On Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 1:03:32 PM UTC-4, Scott Lurndal wrote:
pyotr filipivich writes:
Broke on Thu, 29 Apr
2021 02:36:40 +0000 typed in rec.woodworking the following:
Hey he could be that broke. I am doing the very same thing. That's why I am looking at this site. For your information a 2x4 stud is about $7.49 at Lowes.

I didn't follow the link. But, no reason to not make a shed out
of 2x4s. Might not be the most "efficient" way to do it, but then
again, if you have a "surplus" of 2x4s ...

I'm reminded of the story about the Amana colony which supposedly
built a lot of buildings - barns included - of black walnut. Because
they were along way from anywhere and there were a lot of black walnut
trees on the property, which had to be cleared for farming anyway.
The exterior walls on my Uncle's farmhouse in Wisconsin are made from
oak and walnut 2x4's. Two story, balloon construction, but rather than
modern studwalls, the 2x4's were laid flat like a log house to build
up a solid, 4-inch (real 2x4's) thick wood exterior wall.

A few years ago SWMBO and I were driving through the countryside of
Massachusetts when we came across a number of tobacco fields and
their drying sheds.

https://i.imgur.com/ywmkzns.jpg

We noticed that some were as old as the one in that image and some
were practically brand new, right on the same property. We ended up
talking to a local who explained what we were seeing.

It turns out that designers and contractors (city folk) from NYC and
elsewhere were buying up the old wood so they can charge their clients
big bucks for building things with "reclaimed wood".

They would negotiate with the landowners and come to an agreement
based on the condition of the wood. At a minimum, they would build a
new drying shed for the landowner and call it a wash. In some cases
there might be an exchange of cash, usually in the direction of the
landowner (in addition to the new shed) when the old wood was of
top "reclaimed wood" quality.

It's kind of weird to call it "reclaimed", which I consider wood left over
after a project. Taking a entire building apart and building a new one just
because you want the old wood isn't my definition of "reclaimed", but
using that term is a great way to get a higher price.

"The wood I want to use for your project was reclaimed when they tore
down some tobacco drying sheds in Massachusetts."

It's not really a lie, but it does stretch the truth a bit.