Too nice for firewood

[Mallymal]

Over the last 18 months I've got into woodturning, and been very lucky in getting pally with a couple of people with a workshop, lathe, tools etc who are happy to show me the ropes and use their gear. In return, I'm now at a stage where people will pay to buy my bowls/wooden fruit/christmas trees etc, and all proceeds go into the pot for our little woodturning club to buy more sandpaper, chisels, etc.

 

But when you spend 3 hours making something, and only sell it for £6, you can see that it doesn't help if you've had to pay £4 to buy the wood as well!!! So.......... if any of you are in the Manchester/Cheshire area and would like to see the lumps of wood you create turned into little works of art, we'd be very happy to take some off your hands, ideally for free.

 

What's surprising is how long you generally have to let the wood dry out - some people reckon 3 years for a 3" diameter branch!!! Or you can turn a rough bowl shape out of larger stock, then dry it for about a year, then turn it to the finished shape.

 

Timbers of particular interest because of their grain are laburnum, monkey puzzle, apple, pear, yew to name but a few.

 

Thanks for looking

 

Mal

[18 stoner]

I wish you well, but as many on here will tell you, green timber is worth around £45 per ton for firewood at the moment and wood turners tend to take very small amounts.

 

I wish you well in your search though, nothing like a nice piece of walnut turned out well rather than being burned.

 

The way thing are now unfortunately.

[nepia]

Turners don't have a good reputation in the eyes of arbs I'm afradi: they're seen as fussy, unreliable and people who will turn your heap over, take two bits and leave a mess! My own experience confirms the 'fussy' mantra.

So anything you can do to allay fears will help you; offer a phone no. for immediate contact, offer to turn out and not expect delivery, offer beer. They may all help set a potential supplier's mind at rest because, as pointed out above, there's no money in it this end.

Best of luck to you and can I interest you in a dozen 28" rings of Monkey Puzzle currently lying on soil in West Sussex?!

[bareroots]

Maybe contact a few arbs that are really local to you and ask them to set aside a few choice bits as it turns up (i do for mates that turn) but to be honest mate your problem is the price you're selling it at. Losation is everything. Sod off the local fetes etc. People pay pence. Get it in a cabinet of a trendy local cafe/restauramt/gallery. It will go for ten times that amount

[Mallymal]

Thanks guys, really appreciate your advice.

[Tony Bigsaw]

I’m a full time professional woodturner (TW Woodturning home page) and have struck a good relationship with some arb’s near me. One who is now a good friend first came to me for woodturning lessons and started giving me the odd piece of green wood for my demo’s he soon realised that I had a big chainsaw and asked if I would help when he had a large tree to fell, I let him use my big saw to fell the tree (as I don’t fell trees) then while he works on the smaller parts I slice and dice the main trunk then help load the truck, for this I get paid for the day and get to pick a few select pieces for me.

[Bolt]

My, Tony!

 

That really is a big saw.

 

Not sure I would trust myself with a chain that long, let alone other Arbs!

 

Plenty of sharpening fun for a few moments carelesness.

 

Welcome, by the way.

[Mesterh]

I’m a full time professional woodturner (TW Woodturning home page) and have struck a good relationship with some arb’s near me. One who is now a good friend first came to me for woodturning lessons and started giving me the odd piece of green wood for my demo’s he soon realised that I had a big chainsaw and asked if I would help when he had a large tree to fell, I let him use my big saw to fell the tree (as I don’t fell trees) then while he works on the smaller parts I slice and dice the main trunk then help load the truck, for this I get paid for the day and get to pick a few select pieces for me.

 

You dont say! That one in your avatar has a whopper of a bar on it:thumbup1:

 

What size?

 

Sounds like a good relationship youve built up there.

[Tony Bigsaw]

I normally have a 4ft bar fitted but the one in the avatar is a 6ft bar, that’s why my arb friends refer to me as Tony Bigsaw

[geoff]

I’m a full time professional woodturner (TW Woodturning home page) and have struck a good relationship with some arb’s near me. One who is now a good friend first came to me for woodturning lessons and started giving me the odd piece of green wood for my demo’s he soon realised that I had a big chainsaw and asked if I would help when he had a large tree to fell, I let him use my big saw to fell the tree (as I don’t fell trees) then while he works on the smaller parts I slice and dice the main trunk then help load the truck, for this I get paid for the day and get to pick a few select pieces for me.

 

I know Tony well,he works with me too on occasion,Realy knows his stuff on the turning,if you are after comisioning a turned object his work is stunning.

He also does training in turning,I had just come on here to put his website up,but he beat me to it!

Hiya Tony nice to see you here,Geoff:thumbup1: