Old wood doors = quality salvage lumber

[MRDucks2]

I replaced an old, unusable door to my shop with a newer one of similar style. The old door was solid wood of a 2 panel craftsman style with 9 smaller panes at the top.

Being me, I decided to see what I could salvage out of the door. The construction was all pine with no nails used in the build except around the trim for the window panes.

While all of the wood was pine, it was dry, straight and knot free. Not sure I could buy this quality of board these days. Something to think about if you have a project in mind that could benefit from something other than today’s standard of 3-5 knots per foot.

Look at that edge grain on the 1-7/8 x 4-5/8 pieces running 38-41” long!

 

[PatrickR]

X2. I have several in storage, picked up some free. Doors and windows used the best quartered, clear boards to minimize movement.

 

[Woodchipper]

Good use of quality wood. 2x4x8 at HD was $8.54, knots were free.

 

[jttheclockman]

Was on a job site some 30 years ago and the office building was throwing out some oak full size solid core doors they had in storage and not using. So I took a couple. Took 2 of us to get in my truck but one made it to be my workshop table top bench. The other still stands in my garage and have not still decided what to do with it. But man that thing is heavy.

 

[Drewby108]

My father got two truckloads of 9 ft solid door out of an apartment building remodel. Every counter and lower cabinet in the shop is made from them, as well as some of the plywood storage.

 

[GaryMGg]

It’s probably Douglas Fir.
Good stuff.

 

[Woodchipper]

My father obtained a 6 foot piece of a maple bowling alley. Weighed a ton. Was going to make a work bench but had to give it away when we moved.

 

[howsitwork]

I got a solid a mahogany worktop about 6ft by 2ft and 2” thick. Old dispensary worktop , when they refitted with melamine faced plywood because it looked cleaner and was more modern.