especially after a major storm. Make sure you bring your chainsaw.

Do you know any cabinet makers? Ask them for thier drop offs. A trade works well with these guys.

Look for new construction where they are clearing land.
 

tipusnr

Member
Joined
May 15, 2004
Messages
1,692
Location
Reynoldsburg, OH, USA.
Be sure to ask if at all possible! That's a cardinal rule with me as some people and companies have funny ideas about value. If the property owner doesn't give it to you...it's theft! A new subdivision is going in near me and they wouldn't let anyone on the site to look at the downed trees. Some of the larger trunks I saw loaded up so they probably sold them to a small mill, or firewood dealer, but most of the stuff got chipped and either hauled away or buried. Stated some malarky (sp?) about insurance problems. Still it's their property and I hated to see the waste.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom