Trade American wood for Ausie

[phillywood]

Hi, all. I am here in S. Texas, USA, and would like to trade some American wood for your Ausie ones. I am wondering if anyone have traded with any one in USA and if you ran into any problems doing so. If so, would you please enlighten me about its nature, and/If successful then would you be interested. We have soem Mesquite here that are very forgiving for turning and stable and I am willing ot send a large prepaid box of the wood for 12x12x5.5" wich is a good size for turning. So, what say you?
Sorry if the prefix is not correct.

[phillywood]

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[Kev Y.]

Welcome Phillywood, I have traded several times between the USofA and Down Under.

To date my inward packages have been randomly checked by Australian Customs twice.

As long as you mark your customs declaration as woodturning blanks and there is no bark or borer holes in the timber you should experience no problems at all.

I have a limited selection of local timber to swap, but would be more than interests to send some to you.

[dai sensei]

Unfortunately, posting rates for timbers from US are expensive enough, but from here in Aus to USA are ridiculous.

I tried to send a single cast WW pepper grinder blank, 2.5"x2.5"x10", and the post office wanted $89 by sea :oo:

[phillywood]

We are going to try to see if it can be done the way Kev. explained. BTW, I got some of your banksia pods last year from a friend for penturning and I remember he wrote hobby pieces on the custom tag. I'll check and post it here. Meanwhile I appreciate those of you who are willing to trade. This will give each other a chance to experiment with other woods from other parts of the world.

[bobsreturn2003]

i got a 8 kg box from germany cost was 45$au to send 10 kg s to usa cost $250 au .both were air mail insured . are we being ripped off ???:~

[phillywood]

i got a 8 kg box from germany cost was 45 to send 10 kg s to usa cost $250 au .both were air mail insured . are we being ripped off ???:~
I am sorry I don't follow you. The way you are looking at it is not fair since the exchange rates are not the same. I am sure that Aussie $ has value in your country so does $ in America. The purpose is exchanging the blank for the pleasure of experimenting. No money will be exchanged so at your end you absorb your cost and at my end I absorb mine. The only fiar thing to do is that we both cut same size of log so at least the quantity would be same.

[bench1holio]

what theyre trying to say is, it will cost you $60 to send a peice of wood 12x12 x5 but it will cost us $180 to send the same sized peice!:cool:

which id love to do if you absorb the freight from my end and ill absorb yours!:D

[phillywood]

I just checked on line and One American Dollar= .951367 Australian Dollar
So it's not the dollar difference it's the postal rate charge that differs. But, at any rate I am not asking anyone to do anything they are not comfortable with doing it.

[johnredl]

I think what he means is that it kinda irks us that postage to the US is so high compared to other countries. I don't think that this means that your kind offer is making us feel ripped off by you...just Australia post.

Not sure if I have some jarrah lying around, I'll contact you if I do.

[Old Croc]

Hi Phillywood,
You are 6 months too late, as in September I brought a lot of Aussie wood over and left most of it with Tickling Medusa in SoCal and some in Dallas Tx. On your APIS website, they say no bark or borer evidence, and the same back to Aus. I bought some Cocobolo pepper grinder blanks in Carlsbad and had no problem with customs coming back, except they told me I was mad, and I resemble that remark.
Agree with all the other comments, sent 6 different boxes of empty beer cans home and only $12USD, same box going back, with a small thin walled potpouti bowl and a cheese knife, was $47AU, so yes Aussie Post is a rip off,
regards,
Crocy.
P.S. I would love to do the swap thing with you but the costs for us are prohibitive.

[Rocky5]

Phillywood

Im interested. What are you interested in ? Pen blanks ? Bowl turning blanks or spindle sizes ?

Randal

[phillywood]

Phillywood

Im interested. What are you interested in ? Pen blanks ? Bowl turning blanks or spindle sizes ?

Randal
I Like to start with bowl blank and as the trade progresses then move on to pen blanks and other stuff. I try to post pic.s before I send out anything to make sure it would be of your liking.

[phillywood]

Hi Phillywood,
You are 6 months too late, as in September I brought a lot of Aussie wood over and left most of it with Tickling Medusa in SoCal and some in Dallas Tx. On your APIS website, they say no bark or borer evidence, and the same back to Aus. I bought some Cocobolo pepper grinder blanks in Carlsbad and had no problem with customs coming back, except they told me I was mad, and I resemble that remark.
Agree with all the other comments, sent 6 different boxes of empty beer cans home and only $12USD, same box going back, with a small thin walled potpouti bowl and a cheese knife, was $47AU, so yes Aussie Post is a rip off,
regards,
Crocy.
P.S. I would love to do the swap thing with you but the costs for us are prohibitive.
Dang, if I only was brave enough to figure your site and evidently I wasn't. However if you tell me the USA members handles I make sure to bug them with soem of those goodies form you.
I think that your post must have been bitten by the Crocks that they feel soemone has to pay for those medical bills so there it goes.:o:B:p
However God must have loved you folks much more to give you all those exotic out this world trees and I am just an humble truner want to paly with some of those toys. So lets all share what we've got for the wpirti of turning. shall we?

[phillywood]

I think what he means is that it kinda irks us that postage to the US is so high compared to other countries. I don't think that this means that your kind offer is making us feel ripped off by you...just Australia post.

Not sure if I have some jarrah lying around, I'll contact you if I do.
John, I'll be waiting to hear form you.
BTW, folks my best friend is married to a nice Australian lady who is very talented and tought me lots of things in turning and specially bottle stoppers. She is very talented and I enjoy her teaching although she gets upset when you ask too much Qsn. Aussie way, huh?:q

[phillywood]

Well today I made a very interesting discovery. I was wrong about the cost of a large flat rate box to Australia, it is not $15.95 it would be $60.00 instead, so those of you who voiced a concern you were right and I ahve to figure out a way to get osem wood to you guys and in return keep it fair for you guys to send me something in return. Or, I amy have to pay arm and two legs instead and try to find some wood supplier who wil eat my lunch as well as my dinner and my next day breakfast to sell me a piece of Aussie wood.:(:o:no:
Unless someone feels that I may have a chance here.

[johnredl]

Well today I made a very interesting discovery. I was wrong about the cost of a large flat rate box to Australia, it is not $15.95 it would be $60.00 instead, so those of you who voiced a concern you were right and I ahve to figure out a way to get osem wood to you guys and in return keep it fair for you guys to send me something in return. Or, I amy have to pay arm and two legs instead and try to find some wood supplier who wil eat my lunch as well as my dinner and my next day breakfast to sell me a piece of Aussie wood.:(:o:no:
Unless someone feels that I may have a chance here.

Am I right in assuming that you don't know anyone who is coming over here on holidays anytime soon? Because it might change things if neither one of us had to pay large amounts for freight.

(oh, I don't have any jarrah large enough for what ur after, but if a friend was coming over, someone else in woodwork land might be able to help u out)

[bhedgesdipalo]

Hi there. Very nice of you to offer a swap. I would be interested in swapping some Pen Blank Wood if you are interested. Perhaps 6 pieces swapped. I'm happy to pay the postage. Would like to hear what Aussie wood you are interested in and also if you could tell me what American wood you suggest for Pens. I would always send photos before posting. Hoping to hear from you.

[skot]

phillywood (and Aussies as well), if you can not do a swap due to the high cost of postage, you may consider this place...Wild Wood (http://www.wildwoodgallery.com.au/about.html)

It wouldn't be a swap but purchase timber from this place and have it sent to you.

I dropped into this place during a recent holiday in Tasmania and it is absolutely AWESOME..entire warehouses of different Timbers (Aussie & Imported). I asked him about sending timbers interstate & overseas and he said "No Problems"...He ships over to USA using a freight company that takes care of all the paperwork, customs etc.

Not sure of the price of Freight but when he showed me around the timber warehouse, I needed a bucket and mop to clean up the drool trail I was leaving as I walked around the enormous varieties of timber.

Just a thought if you were looking for those "hard to get" timbers.

[phillywood]

Skot, I can appreciate your suggestion. The reason I am requesting a swap like this is that I make a friend in the process and also, the other party as well as me are a true turner and there is a lots of appreciations that goes into someone taking time to harvest something that they know it was cut down, and it was not commercially harvested. Plus the retailer tack on too much profit on top of something that may not worth that much to begin with. Also, I can ask the trader that show me a pic. of what they have made with the exchanged timber. the most valuable thing is the friendship that can not be bought with any money that comes out of this.



phillywood (and Aussies as well), if you can not do a swap due to the high cost of postage, you may consider this place...Wild Wood (http://www.wildwoodgallery.com.au/about.html)

It wouldn't be a swap but purchase timber from this place and have it sent to you.

I dropped into this place during a recent holiday in Tasmania and it is absolutely AWESOME..entire warehouses of different Timbers (Aussie & Imported). I asked him about sending timbers interstate & overseas and he said "No Problems"...He ships over to USA using a freight company that takes care of all the paperwork, customs etc.

Not sure of the price of Freight but when he showed me around the timber warehouse, I needed a bucket and mop to clean up the drool trail I was leaving as I walked around the enormous varieties of timber.

Just a thought if you were looking for those "hard to get" timbers.

[skot]

Fair enough...next time I come to the US, I'll see if I can pack some pieces of timber into the bottom of the suit case and head to Texas

Cheers
Scott

[phillywood]

when I just recently visited my Mom in North west part of USA (State of Washington). Fortunately God has given them such a lush land and plenty of woods and different species. After I contacted the local AAW chapter I met up with the president and he gave me some bowl blanks. I put them all on the bottom of my luggage and it weighted it down and I took my personal clothing in a carry on handbag. anyways when I got to the Airport lady opened up the luggage and asked me what it was in the bottom. When I told her that it was wood for turning she looked at me that if i was crazy then she complimented me that it was a good idea to put it in the luggage then carrying it on the plane. they must have thought that I may use it to hit someone upside the head with one of those blanks. :D:p Oh well the point was that it only cost me $25 for the luggage VS. $75 if I were to ship it and also that my clothing articles didn't cost me nothing to take into the plane and in 5.5 hrs I had my blanks in my possession anyways.
I thought that was smart, so what say you? I beat them in their own game.



Fair enough...next time I come to the US, I'll see if I can pack some pieces of timber into the bottom of the suit case and head to Texas

Cheers
Scott

[skot]

Good idea indeed as well as being upfront with customs...just tell them the truth and why you have them. If no Bark or Worm Holes, they will probably let you pass with no worries.

[phillywood]

Oh, BTW, don't shape it like a fake gun or baseball bat or give it a sharp point either you never know what they can construde. Just leave it in balnk form.

[phillywood]

Sorry, folks, I didn't mean to drop the ball on this thread. I had to deal with two deaths in my close friends family and we were also blessed with 5.5" of rain after having no drop of rain in entire month of April, so things got putt off a little and I couldn't get in the garage since the mold count is in 14000, and I am not joking you. I am very allergic to this darn thing and have no way out. Anyways, the good news is that today I got my hands on a large mesquite tree which was felled in those storms and it looks very promising. I already cut them up and have to seal the ends and for you guys have to get rid of the barks. I will post pic.s before I seal the ends and also, cut them to whatever size you need them. I have to resort to sending med. size box since the cost to Australia is as high as what it would cost you guys. unfortunately, I have not been able to look and see what else is available in the way of shipping, even if it takes two weeks or so. For now this is what I can do and those of you who have contacted me will be notified accordingly. any considerations from you for the trade is greatly appreciated.

[pmcgee]

I think you might find that TNT will ship a 26"x13"x13" box to australia around the $80-$100 mark.

Weight is a factor too obviously.

Cheers,
Paul.

[phillywood]

i got a 8 kg box from germany cost was 45 to send 10 kg s to usa cost $250 au .both were air mail insured . are we being ripped off ???:~
Bob, I just sent a med size flat rate box of mesquite which the size was 11x8.5x6" which weighted 13.5 Lbs (6.12 Kg) for $49.00 I don't think that was very much and the recipient is going to be able to turn few thin gout of that log. So, it wasn't that bad it's the spirit of sharing that we care.

[phillywood]

I just wanted to stop by and let some of you who wer hesitant to know that I completed two exchange with two membes here and I think I am happy I'll wait to hear form other recipients to see if they are happy with their boxes. We can start small so the cost won't be too over bearing. some of you are in different part of Aussie and have access to different woods than yopur counter parts.
So, what say you?

[dropstix]

phillywood (http://www.woodworkforums.com/members/71302-phillywood/), if you are not aware of native New Zealand timbers, I think you may be in for a pleasant surprise if you google names like Rimu, Totora, Kauri, Matai, Pohutukawa. Freight for a parcel weighing 10kgs (about 22lbs) and as an approximate, for example, 1'x1'x1' dimensions, costs about US$130 to get to USA, but I'm unsure what if any , phytosanitary or customs requirements or costs would apply at either end.

The only dry wood I have at the moment is some Totora, but there is plenty of wet swamp Kauri (about 20,000 years old) with some wonderful figure in my drying racks teasing me.

If you'd like me to look out for any good, dry Native wood, please let me know what species, sizes, quantities and I'll see what I can find and also let you know the freight costs. The wood itself will be free and I ask for nothing in return.

[phillywood]

I am having problems with posting reply to this thread

[Mobyturns]

Just sent a 2kg parcel to another turner of HQ Qld timbers in 50mm sq blanks for christmas ornaments to Texas with Aussie Post - cost $57 Airmail . So not cheap! Sea mail is much cheaper, takes 3-4 months and no guarantees or insurance if you want it. Real shame is our timbers are so dense so postage / freight is relatively high. Pays to check quarantine requirements and to be honest.

Also been to NZ and back recently taking raw timber blanks both ways. No issues if you play by the rules with no bark, inclusions, or any evidence of bug activity. Comming back into Australia was a little more interesting as the dry ancient swamp kauri as a sawn blank, another roughed out blank & a part finished inlay bowl attracted attention as a possible protected timber. Having a knowledge of what timbers I had helped greatly & having a chain of custody certificate & evidence of origin also helped for the AK. Remember its your responsibility to comply & there can be heavy penalties imposed.