Can old be Making Good with "greener" than from Salvaged Wood a freshly felled log? You bet. Our growing For woodworkers, the Give new life to old boards and reap the rewards environmental prudence continues to spur the wood go beyond green value. By Tim Snyder development of “green” products, Ifbenefits you love of wood,using salvagedthe universe including eco-friendly, low-VOC of salvaged lumber is worth (volatile organic compound) exploring because you’ll come across material that isn’t every day. Many of us place a high available at a typical sawmill valuefinishes on that “sustainably woodworkers sourced” use or lumber dealer. Quality wood that comes from well- varies greatly, but this is managed forests. But salvaged Which 2x6 do you want to wood is even more ecologically wormy , longleaf pine, use? New framing lumber isn’t responsible. “Embodied energy” andwhere cypress, you’ll findin dimensions species like that normally considered suitable factors (and carbon emissions) range from narrow moldings for making fine . But associated with salvaged wood salvaged structural lumber are very low because you also worth noting that wood like the Douglas fir 2x6 don’t have to harvest the tree, salvagedto 20"-wide from floorboards. older buildings It’s shown here can yield high- transport it to the mill, process may have come from old-growth quality wood. Rescued from logs into lumber, and ship the timber, providing you with a demolished porch, the old product across the country. density, hardness, and tight board shows off the clear Just as importantly, reclaiming grain characteristics that are grain and dense growth ring lumber from the stream pattern of old-growth timber. new lumber (see photo, above). difficult or impossible to find in lightens the load on landfills. Profile: Appalachian • Stuarts Draft, VA• www.appalachianwoods.com From beams to boards to beautiful furniture. After harvesting large Old wood of all kinds timbers from our industrial “forests,” A family-owned business that began in 1976, Appalachian Woods is reclaimed lumber specialists a major supplier of antique lumber in many forms. The company’s transform old beams into stock that’s selection of salvaged beams, flooring, and barn comes from suitable for fine furniture–like the a large network of deconstruction contractors. Appalachian Woods heart pine cabinet shown here. sometimes sells old beams and other large-dimension lumber to timber-frame builders. But most often, they resaw this material into 4/4 lumber that can be milled into flooring or sold to furniture Today, more and more nail holes, rust stains, and old makers. Kiln drying is another available service. When time allows, woodworkers are interested in paint as prominent features. wood, select the material we the shop crew makes farmhouse tables and benches from wormy using salvaged wood. Some are While the general public sees wantfind reliable to use, andsources hope for that salvaged our chestnut and heart pine–two antique wood specialties. building furniture that combines salvaged wood as a design feature Because small orders can be difficult to fill, owner Raymond “reclaimed wood” with new that adds character and green time and trouble involved. The Hochstetler recommends that local woodworkers put together a group material, while others complete value, woodworkers have more informationfinished projects ahead justify will explain the extra purchase. “We’d prefer not to cut reclaimed lumber to set lengths A farm table with a top made entire projects using boards practical concerns–like how to how different woodworkers have & widths,” he says. “We like customers to tell us what they want to from reclaimed pine has a rescued from the dumpster. Even deal with hidden nails, moisture met these challenges successfully. build–like a table or cabinet, for example. Let us know what species you patina and figure that you the high-end home furnishing content, lead paint, workability, want and give us an idea about wood condition, too. We’ll look through don’t get from new wood. catalogs tout this trend, showing and (last but not least) cost. salvaged wood on our website, our stock and make sure you’ve got good material to work with.” off expensive wooden tables with That’s right: We actually have to www.woodcraftmagazine.comYou’ll also find more about .

34 woodcraftmagazine.com June/July 2015 2×6 photo: Larry Hamel-Lambert; Other photos this spread: Appalachian Woods June/July 2015 woodcraftmagazine.com 35 Sources for salvaged wood CONS: Availability depends CONS: • Reclaimed lumber merchants. These specialized lumber Salvaged Wood on remodeling activity in your to transport. Resawing is yards have the best supply of reclaimed lumber. Small-scale PROS & CONS area and your relationship with usually Expensivenecessary. and Kiln-drying difficult operati ons stock diff erent types of reclaimed wood from local contractors. Quantity may be necessary. Some local sources–like old fl oorboards and barn siding. Larger Finding the right reclaimed and quality can vary greatly. reclaimed lumber dealers dealers (like Appalachian Woods, see page 35) are equipped lumber for a special project Disassembly and denailing to resaw large ti mbers, kiln-dry lumber, and do custom will depend on dimension required. Lead paint may be milling. They regularly produce limited runs of custom fl ooring requirements, wood species present on older material. declineDoors, to cabinetry fill small orders. and furniture-grade lumber for woodworkers to use. and millwork • Local remodeling contractors. Tapping into a network appearance you’re aiming Pallet wood Architectural salvage of local building contractors can give you access to for.preferences, Cost is important and the finished too, These plentiful platforms have outlets have an ample jobsite waste that may contain valuable old wood. along with the amount of work inspired many DIY projects. supply of these elements. • Building deconstructi on specialists. When old buildings get required to make your salvaged PROS: Low or no cost. No PROS: Items like old doors Expect imperfecti ons. This torn down, wrecking balls and bulldozers tend to turn old lumber usable. The salvaged and antique wainscot paneling selecti on of salvaged wood into splinters. But these days, deconstructi on specialists lumber types below are listed remove. Locally available. can yield straight, clear, high- boards shows why extra oft en come in ahead of ti me to remove structural ti mbers, from least to most expensive. Nearlylead paint unlimited or other supply. finish to quality lumber. Doors, , stock preparati on ti me is wood fl ooring, and architectural details. You’ll be lucky to As you might expect, less- CONS: Disassembly & denailing and paneling may be reusable necessary when working fi nd a deconstructi on company that sells direct to the general expensive types often have more required. Boards are short, with little or no alteration. with reclaimed lumber. Nail public. Most prefer to wholesale their salvage to reclaimed narrow, and usually no more holes, old paint, cracks, and 3 lumber merchants and architectural salvage stores. than 4" thick. Splits, nail holes, these architectural artifacts. warping are common defects. significant disadvantages. You just size your project to fit • Architectural salvage companies. These businesses stock Jobsite waste and oil⁄ stains are common. CONS: High waste factor and a wide range of reclaimed building materials, but don’t The dumpster or discard pile Unlike reclaimed wood from added labor if you plan to cut expect a well-organized selecti on of reclaimed wood. at a construction site can an old building, pallet wood usable lumber from doors or information on this special Locate nearby outlets by typing “architectural salvage” and contain a large amount of new has no historical value. millwork. Lead paint is possible. category of salvaged wood. your locati on into your internet browser. Since you can’t offcuts ( and framing Limited dimension choices. PROS: Beautiful, premium- count on fi nding what you need, it’s smart to call fi rst. lumber), which will have limited Structural ti mbers quality lumber is available. • Habitat ReStore outlets. There are over 800 Restores in the Most large-dimension stock Sunken logs Custom-milling is sometimes U.S. and over 70 in Canada. At any given outlet, you’ll fi nd a . But old framing, comes from old barns, industrial A small number of companies possible, if you need special variety of salvaged materials. Old wood is not as common as value for furniture and fine buildings, and other structures. specialize in milling lumber dimensions. Wood is kiln- other items like plumbing fi xtures, doors, and cabinets. Go to you with valuable material. dried and ready to work. www.habitat.org/restores to locate your nearest ReStore. PROS:flooring, Free and (if trim you canknow provide the right (aka heart pine) are the two most rescued from lake and river CONS: Limited availability. contractors) and local. If the wood commonDouglas fir species and longleaf in this category.pine bottoms.and flooring The from Goodwin “sinker” Company logs High delivered cost. has been indoors, it probably PROS: Best source for (www.heartpine.com) has won’t require kiln-drying. large-dimension stock. excellent historical and product

Profi le: Salem Board & Beam • Northampton, MA • www.salemboard.com Using barn beams to the woodworkers who came before me. blight of the early 1900s. you design a piece of furniture to build fi ne furniture Building furniture from this wood is my If you’re planning a project highlight the old material,” Salem Before founding the Salem Board & way of honoring the traditi on as well as with reclaimed lumber, Salem advises. For example, you could use Beam Co. in 1997, Ken Salem worked the challenges of fi ne craft smanship.” recommends starti ng with salvaged wood for drawer fronts as an investment advisor. His passion “If I saw an old barn,” Salem recalls, an ample supply. “You don’t in a case made of new wood, or as for creati ng furniture from reclaimed “I’d fi nd the owner and ask if I could take want to be halfway through a door panels surrounded by sti les lumber was awakened when he took a it down in order to salvage some of the project and realize that you’re and rails cut from new material. break from banking to help transform lumber.” Salem even bought a portable running out of suitable stock,” a 1705 farmhouse into a restaurant. “It bandsaw mill so that he could transform he says. But there are also ways may sound strange,” Salem explains, “but beams into boards. Many of Salem’s to make the most of a small Ken Salem's armoire (at right) is made enti rely when I put my hands on a ti mber that pieces are made from salvaged chestnut, amount of salvaged material. from salvaged chestnut. His tall chest (opposite) was last touched by a craft sman over 200 a species that vanished from the American “Anti que lumber can be used in combines chestnut with spalted maple. years ago, I feel a powerful connecti on to landscape as a result of the chestnut combinati on with newer wood if

36 woodcraftmagazine.com June/July 2015 Profi le photos: Ken Salem. Top photo: Appalachian Woods. June/July 2015 woodcraftmagazine.com 37 How to work Profi le: Landrum Tables • Charleston, SC • www.landrumtables.com with salvaged Combine protecti on with dust collecti on. When wood sanding old paint, wear a Modern tables, made from anti que wood toxic dust respirator and A nati ve of Charleston, South Carolina, Capers If you want to incorporate connect your sander to a Cauthen grew up surrounded by historic buildings salvaged wood into a HEPA-rated vacuum. Cover and schooled in the value of art and architecture by woodworking project, it’s the fl oor with a plasti c his father, a noted preservati onist. In the aft ermath important to know what to drop cloth to contain of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Cauthen worked as a expect and how to deal with and dispose of dust and carpenter restoring damaged buildings. Disturbed issues that don’t come up with paint fl akes. Make sure to by the huge volume of anti que lumber that was new lumber. The guidelines wash your work clothes being sent to landfi lls, he below will help you work safely, aft er a sanding session. decided to do something about and get the best results when it. Cauthen built his fi rst two putting old wood to new uses. tables using salvaged lumber Stock and custom designs are from a collapsed garage on available from Landrum Tables. The Start with more his grandmother’s property. inset photo shows part of a dining than you need Six years later, tables remain a tabletop made from pecky cypress. Add at least another 15% to your specialty, although other custom The irregular channels are created by stock requirement estimate when Red = lead. Always test old woodworking projects are also fungus that att acks the wood fi bers. working with salvaged lumber. paint for lead content, using undertaken from ti me to ti me. Increase the overage factor if a test kit that’s available at “Our aim is to please your reclaimed lumber has lead home centers and paint stores. our clients while accentuati ng the inherent whenever an old building is slated for demoliti on. paint, oil stains, mold, excessive Chemicals in the test swab will beauty and history of every piece of wood “Preserving an historic structure is always the top cracking, or other undesirable turn red if lead is present. A we use,” says employee Jim Pagel. priority,” he explains. “But when that can’t happen, characteristics (see below). darker shade means greater Cauthen’s connecti on to historic preservati on at least we can salvage some of the best wood contaminati on. If your material groups in his region oft en gives him early noti ce and give it new life in the furniture we build.” Check for rot & insects has multi ple coats of paint, Old wood can attract insects scrape top layers away in order like powder beetles, as to test more thoroughly. path of cutting tools. It’s smarter storage shed. A moisture meter lumber. Some woodworkers well as mold that can develop still to double-check your wood will also tell you when salvaged choose to exclude features into wood rot. Remove surface with a metal detector. Be ready wood is at the same equilibrium like nail holes, rust stains, and mold by scrubbing with a mild to excavate around embedded moisture content (EMC) as paint patches, while others or shop vac equipped with simply resaw your lumber to fasteners that don’t respond to the new wood in your shop. incorporate this historic rot, it’s best to cut away the remove a thin layer of painted a hammer claw. A couple of cat’s evidence into their designs. punkybleach woodsolution. or simply If you finddiscard wood wood. Seal the material in paws are useful tools for this Sand before you plane Either way, you’ll need to decide the board. As for insects, these a HEPA (high-efficiency a thick plastic bag, and contact work, along with end-cutting Even if there’s no metal in the how these details are handled. pests can be killed by kiln- particulateRemove lead arrestance) paint filter. safely your local health department pliers to grab headless nails. wood, grit and dirt will quickly For example, don’t locate a nail drying or by fumigating the Any paint applied before 1977 for safe disposal instructions. dull planer and jointer knives. hole where it might weaken or wood with appropriate pesticide. is likely to contain lead, which Lead paint can be scraped and Pay att enti on to Rough-sanding and scraping will interfere with a structural joint. Some pest control companies can cause a serious medical sanded off, provided that you moisture content remove this grime and expose will perform this service. work safely as described earlier, Many larger reclaimed lumber a clean wood surface that you Record historic details are ingested. If you plan to use and use a plastic drop cloth to dealers offer stock that has Does your salvaged wood Work safe salvagedproblems lumber if paint that flakes has or paint dust capture (and dispose of) any been kiln-dried and ready for have a story? If so, write it Use a toxic-dust respirator when on it, test for lead content before furniture construction. But in Locatecan confidently blemishes machine. down. Some woodworkers sanding and cutting dirty or you work the wood. This is easy most other cases, you’ll need with care painted salvaged wood. When to do with a test kit available dust or flakes that fall onto a moisture meter to evaluate The orientation of grain patterns furniture or other projects removing paint or dirt, make at home centers, hardware theTest floor for of metal your work area. salvaged material. Any wood that is an important consideration madecreate from a “certificate” salvaged lumber.for sure to use a dust-capturing stores, and paint stores If your measures above 20% MC will be when designing furniture that This historical record is a nice sander in combination with a reclaimed lumber tests positive step in identifying nails and other prone to warping and cracking way to pass on details that tool-triggered dust collector for lead paint, one option is to metalA visual that inspection shouldn’t is be the put first in the as it dries out in your shop or So are the markings on salvaged make a project special. I will be stained or clear-finished. 38 woodcraftmagazine.com June/July 2015 Photos facing page: Larry Hamel-Lambert; Photos above: Landrum Tables. June/July 2015 woodcraftmagazine.com 39