The Trade
On Wed. Night I did a talk for my neighborhood association’s general meeting on our house restoration and my furniture projects. I talked in length about using recycled wood.
Afterwards a neighbor contacted me and offered some wood that had been stored in his garage for 20 years. At the time that he bought it, it was milled from old growth fir.
I took home a small stash of fir, including a few 12” wide boards…
and a 7/8” thick, 14 footer.
Hmmmmm. possibilities…
In return
He asked if I could help him with reproduce some shoe molding that had been missing from his house for 20 years. He seems pretty meticulous about records and had a sample scrap of the original molding. I was expecting something with a radius and was surprised to see a simple little beveled molding.
I found some of my nice recycled stock and planed it down to a matching 1”height.
I used the sample to set the blade at six degrees to cut the bevel
I needed a way to rip away the edge of the board at a consistent 3/8” so I made a little jig consisting of my miter guage with a feeler block clamped to it. 
I set the sample piece against the blade, touched the feeler to it,and then clamped it in place.
Then I set the fence using the jig. (I saw a variant of this in a youtube video.
I ripped the stock and dropped it off to a happy neighbor. He just e-mailed me to offer some 6×6’s..
I’m gonna need a bigger rack.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
10 comments so far
GaryK
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9521 posts in 882 days
posted 540 days ago
Good deal, John!
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
Mark D.
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116 posts in 662 days
posted 540 days ago
6×6?! I’m sitting at cigars by chivas in old town jealous and wishing I’d driven in from vegas instead of flying… Not sure they’d take that as checked baggage :-) What a great find!
-- Looking for free wood working plans? Visit us at www.AwlFreePlans.com
Douglas Bordner
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3421 posts in 957 days
posted 540 days ago
Nice story and very witty title. I thought there might be trade blankets and axes, and beaver pelts.
Life’s good when a trade works out so well.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
Scott Bryan
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20603 posts in 715 days
posted 540 days ago
John,
Thanks for the story. It is nice to receive the wood but more importantly you got to help out a neighbor.
Well done!!
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
trifern
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7894 posts in 661 days
posted 540 days ago
Looks like a fir trade to me. Thanks for sharing.
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.
teenagewoodworker
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2481 posts in 662 days
posted 540 days ago
great deal. that wood will keep you busy for awhile! thanks for the post.
gizmodyne
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1672 posts in 983 days
posted 540 days ago
Mark …Is that in Pasadena?
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
ND2ELK
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6165 posts in 667 days
posted 540 days ago
I always enjoy swapping for materials or work. Good for both people. Thanks for posting.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
Mark D.
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116 posts in 662 days
posted 540 days ago
Gizmo, Yeah, Chivas is in Pasadena at DeLacey & Green… best shop in town… there was a time when I was furniture at that place. I was in town visiting my folks for the weekend… I’m sitting at Burbank\Glendale\Pasadena (a.k.a. Bob Hope) Airport waiting for my flight now… If I would have driven I would have liked to see if we could make a deal for a few boards…
-- Looking for free wood working plans? Visit us at www.AwlFreePlans.com
Jeff
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996 posts in 987 days
posted 539 days ago
Hi John. Karma is a good. Not to mention being able to share all the knowledge you’ve gained with the neighbors.
-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN