About 4 years ago, I was looking for someone to do some resaw work, so I started by dropping into a small cabinet/millwork shop that does custom cabinetry. The guy did not do resaw work, but knew someone who did, and put me in touch with the other guy. While talking to the millwork owner, I noticed a bunch of walnut laying about, and he told me it came out of an OLD OLD Church pew (like 150-200 years old....that kind of stuff is around North Carolina). I asked him what he was going to use it for and then asked if there would be any scraps or end cuts available? He said he would get in touch with me when his projects were done. Four years later, a call comes out of the blue, and he tells me he has some scrap for me and to come on by. I filled my trunk! that big chunk in the middle? (sitting on top of the piece of pine) That is old growth from a church beam. He also told me that the piece of pine that was in the stack was from an old mill and that piece of pine was over 100 years old and that it was 'salt cured' the old fashioned way. There was still salt on the board. there were several small block chunks of walnut, lots of wormy holes, etc, but I got some good craft pieces out of the haul.
Here is what I got!
So, this weekend, I got to do a little turning! If you will notice in the picture above, center of photo, laying on top of the notched pine board, there is a 8/4 block of walnut. That end cut (and a few others in the trunk), were from the ends of an old pew. I squared it up and turned it. The first thing I noticed was how much darker the sawdust was when I was running it through the table saw. The wood is extremely dry, too. It did take a good polish, though.
This is a little ring cup that will sit on the kitchen window sill above the sink, and it is meant to be a ring keeper. I also had to take a flash picture just so no one thought I made it from Wenge wood. There are two layers of Minwax Tung finish on it. Nuthin' else.
I have enough of the 2x2 stock to make a couple of toothpick holders and an ice cream scoop handle. The rest is all 4X4 stock. The thick stock came from the ends of the pew, and about 1/2 of the wood was gone from worms and rot, but there was enough solid there to make a few things.
Dave Peterson
Here is what I got!
So, this weekend, I got to do a little turning! If you will notice in the picture above, center of photo, laying on top of the notched pine board, there is a 8/4 block of walnut. That end cut (and a few others in the trunk), were from the ends of an old pew. I squared it up and turned it. The first thing I noticed was how much darker the sawdust was when I was running it through the table saw. The wood is extremely dry, too. It did take a good polish, though.
This is a little ring cup that will sit on the kitchen window sill above the sink, and it is meant to be a ring keeper. I also had to take a flash picture just so no one thought I made it from Wenge wood. There are two layers of Minwax Tung finish on it. Nuthin' else.
I have enough of the 2x2 stock to make a couple of toothpick holders and an ice cream scoop handle. The rest is all 4X4 stock. The thick stock came from the ends of the pew, and about 1/2 of the wood was gone from worms and rot, but there was enough solid there to make a few things.
Dave Peterson
