Rant: My hobby carving spoons from pruning scraps highlights how much good wood gets CHIPPED.

3 comments

3 Comments

Thea's advice about raiding the discard pile is good but man, "ready to haul it out fast" really sums up the whole hobby doesn't it. I feel like I'm performing some kind of covert operation every time I spot a nice walnut branch in a chipper truck's path. Half the time I'm scrambling with my handsaw hoping nobody calls the cops on me for suspicious behavior around a wood chipper. It's like we're all just amateur wood ninjas dodging lawn crews and praying for that one guy who actually gets what we're trying to do.

theaellis4mo ago

Totally feel your pain on this one. Tree services often chip everything without a second thought, even chunks that could be turned into bowls or handles. My tip is to chat up the crew when they're on break and ask if you can raid their discard pile. Most guys don't mind saving a few pieces if it means less work for them. Just bring your own container and be ready to haul it out fast. Honestly, half the time they're just following orders and will help if you're not a jerk about it.

noah_anderson934mo ago

What if you brought some cold drinks for the crew? That always works for me. I got a whole trunk section last summer just by handing out gatorades. They even helped me load it into my truck. Makes the whole thing smoother for everyone.