Where (and how) to find free exotic woods

[sondich]

* I think this is OK to post because it's informational, not sales oriented. Mods, feel free to remove if not. *

Although we sell wood, I've given away a lot of exotic wood scraps and cut offs over the years (mahogany, rosewood, maple - a lot of instrument grade wood, not construction pine).

There is an art to getting this kind of stuff from lumber companies. Recently, I made a YouTube video on how to get free wood from lumber companies, from personal experience.

I've both given away a bunch and picked up a ton (including about $10,000 worth of veneer in one shot!)

• Most lumber companies trash an ungodly amount of usable wood every week
• Most of it gets tossed quietly but there's a good way to try to snag some.

Thanks,

Steve

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[dpstudios]

Very good commentary Steve. Much useful information there. I usually ask or look for dunnage from yards and delivery trucks. I've gotten some nice pieces of mahogany, wenge, and even rosewood or, most of the time, unknown but pretty woods that way.

 

[Woodchipper]

Met a fellow who got a pallet from Asia that had mahogany for the runners!

 

[sondich]

Very good commentary Steve. Much useful information there. I usually ask or look for dunnage from yards and delivery trucks. I've gotten some nice pieces of mahogany, wenge, and even rosewood or, most of the time, unknown but pretty woods that way.

Thanks Dan! I was out in your neck of the woods a while back to visit one of our suppliers, Robinson Lumber. They have a cool location right on the Mississippi. I don't think it's as much of a container receiving port as it once was but still a very cool location!

 

[sondich]

Met a fellow who got a pallet from Asia that had mahogany for the runners!

It's crazy to think about the woods that are considered packing materials in other countries. I once received some lumber with Bolivian Rosewood stacking stickers! On the flip side, they probably have the same reaction when seeing pallets made from pine

 

[sondich]

Here's my new rant on maple wood.

Spoiler alert...I actually like maple but that wouldn't be much of a rant, would it?

What say ye?