Domestic cue woods

[qbilder]

A fellow mentioned Colorado maple in another thread, and it caused for question by another guy. I posted a few pics & promised I'd also show pics of rocky mountain maple. While I was taking pics, I figured I'd shoot some other domestics as well, stuff that grows in our back yard but hardly ever gets used in our craft. The spalted maple & oak I cut in Sugartree forest(hence the name of my cues). The rest I cut here local in NM.

Left two are rocky mt. maple, AKA mountain box elder. Right two are big tooth maple, AKA canyon maple, AKA Colorado maple.:


A nice lil stash of spalted maple, and those lines aren't saw marks. They're curls:


Some New Mexico box elder, first three are dyed, all are stabilized:


Healthy mix of both rocky mt. & big tooth maples:


From left - red oak, white oak, and a piece of that spalted maple after being stabilized. All wood in these pics are stabilized except the oak & the maple in first pic:

 

[HQueen]

Nice wood. It's great to be able to get some local stock yourself. I believe you cannot have too much wood.

 

[Bishop]

<snip>I figured I'd shoot some other domestics as well, stuff that grows in our back yard but hardly ever gets used in our craft.

Great stuff.

It is hard to believe that we don't see more of the woods pictured. Especially since they're so prevalent in the bowl and pen turning world.

Do you ever sell any of these woods?

 

[Kingpin]

And, are you taking orders at this time?

 

[qbilder]

Nah, I don't really sell any. That would take the fun out of it. I often give pieces away to cue making friends of mine. Most of the stuff I find while hunting or hiking. For instance, I am preparing to harvest a desert willow burl. A probe cut revealed olive drab color with intense iridescence & dense eye pattern. The burl isn't large, only 18"x36", but it's a long sketchy hike to get to it.....and to get it out. While hiking with the kids last week, I detoured to take another look at the burl. While there, 6 wild hogs stepped out of the thicket only feet from us, and for whatever reason I didn't carry a side arm that day. It was an amazing experience for my 8yr old. That wood will forever now have that memory attached to it, just as all the others have their story. When I buy wood online, it's just merchandise. When I get to see it come to fruition from nothing but a pile of debris at the bottom of a canyon, then it has some excitement & meaning. How do you sell something like that? I'd rather share it with friends, if that makes any sense.

 

[qbilder]

And, are you taking orders at this time?

No, sir, I am not.

 

[galipeau]

Nah, I don't really sell any. That would take the fun out of it. I often give pieces away to cue making friends of mine. Most of the stuff I find while hunting or hiking. For instance, I am preparing to harvest a desert willow burl. A probe cut revealed olive drab color with intense iridescence & dense eye pattern. The burl isn't large, only 18"x36", but it's a long sketchy hike to get to it.....and to get it out. While hiking with the kids last week, I detoured to take another look at the burl. While there, 6 wild hogs stepped out of the thicket only feet from us, and for whatever reason I didn't carry a side arm that day. It was an amazing experience for my 8yr old. That wood will forever now have that memory attached to it, just as all the others have their story. When I buy wood online, it's just merchandise. When I get to see it come to fruition from nothing but a pile of debris at the bottom of a canyon, then it has some excitement & meaning. How do you sell something like that? I'd rather share it with friends, if that makes any sense.

Great story Eric! I kind of know what you mean here. My father makes bowls as a side hobby and he is always on the hunt for wood. Sometimes he comes across some neat spalted or burly stuff, but once he came back from Virginia (I think) with some nice white oak. I cut up some pieces with him to save for cues, and some of them have a nice contrasting grain with a curly pattern to them. I've had them sitting for the last year or so. When someone on here was looking for wood for a project a few months ago, I went ahead and sent them a few blanks. It's always nice to see when people "pass it along". I only wish I could find some of the crazy stuff you seem to always get your hands on... Thanks for sharing.

Also, Blue Hog, if you're reading this, I haven't forgotten about those antler bits you promised me!

 

[qbilder]

I only wish I could find some of the crazy stuff you seem to always get your hands on...

It's not always peaches & cream. I have to fail a lot to get the good stuff. For instance, after posting my last post, I loaded the saw & went up the canyon to retrieve the burl. I was on the phone chatting with Dave Barrenbrugge as I was hiking up there, and had to cut him off short because some crackhead approached me on a dirt bike. He was super nervous & fidgety, kept eying the 9mm on my hip, asking weird questions about the terrain. Then he wanted to chat about my saw, wondering where I get it serviced. Keep in mind I have never seen this guy in my life and he's nervously stalling me with petty talk, and never looks me in the face. Straight up creepy. So as long as he was near, I kept conscious to stay facing him, then he finally got on his bike & left.

Anyway, the rest of the hike went uneventful. I sawed the burl free from the washout, and & split it open in several places to see if there was any wood worth getting. Turned out to be every bit as spectacular as I thought, except that it was full of stress cracks. There were no cue worthy pieces. A pen turner's dream, but useless to a cue maker. I left with nothing but a ruined saw chain & sore back. Every time I cut one if those things, it ruins my chain because the burls are full of dirt & rocks. It gets expensive, and is hard work, but it's worth it on the times when it pays off. This time, as good as it looked, it turned out to be trash. That's actually a pretty common theme. Never know til you try.

For size reference, that's a Stihl 460 with 25" bar, not something you trim hedges with:

 

[Bishop]

When I buy wood online, it's just merchandise. When I get to see it come to fruition from nothing but a pile of debris at the bottom of a canyon, then it has some excitement & meaning.

This is why I seek out salvage jobs more than anything. Especially the stuff that is beyond repair.

There were no cue worthy pieces. A pen turner's dream, but useless to a cue maker. I left with nothing but a ruined saw chain & sore back.

Well don't work for nothing. Over half my work is penturning. If you're even inclined I'll take those pieces and more than compensate you for your time.

I'm so for south and coastal the only woods we have down here are mesquite, oak and the rare pecan.

 

[HQueen]

Nah, I don't really sell any. That would take the fun out of it. I often give pieces away to cue making friends of mine. Most of the stuff I find while hunting or hiking. For instance, I am preparing to harvest a desert willow burl. A probe cut revealed olive drab color with intense iridescence & dense eye pattern. The burl isn't large, only 18"x36", but it's a long sketchy hike to get to it.....and to get it out. While hiking with the kids last week, I detoured to take another look at the burl. While there, 6 wild hogs stepped out of the thicket only feet from us, and for whatever reason I didn't carry a side arm that day. It was an amazing experience for my 8yr old. That wood will forever now have that memory attached to it, just as all the others have their story. When I buy wood online, it's just merchandise. When I get to see it come to fruition from nothing but a pile of debris at the bottom of a canyon, then it has some excitement & meaning. How do you sell something like that? I'd rather share it with friends, if that makes any sense.

I have bought different burls in the past, never harvested them myself. Do you air dry your burls? I have some I bought 10 years ago that I am just now cutting for points and buttsleeves. Beautiful wood.

 

[qbilder]

Well don't work for nothing. Over half my work is penturning. If you're even inclined I'll take those pieces and more than compensate you for your time.

If I get back up there, I will grab a chunk or two.

 

[Bishop]

If I get back up there, I will grab a chunk or two.

Appreciate that...

 

[DanO]

Very cool pics and interesting adventure. Thanks for sharing. Any time you can involve your kids with your passion is tranquil.

Built a derby car with my son before he passed back when I was "too busy" to do anything else. I guess I call that wood harvesting.

 

[qbilder]

Very cool pics and interesting adventure. Thanks for sharing. Any time you can involve your kids with your passion is tranquil.

Built a derby car with my son before he passed back when I was "too busy" to do anything else. I guess I call that wood harvesting.

Yeah I am so blessed to have the opportunity to "hang out" with my kids. Thank you for the kind words, and I am very sorry to hear of your loss. Can't even imagine it.

 

[pescadoman]

For size reference, that's a Stihl 460 with 25" bar, not something you trim hedges with:

You obviously haven't seen my yard... I have to buy a new lawn mower tomorrow because a it a hidden pick axe with the last one......

Pick axe=1
Law mower crankshaft=0

 

[qbilder]

You obviously haven't seen my yard... I have to buy a new lawn mower tomorrow because a it a hidden pick axe with the last one......

Pick axe=1
Law mower crankshaft=0

:lol: Mine is getting there. Not looking forward to the weekend.