What Is Your Favorite
Wood To Turn
A good question came up on our facebook group, a member wondered what the best wood to turn was or what is your favorite wood for woodturning.
I think once you start turning wood you really do not pay much attention to the wood that you turn. Also, we need to consider budget. Some woodturners have big budgets, money isn’t an option so they can buy from anyone who sells blanks …that might be local woodworking stores, online suppliers from amazon, ebay, craigslist and so on, along with picking up wood from the side of the road or something that has fallen in your yard. Other woodturners without a budget, in other words, those of us that really do not have 50 bucks to spend on a blank will do our due dilligence and look for local sources of free wood for woodturning…..and for us, that us the best wood to turn!
If you want to pay for a bowl blank or any other type of turning blank then I think ebay, amazon, craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are some of the best places to get good deals. Woodturning blanks that cost money can be found at your local woodworking store.
If you check out Facebook Groups you’ll find a whole bunch of groups that sell different types of wood for woodturners, burls, blanks of many different species and sizes.
From this point on, I’m thinking that the best wood I like to turn is free wood. So, let me share some free woodturning wood sources.
Free Wood For Woodturning
You’ll want to check out Tree Services, most local governments…cities, townships etc have a local dump site for free wood and chips, contractors often have land cleared for new construction, I’ve seen so much cut up and left on the side of the road this year.
Check with your local start parks or conservation areas. They are always dealing with tree maintenance and clearing. They will burn the wood simply because they do not know that woodturners like yourself will gladly take it off their hands. You just need to make an introduction and tell them what you do with the wood, it doesn’t hurt to show them a bowl or 2.
Free Bowl with Your Business Cards
Got a chainsaw dealer in your area, make a small bowl …fill it with your business cards and ask them to hand out to those buying chainsaws ….never know who might pick one up. Ask them to display the cards next to the cash register ….if all goes well, you could be buying yourself a nice new chainsaw, gas or battery!
Contact Local Sawmilling
Businesses For Free Bowl Blanks
There are more and more guys with milling businesses, portable bandsaws that mill logs. Look them up, drop and email …better yet ..give them a call. They could be your best source of free wood. You might even get them to make you a 16′ slab that is 6″ or more thick in which you can cut blanks from!
Free Wood Through The Laws of The Universe
There are a lot of firewood providers in the upper midwest. If you can make contact with some of them, let them know what you are looking for they will set aside a few logs if you ask nicely ….again, use the bribery method….give them a turned project every now and then ….you should get everything for free. Don’t be surprised if they give you a call one day and ask if you want a truck full of willow, poplar, hickory or oak ….whatever grows in your area. My fellow woodturner’s, its just common sense ….back in the day people used to treat each other as they wanted to be treated. Treat people nicely and they will repay, give of yourself freely and you will get in return ….it’s the law of the universe!
Tree Farms and Nursery’s
A Source of Good Woodturning Wood
Nursery’s and tree farms are always trimming or removing dead trees. These are really good people to leave a bowl or other turning project with. If you are looking for specific species, they will know what is available or what will soon be coming….treat them nicely. Keep in mind, people contact nurseries all the time to heal their ailing trees, these people know who will have dead trees so they are an excellent resource if you extend the effort to develop a good relationship with them.
Use Your Website Equity To
Trade for Free Woodturning Wood!
I haven’t mentioned it before before but you should have some type of website. If you don’t have a website, please contact me sparat@gmail.com and I can help you get a quick site set up. If you have a website you can put a website link that points to the tree farm or nursery that you are getting the wood from. All websites like relevant links, people will pay anywhere from $100 to $1000 a year for a good backlink that is relevant. This backlink method will work for anyone who has a business and works for wood, and has wood that you might be able to get for free to turn.
Storms Provide Free
Wood for Woodturning
Every bad storm leaves trees or limbs down. Just listen for the chainsaws or take a ride through your area after the storm. You will find more than enough free wood for woodturning if you ask and maybe even carry your chainsaw with you!
Facebook, Craigslist, Ebay for Free or Cheap Wood for Woodturning
As mentioned before, check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, type in “free wood” or “firewood” “dead tree” “free tree”
Construction Sites Provide Free Wood for Laminated Woodturning Projects
Construction Sites Provide Free Wood for Laminated Woodturning Projects. Stop by a construction site or housing development. There is almost always a pile of framing lumber cut offs of various size on the ground, in the house that’s being framed or in a dumpster. Of course you need to ask permission to salvage the pieces but you can take these and glue them up for some really interesting turning. When I was framing houses we would throw away the cut off ends of 2×4’s, 2×6, 2×8’s, 2×10’s or 2×12’s laminated beams….these make beautiful bowls ….if you are lucky you might find one.
Give A Bowl Away to Get Free Wood for Woodturning Approach
There are not a whole lot of manufactured house factories around, there are more truss and beam factories in all states. If you might be close enough to one of these facilities, take a bowl with you to give away and ask if they have any scraps you can take ….I guarantee you will find a years worth of wood to turn.
In almost all cases if you make a small bowl, 6″ or so, put some business cards in it and give it to the person or business that deals with wood in one form or another …you never know what will happen.
Buy Your Favorite Woodturning Blank
Of course you can always buy blanks. Almost all woodworking stores have blanks. Facebook has some groups specifically dealing with blanks for woodturners and there is ebay, do a search for woodturning, woodturning blanks, etc. …..but you will pay for these. The longer our Facebook Group is up and running the more I find woodturners that buy wood to turn. So for some, this is the most viable option.
Free Wood for Woodturners
As a woodturner there are many woods I would like to turn, unfortunately, I am a poor woodturner so I am always looking for free wood. I have a chainsaw and trailer so I can grab wood on the side of the road, in someones yard, at a municipal wood dump or anywhere free wood might be offered.
I think I must be a little ADD because I find a wood I like to turn and I’ll do that until I get tired of it, then I look for something else! Lets not forget that if you like to turn on species of wood, lets say Oak ….it will differ from species to species, tree to tree. I found some boxelder, it was awesome. Then I found another boxelder tree, totally different but just as beautiful. You might find you like to turn cherry, then you figure out there are more than 10 differnet types of cherry in your area …on top of that, maybe green cherry is what you like until you try dry cherry.
Is There Really Such a Thing as Favorite
Wood For Woodturners
If you have been turning for 30 or 50 years then you probably have a favorite wood to turn. If you have been turning wood less than that then you probably have a favorite wood of the month type of thing. I know that happens to me. I might turn some poplar and think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, but I turn poplar from another tree and it doesn’t impress me as much. So, the best wood for woodturning or favorite wood for woodturning is purely speculative and depends on the log, the day on how you feel that day!
Favorite Wood For Woodturners Conclusion
The question was, “What is your favorite wood to turn and where do you get it?” I hope you find some of my sources helpful and I truly do hope you find your favorite wood….which means you have turned a whole lot of wood!
