Born-Again Barnwood

I’m looking forward to seeing your projects!!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Great use of recycled materials. Lets see some pictures

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Anyone who is able to reuse wood is alright in my book….. can’t wait to see some projects

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Vincent Van Gogh

I use some but it all gets planed down. Couple of my projects use it.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

I been toying with the idea to make that Thorsen side table out of my barnwood. I got some 3/4” tongue and groove flooring that could make a nice top; then use wider 1” stock to enclose the sides of top. I have some darker wood that could be used for legs and cross pieces. That way the oak top wopuld be highlighted by the different shade of wood on rest of project.
This has me all excited! Got to hurry and build that fence so I can get to this!

I got some pictures of the “raw materials” we salvaged in Tin Town district of Historic Bisbee, AZ. They had used dynamite crates from early 1940s (some crates were dated). I got some neat ones with the logo and another with a scene of an apache warrior. I will lighly sand them (320 grit), lightly spray them with poly and frame them. There are some old workers from the mine here that will remember these crates, so I should have some brisk sales of those at the Bisbee farmer’s Market.

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

Living in a mining community, I’ve seen garages sheeted with old Hercules dynamite boxes. They were made with finger joints, so they locked together end to end making a long board out of them.
It’s to bad, now everything is cardboard.
You should check, there are collectors that will pay a pretty good price for old powder boxes.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

About 90 percent of the wood i use now is from old barns.
I get it all free other then the labour so i can’t complain.

I think old wood has a lot more character anyway.

-- John in Cranbrook http://www.extremebirdhouse.com ....http://community.webshots.com/user/cranbrook2

Hello Hawgnutz;
—-I like using old barnwood also and get all that I can from old barns….hence up here in New England we use a term called ‘barn again barns’....

I have also seen some fantastic ‘wood art’ come from using old barnwood….one artist up this way makes 3D pictures of barns using the old barnwood.

Looking forward to seeing those projects!
GODSPEED,
Frank

-- --frank, NH, http://frank.wordpress.com/

Hi Hawgnutz:

Add my name to the Barn-Again woodworkers list. I use a variety of “repurposed” woods in my rustic furniture studio, including barnwood, used bourbon barrels (quarter-sawn white oak), architectural pieces, broken furniture, crates and pallets, and drift wood. I’ve even used things like boat oars, tool handles, and baseball bats (they’re made in Kentucky).

I’ve got my eye on a hundred year old chestnut barn…

-- Randall (P), Rustic Crafter, Morning View, Kentucky, "In twigs we trust."

Thanks from all you barn wood builders! Old barnwood sure makes for interesting cuts and joints, don’t it?
I have only been doing “decorative” wooodwork since 2003. I have done all sorts of framing and screen repairs through my life, but the military, biker lifestyle, and other various ventures in my life have kept me on the move for the last 30 years. It feels good to finally settle down and start me a shop, as small and humble as it may be.
I appreciate all your comments and/or hints for woodworking.

I plan to start making boxes using reclaimed pine, oak and maple from old pallets. I have been using (cheap) cedar and redwood fencing that I picked up at the local Home Depot. At $1.38 a piece, I don’t get too choked up when I goof up…... LOL

Well, Spring is upon us, and I have a fence to build around our grass and flower beds to keep dogs and rabbits out. I promised my wife no “recreational” woodworking until the fence is up. Gotta cover my barnwood stacks, too, to help protect them from any termite swarming this Spring. I hope you don’t have such problems. It gets terrible!

Speaking of terrible. I was bringing in a box I made for donations at our church, and with one hand on crutch and trying to balance the digital camera I had stored in my truck, the box fell and the top broke! Oh, well, I made a slight mistake when I first cut the slot for the money, so now I HAVE to fix it….LOL

BTW, it is BOrn Again Barnwood, not Barn Again. I am a practicing Christian, trying to “walk the walk,” who shys away from “religion” but enjoys a personal relationship with Christ Jesus! I hope you enjoy such a realtionship, too!

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards

it sounds like quite the life you have lived!! And now you turn to the foundation of “yester years”.

:)

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I was about ready to write up something really long and probably way too detailed about using barn and recycled wood… but then I remembered I’d already written about it.

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/RedHeadedMerganser/blog/87

-- Ethan, http://www.merganserwoodworks.com, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

It is great to see others looking for wood to recycle. I see so many people out here throw the wood into a burn pile. I have been looking at a lot of old Barns around the area that are falling down. I thought about how nice that wood would look as a table or picture frames or what ever comes to my mind. How did you go about collecting the barn wood? Do you just ask the land owner what they are planing to do with it? Did you purchase it from them? I am very curious on how I can obtain this beautiful wood for the shop and eventually to someones home in the form of furniture or art.

I have started looking for “throw away wood” that people see as non usable wood. I started makings some picture frames for my wifes art quilts and even made a set of nesting tables. Nothing fancy mind you. Just plan and simple kind of country rustic sort of stuff. I will take some picture to post for you.

Great use of the wood and I hope to see some of your work real soon.

Jeff

-- In His Grip,

Jeff, in my case, the removal of the old house where I got the wood was purely necessary. With two little children growing up on the farm, it was an impractical danger and it had to be removed. I made the efforts to spend time at it when my older brother couldn’t help out, so I could salvage as much usable wood as possible.

I know some guys get their wood by offering to dismantle and remove old buildings. Some have to pay for the wood (often times simply by agreeing to make something for the “barn wood contributors”, like a table or night stand, but sometimes with cash) and others actually get paid to remove it.

My suggestion – it doesn’t usually hurt to ask (especially if you’re good at dodging salt rock buckshot). :)

-- Ethan, http://www.merganserwoodworks.com, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/