Where to find Tupelo?

[bcarvings]

Hi,
I have been carving basswood with a knife for about 7 months, and am switching to power tools. Where can I get cheap tupelo wood? Also I was thinking about buying an quarter acre of rural land and grow trees on it for future timber. Anyone know of a wood that grows in PA, and is VERY expensive. Also does anyone know where I can get Tupelo seeds, how can I grow them in PA, and not in a swamp? Would a beech work? Thank you

[AlArchie]

[randy48]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

If you're wanting to make some money from trees in the near future, you're best bet would be christmas trees. But a christmas tree farm requires alot of work trimming and shaping to get good looking trees.

Buy the land and go deer hunting, PA has alot of nice running venison

[BobD]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

Not sure where to get Tupelo, but if you want some valuable wood, look for some woods in either McKean, Potter, Warren, Elk or Cameron counties. I grew up there and black cherry grows like weeds up there. Off the top of my head, the only wood more valuable than cherry I can think of is Black Walnut, at least that grows easily in PA.

I agree though about timber being a long term investment. For the most part, when someone sells land, they usually log it first to maximize their earnings. I'd buy some land, manage it for Cherry and put up a hunting cabin for the meantime. Not only is there a lot of deer up there, there are lots of grouse which I think taste even better!

Bob

[Nancy_G]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

One place to buy tupelo is http://www.tupelotimber.ca/
I doubt it's cheap but I'm certain it's great wood.

[clifford_parker]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

There is no 'cheap tupelo' that I know of. Tupelo is very labor intensive to harvest and only a small portion of the tree is used for carving wood so the price is quite high compared to basswood or northern white pine. A 6'X9'X12' piece runs about $40-$50.

As stated before, buying such a small piece of land and trying to grow timber is unlikely to be a success.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

Try Nancy's Tupelo Timber...a piece the size you described goes for 31.00

[colin_partridge]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

I dont know where you buy cheap lumber most of the lumber I get I get given to me. I am also fussy about the lumber I carve. I would think that cheap lumber would probably be like cheap tools not worth the frustration. For as much lumber as you would need for carving I would suggest that you find the best you can find it will certainly make your carving go that much better. Just my two cents worth.
Colin

[squbrigg]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

What a great idea, a worthy inheritance to leave your Grandkids. Unfortunately, they would be the ones that would benefit.

I wish I had done that, plant some acrage of Butternut, Maples, Beech, Oak, Walnut and Tupelo if it would grow. Trouble around here is keeping it from being stolen. Some less reputable fools are scouting the woods and butchering Maples in the search for Birds Eye, and will steal any hardwood species and sell it for firewood. Make you weep, how stupid and short sighted some folks can be. I hope the Maples in my backyard are still there...........! I'd better check! Course I just planted them last year, so I may be safe for a while yet.

Bob

[clifford_parker]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

[quote author=Hi_Ho_Sliver link=board=Beginner;num=1095207967;start=0#6 date=09/15/04 at 10:08:11]Try Nancy's Tupelo Timber...a piece the size you described goes for 31.00 [/quote]

Yeah but it is shipped from Canada right? I have paid UPS shipping from Canada several times and it is almost as bad as the price difference in some cases.

[homp]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

my 5 cents worth of useless facts..

Most the rednecks round central louisiana call it tuper gum,

i heard it called black gum as well, but most call it mississippi tupelo gum..???
never the less.

its a swamp tree usualy found growing in standing water, harvested in the dog days of summer as thats our driest time of year aug-sept.. also the hottest...

the stump is swollen like a cypress. usualy only 3-4 feet of the stump can be used for carving,
the log wood grain is more like cypress, with alternate soft hard grain.. as i remember it. details chip out.. like pine.

lots of the standing trees are hollow, woodpeckers & animals i guess nest in them. so many arn't worthy to be harvested for carving.

when cut with a good sharp chain saw the chips come out as ribbons, mostly, ..

only a small segment of the swollen stump of the tree is carvable, or enjoyable to carve. the rest of the tree is waste for a wood carver..

its used here for pulpwood and crossties. as it has great weather and fungas resistance im told..

i cut one years ago, waxed the end grain and stored it in a barn loft for a year before it dried.
after sharing it with local duck carvers i was left with a loaf bread sized chunk of wood. and vowed i wouldnt waste another tree for that venue ! as long as i could get cypress knees.
[hr]
but maybe i could find some of these good old boys cutting pulpwood here and turn a buck.. while providing a good supply..
if i can sell cross tie drops for 31.00.... each

i didnt know wood was expencive. until i went to michales a local hobbie store and basswood packaged in a pretty celophane wrapper from walnut hollow 10x2x12 was $37.00...

shipping shouldnt be much if shipped book rate?. ya think?



thomp

[bcarvings]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

Hi,
Thank you for all of your help and advise. Bob you seem like a very funny person. Thank you all. I decided to grow a pualawonia tree farm. They are one of the fastest growign trees, and they dry easy, and do not warp or crack. They do not burn well though.

[hugh]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

Curiosity has got the best of me. How fast will trees grow where you live. If you planted a tree where I live, it would be about thirty yrs or more before it would be big enough to harvest.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

'Miracle Grow' Hugh! Miracle grow....lol

[hugh]

Re: Where to find Tupelo?

Miracle Gro my old foot, I think it must be some of that old fashioned fertilizer that you find behind the barn. We bought an old farm on the river, had quite a large acerage of wood land with it. It had been cut about 10 yrs before we bought it, after we owned it for 15 yrs the trees were still not big enough to harvest. I seriously thought that maybe in the warmer climates that trees grew a lot faster. :-/