(To best honor the Spirit of the Tree)

Keywords:  Wood Recycling Seattle Bellevue Renton Issaquah Woodinville Woodturning Sculpture

Bill Luce - email me

I am always on the lookout to rescue/recycle very specific wood from ending up wasted or as firewood to use in my woodturning/sculpting studio. I generally obtain tree sections from arborists, tree services or homeowners that want to see the wood put to a good use and often are glad to let me deal with moving it.  If you know of a tree that meets the below criteria or have any questions please feel free to contact me.  Emailing digital photos of the wood can be very helpful, if available, for me in determining whether or not the wood is suitable for my use.

 Please note that I am generally seeking wood that is free for the taking with no further obligation on my part,  and within approximately 50 miles  of  the Seattle, WA area (I live in Renton). The distance I will travel depends on the species, size and condition of the tree, and on occasion I do travel farther for a special rescue.  Depending on the wood, sometimes I can pay a modest fee, in the $50 - $100 range.

• Trees must be green and healthy or at least mostly contain wood that is perfectly sound.  Generally only trees with a lower trunk that is single pith (heart) and that is fairly branch free are suitable for my work. I avoid trees with nails in them from tree forts, ladders, etc.
   

• The tree must already be slated for removal.  I prefer to never harvest a tree solely for my purposes.
   
• Ideally the tree will be already felled and is available within 1-10   days of cutting in the winter, 1-2 days in summer depending on the species – covering with a tarp to reduce cracking is very helpful.  I greatly prefer to cut the larger trunk up myself to best utilize the wood, but fresh pre-cut rounds are also often suitable (generally 18" to 20" long works well).  Except with very large trees, I generally only use the trunk wood, not branches.  In the ideal situation , the lowest 15 to 25 feet (depending on the diameter) of the tree has been felled and left lying, and I come and cut it up and remove the wood.
   
• Wood must be accessible to a hand cart.  Ideally I can park my trailer fairly near the wood to load with a hand dolly.
   
• A total load of wood in the 2000 lb. to 4000 lb. range is desirable to make the trip cost effective for me. Generally that translates into 15 to 30 linear feet of tree trunk, depending on the diameter of the tree.

UPDATE EDIT:  I am also now seeking freshly cut short logs (at least 42 inches long) in a minimum diameter of 14 inches for some sculptures I am doing. Please contact me before you discard any logs that meet this description.  

*  I do work with other woods, but these are the more common woods I obtain.
** Douglas fir  tree must have been sound as wood deteriorates quickly.  I am especially  interested in fir in the 42 to 60" diameter range.

My equipment includes:

• Full size range of chainsaws up through 120cc and 60 inches long bars.
• Saws are operated with vegetable based, biodegradable bar oil for minimal environmental impact.
• All appropriate safety equipment: Kevlar chaps, helmet, ear & eye protection, gloves, etc.
• Low bed 5x10' HD utility trailer with 5,000 lb. payload. 
• Hand dollies from medium to extreme in size.
• Winch for pulling log sections (up to 9 1/2 feet long) into trailer  when appropriate.

Thank you for considering recycling wood and thus both spare the landfill and better honor the spirit of the tree.

Wood Recycling Seattle Bellevue Renton Issaquah Woodturning Sculpture Bill Luce

Bill Luce

Me rescuing a pair of Douglas Firs blown over in a windstorm. The tree root balls are far to my right on the other side of the crushed building.

The following are a recent rescue.  A very large log (Deodora Cedar), with a diameter of 53 inches.