Unboxing Exotic wood mix and Maple Cutoff wood from Bell Forest

I guess a box like that is not for everyone. A wood turner will find many treasures especially in the first box for pens, bottle stoppers or finials. Enjoyed your unboxing video and hope you can’t find some fun things to do with the wood.

How do you know what wood it when you look at it.

I prefer Ocooch Hardwoods.

If you’re a woodturner then it looks like you have a lot of potential pen blanks. I’ve also seen guys glue a bunch of small pieces of different wood scraps together and turn them into bowls and things. They can be cut into different shapes on with epoxy resin can make a mosaic or stained glass looking piece. As you said some could be used as handles. I was a bit surprised at the bigger pieces you got, though I guess they can’t really sell them. I have bought a couple boxes from smaller wood sellers that none of the pieces were as big, but I think it was around $20 or so.

Wenge

I believe the dark waxey wood is cocobola

One thing I am a bit confused about. You showed your receipt and it showed that you bought 2 boxes of exotic wood cutoffs and 2 boxes of birdseye/curly maple cutoffs, yet you seemed suprised when you open the maple box that it was all lighter colored wood (maple). Just curious, did you forget that you ordered maple aling with exotic cutoffs?

That black chunk loos like ebony

id be happy too take that purple heart of your hands :)

Waxy wood = Redheart.
Let me know when you figure it out if you can. TIA. Way too much purple heart.
I always felt those boxes were best for beginners to practice with at a fair price. IMHO.

Those long dark wax covered pieces could be Chechen. I’ve been using it lately and it looks just like it. Great for bottle stoppers and pens (if you have a lathe).

Wow!

Waxy wood could be cocobolo.

They look perfect

@Sawdust and Splinters you can always send me the purple heart! Please and thank you...
Seriously you can make a gorgeous jewellery box armoire...with gold inlay.

Wow! A reply from Bell! It shows they have interest in more than selling their off-fall.

I wonder, Skylar, if you know anyone that has a scroll saw. I see lots of material that could be easily resawn (with care, of course) on your tablesaw and turned into victims of a #7 blade. I see several intarsia projects in that collection. Maybe a mallet for carving and chisels? I'm not too much of a fan of using anything but known safe woods for cutting boards. I agree with you that straight out of the box it is more of a turner's paradise...but I see great value in those boxes. In fact, I'm going to ask Santa for a couple!

When I first got into woodworking, I found a local hardwood dealer here in New Orleans, Riverside Lumber, that has a table off to the side of cut-offs and odd shaped pieces. I used that table a lot as I was learning and making basic things. Every so often, I still pick through that table and see if something catches my eye. Thanks for the video and look forward to seeing what you do with the pieces you received.

Not worth the money

I tried purpleheart and gave up. Too much wear and tear on bits, blades and sandpaper. Interesting color, but not easy to work with for my little shop.

A lot of that could be for wood turning projects.

THAT IS ROSE WOOD

The one you kept sayting was pretty and you didn't know what it was and was light really looks like Spanish cedar

Put it down to experience. I've been a woodworker for 30 years and bought scrap pieces mainly from UK woodworking shows. Unless you are a turner they tend to gather dust and take up precious space. Now I only buy wood for specific projects. Here in Ireland we are limited to North American Hardwoods believe it or not. !

You have convinced me to look at buying some of these from bell forrest. Cut offs are great for woodturners. As to your product knowledge, needs work. Wood covered in wax, is not waxy wood. The wax is a protective measurer to limit moisture. In your first box saw a very good assortment. In the second "White Wood", maple, poplar, oak. If you are new to woodworking, I can understand your confusion. You might want to pick up a lathe or not.

Wast of money..sorry

Love Bell Forest Products!!! Highly recommended, always get min of 10BF and its always packed well and high grade material.

I bought a sample collection of 4”x 6” hardwood veneers to use for identification purposes. Each piece is labeled so it works quick well, it also helps when deciding what species I would like to use in a project

Looks like a great deal to me. Those wax covered are turning blanks, probably patagonia rosewood, those longer red/black pieces. Wax is used to seal wood that is cut green. looks like some boxwood, or boxwood like wood in that white box.

I make custom knives so a lot of the cutoffs would be suitable for those or very nice inlays. Looks ok to me.

Thank you for sharing your unboxing video of our products! Our cutoff packages are great for inlays and small woodworking projects like knife handles, intarsia, and pens. Depending on what the shop has been processing, you’ll find a variety of species and sizes in the cutoff packages. Not every size nor species will work for all projects, so we ask (when placing the order) that you let us know what you’re planning on using the material for. That way, we can do our best to accommodate your project. You can also leave us a comment and say that you’re not interested in dowels or to not send Padauk.

We wish you the best and we look forward to watching future videos!

Use those small pieces for inlays

Bell forest products is local to me

The wax covering is a protective layer added to stop the effects of humidity, most likely during trans ocean shipment where the salt sea air and humidity is very corrosive. I have typically observed this on species from Central and South America, so it probably also helps with jungle humidity and rot. As for removing it, I'd suggest just cut it off on your table saw with real thin passes until it is fully removed. On the one piece of Granadillo I bought, scrapping didn't seem to fully work, I think because the melted wax gets right down into the pores of the wood grain when its applied.

I found your video informative. If I were making pens, or whittling, or making miniatures, either box would be worthwhile, I think. But not for the kind of things I do. Thank you.

I think the waxy wood is cocobolo

Certainly was hit and miss regarding what you get in the boxes, but considering their prices, for the few good pieces you got, it still seems like a decent deal. It could be worth the risk. In the first box, I think the long waxy pieces were rosewood and the short one ebony... hard to say from a video.

Sometimes those cutoff boxes from Bell Forest can be hit or miss. You can come across some really great pieces. I've been fortunate enough to get two great boxes in a row.

Tears rolled down my cheeks when you said you bought two boxes. In no time at all you will have two of every thing. You are on your way to being a real wood worker, or at least a collector. Welcome to the club my friend.

I totally agree with you!

Try ocooch hardwoods. They sell cutoffs of domestics and exotics

Nope!!! Not Worth it!!!

Watching your beautiful set of huge........eyes 😊 makes it worth it.

Thanks for the view of the cutoffs! I don’t turn pens, so very few pieces would be appealing. Some may be good for splines? Working with walnut, I can see that.
I bought a 6” jointer from Grizzly. It came with the infeed table out of plane with the outfeed. It is a pain to adjust, so watch for that.

Sorry it did not turn out well, I would be disappointed with it also. Though the purpleheart, which I really like, is nice.

Looks like both boxes would benefit woodturners more than the work you do

If you are a turner some of that stuff would make great tops.

I think the worst of it is that they don’t identify any of the species, as I think at least one of your other box-o-wood suppliers did. Inexperienced as I am with hardwoods, that would drive me crazy.

,a cool video keep up the great content.. Thank you……

One of your pieces looks like Pecky Cypress the one that looks rotten and holy very expensive wood.