Here's one for you Scroungers

[Jediscroller]

Just thought I'd throw this suggestion out there for you scroungers. I just cut a portrait out of an old Cigar Box (midnight serenity in my album). This was very nice wood to work with. Decent thickness veneers and no voids. If you have a smoke shop in your area, you might want to ask them what they do with their old cigar boxes. I've got a ton of this stuff with everything from tiger maple to who knows what veneer, and the price is right, zip!

Kevin

[arbarnhart]

Another thing to check is whether or not you have a Habitat for Humanity Re-Use center in your area. They get donations of supplies (new and used) and they pick through them for things they need to build Habitat homes with and sell the rest to raise money. I just bought a clear tight grained redwood 10' 1x6 for $4. This is actually for mandolin soundboards, not scrolling (though I might scroll the holes) but they have lots of stuff really cheap.

Making friends with a cabinet maker is also a good idea. The trains in my gallery are maple. I got several thin maple boards that have an edge defect that makes them unsuitable for joining for cabinet faces. I also got several scraps of veneer and little pieces of exotics. This was all free.

And finally I have a few choice pieces of pallet wood. It can be a real chore to get good wood out of pallets unless all you are after is little pieces. Just use a circular saw and cut the slats right next to the stringers. You end up with a bunch of 1x4s about 18" long - no nails, no holes and it is often hardwood. If it isn't anything to look at, then you glue some of the free veneer from your cabinet maker buddy on it...

[Thomp]

Scrounging

Scrounging wood from forklift pallets might be a bad thing down the line for you health wise,

since most pallets are returnable you dont know what was shipped on them,or leaked on them,
When i was in the service usaf supply sq. 71-91 afosh occupational saftey health did a survey of the pallets in store wharehouses and found pcb's arcenic and several other poisions soaked in the woods,

heck we burned them for barbique wood in guam in the 80's and i havent grown 3 horns.

but, Im sure lots of the bad pallets have been taken out of the market by now but remember things are stored in warehouses for years on these pallets, be careful what you use them for

i fing lots of good usable wood at my local home improvement stores,
if they bust a sheet of plywood they pitch it out back, ask the store manager if you can get some of the scrap in the pallet area, most will allow you to take ot all, else they have to pay to have it hauled off.

[CanadianScroller]

When paint is shipped in cans sometimes thin sheets of MDF are used to separate the layers. I know not everyone uses MDF but it is available if you need it.

Also shipping crates for motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles are sometimes made of mahogany.

There are several Log home builders in my area, who cut slabs from the top and bottom of the logs to square them up a little, They make great slabs for wild life scenes.

I got loads of wood from some local winemakers a few years ago. The boxes the grapes came in were particle board on the ends but had great 3/8 softwood sides and bottom. The tops were cedar that was about 1/16, it made great kindling for camping.

There was a time when old office furniture had oak and mahogany drawers, The wood was ideal for scrolling, you can sometimes scrounge that for free, Most of it is particle board now.

I am not sure if it was mentioned before in this forum or somewhere else but the blades from old ceiling fans works well, Just don't use it back in the fan

I have seen scenes cut in old barrel staves and old fence boards. The wood from old barns, being weathered, looks great for some work. You will also find that a lot of barn wood has tight growth rings.

Much of the scrolling done years ago was done out of the cigar boxes Kevin mentioned, tea boxes were also used. I am not sure if they ship tea that way anymore. I have used door skins , but they splintered quite badly, I did not know about stack cutting or backing sheets back then.

Remeber if it isn't nailed down you can probably cut it with a scroll saw.
Heck the late Patrick Spielman even cut beef steaks with his!

[will8989]

We have a smoke shop that gives away the cigar boxes also. I use them to store items in but never thought to use them for scrolling. Some of them are just too pretty to cut! I have found that most of the ones I have have a tobacco odor to them. Any suggestions on eliminating it?

[CanadianScroller]

Myabe baking soda in the box for a short time. It does a good job in the fridge.

[William Young (SE BC)]

Carl;
So how often do you smoke cigars in your fridge seeing as baking soda is good for removing the smell
Sorry, just coudn't resist
W.Y.

[CanadianScroller]

Actually I gave up smoking 80 pounds ago, but I kept going to the fridge for my cigars.


That was very funny W.Y.

[Thomp]

i was thinking air sunshine and time would remove the tabacco smell, but then some of that cedar car air freshner stuff at the carwash might help//

i been scrounging cigar boxes as well lately, and i got ahold of a phillies sour apple blunt box "pressed paper" cigar box, i dont know how they smell burning, but that box would make you gag...
its open on the back porch with mothballs in it Peew~uE`! i may never use that paper box...

I did get a really fancy solid wood box with brass henges and latch though... really fine box

[sheltiecarver]

I've had medium to good luck spraying stinky wood with the fabric product "Febreeze" It is supposed to work on anything porous. Just spray it on and let it dry, then give it a sniff test. Repeat as necessary.
Three applications almost completely removed the "cat urine-like" smell from some 3/4" unknown variety of wood recently, without staining. I suspect that the wood just had an awful odor on it or in it, and had not actually been used as a kitty urinal. (YUK!!)
Spray-on clear coat has completely deodorized it, and I will not use that particular wood again (door skin -given to me).
Sandy

[SharonW0111]

Sandy --Maybe your wood is Pussy Willow -- like pussycat --hence the cat urine smell--




well I got a chuckle anyway
Sharon

[sheltiecarver]

Sharon,
Phew!!

Yep! You made me laugh.
But whatever, the Febreeze helped a lot.
Sandy