Where in Denver do you buy your bowl blanks

[wyone]

I have just started turning a few bowls and wondered where people were buying their bowl blanks. I have bought a couple at Woodcraft, but I am not sure if that is the best place to buy. Plus the last blank I bout there was still VERY wet even though it was coated.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[JimB]

If a bowl blank is 'coated' then it is going to be wet. The purpose of coating it is to prevent it from drying quickly and cracking.

You should be able to use google to find places. Most of what I turn for bowls is from logs, not store bought.

 

[alankulwicki7]

Check out your local craigslist. I get most of my wood from there. Usually I will trade a bowl for some logs of a tree that someone has cut down.
The wood is usually wet (freshly cut) but then I just cut the logs in half and seal the ends.

If I want fairly round bowls, I will rough turn the logs into bowl blanks (about 1" thick), seal the end grain and then toss them on the shelf for 4-6 months. Then I will re-turn them into finished bowls. They usually stay pretty round this way.

Most of the time, I will turn from green wood to finished bowl. The green wood is easy to turn and once done will distort some. I think the distortion gives the bowls a more natural look but my wife prefers the twice turned (round) bowls.

Another place to look would be a cabinet shop. Sometimes they will have 8/4 and 12/8 scraps that you can buy for cheap...

 

[triw51]

You can also check ebay I have purchased bowl blanks there. Search under wood turning bowl blanks.
Secondly check in your area for an arborist and contact him explain what you want and show him some of your work. I did this and have a lot of wood.
Thirdly what Doug suggested check out craigs list, last year I saw an ad for almond wood I just had to cut down the tree for the lady.
If you go the last two routes you will need a chain saw and a bandsaw would be helpful. I purchased a used elecctric one on craigs list and have been pleased.
Hope this helps.

 

[guylaizure]

I get mine from LandfillLumber.You can find him in the members list.Tell him what you are looking for and he probably has it.

 

[Brooks803]

Got Wood? is a great place to get domestic wood blanks. Great prices! They have green wood as well as kiln dried. These guys supply all my local wood turning places with bowl blanks, but since they mark up I just buy from the source.

 

[Edward Cypher]

Rocklers has triple A curly maple blanks about three times a year. I will shoot you a pm when I see them there again. They are kiln dried so ready to turn to final thickness. Also the Woodcraft in Loveland has a lot of bowl blanks from Northern Hardwoods I believe is the company. They come to the Loveland Symposium and whatever they do not sell there Wayne buys for his store in Loveland and the Woodcraft in Colorado Springs. Choice Woods has some dry blanks and sometimes Paxton will have a few. Then there is the almost free ones at both clubs in the wood raffle. The Denver one is a gamble but the loveland one there is always more wood than tickets sold. Also on Facebook look up Jonathan Medina he is an urban tree cutter and is a member of the Denver Guild and he gets some awesome wood, lots of boxelder burl and flame boxelder. If you contact Jonathan tell him Ed referred you he is good to the guild. He also host a sale about twice a year with tons of wood and many species. Some very dry and some cut that day. Plus he will rough cut it right there for you on his sale days as he has a monster of a chainsaw, I think it is in the 36 or 42 inch range and it is sharp cuts through his stuff like butter. Then you get it home and it turns like rock. Look him up I am sure he can help you out.