# Best Source for Blanks?



## BearTricks (22 Apr 2015)

Hi,

I live in Greater Manchester, which I understand is a desert when it comes to sourcing decent timber. I moved in to a new place a few weeks ago and luckily for me, the previous owners of the house had cut down a fairly sizable yew tree, and what I think was a birch, so I have a few pieces in the firewood pile that haven't split much. I've got some oak that I found in my dad's garage too. There's a cherry tree waiting to come down in a relative's garden that I have my eye on.

Everything is end grain sealed and ready to turn, but it wont last long once I start butchering it on the lathe. I've been looking for blanks online and spent a few quid on ebay on some reliable looking sellers but I don't want to be risking money and getting unstable wood.

Places I've been looking include Charnwood, Ockenden, Home of Wood, Turners Cabin etc. I have no idea how much these things should cost me and the prices are all over the place. I wouldn’t mind getting one of the mixed bags that people seem to offer, but again I don’t want to spend money and be disappointed.

If anyone could point me in the right direction, that would be great. I’m just starting out and I want to build up a stock so I can just grab wood whenever I feel like turning, rather than sourcing it each time.


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## Phil Pascoe (22 Apr 2015)

Home of Wood. I had two sacks, both were excellent - the sycamore was some of the best I've ever seen. They're out of stock of the sacks at the moment, though.


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## BearTricks (22 Apr 2015)

phil.p":z0uj1o15 said:


> Home of Wood. I had two sacks, both were excellent - the sycamore was some of the best I've ever seen. They're out of stock of the sacks at the moment, though.



Was there a decent range of species and sizes in their sacks? They have some half sacks available still.


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## Phil Pascoe (22 Apr 2015)

They go in and out of stock as they convert them. The first I had cherry, beech, sycamore and elm, the second sycamore, oak, elm and one lime. The first bag contained 14, the second 12. The blanks were a good range of sizes, slightly bigger in the second. I priced the five largest from the second from another supplier and they would have cost the same as the sack.


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## Random Orbital Bob (22 Apr 2015)

A different kind of answer I appreciate but you might want to consider buying a chainsaw and/or bandsaw as an alternative approach.

There is a veritable cornucopia of decent British woods out there round every corner if you have the means to harvest them. I get my blanks from all manner of places including:

Neighbours (Cherry, apple, pear, plum, laburnum, ash, oak)
Our local church (Yew, monkey Puzzle)
My garden (False Acacia, ash, oak, maple, yew, laburnum, apple, chestnut
My kids school (Horse Chestnut, beech)
My kids mates Mum's farm (oak burr)
My kids school caretakers garden (massive cherry)

My point is wood is all over the place once people realise you want it. Many folks have no means of disposal of large qty's of turnable wood as they often have no wood fire. They positively WANT you to come and take it away. I probably have accumulated £3-4K's worth of blanks at retail prices through my harvesting activity. 

You will need a decent chainsaw with at least an 18" bar. I bought a Stihl specifically for this task and I've never regretted it.


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## BearTricks (22 Apr 2015)

Random Orbital Bob":3nktqvn6 said:


> A different kind of answer I appreciate but you might want to consider buying a chainsaw and/or bandsaw as an alternative approach.
> 
> There is a veritable cornucopia of decent British woods out there round every corner if you have the means to harvest them. I get my blanks from all manner of places including:
> 
> ...



I do have a chainsaw. I inherited it from someone who left it and never bothered to collect it so I don't know how well it works or if it has survived its time in the shed.


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## mancmc (22 Apr 2015)

Bear tricks, 
you could give a call to Kirk Boulton over at Chapel En Le Frith he is the owner of Exotic Hardwoods. I know it is probably not the timber you are looking for primarily but, he also has a good choice of excellent British hardwoods. They are really stable and many kiln dried. If you are particular you could always take a moisture meter down with you. He has a good website catering for many types of craftsmen.
Visiting the workshop is by appointment only...... look on the website and it shows all you need to know.

Good luck


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## Random Orbital Bob (22 Apr 2015)

I've just rescued an ancient McCulloch I bought in 1990. More than 50 times out of a 100, a 2 stroke engine can be rescued with a new plug and a freshly made petroil mix. Don't use any stuff that's been in a can since last year, petrol degrades and causes no end of farting and spluttering. My old McCulloch just wouldn't start, I'd done all the usual tricks.....confirmed the spark resting on the crank case, set the gap with feeler gauges, brushed any carbon deposits and the electrode looked pretty dam good to me. I even went to the lengths of heating the plug with a burner before reassembling in the cylinder head which is an old trick from the Yamaha FS1E days. Nothing would get the old girl firing.

So I bought a new plug for just over a fiver. Started first time.


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## dickm (22 Apr 2015)

Not really on topic, but can anyone explain why it is that a two stroke engine usually only has two, or possibly three, available adjustments, which you can set exactly to manufacturers' spec, and STILL the da** things won't start?


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## duncanh (23 Apr 2015)

BearTricks":2tfwww6h said:


> I do have a chainsaw. I inherited it from someone who left it and never bothered to collect it so I don't know how well it works or if it has survived its time in the shed.



In addition to the chainsaw seriously consider getting trained in how to use it safely and buy some ppe - no point in having a chainsaw and lathe etc if you've injured yourself so much you can't actually turn.

For pre dried blanks I pretty much rely on Martin Pidgen ([email protected]) and his visits to our club (Northumberland). He's based in Grimsby (I think), has quite a range of wood and can help finding unusual things. I'm not sure if you can visit him but he tends to go to various clubs and events and take a large van of wood with him. His prices are very good and he doesn't cut his blanks round - saving cost and giving you the option of turning square.


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## Tazmaniandevil (25 Apr 2015)

Back in the olden days I would say, "let your fingers do the walking." Nowadays I suppose it's Google or 118-whatever. My point is, call all the tree surgeons in your area. Many will either sell you cut logs very cheaply (or even let you take them away for free) and many others store and dry the timber they cut to sell as firewood. You can normally go and have a rummage in their firewood piles, and pay firewood prices for what you find. Others, once they know you are a turner will give you the nod if they harvest anything rare or interesting.

Never dismiss the petrol station bags of firewood. I have had many bags of good quality dried logs from my local filling station.

This





and this




came from firewood my daughter picked up at a roadside stand. £4.50 for hardwood, and £3.50 for softwood - or 3 bags for a tenner.
Granted the lengths were all aroung 300mm, but I still got a lot of mileage for my ten pounds


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## Random Orbital Bob (25 Apr 2015)

I would add that I've developed a relationship with 2 different tree surgeons and my experience is you need to put a lot of effort in to making it work. Primarily you need to go to them, go to their site, go to their yard and keep going to them if you expect them to remember you exist. You also need to keep reminding them which species you're interested in because they quickly forget. They're always busy and usually (on a job) have precious little time to mess about with the butts. You basically need to be agile and move quickly. I've scored a number of fruit woods from my two but if you don't stay in their faces the phone calls tend to dry up. If you slip the guvnor a drink then it really helps.


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## RobC (25 Apr 2015)

I made the trip over to Ockenden Timber a few weeks ago and I was very impressed, it's also a long drive for me but at least I now feel comfortable ordering from them online after seeing there setup, products and showrooms.


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## CHJ (26 Apr 2015)

Not been to Ockenden Timber for some years but when I started turning I visited several times and was never disappointed with the wood or selection available.
Some 2 hours from me (84 miles) but used to make it a destination excuse for a day out over pleasant Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire countryside with some pub grub somewhere on route.

Just note they are only open 3 days a week for normal business before you set out.


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## Lexx (19 May 2015)

I struggle to find blanks in N.Ireland while I'm waiting for my felled stuff to dry out a bit, theres a couple of places, but none close enough that I would be past regularly, I buy a few now and again from ebay, but recently got a 20kg sack from a company near Stafford, heres a pic to give you an idea, suited me fine as I needed a variety of sizes for upcoming projects, this load cost £60 and I sent my own courier in for them at a cost of £13.


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## YouSpinMeRightRound (19 May 2015)

At £73 total cost for those I think you're doing OK. Do you mind sharing which company it was? I'm also in NI, and while finding free timber someone has chopped down isn't too hard, buying something that's ready to go can be a challenge.


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## Lexx (19 May 2015)

As its an auction site i'm not sure I can post it here, but will PM you the details, they say in their listing that they don't ship to N.I but they were happy for me to use sentitnow.com to collect.


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## YouSpinMeRightRound (19 May 2015)

PM received. Thanks!


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## Bodrighy (22 May 2015)

Tree surgeons, gardens, farmers, boot sales (old furniture) the most expensive way of getting wood is probably buying blanks or wood that is labelled as for wood turners. It depends on what you want to make but certainly when starting out any old thing will do as long as you don't have nails in it. 

Pete


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