There is an old barn down the road from my house that is being torn down.
I've noticed several piles of the old wood that made the exterior of the
barn and wondered if that wood would be any good after 30 years or so? I
have no idea of the thickness. It's definitely grey. There may be some
larger timbers in there too.

Do you think it would be worth salvaging? Im guessing they would allow me
to take whatever I want since it looks like they're trashing it?

Note: I have no joiner or planer, but this could be the excuse I need!

Thanks,

Mike W

If you have any inclination towards "antique" or "old" or know anybody who
does, then probably yes (all depending on condition, of course).


"Mike W." wrote in message
...
There is an old barn down the road from my house that is being torn down.
I've noticed several piles of the old wood that made the exterior of the
barn and wondered if that wood would be any good after 30 years or so? I
have no idea of the thickness. It's definitely grey. There may be some
larger timbers in there too.

Do you think it would be worth salvaging? Im guessing they would allow me
to take whatever I want since it looks like they're trashing it?

Note: I have no joiner or planer, but this could be the excuse I need!

Thanks,

Mike W

Certainly worth checking out. Underneath that grey grit could be beautifully
protected timber. I wouldn't worry about the age. The barn could be 200
years old and still have very useable timber if it was sitting in favorable
conditions.

Go check it out. A belt sander would be handy to remove the top grit and get
a glimpse of what is underneath.


--
Regards,

Dean Bielanowski
Editor,
Online Tool Reviews
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com
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On Sun 16 Jan 2005 10:02:44p, "Mike W."
wrote in :

There is an old barn down the road from my house that is being torn
down. I've noticed several piles of the old wood that made the
exterior of the barn and wondered if that wood would be any good after
30 years or so? I have no idea of the thickness. It's definitely
grey. There may be some larger timbers in there too.

Do you think it would be worth salvaging? Im guessing they would
allow me to take whatever I want since it looks like they're trashing
it?


Old barn wood? In good condition? I've seen some pretty slap-together
pieces sitting in shops around here made out of that stuff with triple-
digit prices on 'em.

I'd be out there having a look at it, definitely. If it wasn't completely
rotted out I'd take as much as they'd let me.

Woodcrafter wrote:
Certainly worth checking out. Underneath that grey grit could be
beautifully
protected timber. I wouldn't worry about the age. The barn could be
200
years old and still have very useable timber if it was sitting in
favorable
conditions.

Go check it out. A belt sander would be handy to remove the top grit
and get
a glimpse of what is underneath.

Um...before you go "cleaning up" this wood, check out its worth as
frame material. Weathered barn wood like you describe can be HIGHLY
desireable from an arts/crafts standpoint. And I have seen some VERY
attractive frames made from such wood, particularly when coupled with
certain paintings or black and white photographs.

OTOH - if there's no market for it (and I really think there will be) -
clean it up and go, but watch out for dry rot.
Just my $.02 - and you can keep the change.

Jon Larsson

I've always lusted over old barn wood. When a barn a couple of blocks away
was being torn down to make way for a new subdivision I jumped at the chance
to check it out. Well, first off, the large beams and structural members
had already been spoken for. There are people that make their living out of
buying and selling old barn beams. Still though, I was very interested in
the siding. I ended up leaving with nothing. The stuff was all quite thin
(at the most 1/2 inch) and was so dried out and distressed that it wouldn't
have been good for much. I suppose I could have used it for something but I
was so bummed out by the condition of it (VERY bad) that I just took a pass.
Now this is the only demolished barn that I've ever looked at so this might
not be the norm (at least I hope so because I've still got a Jones for some
nice barn wood).

--
Jeff P.

"A ship carrying blue paint collided with a ship carrying red paint. The
crew are believed to be marooned."

Check out my woodshop at: www.sawdustcentral.com


"Mike W." wrote in message
...
There is an old barn down the road from my house that is being torn down.
I've noticed several piles of the old wood that made the exterior of the
barn and wondered if that wood would be any good after 30 years or so? I
have no idea of the thickness. It's definitely grey. There may be some
larger timbers in there too.

Do you think it would be worth salvaging? Im guessing they would allow me
to take whatever I want since it looks like they're trashing it?

Note: I have no joiner or planer, but this could be the excuse I need!

Thanks,

Mike W

In article , Mike W.
wrote:

Do you think it would be worth salvaging? Im guessing they would allow me
to take whatever I want since it looks like they're trashing it?

Get as much of it as you have room to store without even thinking about
it again. Think about it later. Go, man, go!

--
"The thing about saying the wrong words is that A, I don't notice it, and B,
sometimes orange water gibbon bucket and plastic." -- Mr. Burrows

A couple of summers ago I missed an old house
worth of WALNUT by a week. They bulldozed
it and then burned it. Brought a tear to my
eye when a friend told me what I missed - by
that much (he said holding his thumb and fore
finger about a quarter inch apart).

Take an old block plane with you and see
what's under the weathered surface.


charlie b

Several years ago I salvaged some siding from the "old" barn (the "new"
barn is nie on 60)on my wife's parents' farm. Better than an inch
thick, between 6 and 12 in width. They've got to be 100+ years old.
Using a thickness sander revealed what looks like chestnut--it's
beautiful wood! Wish we'd been able to get more out before her brother
dozed it. . . don't have near what I'd like. Damn.

Dan

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 04:02:44 GMT, "Mike W."
wrote:

There is an old barn down the road from my house that is being torn down.
I've noticed several piles of the old wood that made the exterior of the
barn and wondered if that wood would be any good after 30 years or so? I
have no idea of the thickness. It's definitely grey. There may be some
larger timbers in there too.

Do you think it would be worth salvaging?

ANY wood is good wood. Barnboard is getting to be more and more rare
as barns are now metal and plastic. I'd wreck one for the material.
Treat it like gold,and contact interior decorators etc. who have
megbucks and love the stuff. Picture framers use it, but they now
have imitation plastic material as well. If you lived close by and
didn't want it, I'd be right over with the trailer.

Mike W. wrote:
There is an old barn down the road from my house that is being torn down.
I've noticed several piles of the old wood that made the exterior of the
barn and wondered if that wood would be any good after 30 years or so? I
have no idea of the thickness. It's definitely grey. There may be some
larger timbers in there too.

Do you think it would be worth salvaging? Im guessing they would allow me
to take whatever I want since it looks like they're trashing it?

Note: I have no joiner or planer, but this could be the excuse I need!

Thanks,

Mike W


Old barn wood is used extensively for rustic picture frames.
And that includes stuff that is severely distressed,
holes, gouges, and splits. Essentially any of the 1" and
2" stuff would be prized by some frame maker. The only
problem is identifying the person(s) that use it.

"George E. Cawthon" wrote:
....
Old barn wood is used extensively ... only
problem is identifying the person(s) that use it.

Put an ad in any decent-sized metro paper and you'll be run over w/
prospects from the frame makers to those who want it for siding...

I buy/beg/borrow old barn wood and make custom furniture from it. Watch
out for nails, etc.

If you can get a photo of the barn before it's torn down and a little
history of the barn, you can get a branding iron made in the image of
the barn and brand each peice you build from it. Then package a copy of
the photo with the history and you've got a hot selling premium priced
item (what ever the item may be) in may metro-area boutiques, even with
mediocre workmanship.

Tillman Stevens


free links to thousands of woodworking plans and resources:

http://home.comcast.net/~tillman_ste...worklinks.html

Don't waste your money on the rip-off 150,000+ Woodworking Plans cd on
eBay, it's just links, fewer than you'll find on my page for free.