Things I am going to make from this ole Texas barn Part 1... #1: This ole barnwood is too pretty to carve a ranch sign out of...but too late now :)

This ole barnwood is too pretty to carve a ranch sign out of…but too late now :) Yep, that’s my blog and I am a sticking to it…Got an order last week for a 1”x12”x12’ and a 1”x12”x6’ carved sign for a ranch in Comanche, Texas and the lady wanted it carved on old barnwood and ready for her husband’s birthday on the 4th of next month, so I took a deposit and looked at what I had and I did not have a 12 foot long piece, so I started sweating it. So I coffee-ed up and drove about 100 miles to a so-called vintage wood dealer close to Austin and they wanted 5.50 a foot, it seems they were charging 4.00 if it was just plain grey, 4.50 if it was grey with millmarks, 5.50 for the good solid inside stall wood, and so I got smart with them and asked how much extra for mouse and bullet holes and is there a discount if I do my own bullet holes?.., and so I peeled my truck tires the heck out of there. It had just rained so I slung alot of mud and gravel…hehehe

So on the 24th I posted an ad with my fingers and eyes crossed looking for some: WTB good solid 1×12’s and after I was done I did a search on the same site and saw a local farmer had posted an ad the day before saying ole barnwood 1.00 a foot, 4 barns, take all u want, so jumped on it, took my mud-boots and my helper with me and we pulled as much as we could before the hell-rains hit yesterday. The old barn was from around late 1800’s, most of the outside wood was too far gone but it was in the loft and the inside stalls I found some good solid light brown old long leaf pine. There some old WWI uniforms and lots of old implements, a couple of buckboards, and a late 50’s f-100 uni-body style pickup. Alot of them planks up in the loft were 20 feet long and the rest around 12’. We had to take our time and work those old nails one-by-one out slowly so as not to split the wood and as they were all doubled over and had been there longer then my Grandpa lived…

Well anyway, I put down a deposit on the whole lot, and got back to the shop and did a layout of the Ranch sign and started carving, the wood was pretty heavy and dense so I set my straight bit for around 5/16ths, did not want to go to deep and wear out my bit too soon, just deep enough, and after carving the first letter I put some mineral spirits on the cut and the wood sure looked awful darn pretty to me with the wild, tight grain, had a real warm amber glow to it and I was thinking this old wood sure would make a pretty dining table. Anyway I can’t wait to get this order done and plane some of that old wood down and make a farm/dining table that will last another 100 years.

Ya’ll be good, and God Bless the USA, and all ya’ll LJ’s…and if you you get an idea tell me your thoughts and any ways to make the best re-use of this heritage wood…

IKEA we Ain’t..
Frank

-- Frank, Little River/Academy, Texas , http://www.allthingsrustix.com