Where To Buy Bowl Blanks?

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TomG

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I know some suggested using wood I find around but in the meantime can someone suggest where to purchase bowl blanks?

Also, and easy wood to start with? I know Olive Wood cuts like butter, so maybe that is a good choice?

Tom
 
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Tom,

First off, touch base with some of our regular sellers in the classified. I would think you would find some of them that would sell bowl blanks.

As a second choice, enter bowl blanks as an Ebay search. There are some great bowl blanks available there.
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952

Tom,

First off, touch base with some of our regular sellers in the classified. I would think you would find some of them that would sell bowl blanks.

As a second choice, enter bowl blanks as an Ebay search. There are some great bowl blanks available there.
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I actully did shoot out some emails to members who I bought from in the past. I was just heading over to Ebay.

Thanks
 
Originally posted by TomG

I know some suggested using wood I find around but in the meantime can someone suggest where to purchase bowl blanks?

Also, and easy wood to start with? I know Olive Wood cuts like butter, so maybe that is a good choice?

Tom
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Send Nolan an email ... We just received a great blank from him and his prices are Extremely good. In fact We get almost all of our wood from Nolan at this point .. You might see what he has (which is usually enough to make you dizzy trying to decide!! Take a look over in the MVV area) what there is for pens you can probably get for burls or bowls just ask him.

MLK
 
Just a small thought------start with something that you can play with----Cherry is a good wood for bowls----How big of a blank are you wanting????????
 
Originally posted by JWW

These people are very good. http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZweknowwood
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I believe this seller is a former member of IAP and used to sell here.

Can't remember the username but it was the one whose discussions led to a link to a police blotter web page.

Tom,

For starters, I suggest you try maple. It cuts easy, soft enough but strong, sands easily and finishes nicely. Best of all, it is usually priced much cheaper than exotic woods.

Figure, especially curls can be challenging to finish when starting but well worth the extra effort.

Note that turning green/wet wood vs dry wood have their own advantages and disadvantages. I personally prefer turning green wood (produce nice ribbons) but no instant gratification since you cannot finish it right away. Also maintain your lathe regularly or it might rust!

Turning dry wood usually produce a lot more dust but you can finish it the same day. Depending on wood, turning dry wood could be more physically taxing.
 
I am not sure how large of bowls you want to turn, or how experienced a bowl turner you are, or what equipment you have. You can turn bowls out of standard 4/4 lumber by cutting/turning rings and gluing them up similar to a segmented ring. You can use various contrasting wood or veneers between the rings to add different looks. Basically you bandsaw a piece of flat wood to a circle slightly larger than your finished bowls/vase largest outside diameter, glue a sacrificial round wood tenon for the jaws of your chuck to grasp. Then, with tool rest turned across face of wood, make circles for your cutting of the segments. Use a thin parting tool and cut on the circles at about a 15 to 25 degree angle towards the lathe, letting the cut ring fall onto the head stock. You then stop, remove the ring, remount the board, and cut the nest one. (you can leave the ring until you get 2-4 rings before removing). After you have the rings cut, stack them on top of each other with glue and pressure (weight), leave over night. Next day you have a partially formed bowl ready to turn on the inside and outside. This way you do not wast a lot of wood, or spend a lot of time hollowing out the center of a bowl, and get practice with segmented bowl work. You can use this same process with 2 or 3 different colored woods for making interesting contrasted bowls, and, if all the rings are layed out in the same way, you can have enough rings for 2-3 bowls. Just a thought

you can usually find flat cherry or maple at most lumber yards and home improvement stores
 
I always do a double-take when I see that someone actually wants to BUY blanks. I have more wood given to me than I will ever use. Any turner or woodworker needs to develop the fine art of scrounging for wood. I have a stack of walnut planks, another of maple, two piles of Osage Orange chunks and much more in smaller pieces. As soon as weather permits, I'm going to be cutting up a large walnut tree and a good sized Persimmon. Unless I want exotics, it will be a long time before I need to buy wood.
 
I wish scrounging were possible up here, Frank! I live in what's called boreal coniferous forest area...which means that 99.9 per cent of the trees that grow here are Conifers...being Zone 3b, there aren't many hardwood ornamentals in people's yards, either, and the few ash stands are on Crown Land (which means HEAVY fines if you get caught cutting from there)....

So up here, the ONLY option is to buy...2x4s don't make the best bowls! :)
 
Originally posted by maxwell_smart007

I wish scrounging were possible up here, Frank! I live in what's called boreal coniferous forest area...which means that 99.9 per cent of the trees that grow here are Conifers...being Zone 3b, there aren't many hardwood ornamentals in people's yards, either, and the few ash stands are on Crown Land (which means HEAVY fines if you get caught cutting from there)....

So up here, the ONLY option is to buy...2x4s don't make the best bowls! :)
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Pity. Wish I could help.
 
I've bought from several ebay sellers, Canebrake and gotwood. I have been happy with both. There are lots of sellers out there. The thing you need to pay attention to is the shipping. Sometimes it is cheaper to pay a premium for a local retailer than to add in the shipping on wood from another part of the country. Put out the word to your friends, family coworkers and neighbors. They will bring wood to you (and antlers and anything else they think you need to turn.)
 
The only wood I buy is pen blanks & then most often the exotics. I too live in a rain forest yet we have plenty of maple and cherry. I also keep an eye out during the winter and spring for wood on the street. Most city people don't have fire places and when a tree comes down the city has one crew that cuts it in large pieces and another that comes and picks it up for chipping. If you are quick enough you can grab what you want. In the spring I watch what people put out for garden waste and grab what I can. There is also a lot of wood in the classifieds - it saves someone having to pay for it to be taken away.
 
Originally posted by TomG

I know some suggested using wood I find around but in the meantime can someone suggest where to purchase bowl blanks?

Also, and easy wood to start with? I know Olive Wood cuts like butter, so maybe that is a good choice?

Tom
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Tom if your looking for something simple and easy to start off with I have some walnut that I can ship you. And of course I can cut bowl blanks out of anything I sell in pen stock
 
Hi Tom, I will make a box of bowl blanks for you, I have done this in the past for IAP members, I put 5-8 bowl blanks of Koa Mango Lychee and maybe another Hawaiian wood or 2, i charge $25 and the shipping is $8.95, the blanks are different sizes. I also have bowl blanks on my website at www.koawoodhawaii.com , aloha.

Kalai:)
 
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