# Where to get wood?



## Thomas McMillan (2 Dec 2008)

I'm always on the lookout for nice wood, especially when I see a nice scape somewhere and want to do something similar with the hardscape but can never seem to find 'the right wood'. I know theres AE/TGM/MA/other fish-related shops/eBay but is there anywhere else that I could get hold of something?

Thanks


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## hellohefalump (2 Dec 2008)

I don't know where you live, but when I was on holiday in Yorkshire I picked up a nice, very big piece of redmoor from Harrogate Aquatics for Â£15.

Yeah... I go to fish shops when I'm on holiday...


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## Garuf (2 Dec 2008)

...Me too, skate shops too. 

If you're brave you can go to Wales, their lakes and rivers are full of good wood.


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## Ed Seeley (2 Dec 2008)

There's always woods....

I've collected a fair bit dead wood when on walks and it's great.  Just look for hard, standing dead wood on the trees and remove it.  I then soak it and disinfect it with a couple of soaks in Milton before using it.  Don't use anything spongy or lying on the floor.  To be honest once you soak it if it's crumbly it will almsot disintegrate when you clean it.  If it survives cleaning then you can use it.


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## Goodygumdrops (2 Dec 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> ...Me too, skate shops too.
> 
> If you're brave you can go to Wales, their lakes and rivers are full of good wood.



This is something that crosses my mind more and more.My bro goes fishing all over and I've asked him to keep an eye out for some different looking pieces on his travels.


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## Thomas McMillan (2 Dec 2008)

I don't really travel around much to places where there would be wood... There are parks and 'woods' around here but I've always been reluctant to use wood that you can just pick up from parks or wherever. 

So if you soak it in boiling water a couple of times and disinfect it a few times then scrub it down, it should be okay as long as it is dry wood? Does it matter what type of wood it's from (i.e. can wood from some trees be harmful)?

Does anyone know of anywhere else online maybe?


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## Graeme Edwards (3 Dec 2008)

Stay away from ever greens. Look for hard deciduous woods like Oak, birch, hawthorn or heather. Like Ed said, make sure its dead and dry - if its raining ,that doesn't count, lol. Dont be cutting trees down, only take what has naturaly been brocken or dead, its only fair to nature.


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## Ed Seeley (3 Dec 2008)

I stick to Oaks, beech and maples.  I've used leaves of all those in tanks too and have never had any problems.


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## Thomas McMillan (3 Dec 2008)

Cool, thanks guys. One question though... I'm no tree expert -how do you tell an Oak or whatever tree from any other, or am I jsut being stupid?


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## hellohefalump (3 Dec 2008)

it has acorns


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## Garuf (4 Dec 2008)

I was reading that the maple is becoming extinct because of skateboard production, maybe I don't know but avoiding maple could be a good move. I can quite happily recommend that now is the time to collect since our plants suck in the sad from the surface meaning that any live wood has a minimal sap content.


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## Ed Seeley (4 Dec 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> I was reading that the maple is becoming extinct because of skateboard production, maybe I don't know but avoiding maple could be a good move. I can quite happily recommend that now is the time to collect since our plants suck in the sad from the surface meaning that any live wood has a minimal sap content.



There are lots of different maples, including the Sycamore which is far from endangered as it's a weed really.  I tend to use dead branches from my Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) as they have nice twiggy branches  or collect Oak and Beech from the woods or our school wood.


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## Themuleous (4 Dec 2008)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> Garuf said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Its also introduced into the UK, so hack it down people! 

Sam


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## samc (14 Dec 2008)

after reading this it make me want to go and look for some theres loads of wood around here


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## Nick16 (14 Dec 2008)

but its findng that nice knarly perfect piece with plenty of bits branching out. i have been searching for 2 months now, cant find a bit anywhere.


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## samc (14 Dec 2008)

ill have a look i should think the best place would be somewhere like the lakedistrict i go on holiday there sometimes i found some great pieces of slate i found a solid wall about 10 foot tall and theres allways dead wood about


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## Nick16 (14 Dec 2008)

what wood can you actually use? as i have a forest at the end of my garden and im never sure!


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## mr. luke (1 Jan 2009)

i have got a nice bit of oak that i have stripped down, it was hanging in a tree but it had broken off (tangled up)
i have stripped it down and soaked it, is it ok to use? no signs of rot or anything.


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## Ed Seeley (2 Jan 2009)

mr. luke said:
			
		

> i have got a nice bit of oak that i have stripped down, it was hanging in a tree but it had broken off (tangled up)
> i have stripped it down and soaked it, is it ok to use? no signs of rot or anything.



Sounds perfect.  Has any bacterial or fungal growths happened when you soaked it?


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## mr. luke (4 Jan 2009)

Nope 
so all should be well then?


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## Ed Seeley (4 Jan 2009)

mr. luke said:
			
		

> Nope
> so all should be well then?



Should be but the only way you'll know for sure is to try it!


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## AQUARICULTURE (6 Jan 2009)

I spend a lot of time near the sea and have lots of driftwood lying about the house picked up from walks. Do you think given a soaking and wash these bits of sea driftwood would be alright to use? 

Cheers, 
Tony


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## mr. luke (11 Jan 2009)

update on my oak :
it worked fine


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