OK so we’re ALL scavengers. Never waste good wood … (I think Jack Nicholson made a comment of similar concept different subject right? ...) ... anyway I couldn’t resist that reference!
So we’ve been busy scavenging, this is only the start! A lot more is coming as we open up more resources to obtain interesting lumber.
Over the summer we picked up a rather large mulberry tree – which if I heard right is ready for the kiln shortly. Here’s one of the larger trunk sections rolling off the trailer into the mill. We’re really curious what we find when we see how it turned out.
We are in the process of retrieving a really interesting mulberry tree from the Princeton area that includes an assortment of interesting burl and spalting. Not to mention the unique internal hallow figuring.
This has to become a unique table … thinking of turning some mulberry bun feet, evening out the surfaces, power washing off all the gunk and bark and soaking it in tung oil. Then getting a custom fit glass top for it.
This is some of the unique grain patterns found in the mulberry chunks we explored with the band saw.
We picked up a whole trunk of an osage orange tree in 4 foot sections ranging from 8” – 18” ... this is destined for the mill hopefully this weekend. Figuring 2” slabs for slicing into tool handles, wine stoppers, other misc interesting applications for such a hard and durable wood. Osage Orange is $15 a board foot and it makes amazingly durable tool handles. I’ll have to figure out the board feet but we easily picked up $2,000 in just that tree.
We’re scavenging local orchards for apple – a truckload was retrieved today! This with all the cutting they do has an array of twisted grain, burls, patterns, and crotches. Should make for unique turnings and small projects.This image is just ONE example. We filled a ford ranger to its limit with interesting material. We’ll see what the bandsaw reveals inside this week!
We see wine stoppers, bowls, pens, maybe some interesting boxes (there are larger sections) ...
-- Eric M. Saperstein, Master Craftsman www.artisansofthevalley.com
4 comments so far
Woodwrecker
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3038 posts in 1773 days
#1 posted 538 days ago
I envision many beautiful pieces from the material you obtain.
it will be interesting what it yields.
Good luck.
-- Eric
Jimbo4
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729 posts in 961 days
#2 posted 538 days ago
Found wood is the best there is! I built my wife a potting shed last year, she now calls it the woodshed. She even has our friends – known as my wood pimps – looking for found wood.
-- * Reintarnation * : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
Eric M. Saperstein
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597 posts in 1446 days
#3 posted 535 days ago
We certainly hope it yields well – we found another large osage tree with most of the main trunk intact. Probably 18-24” in diameter. We’ll section off that tree into probably 3-4 48” sections and bring it to the mill as well this week. Some scrub tree’s in there too we may be able to work with.
VERY curious what we get – anyone interested in some good turning wood for tool handles let us know!
-- Eric M. Saperstein, Master Craftsman www.artisansofthevalley.com
Eric M. Saperstein
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597 posts in 1446 days
#4 posted 534 days ago
The second osage tree is on the trailer now – two 6’ sections at around 22” in diameter – my 24” bar barely stuck through … should turn out nice!
-- Eric M. Saperstein, Master Craftsman www.artisansofthevalley.com
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