I might just have a problem

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alamocdc

alamocdc

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San Antonio, Texas, USA.
This summer my daughter helped me organize my shop (garage) so I could get back to turning and woodworking. After we opened the 3rd or 4th box of pen blanks she said, "Dad, you're a hoarder!" Now I'll admit that I love all things wood, so if one of our IAP brethren would put a nice blank lot up for sale, I'd buy nearly everything that really spoke to me. As I was looking around the shop for something tonight, I was struck by what I was actually seeing. The containers in the 1st two pics are 58qt! The last pic shows halves of book boxes full of blanks! And the sad part? This isn't even all of them!!! Even worse? I'm not sure I can remember what they all are. :redface: But I'll have fun turning them.
 

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And the previous post didn't even include my turning stock! And I can't wait to turn that crotch piece in the last pic! The grain shouild be amazing!!!!!

Oh, and I haven't even included all my flat stock! My shed is a 10 x 16 footer and a 10 x 10 section of the attic is full from the joists to the rafters with my flat stock, as well as the top 2 shelves of my 2x4x7 foot rolling rack in the garage.

So what do y'all think? Do I have a problem?
 

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Your only problem is whatever is keeping you from all of that opportunity !! Just tell your daughter that there are different units of measurement used for wood - some measure in numbers of pen blanks , some in board feet , and some in tons . As a ballpark guess , you only have about half a ton there .
 
1080Wayne said:
Your only problem is whatever is keeping you from all of that opportunity !! Just tell your daughter that there are different units of measurement used for wood - some measure in numbers of pen blanks , some in board feet , and some in tons . As a ballpark guess , you only have about half a ton there .
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Heheheh... Wayne, pics 4 and 5 of my turning stock sit in the middle of the shed partially hidden by a green plastic wheel barrow. And these pieces alone weigh well over a half ton! I have large pieces of Heritage Love Oak burl, Figured Mesquite, Huisache and Desert Ironwood there.
 
I'll be happy to help you catalog and store that mess. It may even require that I take some of it off your hands so that you don't get overloaded.

Jake
 
Sounds to me like your preaching to the choir. I took stock last year and had 600 wood blanks on my desk alone, add that the 4 x 10 x 9ft rack of lumber and several stacks of wood else where. Thats when I realized I had to stop buying blanks of any kind until I used some of them up.
 
mredburn said:
Sounds to me like your preaching to the choir. I took stock last year and had 600 wood blanks on my desk alone, add that the 4 x 10 x 9ft rack of lumber and several stacks of wood else where. Thats when I realized I had to stop buying blanks of any kind until I used some of them up.
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I understand, Michael! Honestly, I've seen some really nice looking stuff in the Classifieds that I don't have (Turkish Walnut comes to mind) and have been VERY tempted. About the time I'm ready to pull the trigger, I have to ask myself where I'd put it and how long it would take me to get caught up on all my other stuff. I'd bet that I have over 50 species in my stash that I haven't even turned yet! :eek:
 
Billy, I think you amoungst good company here!! I think most of us could confess to your level of "hoarding" or beyond!

I think a good test would be ask how many of us save the 1" long section of blank that is unused...I know I do...and how may of us save our failures? I know I have seen pens made with these small pieces and some were quite nice, but how many of us just have them in bucket?
 
yeah, you have a problem...unfortunately the problem is that NONE of those are the "right" blank....better keep buying...you'll find it soon :wink:
 
GaryMGg said:
Hey Billy
Wood is good.

What'cha gonna turn from the clothespins? :biggrin:
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ROTFL! Not a thing, Gary. I actually have a box full in the shop and I use them when I need to clamp something small (like some pen segments). But I get more use out of the ones that I take apart and reassemble backwards. A little trick I learned back in my RC model building days. And they are often easier to manipulate than woodworking clamps. :wink:
 
You're right you do have a problem. Those cardboard boxes make it impossible to see if your inventory is getting low so you can restock. Get a few more clear totes and maybe a couple extra for just in case and you should be good. You did the right thing coming to us. You could have had some serious inventory control issues had we not caught that....:biggrin:
 
Justturnin said:
You're right you do have a problem. Those cardboard boxes make it impossible to see if your inventory is getting low so you can restock. Get a few more clear totes and maybe a couple extra for just in case and you should be good. You did the right thing coming to us. You could have had some serious inventory control issues had we not caught that....:biggrin:
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You know, I think you may just be right, Chris! But I think I need smaller clear ones, so they hold less. Otherwise the labels take over the outside of the tote!:wink:
 
Have you made a note to yourself to buy pen kits instead of blanks for the next couple years, so you can get some of that great stock turned into some real beauties?
 
If that's all the blanks you have, what are you going to "blow up" in the afternoon:)

AND, please keep your daughter away from my blank stash. I'm not a hoarder, I just like stuff:)

Seriously, that doesn't look like so many blanks. Now, when the supply houses start calling you to see if you can spare a few dozen "XYZ" blanks, you may have a problem.
 
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76winger said:
Have you made a note to yourself to buy pen kits instead of blanks for the next couple years, so you can get some of that great stock turned into some real beauties?
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Dave, I didn't take pics of those. But I have 29 drawers (9"x9"x3") FULL of 29 different kits; from slims to Emperors and Imperials in most all platings (that were available 5 years ago). And I still had to order four kits recently to fill two orders. I'm guessing I have between 400 and 500 kits. :eek:

Andy, I hope not to blow anything up... but it is likely inevitable. It has happened in the past. I get a little impatient at times.
 
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