My bad..not observant, but still pleased I found this part of the forum.. My grandson has a sawmill and deals in burls and special, exotic woods.
He actually deals around the world..getting some shipments from places like Indonesia and Africa...and shipping out across the US and around the world.
So he makes frequent trips down to my woods, looking for candidates. I don't cultivate my woods, preferring it to be in a natural state..allowing
some fallen treees to stay..providing cover for game
About 10 years ago I let some friends cut firewood free of charge, so long as they took either fallen or in 'danger of falling", trees.
My grandson found an old log that was apparently too rotten and "punky", for them to use as firewood Now this old log was "spalted Maple",
often waterlogged and well rotted..so one could easily punch a fingernali into it.
He takes that log home, places it in his home built kiln...and dries it out. Then he saws it into smaller pieces, and treats them with acrylics
under vacuum...so they come out as hard as a Boyd's gunstock.
Depending upon the wood desired..once treated a piece large enough for knife scales wil run from $20 to $45 and on up.
While there, he found a rock...not just any rock, but a certain quartz rock (50-60 pounds).. now listed for rock collectors, for $1500..
Some photos below of log in sawmill..and cut pieces going for a mere $12.. It's out there, jjust have to learn what's in demand and be able to
supply.
There is hidden gold in "them thar hills".
