I am always looking for interesting, free wood. I am usually willing to trade finished pieces for wood and usually I let the provider of the wood choose from any the pieces I make from the wood he or she provided.

I am always interested in cherry and walnut. I like almost all fruit woods. And I am always interested in woods that are hard to find commercially, like dogwood or mulberry. I am especially intested in highly figured woods such as those from burls (a growth on a tree that looks like a large bump on the side of the trunk), sections of crotch wood (where the trunk of the tree spits into two or more sections), and wood from just above to just below where a tree enters the ground. I am not particularly interested in silver maple and a tulip popular, both of which are quite common around Washington DC and not very interesting to work with.

If you are going to prepare wood for me, or any other turner, here is what we would like.

The best wood come from the trunk of the tree. Wood from branches can be useful, but it is more difficult to work with because of the unequal stresses on the wood. Cut the wood into lengths a severeal inches longer than the diameter of the wood - for example, if the log is 15 inches in diameter, cut it into lenghts of about 18 inches.

If the log is really big, anything much more than about 18 inches in diameter, it will help if you cut or have it cut in have lenghtwise as well. A log this big can be quite heavy and I work alone in my shop, so this will make it easier for me to move it around.

I would like to get the wood as soon as possible after it is cut. If you have to store it for a while, then you should seal the ends of the logs with paint to prevent them from splitting. There are commercial products made specially for this, but a heavy coat of paint will work.

If you find a burl on the tree, cut it off in one big piece with the trunk if possible. If there is a crotch in the trunk, cut the log so that the V of the crotch is in the center of the log, and if you split the log lengthwise, cut it so that the V is in both pieces (I'll try to get some pictures to make all this clearer).

If you have any questions, please email me at brian@butterwood.biz, or call me at 202-841-5235.