20
votes
Can 160-year-old wood still have sap?
The table top is still sipping out sap. Is this even possible from something that is 160 years old?
Sure, it's definitely possible. Sap doesn't just disappear from a piece of wood because it's old.
...
- 12.1k
9
votes
What's the best way to remove varnish from recycled wood flooring?
You can either mechanically remove the varnish or chemically strip it.
Examples of mechanical methods:
planer
jointer
table saw
belt sander (or other aggressive sander)
hand plane?
If I was using ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
8
votes
Is it drastically more work to sand down barn wood instead of planing?
Bandsaw the planks in half. They'll net out slightly under 3/8's but not only will it be faster, you'll end up with twice as many usable boards afterwards, because you'd be able to keep both faces. So ...
- 638
8
votes
Can 160-year-old wood still have sap?
It could be the 'reclaimed bit. By reclaiming the wood, one possibility is that they had to resaw the timbers to boards. It might have started out as 8" x 8" timber or some other large dimension. ...
- 15.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Considerations using lumber stored outside
I would certainly worry about assembly in the cold, and anything you are going to glue needs to be above 50F for the glue to work properly anyway. Moisture is the bigger worry, and in the northern ...
- 15.1k
7
votes
Accepted
What is a good method for laminating pallet wood/reclaimed lumber?
My plan was to basically put them on a flat surface, glue them up and clamp them together. Obviously this is a rough idea and I am looking for some advice before I glue myself to the floor.
There's ...
- 59k
6
votes
Accepted
Remove white paint from old wood fence
If you're starting from scratch without question the most inexpensive way to remove old paint (most finishes in fact) is using a scraper of some sort. Scrapers generally last you the rest of your life,...
- 59k
6
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to distress lumber to look "reclaimed?"
Is it possible to get this look by artificially distressing lumber and if so how would this be accomplished?
Yes, and depending on exactly the character you're after it can actually be quite ...
- 59k
6
votes
Accepted
Tips for recognizing aged pressure treated wood
Any wood left untreated and allowed to weather will eventually turn gray. In the days before pressure treated lumber was prominent, people stained or painted their decks and other outdoor projects to ...
- 3,668
5
votes
What's the best way to remove varnish from recycled wood flooring?
In smaller batches I recommend hand scraping for finish removal on large, flat expanses as you're faced with here. It's not as onerous as it sounds because of how efficient card scrapers are, and at ...
- 59k
5
votes
Accepted
Is it drastically more work to sand down barn wood instead of planing?
A simple test on one plank will tell you that sanding is not practical for reducing the thickness by 3/8". Even planing them in a thickness planer will take 5-10 passes and sanding, even with course ...
- 7,854
5
votes
What is a good method for laminating pallet wood/reclaimed lumber?
The simplest way is to just glue the boards together. Making sure all the pieces are square. You can glue a short piece to a longer piece and then glue the next piece to both of them making it out ...
- 15.1k
4
votes
Is it possible to distress lumber to look "reclaimed?"
Super Basic Distressing
I know you can distress wood. Beating it with a chain, scratching will tools etc. Then lazily applying a dark uneven stain and then a finish. That is easy and and very stress ...
- 20.1k
3
votes
Is it drastically more work to sand down barn wood instead of planing?
Is it drastically more work to sand down barn wood instead of planing?
Using a wide-belt sander? No. Sanding it by any other means? Yes.
- 59k
3
votes
Accepted
How do I ensure that the bottom of my shelf project is level?
I think what you are asking is: How do I ensure all my vertical boards are the same length. Often, this is more important than being a particular length. Another way to say it is: You desire ...
- 82
3
votes
Is it possible to distress lumber to look "reclaimed?"
About 50 years ago, my Dad worked for an "antique" dealer on Cape Cod who would take a new, unfinished piece (like a table) and toss it in the ocean for a couple of weeks. Then he'd pull it out, do a ...
- 380
2
votes
What is a good method for laminating pallet wood/reclaimed lumber?
I'm not sure if you realize, but that's going to be one heavy top, at 1.5" thick x 15" deep x 60" long.
As far as the how, you can do it in sub-assemblies. Basically, build up some smaller 4 or 5 ...
- 4,382
1
vote
If I make a stool from this composite (?) wood, will it end in tears?
The plywood would be a bit thin on its own as a stool seat, as would the solid wood. Together they will be fine (provided they are well glued together of course).
I wouldn't bother trying to remove ...
1
vote
Is this reclaimed wood repairable?
It should and could be repaired.
One idea I had was to lightly pencil in a line square with the top at the same distance on each side from the corner. Use a couple of straight edges to find the ...
1
vote
Tips for Jointing Reclaimed Barnwood Table Top
This is a fast path which preserves the character of the for the top but sacrifices the bottom surface of the table (the side seen by the floor). Assuming you have a planer or are savvy with hand ...
- 2,216
1
vote
Can 160-year-old wood still have sap?
I’m building a coffee table out of pine 12x12’s that I believe to be in the 200 year old range possibly much older. They were structural support beams in a building in the meat packing district of ...
- 11
1
vote
Can 160-year-old wood still have sap?
My answer is YES old wood has sap..that's what keeps me going. JK!
The reason we dry kiln things is for heat.. not to dry sap particularly but to crystalize it. I understand that pine sap for instance,...
1
vote
Tips for recognizing aged pressure treated wood
Well they quit using arsenic a while ago now, So that would only be partially effective test. Granted the more important one, since the new stuff is supposed to be much safer.
However, if you have ...
- 15.1k
1
vote
What's the best way to remove varnish from recycled wood flooring?
Depending how much you have might be worth it to get a cheap hand planer to remove the finish before running it through your planner. I would check really carefully to make sure there isn't any metal ...
- 489
1
vote
What's the best way to remove varnish from recycled wood flooring?
I've used a heat gun and a steel brush (lightly applied) to get varnish of old furniture in the past.
- 407
1
vote
Is it possible to distress lumber to look "reclaimed?"
I'm currently in the process of making a 5 piece crown molding to compliment some old growth long leaf pine that I installed on my walls. I found this link to be helpful to describe a ton of mordants ...
- 11
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