
BurlsorBust said:Cutting is easier for other people who are buying the wood to deal with than for you. With those voids/cracks and the shape of the piece, you will loose a lot of really good wood that won't be usable or difficult to prepare into a usable, marketable chunks, especially with just a chainsaw. I have tried to cut similar redwood, manzanita, and madrone burl/root pieces in that shape and turn them into boards/blocks and lost a good amount of money, time, and blades (ROCKS!!!!) then if I just tried to sell them whole. Hindsight is 20/20, but that's just my .02 as a person who was in your position. Talk is cheap and people will say they'll buy this or that and then disappear when the wood is cut and ready.
Advertise on more places then here like eBay and Craigslist. Someone with the resources will gobble it up and put it to good use to maximize the material there and not waste your time by asking for small blocks and boards. Find local wood artists, furniture makers/carpenters, and lumber yards and ask what they'll offer you. If I was in CA, I would drive out and buy it for the right price, but I am in NY for a few more months... This is a very special piece of wood with a lot of exceptional figure inside, no doubt.
jimmyjames said:BurlsorBust said:Cutting is easier for other people who are buying the wood to deal with than for you. With those voids/cracks and the shape of the piece, you will loose a lot of really good wood that won't be usable or difficult to prepare into a usable, marketable chunks, especially with just a chainsaw. I have tried to cut similar redwood, manzanita, and madrone burl/root pieces in that shape and turn them into boards/blocks and lost a good amount of money, time, and blades (ROCKS!!!!) then if I just tried to sell them whole. Hindsight is 20/20, but that's just my .02 as a person who was in your position. Talk is cheap and people will say they'll buy this or that and then disappear when the wood is cut and ready.
Advertise on more places then here like eBay and Craigslist. Someone with the resources will gobble it up and put it to good use to maximize the material there and not waste your time by asking for small blocks and boards. Find local wood artists, furniture makers/carpenters, and lumber yards and ask what they'll offer you. If I was in CA, I would drive out and buy it for the right price, but I am in NY for a few more months... This is a very special piece of wood with a lot of exceptional figure inside, no doubt.
I dont see how selling it as a whole will get them any more money cutting it up and selling it as blocks, from bowl blanks to pen blanks almost the whole thing can be used, and regardless of how and who cuts it , it still has checks in it. Its not like its a chunk of desert ironwood, nobody in theyre right mind would pay big bucks for that without seeing the inside of it and know exactly what it is. If they do buy it without knowing what it is and not seeing the inside then the price will be dramatically less especially with that amount of deep checking and could possibly be rotten/voided, and wetting that dry thing with a garden hose probably doesnt help it either
ok yes I am very confused. lol I posted this hoping that someone living in arizona would be interested. I know nothing about working wood, only that this is a very large pretty piece. I hate to see it just sitting in my front yard when it could be turned into something beautiful. I don't have a clue what it is worth. There are more pics on the wood identification page and pics of what was cut. I do appreciate everyone's opinions and help.debb1960 said:ok yes I am very confused. lol I posted this hoping that someone living in arizona would be interested. I know nothing about working wood, only that this is a very large pretty piece. I hate to see it just sitting in my front yard when it could be turned into something beautiful. I don't have a clue what it is worth. There are more pics on the wood identification page and pics of what was cut. I do appreciate everyone's opinions and help.
jimmyjames said:I dont see how selling it as a whole will get them any more money cutting it up and selling it as blocks, from bowl blanks to pen blanks almost the whole thing can be used, and regardless of how and who cuts it , it still has checks in it. Its not like its a chunk of desert ironwood, nobody in theyre right mind would pay big bucks for that without seeing the inside of it and know exactly what it is. If they do buy it without knowing what it is and not seeing the inside then the price will be dramatically less especially with that amount of deep checking and could possibly be rotten/voided, and wetting that dry thing with a garden hose probably doesnt help it either



Mike1950 said:Yes but it is because people on the buying end want to cut it up and make the $$$ right- is that not what YOU do. Maybe since you had very little input in helping identify and absolutely no offers you could cool it on the criticism. OK??????
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P{S I would like to add to my above statement- I have absolutely no interest in this piece of wood. As a flat worker It has very limited possibilities. all very speculative. we as a woodworker community look at wood as what we can make out of it purely as a commodity. We do not have a personal attachment as you may. If you want to keep it whole- advertise on craigslist- maybe in L.A. or ?? or ebay. If you want to cut it up it is salable if it is solid. If someone really wanted it whole-they would have made you an offer by now. Good luck with your wonderful piece of wood.
barry richardson said:Where do you live in AZ Deb? If your not too far from me I might check it out...
BurlsorBust said:Buyers will talk the talk about purchasing smaller blocks, but rarely walk the walk, as this thread shows. :irishjig: