On 04/14/2017 8:08 AM, Sonny wrote:
On Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 10:17:30 PM UTC-5, whit3rd wrote:
On Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 3:27:22 PM UTC-7, Spalted Walt wrote:
....
... deconstructing century old barns and farmhouses, looking for a
rare treasure - old-growth pine lumber. ...

It's sad, in a way. The original users of that wood, were finding treasure
growing in the ground, and harvesting it for their use. Now, to get
some of the same quality wood, it takes destruction of the old structures.

I saw a slightly-broken ugly old dining table the other day, with
a full 20" wide solid walnut board as one leaf. I've never seen that good
a board for sale.

A bud and mine were scouring rural Piedmont VA area in the late '70s and
early '80s for either stashed and long-forgotten or unused lumber sawn
and stored for the time "got a round tuit" that so often never comes.
We found all kinds of hardwoods as well as much pine, some of which was
just truly gorgeous stuff...walnut was quite common, less so cherry and
the occasional chestnut log.

Twenty inch wide walnut is readily available, either newly sawn or
salvaged boards. True, there are fewer old trees available to be newly
sawn. I'd think most old walnut wasn't sawn into thick boards, 2" and
greater, so finding thick slabs, for reclaiming, is not as prevalent as
thinner boards.
....

Back early on in colonial days and shortly after, walnut wasn't even
really considered much of a desirable cabinet wood...much was used for
structural timbers and even fence posts. We find that hard to imagine.

I'm sure I've told the story before of going to a reclaimed old
schoolhouse in Lynchburg, VA, that were salvaging instead of razing for
the specific purpose of getting a slate board for the kids playroom in
the basement. I had no intended use for all the beams, etc., etc., in
mind on going.

However, liking wood in general, wandered around through the stacks and
discovered virtually all the structural timber was walnut with a few
white and red oak tossed in here and there. Were as much as 24-ft, 4x12
to 2x16 roughsawn timbers there. I calculated something like 20,000
bdft altogether. The aforementioned friend was working thru Davis Paint
in downtown Lynchburg in a shop area Mr Davis had set up for him making
decoupage plaques were selling thru the store. I called him up and got
him to get one of the store semi's up there and Mr Davis bankrolled us
the $10,000 I'd offered...much of it was still in storage when I left
Lynchburg some 10 yr later for TN.

https://www.jamestdavis.com/davis-paint/ the new storefront; the old
store was downtown Lynchburg...

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