Need a pickup truck...

Kerry Burton

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1,163
Location
Orem, Utah
What would YOU do if you saw a stack of non-orchard apple wood, all cut into nice lathe-sized pieces and stacked neatly at the curb? :eek:



Well, I rang the doorbell but nobody answered. :doh: Then I went next door where the neighbors had started taking down a great big cottonwood and asked if they thought their neighbors would mind ... ? They didn't think so, but I guess I'll wait until I can talk to someone in person. :dunno:
 
This looks like a job for Honest Abe's Moonlight Wood Removal Service. :D

Nah, you did the right thing by waiting until you get the all clear signal from the owner. I'm not sure I'd want to experience the karmic repercussions of stolen wood spinning faster than I can duck. ;)
 
Free wood! If they said it was ok to take it , it would go right on the leather seats of the car if that is all I had to haul it with:thumb:. I had a '76 maverick that I took the back seat and passenger side seat out to bring home a load of walnut a friend was going to throw out. The trunk , back seat and passenger side were filled up past the windows. Made some bedroom furniture out of it.
 
Need a pickup trk

I have had many chances to pick up wood in somebody elses yard or whatever,but If nobody answered the door I would leave a note and if there was no response then I forgot about it.You never know,but it could be promised to someone else.
 
I've been in that situation a few times. In most cases the wood was spoken for and waiting to be picked up. In some of those situations, they gave me a few pieces. Always ask. Today, a similar thing happened. This time I found the owner. After a few minutes of conversation he told me he was taking down another tree. He said if he didn't see me he'd stack the wood and I could pick it up.

So, if someone else came along and just took it, I'd be out this gorgeous cedar.

Burt
 
Well, at least I didn't come away completely empty-handed. :eek:

I was stuck at work for almost an extra hour today. I went past the place on my way home, and the stack of wood was still there. Rang the doorbell ... no answer. :( Got back in my car, but before I could pull away from the curb the homeowner pulled into the driveway. :wave:

I asked about the wood, and he said it was for his son-in-law ... to supplement his firewood supply. He would be coming with a truck to pick it up. (Didn't say when.) I told him I was a wanna-be woodturner, and was really just looking for a few pieces. He asked what I turned, and I said "not nearly enough!" He ended up saying that I was welcome to take a few pieces for turning.

I selected three decent-sized pieces, and one pretty small piece, and put them in the back of my Subaru. Just as I got in the car, a woman pulled into the driveway and was giving me meaningful looks. I got back out of the car, and she asked (not in a mean way or anything) "Did you just take some of that wood?" I said yes, that I had asked, and that I had just taken a few pieces for woodturning. "Oh, OK."

As I drove away, I thought, "If you folks don't want people to take the wood, you really ought to put up some sort of sign...." :huh:

Anyway, I'm really glad that I asked! :thumb: I labeled the wood before I waxed the ends, and I plan to return some of it in the form of a small gift at some point. Won't that make them sorry that they sent it all off to the burn pile! :rolleyes:
 
Congrats on getting at least some of it, Kerry.

About a year or so ago, I noticed a nice pile of big freshly-cut maple chunks sitting on the edge of a yard that I drove by every day near my office. After about a week of seeing the pile, and never seeing any signs of anyone being home at the time of day I was driving by, I sent the homeowner a letter. I told them I was a woodturner (even included pictures of a few of my pieces), and said I'd be interested in two or three of the bigger log sections. I even offered to pay a little bit of money for them. I offered my home and work phone number, and even pointed out that I worked at the office just down the street from their house. I never got a response back from the letter, but by the next weekend all of the wood had been moved to the back patio, away from the edge of the yard. I'm guessing they wanted it for themselves. :p
 
Anyway, I'm really glad that I asked! :thumb: I labeled the wood before I waxed the ends, and I plan to return some of it in the form of a small gift at some point. Won't that make them sorry that they sent it all off to the burn pile! :rolleyes:

If it turns out as nice as the couple of pieces I had, they will be sorry.. 'course apple smoked briskette is pretty nice too....
 
That, my friend is how you do it right. We have "curbside pickup" around here. The city comes by and picks up most anything (a few exclusions) you can toss once a year. Junk people come from all around to grab stuff under the guise that "if it's here, it's mine". Since they pick up tree stuff and folks cut trees to toss...I make the rounds.
 
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