It's amazing to see someone on youtube just wanting to share their knowledge like you. A lot of usefull information in this video, keep up the good work.
Buddy. I am in a spot in my life i can get back into woodworking but on a tight budget and cannot afford store bought lumber. I really appreciate this video. Thank you.
I have no pretense that I will ever get into this hobby to this extent, but I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching your video....and yes, learning something as well. I am a retired federal wildlands manager here in western Massachusetts.....and it never fails to amaze me how much beautiful lumber is felled by power companies, summer windstorms and winter blizzards. And for the most part, it ends up in a wood stove or simply left to rot. Maple, beech, oak, cherry....up to 15, 20, 25 dbh - and more - in some cases. You made a wonderful case of a personal connection to local species, amigo! Bravo-Zulu on a great presentation!
Im moving this weekend. A 60 ft redwood fell over in my yard. Im looking at that puppy with longing and regret now lol. Its a baby red, but still bigger than any tree where im going
I once contacted the local town office for tree cutting. Every time there was a wind storm I would look in my from yard to see multiple nice logs and large branches of nice wood like apple, cherry, maple, and basswood. They wood always make sure it was the perfect length and weight for me to carry. FREE is beautiful.
That was a great video. I’m new to woodturning. I live in a very wooded area and I’m 58 yrs old, I don’t want to wait years for wood to dry before turning bowls. You make it look very easy and have inspired me to keep learning even though covid keeps slowing up my plans. Looking forward to finding more of your videos. Thanks
I went down the local species rabbit hole. I’m a hobbyist knife maker. I use small pieces for scales. I’ve been sealing the ends with duct tape. I write the date and species on the ends. I cut all my stuff to 1 1/8” thickness. That allows me to rip and plane it if needed for scales, or use it for a hidden tang handle. Redbud and wild plum are my favorites, but I ended up with some quartersawn sycamore that is absolutely gorgeous.
Its absolutely true. Free trees are everywhere, especially after a storm. Landscapers are always taking out "over grown" trees and replacing them with smaller trees. All my neighbours struggle to get rid of fallen trees. Here, we don't have much hardwood, Big Leaf Maple is pretty much it, but we get Fir, Doug Fir, Yew, Iron Wood Bush, Cedar, Pine (even pitch pine) poplar, Aspen, Birch, and smaller fruit trees. All of it free.
Man O Man what I would learn in a week with you ? You are a Artist as well ! So clear and confident ! Then your teaching skills . Top of the hill for me . Its been 45 years since I turned . Lots to learn again. You are making it a lot easier... THANX !
My passion is growing trees, but I never thought much about what happens after they are cut down. My island was hit with two Cat5 hurricanes, and thousands of mature coconut palm and mahogany trees came down (we were all in tears....) But I've seen a few folks with coconut palm trees drying on their sides on racks. On a nearby island, people were scrambling for the mahogany. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain in such detail what to do to dry wood, how to process it. I appreciate how much work this was to produce. I will look around my broken jungle a bit differently now and not let those precious trees have died in vain!
man, honestly, your content is way above a lot of other wood-related chanels!! And it looks much more honest than all those bait click titles. You don't over simplify, you explain very well, and you have a lot of stuff to share. Very specific, but very usefull! Thanks for this knowledge sharing, it is very appreciated!
I used to work for a tree company and just recently in the last year went off on my own. You have no idea how much this video has just helped me. Thank you.
Thank you for this. I've never had someone be able to explain drying wood in this manner. Everyone either wants to go into complex methodology or just says, "let air flow around it and it will be fine." You've answered why in terms I can understand. Thank you.
Wow, glad I saw this - I live in England and I have a rose tree we cut down 15 years ago and I got it sawn into slabs, I'd completely forgotten about it! Also, I build guitars and hadn't thought about seasoning my own wood - my neighbour can get wood all the time as she's a gardener! You might have just changed my life! :o)
The desert has lots of trees. I’m high desert and have some of the best junipers like alligator juniper and cedars. We have crap wood like piñon pine too, but it’s great for medicinal teas, fat wood, and sap salves. Everything has a use. I’m just learning about woodworking for a hobby and I’m excited to get started. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the valuable information. I leave in Greece and the most common tree here is olive. It's also one of the most beautiful woods for bowls and stuff.
I have been a carpenter to trade for over 45 years. I remember (with difficulty now) how this was explained when I was a 16yr old apprentice, and your way is so much more entertaining, interesting and inspiring. You need to be a teacher of teachers. Great video.
You are so right I live in San Antonio, Texas and this is the 7th largest city in America and boom tons of trees fall all the time all you need is a small truck or small trailer and put a harbor freight truck crane a small one of course and the harbor freight pull system which looks like a rubber mat with a roller and put that on your trailer and you can grab them all over town, people want them off their yard and the city will only pick them up once a year but they fall down every time the wind blows so keep your eye on Craigslist and just drive around and get off the truck and ask hey you want all that wood? I get free wood all the time and dry it in the back yard or make a barn like i built!
Arborist here 🎉 We take down maple, ash and red oak FREQUENTLY and a bunch of amazing stuff in between. I currently have a few hundred bdft of 12/4 butternut and 8/4 (5' long) walnut slabs drying now, as well as a bunch of hickory, beech, applewood, etc. Find an Arborist. They'll hook you up because we hate to see good wood turned into chips...
Thank you for this times 1000! Hurricane Michael put down so much wood in my area (Southeast Alabama) that it almost made me cry to think what was going to happen to it. There aren't enough portable sawmills around here to even begin to harvest what's on the ground. I have collected red and white oak, magnolia, cedar, pecan, and even a couple of Sycamore trunks. If you live anywhere around us, take a few minutes to go out and collect some blanks. Make stuff out of this wood, don't let it be destroyed. The storm did a lot of damage, don't let it all be a waste!
That was a great video. I learned a lot. I am a Utility Forester in Northern Indiana and have access to many different species of wood. I have brought home smaller logs and let them dry in the shed for several years before using them to make bowls or gobblets.With the information you presented in your video, I am going to gather larger pieces and process as you said. Thank you for sharing you knowledge.
We subscribe to the same ethos! It's always nice to find like-minded people with the same passion for natural materials, also a bonus (and a small victory) when one doesn't have to pay the big companies. Small victories are what life is all about. Be safe and take of yourself, and thank you for your contribution.
This is a GREAT video filled with to allow us to dry our own wood. Another thing by doing it yourself you can say I got the wood free AND dried it MYSELF! !! !!!
this video could not have come at a better time for me. I was able to pick up a bunch of free hardwood from landscapers that were pruning trees in my area. I actually got an entire pecan tree with a 28 inch trunk!!!! I was worried because I did not know how to dry it properly being a novice to wood turning. AWESOME!!! this is what I like about you...sharing your experiences with amateurs like me.
@@wortheffort Great video. I just subscribed. This helps me a lot as I have to cut down a maple tree next to my barn and I really want to save some of this wood. My dad planted that tree when I was a kid and it was no more than 3" tall out of the seed. It was injured during a tornado about 7 yrs ago and most of it now needs to come down.
Def feel like I made the right decision to limit the size of my products to portable and use repeatable templates to maximize efficiency. Love drying my own hardwoods for projects. A few months ago I found some perfectly cut cherry logs chilling on the side of the road and I mean BEAUTIFUL grain and color. They are very close to dry already and won't need long in my garage oven kiln to be ready. Just wrap the cookies in aluminum foil and it makes the moisture seep out to the edge before evaporating and cracks WAY less. Love me some FREE cherry and walnut yes !!!!
I have done woodworking and I use that term very loosely and a really long time until recently. I try to do the same thing using local lumber preferably from people's tree trimmings or because I live in Florida hurricanes take down a lot of trees and stuff like that. I actually found a couple pieces of wood I had in storage from the house I grew up in or rather are trying to very tree that was in that yard and part of an unfinished project that I had stored away from a grapefruit triada cut down in my current yard a few years ago you get the idea I know where every piece of wood that I'm working on currently has come from... How are something I have noticed is that working drywood has this advantages and disadvantages but recently I've been working with some Wet oak branches and I've never had a problem really working with greenwood in the past but any tips for possibly drying them out quicker I've worked greenwood in the past never had major problems with cracking or anything like that but I would like to avoid it if possible but I'm also not super patient LOL. If it helps the things I make are fantasy inspired fighting sticks, war clubs etc
4 года назад
I live in Hawaii and if you pay attention and your patient you'll see a lot of trees being cleared for building. I have a portable crank hoist that locks onto the trailer hitch that I use to lift the heavy trunk sections. Appreciate your video and your direct, no fluff video. You've earned a new subscriber.
I'm just starting on this process of milling my rough timber into boards. Mostly West Australian hard woods from my local area which I make into trinkets for my wife and our friends. I loved your video. You present in a no nonsense way, full of practical details and it feels like you're just sitting across the workshop from me. I'm still a novice and learning the woodworking craft, but thanks and keep sharing your knowledge. Cheers.
Didn't see your comment before I posted mine. Chipper noise is how we've obtained yards and yards of chips for the garden, and huge logs for planks, blanks, and firewood.
In our land you might get away with a bit of branche wood to take, but if the government is processing the wood, its money for them and they won't let you take it. thats in the Netherlands and we don't have much nature left, only a few parks and small forests here and there that are all managed by foresters, privately owned or companies. You might get a free tree if someone in his yard has one fallen over but that rarely happens here, we might have 1 or 2 storms that can do real damage.
In a tiny shop, I got 55 gallon plastic trash cans, drilled a few holes in the bottom (the lids are intentionally venting), and put them out in partial shade on wood blocks, then let the wood dry in my 'kilns'. Like you say, make sure there are no areas of mutual contact between surfaces. Contrasting hotter and cooler air from day to night helps them to breathe, so do not let them get too hot!
I do live in the desert, but we have high winds. Trees get blown down every year. I never thought of going to the blown tree area and asking for the wood. Thank you.
Excellent information. The little tidbit of getting a pro chainsaw is spot on after having my old, abused, problem free Stihl 036 Pro while the 42 cc Homelite and little Poulan backup saws I had quit after a year or two.
Living in Maui, woods like Koa, Monkeypod, and Lychee are never available in the dimensions woodturners need from retailers and if they are, they're very expensive. You'd be surprised at how much of all of those woods I have that I got for great prices that are perfect bowl blank sizes, I just cut a piece of Koa into 4 6-8 inch blanks earlier today. It definitely helps to be involved in your community and what I did was join my local AAW chapter and every time we meet, we bring a few pieces of wood (if you don't have any you want to give, you don't have to) and have a raffle at the end. This helps raise money for the guild and helps new woodworkers like myself get great stock.
I have cherry, almond and walnut orchards all around me here in California. Never thought much about it until I bought my lathe. Now I’m a big time wood hound.
@@wortheffort ok boomer 😂 where are you located (could have been right in front of my eyes didnt notice) I know some local lumber mills they have any dimensions imaginable and 90% of the wood is local really nice guy will cut logs if i need a big round section to turn!
Great advice on how to get materials. I do have some acquaintances that are arbor care specialists. I would encourage folks to check their local codes before they go cleaning up after a storm. You need a license to do that in some places. Fines might cut into your profits and you could lose your haul as well. Good hunting 👍
You always have good info, but I think this might be the best video of yours I've ever seen. A lot of valuable info packed in there. Thanks for teaching us.
Love your kiln! Here in Europe most bulbs are now LED and heat producing filament bulbs are not to be had any more unless you buy special infra red bulbs which are not cheap and too darned hot so with a different solution for heating and a thermostat this kiln would be great in a small shop. I live in Switzerland where almost every tree is owned by somebody who doesn’t want to give it away!😁🙁 so free or cheap wood is very difficult to come by unless you get special permission. The USA is 50 time the population and with trees a plenty that seem not to have that many owners (or at least owners living near enough to hear the chain saw). But your point is really true for wood in general that is scrap from buildings and gardens. Keep up the great work!
"...living near enough to hear the chainsaw" !! OMG, I'm so glad you live far, far away from me! :O There isn't any wood that doesn't have an owner, either private, corporate or government.
I have been away from woodworking for a number of years. I am a big gearhead and I cruise the Internet for flippers. I love RUclips as I can indulge a bit of all of my interests, even without the time & at times the ability for that much time on my feet. If you are young avoid the dangerous occupations and fast vehicles! I still have most of my equipment, but when folks get into substance abuse, no matter how much they tell people, "That wasn't YOUR SAW! I was taking out MY saw. Well I like your plan & video as well as your down to earth ways. I used drive truck with a boy on the farm when we milked Holstein 🐄 back out of H.S. and we still get around a bit. He hauled logs for a broker to a small chair making shop in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. They had several hot air kilns & band saws, but the last time I went through the area to say hello they'd folded up! Anyhow for your efforts I have given you the RUclips Trifecta. A Like, Subscribe and Hit The Bell and I guess will share it with a few people who are still hungry for something to do.
Thank you sir! I had a 160 year old apple blow down in a storm! Planted by the original pioneer on my farm ,30 foot high 2 foot thick , what a monster but what to do? Got a keen guy from far away to take the main big trunk... zoom ,got it, gone! Hell what do I do with the 2 big trunk lengths left behind? You have brought me up to speed Thanks SO much! Now I can cut & store bowl blanks & some for planks to do boxes ..Hell this tree was historic now thanks to you I shall be able to keep its story in useful artefacts! Thank you from far away New Zealand
I have just finished making my workshop here in Tennessee. Thank you Sean for the different videos to help us beginners. I just got a lathe for my Birthday and even though it will be a while before I can afford the tools I am learning how to do things better when I get to start. Thank you again its been great. Eric
great advice on this topic, I haven't paid for a piece of wood for 8 years, I have a friend with a sawmill and I will "Work for Wood", we are fortunate to have lots of bigleaf maple here in Oregon. Take Care my friend.
100%... Man... I live in SoCal Redlands, Ca. and there are trees everywhere... some times people just leave half/partial tree trunks on the street curbside hopping for someone to take it...
Great ideas that you would not normally think of. Thanks I will admit I wish more folks would grab up the trees that come down in the storms.A group in NYC after Sandy when to the town shires and offer to take as much as they could. They now have at least 10 years of wood to dry sell and use for good quality furniture.. Thanks for all the great info..
most arborists will be happy to share the wood and lighten the load if you stumble accross them. it happens to us pretty often.. im sure if someone was to call or email a few their local arborists with a finished peice to trade they might get some special attention. the company i work for has a yearly client that turns amazing peices. some of them in museums. we try to save him and afew other people some of the better things we come accross but a lot goes to waste unfortunatly. *thanks for the great video subbed*
Just came across this, and I’ve missed your channel love all of your vid‘s especially like the one I think your dad was part of it- you’re a lucky guy! Les
I found your video reassuring. I have been doing exactly what you discussed - even the bit about putting the wood in the attic of my garage. I had two good size cherry trees come down in a wind storm last. I have used a box fan to increase the air flow through the stacked wood.
Super helpful. Thanks! Oh, and now I have an idea of how I'm going to use that small unused greenhouse on the side of my property: drying wood! Also, thanks for embracing the science and making it accessible to us. Knowledge is our friend. :)
Great vid! I have been drying some logs in the back of my truck it is also good weight for traction. I have a drying rack in my closet which seems to work ok with no bulbs.
I use coffee cup desk top warmers in my welding rod fridge. Dang lightbulbs would burn out but the coffee cup warmers have been on for 20+ years. IIRC, they’re 25 W resistance heaters.
Great info and lots of it. I find that a lot of the in-depth information you give is hard to come by elsewhere. This is just invaluable. Thank you very much.
Really, really GOOD information! Thank you! I shall just leave that one tree down in the back yard. The limbs are holding it up. It is still attached to the tree so that is holding it off the ground. And it is still kind of shady over there. Maybe I will get a paint sprayer, put something under the bottom of the trunk (to keep it off the dirt), cut it loose from the stump and spray paint the cut end.
I watch a few different woodworking channels and this was on my recommendation feed. So glad i watched this. I am just looking to get into woodworking and found your video to be just an excellent source of information. I have subscribed and look forward to more great content.
Good video. I think I'm getting a floor lathe for Christmas. I have a lot of hard wood that I have forgotten about under a table. I'm looking forward to making bowls but from one of your other videos I'll need to start with something a little more simple. Thank you for your Knowledge.
If I can't fill my kiln with bowls I throw the offcut pieces in there too, it helps to keep the temperature up as well as drying the other pieces of wood. I only use local free wood too, but don't tell everyone as I need the trees :)
I've collected lumber that has been cut down and just left to rot. I didn't really know what I was doing. I split it into sections using axe/froe, and most of the wood is good for the fire I think. The rest I've put in my garage to dry, but haven't sealed it - I'm guessing that when I check on it in a few months it will likely be cracked/split? A learning experience! Love the video by the way.
Your instincts are right on target. Source locally, create value, keep capital investment to a minimum thru ingenuous innovation (fridge kiln) and maximize margins . You are terrific!
The moment you mentioned the pith was trash, a whole lot of questions were answered ! I was under the assumption it was sought after. I also assumed if I could cure it without cracking a bowl would be really cool... Nobody seems to mention anything but cutting it out . I have pistachio semi blank with no pith cracks dry. but that not the case.
Spend about another $50 and you can get an STC-1000 temperature controller rigged to that fridge. It's super easy to set up if you have even a small amount of mechanical/electrical aptitude. I rigged mine to an old fridge for homebrewing and now pickling.
It always makes my day when I see a new video Shawn. You are just ridiculously good at instructing. I am going to find you on Patreon and send some $$ your way, this level of instruction deserves compensation. Thank you!
I went in feet first, bought a dozer, a tractor with forks, a couple of chain saws, a sawmill and a big vertical bandsaw. I have several hardwoods varieties I fell on the ranch and make all kinds of things out of it.
I am a complete idiot on this topic, knowing only that a friend, who died last year, turned some beautiful bowls from scraps of a box elder cut down in my backyard. His results inspired me to save the rest of that "firewood" by sealing the ends and leaving it on the north/shady side of my house on my back porch to dry. It's two years old now, and I was thinking it was probably too old to use for making some little boxes, but hey, maybe not! I'm now looking forward to splitting it and further drying it in the garage. Wish me luck!
I'm in Alabama around tons of tree's and would love to learn how this works especially since I am a city worker/park and recreation guy who has to clean up tree falls all the time. It would be so worth it to learn. Great video I'll be checking out many more
Thank you, Shaun, for yet another fantastic video! I swear, as soon as I become President of the U-damn-Nited States, I'm putting you in for a Presidential Award for Excellence in the Arts and Education! Each of your videos is a TREASURE trove of invaluable knowledge and practical information in the craft of woodworking! Your dedication to sharing your wisdom and experience with others is truly inspiring, and your Webpage and RUclips page are priceless resources for those among us pursuing the craft of woodworking! Cheers for now, & keep up the good work!
Very informative as always. I just found out that all the trees that blow over or are cut down locally by the city council are burned about 1/4 a mile from me here in Scotland! Oak, Ash, Cherry and Birch mostly. Happily I have recently established contact and it's just luck what they have in and if I can collect some before it goes up in smoke. Sadly I don't have a great deal of storage space or the tools to manage 4ft wide oak trunks but there is always something that suits. Free wood just changes the "game" it's easier to experiment as there is no financial penalty / pressure if it doesn't work out.
They BURN Oak, Ash, Cherry and Birch!! Are they nuts? What's the name of this collection of incompetent, financially illiterate idiots masquerading as elected councillors? They should be named and shamed as one of the most incompetent councils in the UK! Have you told them they're literally sending thousands of £s up in smoke? All that lovely timber could easily be sold for a large profit to local lumber mills, the profits in turn could then be used to reduce your council taxes or improve other council proved services that, like most UK councils they say they can't afford to pay for.
If my reply made you angry then tie yourself down before reading this .... They pay a contractor to come on to their site and do the burning.The only thing I can offer in their defence is that sawmills want their wood in set dimensions and that this is Scotland, there are trees everywhere! After every storm there are trees down all over the place.
"Free wood just changes the "game" it's easier to experiment as there is no financial penalty / pressure if it doesn't work out." Exactly! Your lucky to have so many great hard woods available for free. If storage is tight, maybe build a garden shed out back, to store more wood?
Just for those looking around for wood and learning the ropes for finding cheap available high end wood, This is a great video! I would also suggest going to your local mills / wood supplier and check their cut off / scrap policy. At my local store they sell it by the pound and most of it can be resawed to something of your needs for smaller projects :)
It's amazing to see someone on youtube just wanting to share their knowledge like you. A lot of usefull information in this video, keep up the good work.
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I agree
Free training right inside your house instead of having to go to library or buy a video.
I agree!
It’s inspiring!
Buddy. I am in a spot in my life i can get back into woodworking but on a tight budget and cannot afford store bought lumber. I really appreciate this video. Thank you.
I have no pretense that I will ever get into this hobby to this extent, but I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching your video....and yes, learning something as well. I am a retired federal wildlands manager here in western Massachusetts.....and it never fails to amaze me how much beautiful lumber is felled by power companies, summer windstorms and winter blizzards. And for the most part, it ends up in a wood stove or simply left to rot. Maple, beech, oak, cherry....up to 15, 20, 25 dbh - and more - in some cases. You made a wonderful case of a personal connection to local species, amigo! Bravo-Zulu on a great presentation!
Im moving this weekend. A 60 ft redwood fell over in my yard. Im looking at that puppy with longing and regret now lol. Its a baby red, but still bigger than any tree where im going
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I once contacted the local town office for tree cutting. Every time there was a wind storm I would look in my from yard to see multiple nice logs and large branches of nice wood like apple, cherry, maple, and basswood. They wood always make sure it was the perfect length and weight for me to carry. FREE is beautiful.
dude, you should be a motivational speaker. no excuses not to indulge our hobby .... great job
That was a great video. I’m new to woodturning. I live in a very wooded area and I’m 58 yrs old, I don’t want to wait years for wood to dry before turning bowls. You make it look very easy and have inspired me to keep learning even though covid keeps slowing up my plans. Looking forward to finding more of your videos. Thanks
I went down the local species rabbit hole. I’m a hobbyist knife maker. I use small pieces for scales. I’ve been sealing the ends with duct tape. I write the date and species on the ends. I cut all my stuff to 1 1/8” thickness. That allows me to rip and plane it if needed for scales, or use it for a hidden tang handle. Redbud and wild plum are my favorites, but I ended up with some quartersawn sycamore that is absolutely gorgeous.
God bless you, sir! You share on all world! That's amazing! Thank you so much! We watch your channel from Russia!
Its absolutely true. Free trees are everywhere, especially after a storm. Landscapers are always taking out "over grown" trees and replacing them with smaller trees. All my neighbours struggle to get rid of fallen trees. Here, we don't have much hardwood, Big Leaf Maple is pretty much it, but we get Fir, Doug Fir, Yew, Iron Wood Bush, Cedar, Pine (even pitch pine) poplar, Aspen, Birch, and smaller fruit trees. All of it free.
Mmmmm... maple. Always what you don't have...
Man O Man what I would learn in a week with you ? You are a Artist as well ! So clear and confident ! Then your teaching skills . Top of the hill for me . Its been 45 years since I turned . Lots to learn again. You are making it a lot easier... THANX !
You'd learn I spend half of every day making tops. Woodworking is monotonous.
My passion is growing trees, but I never thought much about what happens after they are cut down. My island was hit with two Cat5 hurricanes, and thousands of mature coconut palm and mahogany trees came down (we were all in tears....) But I've seen a few folks with coconut palm trees drying on their sides on racks. On a nearby island, people were scrambling for the mahogany. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain in such detail what to do to dry wood, how to process it. I appreciate how much work this was to produce. I will look around my broken jungle a bit differently now and not let those precious trees have died in vain!
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This is the best explanation of this topic that I have come across on RUclips. Thank you!
I’ve watched a lot of channels, and found some beautiful stuff. But... information is key, and you sir are the man. Thank you. Sincerely!!
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man, honestly, your content is way above a lot of other wood-related chanels!! And it looks much more honest than all those bait click titles. You don't over simplify, you explain very well, and you have a lot of stuff to share. Very specific, but very usefull! Thanks for this knowledge sharing, it is very appreciated!
Thanks
I used to work for a tree company and just recently in the last year went off on my own. You have no idea how much this video has just helped me. Thank you.
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Thanks for being a regular guy. You make this craft approachable and understandable.
Thank you for this. I've never had someone be able to explain drying wood in this manner. Everyone either wants to go into complex methodology or just says, "let air flow around it and it will be fine." You've answered why in terms I can understand. Thank you.
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Wow, glad I saw this - I live in England and I have a rose tree we cut down 15 years ago and I got it sawn into slabs, I'd completely forgotten about it! Also, I build guitars and hadn't thought about seasoning my own wood - my neighbour can get wood all the time as she's a gardener! You might have just changed my life! :o)
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The desert has lots of trees. I’m high desert and have some of the best junipers like alligator juniper and cedars. We have crap wood like piñon pine too, but it’s great for medicinal teas, fat wood, and sap salves. Everything has a use. I’m just learning about woodworking for a hobby and I’m excited to get started. Thanks for sharing.
Get Busy.
That refrigerator kiln is genius!
Not my idea, pretty common design. You can find a few videos online to make same.
Thank you for the valuable information. I leave in Greece and the most common tree here is olive. It's also one of the most beautiful woods for bowls and stuff.
I have been a carpenter to trade for over 45 years. I remember (with difficulty now) how this was explained when I was a 16yr old apprentice, and your way is so much more entertaining, interesting and inspiring. You need to be a teacher of teachers. Great video.
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You are so right I live in San Antonio, Texas and this is the 7th largest city in America and boom tons of trees fall all the time all you need is a small truck or small trailer and put a harbor freight truck crane a small one of course and the harbor freight pull system which looks like a rubber mat with a roller and put that on your trailer and you can grab them all over town, people want them off their yard and the city will only pick them up once a year but they fall down every time the wind blows so keep your eye on Craigslist and just drive around and get off the truck and ask hey you want all that wood? I get free wood all the time and dry it in the back yard or make a barn like i built!
I’m a woodworker.... and I learned a lot watching this video. Thank You, a new subscriber.
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Love learning from other people with small shops too! Thanks for the insight!
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Arborist here 🎉
We take down maple, ash and red oak FREQUENTLY and a bunch of amazing stuff in between.
I currently have a few hundred bdft of 12/4 butternut and 8/4 (5' long) walnut slabs drying now, as well as a bunch of hickory, beech, applewood, etc.
Find an Arborist. They'll hook you up because we hate to see good wood turned into chips...
For single pieces the convection oven in the kitchen works great. Usually 3 times 1 hour sessions sorts it out.
Thank you for this times 1000! Hurricane Michael put down so much wood in my area (Southeast Alabama) that it almost made me cry to think what was going to happen to it. There aren't enough portable sawmills around here to even begin to harvest what's on the ground. I have collected red and white oak, magnolia, cedar, pecan, and even a couple of Sycamore trunks. If you live anywhere around us, take a few minutes to go out and collect some blanks. Make stuff out of this wood, don't let it be destroyed. The storm did a lot of damage, don't let it all be a waste!
make some money with it.
That was a great video. I learned a lot. I am a Utility Forester in Northern Indiana and have access to many different species of wood. I have brought home smaller logs and let them dry in the shed for several years before using them to make bowls or gobblets.With the information you presented in your video, I am going to gather larger pieces and process as you said. Thank you for sharing you knowledge.
Thanks and I'm jealous.
We subscribe to the same ethos! It's always nice to find like-minded people with the same passion for natural materials, also a bonus (and a small victory) when one doesn't have to pay the big companies. Small victories are what life is all about. Be safe and take of yourself, and thank you for your contribution.
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This is a GREAT video filled with to allow us to dry our own wood. Another thing by doing it yourself you can say I got the wood free AND dried it MYSELF! !! !!!
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Great stuff. Very useful, covering basic info that often gets skipped or left out, but makes a big difference. Thanks.
this video could not have come at a better time for me. I was able to pick up a bunch of free hardwood from landscapers that were pruning trees in my area. I actually got an entire pecan tree with a 28 inch trunk!!!! I was worried because I did not know how to dry it properly being a novice to wood turning. AWESOME!!! this is what I like about you...sharing your experiences with amateurs like me.
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If you don't have 500k followers by the end of the year, I'll cry conspiracy. GREAT content. GREAT presentation. GREAT editing. Keep it up, brother!
Thanks, I'll be lucky to break 100k by end of year. Education will never be as popular as demonstration as it's a niche market.
@@wortheffort Don't you dare change either. Your education is INVALUABLE in the RUclips culture and general culture of today. We need more of it!
@@wortheffort Great video. I just subscribed. This helps me a lot as I have to cut down a maple tree next to my barn and I really want to save some of this wood. My dad planted that tree when I was a kid and it was no more than 3" tall out of the seed. It was injured during a tornado about 7 yrs ago and most of it now needs to come down.
@@trreb1 sounds like dad planted your new workbench and coffee table and end tables and dining table.........
Neal Vaughn Great presentation? You think. I don’t. It’s pretty average - especially the quality of the sound.
Def feel like I made the right decision to limit the size of my products to portable and use repeatable templates to maximize efficiency. Love drying my own hardwoods for projects. A few months ago I found some perfectly cut cherry logs chilling on the side of the road and I mean BEAUTIFUL grain and color. They are very close to dry already and won't need long in my garage oven kiln to be ready. Just wrap the cookies in aluminum foil and it makes the moisture seep out to the edge before evaporating and cracks WAY less. Love me some FREE cherry and walnut yes !!!!
I have done woodworking and I use that term very loosely and a really long time until recently. I try to do the same thing using local lumber preferably from people's tree trimmings or because I live in Florida hurricanes take down a lot of trees and stuff like that. I actually found a couple pieces of wood I had in storage from the house I grew up in or rather are trying to very tree that was in that yard and part of an unfinished project that I had stored away from a grapefruit triada cut down in my current yard a few years ago you get the idea I know where every piece of wood that I'm working on currently has come from... How are something I have noticed is that working drywood has this advantages and disadvantages but recently I've been working with some Wet oak branches and I've never had a problem really working with greenwood in the past but any tips for possibly drying them out quicker I've worked greenwood in the past never had major problems with cracking or anything like that but I would like to avoid it if possible but I'm also not super patient LOL. If it helps the things I make are fantasy inspired fighting sticks, war clubs etc
I live in Hawaii and if you pay attention and your patient you'll see a lot of trees being cleared for building. I have a portable crank hoist that locks onto the trailer hitch that I use to lift the heavy trunk sections. Appreciate your video and your direct, no fluff video. You've earned a new subscriber.
Dad and I use similar lift device. Works well.
Paid for itself the first time I used it.
I'm just starting on this process of milling my rough timber into boards. Mostly West Australian hard woods from my local area which I make into trinkets for my wife and our friends. I loved your video. You present in a no nonsense way, full of practical details and it feels like you're just sitting across the workshop from me. I'm still a novice and learning the woodworking craft, but thanks and keep sharing your knowledge. Cheers.
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A chipper can be heard running a half a mile away. If you hear one, that's free wood the guys will be glad to give you, less work for them.
when i hear a chipper i start running while tears run down my cheeks XD
Didn't see your comment before I posted mine.
Chipper noise is how we've obtained yards and yards of chips for the garden, and huge logs for planks, blanks, and firewood.
In our land you might get away with a bit of branche wood to take, but if the government is processing the wood, its money for them and they won't let you take it. thats in the Netherlands and we don't have much nature left, only a few parks and small forests here and there that are all managed by foresters, privately owned or companies. You might get a free tree if someone in his yard has one fallen over but that rarely happens here, we might have 1 or 2 storms that can do real damage.
good point
Your videos are always so informative and your methods are easy and practical. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Just started getting interested in wood turning and your video is the best one I have watched. I have watched hundreds of them. Thank you for sharing
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You really know how to teach, I enjoy all your videos. I hope you're making the money you deserve.👍
In a tiny shop, I got 55 gallon plastic trash cans, drilled a few holes in the bottom (the lids are intentionally venting), and put them out in partial shade on wood blocks, then let the wood dry in my 'kilns'. Like you say, make sure there are no areas of mutual contact between surfaces. Contrasting hotter and cooler air from day to night helps them to breathe, so do not let them get too hot!
Thank-you for taking my knowledge of my hobby up a few notches! I wasn't sure if I had the patience to listen to your video, but I'm glad I did.
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I do live in the desert, but we have high winds. Trees get blown down every year. I never thought of going to the blown tree area and asking for the wood. Thank you.
free wood is best wood.
You’re a legend my friend thankyou for all you’ve taught me
Excellent information. The little tidbit of getting a pro chainsaw is spot on after having my old, abused, problem free Stihl 036 Pro while the 42 cc Homelite and little Poulan backup saws I had quit after a year or two.
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Living in Maui, woods like Koa, Monkeypod, and Lychee are never available in the dimensions woodturners need from retailers and if they are, they're very expensive. You'd be surprised at how much of all of those woods I have that I got for great prices that are perfect bowl blank sizes, I just cut a piece of Koa into 4 6-8 inch blanks earlier today. It definitely helps to be involved in your community and what I did was join my local AAW chapter and every time we meet, we bring a few pieces of wood (if you don't have any you want to give, you don't have to) and have a raffle at the end. This helps raise money for the guild and helps new woodworkers like myself get great stock.
That's nice stuff.
I have cherry, almond and walnut orchards all around me here in California. Never thought much about it until I bought my lathe. Now I’m a big time wood hound.
Lucky bastard.....
Thanks for some more great content, Sean! I appreciate how much effort it takes to produce and educational video. Keep it up.
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Extremely informative and I appreciate your helping save on my tiny budget. You have the best wood channel out here. Thank you!
3 years of drying? I can’t wait so long, I want it now!
Millennials....
@@wortheffort ok boomer 😂 where are you located (could have been right in front of my eyes didnt notice) I know some local lumber mills they have any dimensions imaginable and 90% of the wood is local really nice guy will cut logs if i need a big round section to turn!
Great advice on how to get materials. I do have some acquaintances that are arbor care specialists. I would encourage folks to check their local codes before they go cleaning up after a storm. You need a license to do that in some places. Fines might cut into your profits and you could lose your haul as well. Good hunting 👍
Just found your video and it was so useful. It was a very clear explanation of the hows and whys of wood drying and storage. Thank You.
You always have good info, but I think this might be the best video of yours I've ever seen. A lot of valuable info packed in there. Thanks for teaching us.
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Love your kiln! Here in Europe most bulbs are now LED and heat producing filament bulbs are not to be had any more unless you buy special infra red bulbs which are not cheap and too darned hot so with a different solution for heating and a thermostat this kiln would be great in a small shop. I live in Switzerland where almost every tree is owned by somebody who doesn’t want to give it away!😁🙁 so free or cheap wood is very difficult to come by unless you get special permission. The USA is 50 time the population and with trees a plenty that seem not to have that many owners (or at least owners living near enough to hear the chain saw). But your point is really true for wood in general that is scrap from buildings and gardens. Keep up the great work!
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"...living near enough to hear the chainsaw" !! OMG, I'm so glad you live far, far away from me! :O There isn't any wood that doesn't have an owner, either private, corporate or government.
I have been away from woodworking for a number of years. I am a big gearhead and I cruise the Internet for flippers. I love RUclips as I can indulge a bit of all of my interests, even without the time & at times the ability for that much time on my feet. If you are young avoid the dangerous occupations and fast vehicles! I still have most of my equipment, but when folks get into substance abuse, no matter how much they tell people, "That wasn't YOUR SAW! I was taking out MY saw. Well I like your plan & video as well as your down to earth ways. I used drive truck with a boy on the farm when we milked Holstein 🐄 back out of H.S. and we still get around a bit. He hauled logs for a broker to a small chair making shop in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. They had several hot air kilns & band saws, but the last time I went through the area to say hello they'd folded up! Anyhow for your efforts I have given you the RUclips Trifecta. A Like, Subscribe and Hit The Bell and I guess will share it with a few people who are still hungry for something to do.
Thank you sir! I had a 160 year old apple blow down in a storm! Planted by the original pioneer on my farm ,30 foot high 2 foot thick , what a monster but what to do? Got a keen guy from far away to take the main big trunk... zoom ,got it, gone! Hell what do I do with the 2 big trunk lengths left behind? You have brought me up to speed Thanks SO much! Now I can cut & store bowl blanks & some for planks to do boxes ..Hell this tree was historic now thanks to you I shall be able to keep its story in useful artefacts! Thank you from far away New Zealand
I truly enjoy your teaching videos.
Very informative. You gave a lot of good ideas on how to collect and process your own wood instead of spending big money buying it in. Well done.
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I have just finished making my workshop here in Tennessee. Thank you Sean for the different videos to help us beginners. I just got a lathe for my Birthday and even though it will be a while before I can afford the tools I am learning how to do things better when I get to start. Thank you again its been great. Eric
Make a mess.
great advice on this topic, I haven't paid for a piece of wood for 8 years, I have a friend with a sawmill and I will "Work for Wood", we are fortunate to have lots of bigleaf maple here in Oregon. Take Care my friend.
Mmmmm... maple. You always want what you don't have.
100%... Man... I live in SoCal Redlands, Ca. and there are trees everywhere...
some times people just leave half/partial tree trunks on the street curbside hopping for someone to take it...
Great ideas that you would not normally think of. Thanks I will admit I wish more folks would grab up the trees that come down in the storms.A group in NYC after Sandy when to the town shires and offer to take as much as they could. They now have at least 10 years of wood to dry sell and use for good quality furniture.. Thanks for all the great info..
Good for them. Thanks
most arborists will be happy to share the wood and lighten the load if you stumble accross them. it happens to us pretty often.. im sure if someone was to call or email a few their local arborists with a finished peice to trade they might get some special attention. the company i work for has a yearly client that turns amazing peices. some of them in museums. we try to save him and afew other people some of the better things we come accross but a lot goes to waste unfortunatly. *thanks for the great video subbed*
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Just came across this, and I’ve missed your channel love all of your vid‘s especially like the one I think your dad was part of it- you’re a lucky guy!
Les
I found your video reassuring. I have been doing exactly what you discussed - even the bit about putting the wood in the attic of my garage. I had two good size cherry trees come down in a wind storm last. I have used a box fan to increase the air flow through the stacked wood.
It works.
Loved to listen to those infos and you come into very good points about many things.
Great thanks for all you put into this video.
Super helpful. Thanks! Oh, and now I have an idea of how I'm going to use that small unused greenhouse on the side of my property: drying wood!
Also, thanks for embracing the science and making it accessible to us. Knowledge is our friend. :)
Great video. I like that you revisited your kiln. Lots of building videos out there, but not many showing it actually works.
Great vid! I have been drying some logs in the back of my truck it is also good weight for traction. I have a drying rack in my closet which seems to work ok with no bulbs.
Another great teaching video, this channel gets better every video I watch.
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I use coffee cup desk top warmers in my welding rod fridge. Dang lightbulbs would burn out but the coffee cup warmers have been on for 20+ years. IIRC, they’re 25 W resistance heaters.
I do all of my turnings and drying in a greenhouse, so it is practically a kiln in there all of the time.
Great info and lots of it. I find that a lot of the in-depth information you give is hard to come by elsewhere. This is just invaluable. Thank you very much.
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This video was exactly what I was looking for!
Really, really GOOD information! Thank you! I shall just leave that one tree down in the back yard. The limbs are holding it up. It is still attached to the tree so that is holding it off the ground. And it is still kind of shady over there. Maybe I will get a paint sprayer, put something under the bottom of the trunk (to keep it off the dirt), cut it loose from the stump and spray paint the cut end.
I watch a few different woodworking channels and this was on my recommendation feed. So glad i watched this. I am just looking to get into woodworking and found your video to be just an excellent source of information. I have subscribed and look forward to more great content.
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Good video. I think I'm getting a floor lathe for Christmas. I have a lot of hard wood that I have forgotten about under a table. I'm looking forward to making bowls but from one of your other videos I'll need to start with something a little more simple. Thank you for your Knowledge.
If I can't fill my kiln with bowls I throw the offcut pieces in there too, it helps to keep the temperature up as well as drying the other pieces of wood. I only use local free wood too, but don't tell everyone as I need the trees :)
More mass dries slower and more evenly too.
I make bagpipes here in Texas. Awesome talk about drying wood. You totally schooled me :D I need to start looking for the free wood now!
Thanks. Bagpipes... must be hill country.
fascinating and informative! i learned more about maintaining wood chunks from you than i'd known even existed
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I've collected lumber that has been cut down and just left to rot. I didn't really know what I was doing. I split it into sections using axe/froe, and most of the wood is good for the fire I think. The rest I've put in my garage to dry, but haven't sealed it - I'm guessing that when I check on it in a few months it will likely be cracked/split? A learning experience! Love the video by the way.
Your instincts are right on target. Source locally, create value, keep capital investment to a minimum thru ingenuous innovation (fridge kiln) and maximize margins . You are terrific!
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The moment you mentioned the pith was trash, a whole lot of questions were answered ! I was under the assumption it was sought after. I also assumed if I could cure it without cracking a bowl would be really cool... Nobody seems to mention anything but cutting it out . I have pistachio semi blank with no pith cracks dry. but that not the case.
it's always trash.
Spend about another $50 and you can get an STC-1000 temperature controller rigged to that fridge. It's super easy to set up if you have even a small amount of mechanical/electrical aptitude. I rigged mine to an old fridge for homebrewing and now pickling.
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Fantastic channel! Easy to tell you're a true professional!
It always makes my day when I see a new video Shawn. You are just ridiculously good at instructing. I am going to find you on Patreon and send some $$ your way, this level of instruction deserves compensation. Thank you!
Thanks, much appreciated.
You were so excited it made me want to go out and find some trees!
Thank you for opening my eyes to the simple things I have overlooked in the past. I will be following your videos
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I went in feet first, bought a dozer, a tractor with forks, a couple of chain saws, a sawmill and a big vertical bandsaw. I have several hardwoods varieties I fell on the ranch and make all kinds of things out of it.
I am a complete idiot on this topic, knowing only that a friend, who died last year, turned some beautiful bowls from scraps of a box elder cut down in my backyard. His results inspired me to save the rest of that "firewood" by sealing the ends and leaving it on the north/shady side of my house on my back porch to dry. It's two years old now, and I was thinking it was probably too old to use for making some little boxes, but hey, maybe not! I'm now looking forward to splitting it and further drying it in the garage. Wish me luck!
If it aint cracked go for it.
I'm in Alabama around tons of tree's and would love to learn how this works especially since I am a city worker/park and recreation guy who has to clean up tree falls all the time. It would be so worth it to learn. Great video I'll be checking out many more
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Thanks for another episode of common sense advice I can use in my small shop. Keep turning.
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Thank you, Shaun, for yet another fantastic video! I swear, as soon as I become President of the U-damn-Nited States, I'm putting you in for a Presidential Award for Excellence in the Arts and Education! Each of your videos is a TREASURE trove of invaluable knowledge and practical information in the craft of woodworking! Your dedication to sharing your wisdom and experience with others is truly inspiring, and your Webpage and RUclips page are priceless resources for those among us pursuing the craft of woodworking! Cheers for now, & keep up the good work!
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You gave me a LOT to think about and I learned a BUNCH !! THANK YOU !!
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Very informative as always. I just found out that all the trees that blow over or are cut down locally by the city council are burned about 1/4 a mile from me here in Scotland! Oak, Ash, Cherry and Birch mostly. Happily I have recently established contact and it's just luck what they have in and if I can collect some before it goes up in smoke. Sadly I don't have a great deal of storage space or the tools to manage 4ft wide oak trunks but there is always something that suits. Free wood just changes the "game" it's easier to experiment as there is no financial penalty / pressure if it doesn't work out.
You have a nice selection. Species we don't have here. I'm jealous. You always want what you don't have.
They BURN Oak, Ash, Cherry and Birch!! Are they nuts? What's the name of this collection of incompetent, financially illiterate idiots masquerading as elected councillors? They should be named and shamed as one of the most incompetent councils in the UK! Have you told them they're literally sending thousands of £s up in smoke? All that lovely timber could easily be sold for a large profit to local lumber mills, the profits in turn could then be used to reduce your council taxes or improve other council proved services that, like most UK councils they say they can't afford to pay for.
If my reply made you angry then tie yourself down before reading this .... They pay a contractor to come on to their site and do the burning.The only thing I can offer in their defence is that sawmills want their wood in set dimensions and that this is Scotland, there are trees everywhere! After every storm there are trees down all over the place.
"Free wood just changes the "game" it's easier to experiment as there is no financial penalty / pressure if it doesn't work out."
Exactly!
Your lucky to have so many great hard woods available for free.
If storage is tight, maybe build a garden shed out back, to store more wood?
Just for those looking around for wood and learning the ropes for finding cheap available high end wood, This is a great video! I would also suggest going to your local mills / wood supplier and check their cut off / scrap policy. At my local store they sell it by the pound and most of it can be resawed to something of your needs for smaller projects :)
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Thank You for all the Great information. Great job.
Thanks for making this guide!