Thread: Trade American wood for Ausie

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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.

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

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.

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 ???

Originally Posted by bobsreturn2003

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

Phillywood

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

Randal

Originally Posted by GCCC

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

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.
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?

Originally Posted by 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.

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?