Foraging free/cheap scrap hardwood, leather, & bones: where to look?
November 9, 2014 11:02 AM   Subscribe

I have some craft and design projects I'd like to create with *quality* scrap hardwood, *quality* scrap leather, and game animal skulls/teeth/other bones. The bigger the wood/leather scraps the better. Other than Etsy suppliers, where are the best places in my community to try to look for these things and get them for little to no cost?

Furthermore, what is the proper etiquette for obtaining these scraps for little to no cost without insulting someone or crossing a boundary? I'm trying to go as 'freegan' about this as possible, but I understand that comes with the potential to step on toes if you aren't knowledgeable about and delicate with your source.

Yes, I realize major lumber chains (who will remain unnamed) may give you the scraps or damaged lumber if you just ask. Same with some construction sites. I'm trying to think beyond the low-hanging fruit and figure out other sources who would probably love for someone to haul this stuff away so that they don't have to do it. Or, abandoned sites where I (assume) it's ethically okay to salvage wood - I know that removing things from urban exploration points of interest is a no-no, so I'm excluding such sites from consideration out of respect.

I also know some vineyards and distilleries that will sell their old oak barrel staves.

Making a "wanted" post on Craigslist might work but... I think I like the thrill of the hunt better. I want free, and I want ethically sound, but I don't require that the search be easy.

Less knowledgeable about where to find the scrap leather or bones. For the latter, maybe hunters? Even then, not sure how to approach the request or what to offer as monetary compensation or as a trade (if they are not okay with giving it away for free).

Willing to take my search anywhere between DC and Richmond, VA, preferably along the I-95 corridor or I-66.

If you've done this before, or if you just know good sources I could consult online, too, let me know!

General "freegan" tips/wisdom also appreciated since I think it absolutely applies.''
posted by nightrecordings to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (13 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
For wood: Do you have a bandsaw and other woodworking tools? If so, you can check sites like the free section of craigslist for people who put out wood they have cut down from their property. If you can get to their place before the other scroungers do, you can often score some nice rounds that can be resawn. This is what I do and I now have a nice collection of lumber drying for projects and turning blanks made of things like osage orange, maple, pear, pin cherry, and elm. I have also let all my neighbors know that I am interested in their trees if they decide to cut them down and that I would be willing to trade them some of the work I produce using their wood for it.
posted by Poldo at 11:14 AM on November 9, 2014


I would figure there are probably some local non-chain lumberyards and cabinet and/or furniture makers who might be willing to get rid of their leftovers. I've definitely gotten wood that way where I am, although the lumberyards will often want at least a couple of bucks for their "scraps."

Look around for custom leather shops (either for motorcycle and/or fetish purposes) and custom gun holster & carrying case makers. The leather shop next to a theater where I do some occasional work always has lots of scraps in their dumpster, and a guy I know who used to do custom gun holsters used to bring home scraps all the time to work on his techniques & experiment on his own time.
posted by soundguy99 at 11:15 AM on November 9, 2014


Prepping skulls takes work, and I imagine it would be difficult to obtain them for free. Why not start a carrion beetle colony, pick up road kill, and clean your own?
posted by Wavelet at 11:52 AM on November 9, 2014


For bones: pet stores sell antlers and big chunks of cow bones for dogs to chew on. Not free, but already completely cleaned of flesh.
posted by moonmilk at 11:53 AM on November 9, 2014


My dad was into fly tying for a bit, and he got deer hide with fur for either very cheap or free from a local taxidermist. Richmond / DC / the 95 corridor has a lot of hunters, and I would imagine a lot of taxidermists as well. Most hunters don't stuff and mount their own stuff. They take them to taxidermists. So I would imagine that taxidermists have a bunch of animal left-overs that don't go into show-pieces, and might be willing to give this away just to get rid of them... then again, they might also be using this stuff in some sort of secondary market, but it's worth asking I'd imagine.

Maybe a free range cattle or pig farm? They might also be using bones in a secondary market, but also worth asking. I know that up 95 towards PA there's a lot of these small shop meat producers.

I'm drawing a blank on hardwood outside of stuff you've already mentioned as low hanging fruit or illegal. Maybe you could talk to local thrift stores about taking unsold furniture off of their hands?
posted by codacorolla at 11:55 AM on November 9, 2014


abandoned sites where I (assume) it's ethically okay to salvage wood

No, that's stealing. Don't do that. Ask the owner first, always.

If you want animal bones learn to prepare and start scavenging, they're everywhere.
posted by fshgrl at 12:05 PM on November 9, 2014


Oh, and I'm not sure if this is low hanging fruit or not, but beachcombing seems like a pretty solid idea for a lot of this. You get all sorts of bones that have been picked over by gulls and crabs, driftwood that's been washed up, and anything else the tide brings in. You could go to a public beach and make a day of it. If nothing else it would also be a nice way to spend an afternoon.
posted by codacorolla at 12:08 PM on November 9, 2014 [1 favorite]


Depending on how small pieces of wood you can use, very furniture maker and hobbyist woodworker has a bucket or three of small chunks that we don't want to throw away, can't use immediately, but it's nice wood and you don't just throw out nice wood.

Cabinet shops less so, but I've got a bucket right now that'd land you maple, mahogany, walnut, maybe even some purpleheart, a few other exotics, that'd be available for the cost of conversation and interest. All small enough that it won't run through my planer, but some of it big enough to work with.
posted by straw at 12:58 PM on November 9, 2014


Yes, roadkill for bones. Also local farms. You don't necessarily need beetles to clean it. Here's a site with more info. You can also ask butcher shops for bones, lots of them will give you a bag for free.

For leather, try hitting up small town (as they are generally cheaper) thrift stores for purses, belts, or leather jackets. Not free, but generally really inexpensive. Bonus if you can make friends with a local one and get to their discards (like torn up leather pants they can't sell) before they go in the dumpster (or after if you can get in it!)

When items get donated to places like Goodwill, there is generally a sorting facility that they all go through first. If you can find it and show up super early on the day they go through it (call them to find out), you can find some AMAZING things. You generally get a big bin of random stuff to pick through and then you pay a set price per item (tops are $1, pants are $2, coats are $3, belts are $0.50). Some places charge by the pound or by the bag instead.

You can also go through the random bags of clothes people leave on the street for large item pick up day. You can call your trash company to find out what day of the month this is and go hunting super early in the morning before the truck comes.

Good luck!
posted by ananci at 1:31 PM on November 9, 2014 [1 favorite]


A quick skim looks to me like this has not been mentioned yet:

https://www.freecycle.org/

You can browse what's available and also post a "wanted" ad. The site is organized geographically, so you can browse what's local to you and post to a subsite that's local to you.
posted by Michele in California at 3:40 PM on November 9, 2014


Do any of your acquaintances hunt? Last fall I made it known that I wanted deer antlers for my dogs to chew - I didn't care if they were broken or mutant. I got buried in antlers and gave away bunches of them to dog-keeping friends. Try asking around.

As a hiker, I come across bones and carcasses (mostly deer but other things as well) regularly. Maybe ask your hiking friends to let you know if they come across anything?

And if you're wondering why I find carcasses but no antlers, it's because lots of small forest-dwellers like to chew on them. Antlers tend to get swiped first.
posted by workerant at 7:43 PM on November 9, 2014


Animal skulls can be difficult to find. In my experience, hunters or trappers might sell you skulls at a discount, but you're not likely to get anything bigger than a raccoon skull for free. I've had hunters suggest contacting a taxidermist, as others have suggested already, and you could always post a wanted ad on Craigslist. Just be careful; depending on where you live, there could be restrictions on what types of animal parts you are or aren't allowed to buy without a license. Here in Ontario there are plenty of species that you aren't legally allowed to purchase, but the hides, bones, or skulls could be legally given to you as a gift.

How to clean animal bones.
posted by quiet earth at 8:59 PM on November 9, 2014


for leather, perhaps try small furniture upholsterers shops - I suppose it depends where you live, but in our city the upholsterer around the corner ( a small, artsy, non-chain shop) regularly puts up notices on their door that they give away leather scraps for free.
posted by 15L06 at 1:28 AM on November 10, 2014


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