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My neighbor's salvaged lumber pile changed my mind about new materials
I used to think buying fresh plywood and 2x4s from the big box store was the only way to build anything solid. But last month my neighbor Leo was clearing out his 30 year old barn and told me to grab whatever I wanted from the stack of weathered oak beams and cedar planks. He just said, 'This stuff has been curing since before you were born, it won't warp on you like that green lumber will.' I spent three weekends dressing them down with a planer and built a workbench for my garage that's heavier and straighter than anything I could've bought for $200 in new material. The savings were nice, but honestly the character of the grain and the fact it's been outside through every season sold me. Has anyone else had luck resawing old barn wood for indoor projects, or is this a one time thing?
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hugo_schmidt1mo ago
Three weekends of planing sounds more like penance than a project.
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