Thread: Cheap wood?

Ive found some pine from a building site which is just a few houses up the road. Good idea, that one. Just have to be careful of nails and other metal parts (I am always VERY careful about such things).
The nail holes dont make the most attractive "features" of the finished project, but its only practice, right?

Now, its just a matter of hunting down more building sites, in search of more wood...

I used to know a place that made pallets and they used to chuck their waste into bins for all to have. Albeit a bit on the green side but definately OK for practice and handy when you just want a scrap for something, unfortunately though they have moved but I reckon most pallet/packaging companies would have a similar setup. This is a secret so don't tell a soul. Also try and think of a business that receives equipment in wooden crates as these can provide quite good sections of clear pine and handy ply but don't tell anyone OK

Go to the back of places like Clints, they throw pallets out as well as other packaging/wooden containers.
Look for a fencing job and pick up red gum gence posts but look out for nails.
I got lucky and a mate gave me some oversize pallets that are mahogany, the block spacers I converted into gear shift knobs for Mini's and sold them at $30 a piece.
Prunings is another option and make nice pen blanks.
Just walk in a park somewhere after a wind and see whats on the ground.

Hi if you have a woodturning club in your vicinity then you will have a rich source of info regarding the sources of timber(mostly free)as well as all your questions regarding woodturning.

Often as not I have found woodturners in clubs share the wood around and often have working bee's for gathering wood in their area.

Cheers

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Johnno

one source I found, was a simple fence post, down here I managed to pick up a cypres pine post for $28.00 thats 3.3m of 4"x4" timber.

seemed cheap enough for me to start with.

Also just lately the local council had a "hard rubbish" collection period, GUESS WHAT some people toss out!! FRUIT TREES.... and other trees.

AND how about scouting the local area after a good storm

something else I was shown - go to the local tip, people toss out old furniture, lots of older pieces have solid wooden legs, come in handy for garden tool handles or even turning too handles..

The problem I have now is "I SEE WOOD EVERY WHERE"..

Kev



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IF at first you don't succeed, relax your normal.

Keep your eyes out when a new picket fence goes up. The post offcuts will often be cyprus pine which is OK to turn.

Also of course when tree surgeons bring a tree down, there's often good size wood for bowl blanks. Do a search on Google - Groups for tips on how to cut it up, dry, or turn it green.

Then there are the wood shows at which good deals on wood can be found.

Happy turning,

Ern