Video put out by Cook Woods. I buy a few of my bowl blanks from CW.......very expensive, but great quality turning stock.
View: https://youtu.be/zhafVPrImm8
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Processing a 9' Myrtle burl video.
- Thread starter Odie
- Start date
One thing I learned about the myrtle burl in this video is those little burl buds that pop off. That little heart shaped one he sanded down was pretty neat. This wood tends to be abrasive. I live about 80 or so miles away, but haven't been there, yet. Went to Gilmer woods up in Portland once. They have a lot of 'if you have to ask you can't afford it anyway' woods...
robo hippy
robo hippy
They probably paid 40 dollars for that giant burl. Your cost? Your first born and a mortgage.
Beautiful stuff.
Beautiful stuff.
Funny, I was just figuring out how to plan a beach trip for my Wife with a 'stop' at Cook woods. I think she'll see right through it
There is a big advantage to seeing what you are buying with your own eyes. I've had some big disappointments by purchasing from photos. Things like cracks, and other flaws don't always show up very well.
On places like eBay, Amazon, Etsy, there are dealers who will sell wood with a "representational or example" photo. Beware of those, because almost never will you get wood that is anywhere near as nice as the one in the photo. Some of them will show a great photo, and will tell you that's not the one you'll get in the fine print.
-----odie-----
Good point Odie, I've had that happen on a popular wood selling and trading site. The photo only showed a couple sides on some big leaf maple pepper mill stock, while there was a big knot on a side not shown. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice and I'm out of here. Buyer beware.
If you're going to the beach, just haul off a myrtle driftwood log, like the locals. Towels, check. Swim trunks, check. Sunscreen, check. Come along, check.
I dunno, I'm not so sure...
I've watched a lot of videos on youtube about guys who cut down trees and such. A lot of the time, the mills pay a very hefty sum for good wood. They still make money, but there are cases were mills have shelled out tens of grand for a tree. They may make tens of grand more selling it in the long run, but you add in all their costs to process the wood, dry it, wax pieces, photograph the pieces they cut out of it...
I suspect someone probably knew what they had with a burl that large.
I haven't purchased raw burl for years, but that ain't no $40 burl. They are generally sold by the pound, and I would bet that one is more then $1 per pound. There are loggers who hunt for those, and they know the market...
You do need permits to remove wood from the beach. The water is seldom 'warm' enough to swim in... You need a wet suit most of the time, or must be a seal....
robo hippy
You do need permits to remove wood from the beach. The water is seldom 'warm' enough to swim in... You need a wet suit most of the time, or must be a seal....
robo hippy
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It''s a risk. I sold a black walnut tree to a forester for $1,600. He was hoping for a veneer log. When he cut it down we saw it wasn't veneer quality. He still made good money on lumber but he's got overhead. I always look at people's vehicles and if I can their homes. That tells you a lot about how much their making. Most people that work with their hands drive older cars while suits drive some pretty nice rides. I worked in schools and always was amazed the farther you got from kids the more money you made. I don't begrudge foresters the money they make.
It’s plain business that Cook Woods charge what they do. I will admit, I’ve had a drink at their well and most likely will again someday. As long as we pay, they will charge what they do! My guess is for every great piece of wood a log yields, there’s plenty of logs that aren't top quality!! That is some chunk of wood!
Wood is so expensive now; the lower middle income folks cannot afford to pay retail for turning stock. You used to be able to go to a local mill (most are gone) and get a much better deal than a retail store. Those days are gone.
I guess I'm lucky here. I have a friend that's a logger and has a woodmiser. We also have several mills close by and sometimes their firewood piles hold amazing treasures. Seems they only want straight grained clear wood. We sort of like ugly wood. My logger friend collected a truck load of burl and hauled it to a turner 250 miles round trip for $600. The fellow was pleased. Another logger I knew had a truckload of burls and took them to a turning club and didn't sell any. Works both ways. I cut up one walnut root wad and won't do it again. The wood is beautiful but it's a huge job and hard on equipment. I have a big walnut stump sitting in a ditch right now that will most likely stay right there.
I'm one that has always winced at the cost of buying burl wood, any wood really. But watching this video really makes you realize why the wood is so expensive.