Reclaimed Lumber

[bfrikken]

Ran acrossed this ad today on CraigsList:

370 board feet of oak most of it is 2 inches thick 8 to 22 inches wide 10 to 14 feet long. . This oak is said to been cut in the 1900. Has nail holes like most reclaimed lumber. Its rough sawn $250.


What are your thoughts on reclaimed lumber? The dimensions are promising, and we have a tentative bunk bed in the planning stages I can use as the driver for the cost and to have extra for other use.

[JR]

$.68 per bf? Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

JR

[LarryG]

What JR said. I can't buy MDF that cheaply! It would be a racehorse deal in any case, but for (mostly) 8/4 material in those lengths and widths ... why aren't you already there loading it up???

[pelligrini]

Unless you're adverse to having a old nail hole show up in a piece, reclaimed lumber can be a good source. I'd invest in a good metal wand and use it before running it through a machine though.

I made a kitchen cart out of some oak my BIL got from some cooling tower part pallets a few years back. The holes and discoloration around them gave it an unusual character.

[SARGE..g-47]

Ditto Pellingrini on the cheap metal detector. And... a good deal if.. if you have the tools to joint and plane into usable wood as you stated it was "rough" stock which is going to require a bit of work to prep.

[bfrikken]

I'm waiting on an OK from my wife to even consider it. But I wanted some quick impressions I've just spent time cleaning the garage and shed to do some projects, and this will affect the space I just created.

[herb fellows]

i'm waiting on an ok from my wife to even consider it. But i wanted some quick impressions i've just spent time cleaning the garage and shed to do some projects, and this will affect the space i just created.

yes, but in such a good way!

[Richard in Smithville]

Nothing wrong with reclaimed lumber. I've built many a project with it. Just like the other guys said, watch for metal.

[cgallery]

Ditto Pellingrini on the cheap metal detector. And... a good deal if.. if you have the tools to joint and plane into usable wood as you stated it was "rough" stock which is going to require a bit of work to prep.

If I was going to work a decent amount of the stuff I'd get a nice metal detector. The cheap ones I have haven't been sensitive enough.

Oh, and I'd keep some cheap blades or the table saw and knives for the jointer. Just in case.

[jackellis]

Nothing wrong with reclaimed anything so long as it's in decent condition. I have a shop that's mostly "reclaimed" or "recycled" tools and I'm wearing a "reclaimed " shirt as I write this.

[Alex Franke]

Yeah, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

I have some nice oak I got when my BIL built an addition onto an old house. There are nail holes, you they can be pretty easy to work around or hide depending on the project.