I'll be looking into that! Thanks for the tip! I've seen some really good looking pieces cut from bamboo cutting boards and have thought that I'd like to try if I could find a cheap source. This may be just the ticket.
Another place to find cheap wood sometimes is places like Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity restore. Sometimes you'll find things (like shelves or tables, ect...) in the cheap that can be taken apart and the wood reused for scrolling. Also, for smaller compound blanks, I found a jinga set at the dollar store for a buck or two. The pieces were 1"x1" and made of oak. There were quite a few pieces in the box!