Materials and suppliers

If I am going to go to the expense of buying precut-to-thickness material I would definitely want it to be surfaced sanded at least on one side and preferably on both. I am very interested in reclaimed materials, but would not rule out buying “virgin” stock. One suggestion is that you look at the sizes available for shipping USPS flat rate for domestic delivery (it looks like you are in Ma). Then you could sell “by the box” mixed packages with minimal shipping costs. The medium flat rate “pizza box” size is especially useful for this.

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@Mann lumber, while I doubt that reclaimed materials would be a fit for them given the lack of consistency inherent in that kind of material, have you talked to the Glowforge folks about the possibility of becoming a supplier for their materials store with new stock? They may be in a better position to ship internationally, which might expand your market if you don’t want that hassle.

These are actual boards/thick veneers, correct? Not plywood?

Yes, solid wood at 1/8" thickness.

That’s fantastic. May be cheaper than me buying a new blade and running a solid chunk of purple heart through the bandsaw.

Another great score from the scraps bin at my local exotic wood shop! I need to be careful in there, it was hard to stop…

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Over the weekend one of my kids spotted these 1/4" MDF sheets at Costco. They were in an almost empty package of folding chairs and were used to add rigidity to the cardboard box. We asked an employee what their fate was and they said they were not recyclable and just get put in the dumpster. We were told it was fine to take them. I will be keeping my eye out for them now and thought I would share.

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nice find! thats almost the perfect size for an xcarve waste board (which they charge like $250 for)

does anyone know if this poserboard would be okay to be used with the glow forge? it says that it’s laminated in the middle between the sheets so i just wanted to be sure… If not, does anyone know where i can find black posterboard that is sturdy enough to make boxes/packages?

http://www.dickblick.com/products/crescent-14-ply-colored-posterboard/#description

Costco again! This time it’s Cedar Grilling Planks for $10. A pack of 8 planks that measure 7"x15"x5/8". Unfortunately, they do have markings on one side. They might make nice customized gifts for omnivore friends or just use them as raw materials.

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Great find and use. It never even occurred to me to use those, but your’re right they’d be great gifts even just for use as outdoor/rustic serving platters.

Hey, that’s a great find. I canmake custom cedar planks with the recipe for carp cooked on a cedar plank engraved right onto it. The recipe is simple but great. Take a carp. Fillet it. lay it on a cedar plank, skin side up. Season with salt and pepper. Put julienne slices of red bell pepper, zucchini, onion, and carrots on top. Sprinkle with herb seasoning of your choice, like Old Bay or a cajun concoction. Put the plank with the fish on it inside the oven set on high broil. Watch carefully. Remove after five minues. Scrape the fish and vegetables into the trash can and serve the cedar plank.

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Har de har! Funny! You had me going, there :laughing:

@mannlumber. If you start stocking GF sized stock I’d definitely drop by. I’m in Amherst frequently visiting my kid at Umass so athol isn’t a big jump to pick up some stuff. Keep us posted.

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For about 13$ a 5’×5’ sheet, my local lumberyard is going to give me the hookup on baltic birch. Can get 15 12"×20" out of that. This is something theyve never carried before, but can get it ordered. I saw someone had posted a few times some amazon links to get 12x12s and 12x24s off amazon for much much more cost. The takeaway is dont be afraid to ask!

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Thanks for @ballewdjr for finding this source. I liked the idea of the laser etched sandstone coasters as gifts so I ordered a few. I noticed the “imperfect” glass coasters and thought they might work well in an etched glass project I have in mind, but it turns out the imperfections are very minor and there are plenty that would still work well as etched gifts as well. I also ordered a pack of the paper disposable type thinking they might be quick and easy for parties and such. You could easily just cut your own out of thick stock, but they were cheap enough that I wanted to give them a try. $80 for the entire order shipped.

http://www.glasscoasterstore.com/blankcoasters.html


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What kind of coasters are those? It looks like their rainbow sandstone but not seeing where they sell that in coasters.

Under the blank sandstone coasters, there is an option to choose the rainbow.

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Here are the details of the entire order:

Imperfect Blank Glass 8100IMP 1 $14.50 Shape = Square
Coasters for Crafts (Set of 36)

Imperfect Blank Glass 8100IMP 1 $14.50 Shape = Round
Coasters for Crafts (Set of 36)

Blank Sandstone Coasters SC8100WT 1 $14.00 Coaster Type = Rainbow Sandstone
(Set of 10) Coaster

Blank Sandstone Coasters SC8100WT 1 $14.00 Coaster Type = Natural Sandstone
(Set of 10) Coaster

Square Blank Paper 9001SQ 1 $11.95
Coasters (Set of 100)

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Anxious to see an example of how that rainbow sandstone reacts to a 40w laser!
Patterns often inspire an image, and incorporating the natural grain of wood or stone into an image can be very appealing.

A good friend handed me a small slab of burl cypress, gave me artistic license and asked me to make him a wall clock with it.
It had a pointy extension on one edge and the grain that put me in mind of a horse head.
With a silver wire inlay I accentuated the grain with a few outlines - ears, nostril an eye and the point with a spiral inlay became the horn of a unicorn.

Turned out great, but it was the character of the material that inspired the idea.
Be sure to unleash that inner child’s imagination when presented with material that exhibits definition of its own!

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