Today I met a gentleman who runs a tree service and I inquired as to the disposition of the trees that are felled, as I am a woodturner in need of wood. After he stopped laughing, he related a story of a man who followed his service truck for 6 miles to beg a huge apricot log and after promises of a turned bowl the man was given the log. A year later, my new friend has seen no bowl. I apologized for the unfulfilled promise, and he has agreed to let me into the wood pile.
If you promise a bowl for wood, please do it. If the tree services don't want to mess with us, these logs become either firewood or mulch.
I've found that in most cases, an appropriate amount of the favorite adult beverage preferred by the woodcutter (tree trimmer, etc.), or even cash is much preferable to promising a bowl later down the road. Most people don't understand the amount of calendar time it takes to rough, dry, finish turn, sand and apply finish to get to a finished bowl from a chunk of log. While you are going through the first six months to a year of making a bowl to give them, you could have probably been the recipient of numerous other chunks of good wood, if you had only parted with a few greenbacks along the way, either directly or in the form of liquid refreshment.
If you are tuning only as a hobby, and you explain to the woodcutter that it may take awhile because of the process, you may be able to get a reasonable source of wood for your own projects if you do follow up with a bowl or other turned item now and then. Usually, the time between receipt of wood and delivery of an object is so long, that most forget about you in the meanwhile. Of course, there are a few that have long memories, but most of 'em don't.
By the way, do you know where the logs go that don't go to turners? With many species, they are either chipped, turned into firewood, or they go to landfill (which costs the woodcutter money for disposal fees). Nearly anything they get for giving you the wood is a bonus. For species that are commonly sawn, or unique or exotics, most woodcutters have a connection to a sawmill somewhere that will buy the raw logs from them. If the wood becomes firewood or goes to a sawmill, they get an income from them. You have to be willing to pay at least as much as they now get for them to provide you wood on any sort of regular basis. For a few, a bowl may be ok, but for many, cash is king.
Dave Sifers wrote: (clip) If you promise a bowl for wood, please do it. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Most of the tree cutters I have encountered are more than willing to have me take wood, and even help move it and load it. Frequently, I am dealing with a whole crew, and it would be very difficult to provide "a bowl", nor do they expect it.
If you do make a promise, I guarantee, they will not forget as quickly as you do. It is usually not important that the bowl given come from the very wood you are getting. It can be a bowl you have already turned, or one you finish in the next couple of weeks.
If you make an offer, and it is declined, it still has meaning.
Jim, do you use any of the polishing compounds with the Beall system when you use Deft first? I did a Myrtle vase a few days ago, two coats of Deft and now wonder what next.
Well, got a promise to fulfill after the trip up the road today. Loaded the little trailer with a half-dozen 3 foot lengths of black cherry from 15-22" in diameter. Butt log is still on the ground, but I think I'll have another neighbor bring his skidder for it. Twelve plus feet of 22-30" GNARL. Hope it's as free of brownheart as it looks to be.
Nice neighbors. Both have several pieces I've made.
I'd make sure the lacquer is leveled, say with 600 wet/dry, then tripoli for luster, followed by rouge for full gloss. I use it on polyurethane all the time.
any of the polishing compounds with the Beall system
I begin with tripoli compound and then go to white diamond. I use the Beall system on the lathe with a morse taper and drawbolt through the headstock. This has advantages over using a 3500 rpm motor. I can lower the speed which softens the wheel and reduces heat, so I never buff through the finish. For an 8" wheel I buff at 600 to 800 rpm, and about 1200 rpm for a 4" wheel or goblet buff. Think of the speed of an automatic shoeshine buffer. You don't have to go really fast to get a good shine. Remember that my Deft is cut 50/50 with lacquer thinner. If you applied two coats of full-strength Deft, I'd wait a week or two to make sure it hardens first. Otherwise you may have some problems. My method requires thinning of the finish. Buffing soon afterward smooths it out and makes it feel very silky.
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