Heavy timber & chainsaw benches • Late '90's thru mid-'00's

[Woodman]

There was an old insurance building with gold dome and sailing ship weather vane upon it.  Vacant for ages. Empty.  A stack of 12" x 12" x 48" landscape beams sat along a curb. After seeing them for about six months, I began taking a few, carving them with electric chainsaw and angle sander.  Mentioning the pile to a friendly acquaintance, he told his friend, who promptly arrived with van and took the remaining two dozen or so. The rectangular lumber was earlier,  a 3" x 12" x 18'  I scavenged. Surprised I did not blow out my rear truck window, with the weight upon the cab. The last one, No. 6, that wood came from a rail yard, and was delivered c.2008. No. 5 is pictured again at the end, on the back bench at completion, September 2001.

 

These were all sold. One not pictured is in Arizona; I'll reacquire it in a decade or so. God willing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for viewing. Hope you enjoyed the tour.  -  jim

[Grandpadave52]

Those are really cool Jim. Awesome creativity and re-purpose. One thing is for sure, none of them are going to blow away.

That auction I just posted, had numerous lots of old barn beams of various lengths, and sizes. I just don't have the room to store anything like them right now.

Glad you made the save. I like them all, but this one really caught my eye...very creative.

 

[Woodman]

8 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

this one really caught my eye

Thanks Dave!  That has always been a favorite!  I'd make one for the touch-museum but liability ... Maybe in stone.

 

 

 

[Woodman]

8 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

numerous lots of old barn beams

I'd love to get a single piece of beam, just 4' even, of heart pine. The 1" x 6" x 6' plank of T&G flooring certainly went a long way. There are loads more planks to find, being torn out and thrown in dumpsters. I'll be prowling in the spring. And maybe find that longleaf lintel.

 

Funny, the less you have, the more you can make out of it. The slats which make up this tray bottom are the T&G edges, saved from the fireplace. 

 

[Cal]

Some pretty cool stuff Jim.  Wish you were closer, I could help you out

[Woodman]

26 minutes ago, Cal said:

I could help you out

 

Well, yeah, I've been wanting to go down to Broom Man. Just sweep up while watching someone else to the thinking and sawing.

 

Today I ripped several pieces of wood to make a surround on a plank which will shield the front top of a pan of water [balanced on a radiator; a curtain was blowing into the pan]. It was my first dedicated ripping exercise. After finally getting to a third saw with fair teeth, the rip went well. It was especially satisfying to plane the ripped edge on the stock, which gave the next ripped piece one nice flat surface for gluing.

 

Here's the pan wanting curtain protection along its bow [with new anti-spill support].

 

[Grandpadave52]

7 hours ago, Dovetail said:

I'll be prowling in the spring. And maybe find that longleaf lintel.

Guessing you probably already do, but if not, check Craigslist FREE listings in your general area(s). Never know what might show up there. Also monitor the Materials listing. From time-to-time, good finds there for minimal $$'s.

[FlGatorwood]

Love that you saved that wood and have a great imagination for those creative pieces.  Looks as if each peace belongs right where it is photographed.

[Woodman]

2 hours ago, FlGatorwood said:

each piece belongs right where it is photographed.

Thanks!   The shop owners are creative and practical. And I'll never get them back. The group were sold in 2019 to the primary owner as I raised money to retire a specific debt. He has since taken on a partner as his inoperable cancer slowly grows. The group is part of the business chattels and movables therein. 

[Grandpadave52]

16 minutes ago, Dovetail said:

He has since taken on a partner as his inoperable cancer slowly grows.

Sorry to hear.

[Woodman]

13 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Sorry to hear.

His stoic and somewhat indifferent opinion on it is that it is growing so slowly he might just die of natural causes. It's the kind of brain stem cancer which usually kills infants before they're one year old. His was discovered in his 50s. So there is nearly zero information on them, their rate of growth, etc.