Q.
How can I reduce my shipping charges.?
A.
Shipping Charges
are
automatically calculated by either USPS or UPS, not EWUSA.
Occasionally orders can fit into USPS 'Flat Rate' boxes (Click here
for sizes). If you think this is the case, choose USPS
as the shipping option and we will reduce the shipping charges
before we charge your Credit Card (or credit your PayPal
account the savings!). Please also put a note is the 'Special
Order Comment' box requesting this option.
Q.
What happens if wood I order is 'Out of Stock' or 'Sold' or not
Available or Market Pricing has changed, etc.?
A.
You will be notified by email or phone to discuss any other
options that we might have to fulfill the order or we will
notify that your order has been cancelled and we will refund you any payments.
We also reserve the right to cancel any order at any time.
Q.
Is there a minimum amount of wood I have to order?
A.
No, there is never a minimum at
www.exoticwoodsusa.com. Feel free to order as
little (or as much!) exotic wood as you'd like.
Q.
How do I remove the protective wax that's used to seal many of
the woods?
A.
If you're going to be turning the wood, the wax will come off
naturally while turning. Otherwise, the wax can be removed by
using a paint scraper or razor blade.
Q.
Have the woods been air dried or kiln dried?
A.
Most of our woods have been air dried (for varying lengths of
time). Some of our woods have been kiln dried. If so, we try to
note them as being such. Any woods that are not kiln dried are
usually either entirely coated with wax or only sealed on the
ends and may be partial
dry to fairly wet.
Q.
Have the woods been impregnated for stabilization?
A.
No, they haven't. There may, however, be an exception here and
there, which will be clearly noted.
Q.
Why do certain photos show a particular wood more vividly than
others?
A.
Some or our woods are waxed and/or
sealed on their ends only. Others are entirely waxed. If a
piece has been entirely waxed, it will appear similarly to
being finished (see example on right below). Whether a
particular piece of wood has been waxed or not, your
final product after your degree of processing and your choice
of finish will bring out the colors of the woods.
UNWAXED
& WAXED PADAUK SQUARES |
|
Q.
How Black is the Black Ebony?
A.
As time goes on, it is becoming
harder to find Black Ebony that is 'solid black' in color.
Once we receive new stock of ebony we separate any pieces that
contain heavy 'streaking/ striping' and label them as such.
For the remainder of the pieces we try our best to select the "blackest
stock" and sell them as "Select Black' pieces, leaving the
rest unmarked (meaning normal stock). NOTE: Most of
our ebony is either waxed or sealed on the ends. In either
case it extremely difficult to classify the pieces.
Therefore, we can not
guarantee
what the final 'blackness' of the piece will be!
Q.
Can the wood
that I order vary in size or color shown in the photo(s)?
A.
Sizes can slightly vary as we receive new stock.
Example: some 2 x 2 stock may be 1.9 x 1.9. As you see
on our website, we try to catch these size variations when
they are throughout a significant amount of the shipment.
Also sizes will change as the pieces air-dry more when they
are sitting on the shelves.
If we show a photo of a certain block of wood and it's marked
as a "unique piece," then we guarantee that the piece
you receive will be the specific one shown (see the Buckeye
Burl piece below). For other pieces that we stock in multiple
quantities, we only show a sample photo (see the Katalox
pieces below). Any specific exotic woods can have a wide range of different looks
in regards to color and figure,
so the piece or pieces you receive can not only vary from the
photo shown but can vary from piece to piece. Please use
the 'Order Comment' box for any requests and we will do
our best to comply.
SPECIFIC VS. SAMPLE PHOTOS |
BB-008 |
Katalox-005 |
BB-008
4.7" x 6.75" x 6.9"
4.5 lbs.
1 in stock
(unique piece)
$69.50 |
Katalox-005
3" x 3" x 12"
4.75 lbs.
8 in stock
$18.00 each |
If you were to order Buckeye
Burl piece BB-008, the photo shown is of the exact piece
you would receive. |
If you were to order Katalox
piece Katalox-005, the photo shown merely represents the
type of piece or pieces you would receive. |
Q.
Do the pieces generally contain sapwood? Can I request that a
particular piece of wood either has sapwood in it or doesn't
have sapwood?
A. The majority of
our wood will either contain no sapwood or will only have a
small amount on one edge or corner. For
species and some larger block sizes that are more likely to
contain sapwood, we try to provide sample photos. If you
prefer some or no sapwood, please note so in the 'Order
Comments' box when placing your order and we
will do our best to comply based on availability of stock. If you are
looking for woods with a larger percentage of sapwood, please
visit our
Bi-Colored Woods page where you can see unique
pieces containing larger amounts.
Q.
Will the color of some woods change over time? What can I do to
prevent this from happening?
A.
Certain vibrantly colored woods particularly Padauk, Pink
Ivory, and Purpleheart have a tendency to become a duller,
brownish shade over time. Just how long this process takes to
occur depends on the specific piece of wood and how much
exposure it has to sunlight. Although there are a number of
UV-resistant finishes available on the market, these
"solutions" will only delay the inevitable, not completely
prevent it. To retain the color of any particular piece of
wood for as long as possible, use common sense don't bring
the piece outside for any great length of time and try to
avoid exposure to sunlight indoors wherever possible.
Q.
What if I order a piece of wood that's damaged or partially
defective?
A.
Upon receiving the woods you've ordered, be sure to inspect
them immediately. If you've received any
damaged or partially defective items,
please notify us within 2 days to request a replacement
piece, credit, partial credit or refund. For returns of non-defective
pieces, you'll have 30 days to request a credit or refund
(minus shipping charges and a 20-percent restocking fee). Any
wood being returned to us must remain in its original state;
pieces that have developed checks or cracks subsequent to
being shipped, or that have been cut, sanded, or altered in
any way, are not returnable.
Please make sure to include a copy of your invoice with any
return. Prior to shipping, if we notice that a particular
piece is damaged, we will inform you right away. If there's a
suitable replacement piece in stock, we'll offer you that. If
there is no replacement piece, or the wood you ordered is now
out of stock, we'll give you the option of having us back
order it.
Q.
Can you provide the moisture content for a specific piece of
wood?
A.
If a particular piece of wood
hasn't been entirely sealed with protective wax, then, yes, we
can provide a moisture content reading. However, if a piece
has been completely sealed, then it's nearly impossible for us
to obtain an accurate moisture content reading.
Q.
Are any of the woods hazardous to
work with?
A.
Toxicity levels vary from wood to wood. To be on the safe
side, though, it's recommended to ALWAYS take precautions to
protect one's eyes and breathing when working with any wood.
Q.
Do you offer custom-sized cuts of your woods?
A.
No, we do not although we may offer custom-sized cuts in the
future. The only sizes we have available presently are what
you see on the Web site.
Q.
What type of finish should I use?
A.
Most woodturners use an oil and then a wax for finishing.
There are numerous works available for this purpose. Some
of the most commonly used finishes include: tongue oil,
linseed oil, mineral oil, macadamia nut oil, walnut oil, salad
bowl finish, rubbing lacquer, and resin.
Q.
What shipping
options do you have available?
A.
Our standard shipping method for all domestic packages excluding those being sent to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, or
other more remote U.S. locations is UPS Ground. You may also
prefer to select shipping with USPS Priority Mail (which you
can do online during the checkout process). We generally
ship within two or three business days of receiving an order.
Once your package has been shipped, a tracking number will
be e-mailed to you automatically (provided that you've
supplied us with a valid e-mail address).
Q.
Can you use a cheaper shipping
method for packages being sent to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico,
or other distant U.S. territories?
A.
Yes. Packages being shipped to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico,
Guam, etc., are sent via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS
Priority Mail). Please select this method of shipping when
checking out online.
Q.
Do you ship internationally?
A.
Yes. All International orders MUST choose USPS
Priority Mail Int'l as the shipping method. These
International orders will either be shipped by U.S. Postal Service
or TNT International. You can see exactly how
much the shipping charges come to (prior to being asked for
any payment information) while placing an order online. We
usually process international orders within one week; delivery
typically takes another 10 to 14 days (some countries have
taken up to 90 days - this is something that we can not
control). Once your package has been shipped, you should
receive an e-mail from Shipping Company
with tracking information. Any Custom Fees & Restrictions are
the responsibility of the customer and should be researched by
the customer before placing an order. Due to the increase of fraud in
some countries, we reserve the right to delay shipping up to
45 days in order to confirm payment.
Maximum preferred length for international packages are 36
inches.
Please use
PayPay
in Countries where Credit Cards can not be verified. Shipping
address must match PayPal account.
(International Claims)
Q.
Do you have a catalog?
A.
No, we do not have a printed
catalog because our inventory is continually changing and
expanding. Our entire stock, however, is listed on our Web
site.
Q.
Notes about your purchase?
A.
Click Here
Have A Question That Hasn't Been Answered? Send Us An E-Mail:
info@exoticwoodsusa.com
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