where do you get wood?

mrgoogls · Dec 27, 2012

i want to make cooper some new toys. since buying wood peices from the store is expensive, or they are treated. i want to try to buy some untreated lumber from like home depot. the only problem is, cooper likes REALLY soft wood. like yucca or balsa. and stores dont sell balsa lumber. lol. the only thing i could l could find (and is bad by any means) is a sheet at a craft store 4 inches wide and like 30 in long. but its only like an 1/8 of an inch thick. and since its balsa and that thin, it get destroyed in seconds. i want like cubes. i could cut bigger peices out of lumber. where should i buy something? any other really really soft wood i could ask them about? he doesnt even chew pine, and thats soft. there are some pine slats on a few toys, dont even get touched. lol. any ideas??!!

JerseyWendy · Dec 28, 2012

You said he doesn't chew pine. Not even if it's sliced thinly and then dyed?

I buy ALL my wood at either Lowe's or Home Depot. And I buy 2X4X8 and then cut them up, drill holes and dye.

How about wicker? Does he like wicker? You can get cheap, NATURAL wicker things at hobby stores.

mrgoogls · Dec 28, 2012

the pine peices i have are around a quarter inch thick. some are red blue or undyed. they are acually pretty hard but they say pine on the bag. ill have to try the wicker. i just wish i could find more balsa because he loves it so much

JerseyWendy · Dec 28, 2012

I just checked really quickly, and you can buy Balsa on eBay.

OOwl · Dec 28, 2012

I was just at Hobby Lobby (if you have those) and they have raw, untreated balsa in chunks and shapes. In fact, I picked some up for my lovebird, who also enjoys that type wood.

My rose breasted cockatoo chews a wood toy a DAY into splinters so we make almost all his toys ourselves, from untreated pine from Home Depot and Lowes.

mrgoogls · Dec 28, 2012

Wendy, thanks, but i would prefer not to have to worry about shipping

OOwl, i do have hobby lobby near me, but i usually go to micheal's. ill try hobby lobby. hopefully thr one enar me will have some.

just wondering, if your cockatoo chews that much why not try harder wood? it might last longer. or does he just like softer wood? i wish i could get cooper to chew pine. so mch easier to get and lasts longer. probably cheaper too. can i get him to chew harder wood anyways? or is it just up to him? any ways to encourage him to chew harder wood like pine?

OOwl · Dec 28, 2012

Yeah, I wish we could use wood that would slow him down a little bit. He gets easily discouraged and gives up with the harder woods. Heck, we've had some pine boards that are a bit harder than the ones we usually get, and he'll just give us the hairy-eyeball like we gave it to him on purpose.

Luckily, we have a table saw and a drill press so we just make most of their toys. It sure saves a lot of money.

I hope you find the balsa wood; at my Hobby Lobby it's back with the models in a large display. Some of them were already in cute shapes with a drilled hole.

mrgoogls · Dec 28, 2012

im going to head over there in a few days and check it out. i wish i had a table saw or band saw. a drill press would be nice to but i have a cordless so not toally needed. i want to save up for a band saw. lol. not TO expensive, and makes toys a heck of a lot easier to make!

mrgoogls · Dec 29, 2012

okay, i went to Hobby Lobby today. good news! they had more balsa! it was pretty expensive butif thats all i can get then oh well. its worth it for cooper

i got a thin sheet like i did before. its 5 inch wide, around 30 in long and about 1/4 inch thick.

then i got some bigger peaices. 2 blocks that are around 18 in long. one is just thicker. they didnt have precut block, but i dont mind cutting it.

those are the two blocks. tyhanks guys. i you find any other places to buy bigger peices or have it cheap, let me know!

Alex0 · Jan 1, 2013

Today needs to be a cheap wood but a effective and strong one.
I dont know much about woods and how to make it waterproof and which woods are most suitable for outdoors?????if anyone know here than contact here back as soon as possible....

weco · Jan 1, 2013

Not sure why you would want to waterproof the wood, but unless you are going to use vegetable oil for the waterproofing, I would leave the wood raw, as commercial waterproofings would be toxic to birds.

Using vegetable oil would invite unwanted critters to your table.....bugs & insects.....

weco · Jan 1, 2013

Your best source of balsa may be the internet...here's a link to a supplier that I've used in the past...they also supply basswood, another soft wood:

National Balsa Wood Co- Balsa wood, Basswood, Mahogany, Architectural Models, Model RC Aircraft, Savox Servos

Unlike most craft stores, National Balsa can supply larger blocks & some online vendors offer free shipping on orders of $25 or more.

You can also call a local lumberyard & ask if there are any exotic wood suppliers in your area, who might offer balsa or basswood.....and, by the way, both are considered hardwoods.

where do you get wood?

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Decided to get creative!

What we made for Sinna this weekend

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