Pa. Wood Sources

Re: Pa. Wood Sources

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Tom,

Don't know where in "Sout Jersey" you are, but trees grow all over this state. Free wood for turning is as close as your nearest tree pruning/removal company listed in your yellow pages. Drop by his place, and tell the guy you'll bring him back a bowl in exchange. While he's happy to get rid of the stuff, be real nice and he'll start delivering wood to your driveway on his way back from a job!

Mark

Re: Pa. Wood Sources

George Balock

>Tom,

I agree with Mark's response. Almost all of the hardwoods I turn are rescued from "firewood". However, if you are looking to get some exotics, I can reccomend a couple of sources.

One is the internet. You can find some good dealers who sell blanks for turners. I like Gilmer Hardwoods, West Penn Hardwoods, Exotic Wood Group and Dale the Burl Guy. Google up these folks and they all have excellent web sites.

Second, I like Hearne Hardwoods, in Oxford PA. It may be a bit closer for you than Talarico.

George

Re: Pa. Wood Sources

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Like Mark says, it depends a lot on where in South Jersey you are located. If you feel the need to hand pick your blanks, a premium price or a bit smaller selection might be worth the drive to some place that might be right outside your back door. Are you anywhere near May's Landing?

OTOH, if you are going to make an expedition to that part of PA, you might also want to visit Groff and Groff in Quarryville. Again, a lot depends on which bridge you choose to cross the Delaware.

Re: Pa. Wood Sources *LINK*

MikeinCapeMay

>Tom,

I'm in south Jersey. I get wood from a couple of tree removal campanies. Also, South Jersey Lumberman in Mays Landing sells 12/4 and 16/4 at pretty good prices, I use some of it for small boxes, stoppers and other small projects, hit the link below, Steve is the owner and the man to talk to. If you don't want full boards he may have cutoffs, etc.

Additionally check where new homes are going in. There's construction occuring everywhere and that means tree removal. You may also check with your town and the surrounding ones, they often remove trees and also have dumps where people discard them.

Where are you located?


South Jersey Lumberman

*Thanks- Pa. Wood Sources

TomW in SouthJersey

>I just got back and did pick up a large heavy chunk of curly maple with some spalting. OK, now I know how expensive *this* way of buying wood is. It is sold by the pound and I didn't think to ask before I had them cut it for me. So for the $238 I could have bought some nice turning tools. Lesson learned. I do get around the state on my job so I'll check out the place in Mays Landing.

I'm also going to find a tree business to make friends with. My town does have a recycling area where residents bring cut trees. I will make that a regular stop for wood scouting trips.

Thanks for the tips.

I'm in Florence Twp. right near the Pa. turnpike bridge and exit 6 on the NJ turnpike.

Re: Holy Stump Jumper!!

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>$238 for How Much of What?

For Turning Wood?

And you parked your turnip truck where?

Sorry, Man, but unless that's reeelly special stuff whose dust may kill you, I'm thinking somebody "saw you coming."

Send me a private e-mail and I'll give you directions up to my neck of the woods. Just make sure your vehicle's springs are in good shape!

Oh, and leave your money in the bank where it'll do you some good!

Mark

drop the 2 for e-mail

Re: *Thanks- Pa. Wood Sources

MikeinCapeMay

>If you get down to the Cape May area eamil me ahead of time. I'll give you drections to my place and I'll GIVE you some maple. Change (at) to @ for email

Re: Pa. Wood Sources

Bob Sheppard

>You don't have to go to Pa. to spend money on wood.

2 places here in NJ are Willard Bros. in Trenton, and Monteith Lumber in Old Bridge.

Both have domestic and exotics.

Re: *Thanks- Pa. Wood Sources

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>South Jersey Lumberman's is not easy to find. If you are traveling east on the Atlantic City Expressway, exit at route 50 Southbound. At the bottom of the ramp, before you even merge onto 50, turn right onto Holly street.

If, instead, you are traveling North on 50 from May's Landing, you have to go under the ACE overpass, make a U-turn, and go southbound back under the overpass again and turn right before the end of the merge lane from the ACE.

Go North on Holly St. about a mile, maybe a bit less, until you see this old coal truck rusting away on the left side of the road.

Turn in just before the coal truck.

Re: *Thanks- Pa. Wood Sources

Barry Turner

>Maybe you ought to consider a bit of revenge on this guy first.........like reporting him to OSHA or the IRS.......... :-)

Re: Holy Stump Jumper!! Here's my Story

TomW in SouthJersey

>First off the answer to the question how much wood. It seems it is sold by the pound for birdseye and burls. I neglected to ask how much per pound. I figured how much could it be?? Right? So I pick out this nice sized chunk of what looks like a lot of figured maple along with a couple other smaller pieces. Here's where things went bad for me. I don't have a big enough bandsaw to cut it down and was too lazy to get out my chainsaw so I asked them to cut the big piece for me. Which they did.

I get ready to pay and they weigh it. And he calculates $320. I mumble, uh can I put back the uncut pieces? I couldn't return the piece they cut for me. So at $5.00 per pound and 45 pounds with Pa. sales tax I hand over the credit card for $238 since I had only grabbed $100 when leaving home cause I figured, How much can wood be?

On the plus side I've started a bowl from the small cut off piece and it is a beautiful piece of wood. I only have the outside done and the glue blocks are drying so I can hollow it out tomorrow.

I'll post pictures of my $238 bowl when its done be kind with the comments ;-)

Thanks to everyone offering help with wood in the future. I'll be in touch with those who offered.

And to think this all started with a free 1960s Craftsman lathe. So far I've bought a new lathe, ordered a couple Sorby chisels, looking to order more and am now considering a vacuum chuck.

Tom

Re: Holy Stump Jumper!! Here's my Story

Ron in Drums PA

>I think the person you bought the wood from got price per board foot mixed up price per pound.

Burls can be purchased in the $1-$2 range.

Re: Pa. Wood Sources

Jim King-Iquitos,Peru

>George: I appreciate the compliment about West Penn Hardwoods turning blanks. I supply the Amazonian line of turning blanks to them and produce the turning blank web site here in Peru.