Some days I love reclaiming wood...

[MRDucks2]

In taking the last of the old wooden floor out of part of my shop/garage I cut through a floor joist that wasn't rotting pine. From the end grain I knew it wasn't oak so I set it aside.
Today I cleaned a piece up on the table saw and found it to be what I am certain is sycamore. I am impressed by how tight the growth rings are. This was likely harvested sometime between the mid 1800's and about 1910 here in Indiana.

 

[wolf creek knives]

Great work Mike and beautiful wood. If you ever want to share I'd be more than willing to make a fair trade. This is something special and I'm always looking for scales with a history, pens too. The grain on this is very nice!!!

 

[Dalecamino]

You have a good eye for things to be investigated.

 

[wolf creek knives]

You have a good eye for things to be investigated.

Thanks Chuck. I'm all about history which I think you know. I'd love to have a small piece of this, it's history that has some history!

 

[MRDucks2]

You have a good eye for things to be investigated.

Lol. I remember a block of wood we had high hopes for one time that ended up being a plain but fragrant piece of sassafras.

 

[MRDucks2]

Great work Mike and beautiful wood. If you ever want to share I'd be more than willing to make a fair trade. This is something special and I'm always looking for scales with a history, pens too. The grain on this is very nice!!!

I will reach out to you, Tom. I have 2 more pieces from this floor joist and it was the first original joist in that section of floor. I'll see what the rest of them hold, prep a nice piece and send it to you.

 

[wolf creek knives]

Sounds great Mike. I think Chuck will vouch for my trades. This, these, would be special.

 

[SpiritRider]

I took down my old garage to build a bigger one. It was all oak, sycamore and walnut. I made my daughter's 2 hope chests with walnut inlays.

 

[Dalecamino]

Sounds great Mike. I think Chuck will vouch for my trades. This, these, would be special.

Absolutely! I can vouch for both of you guys. Good friends to have. May you both be happy!

 

[egnald]

Greetings from Nebraska. I'm not trying to steal the thread, but I just had to share a similar story.

About 2 years ago, my oldest son was the Boy Scouts Summer Camp ATV Program Director at Camp Cedars on the Covered Wagon Scout Reservation near Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska. With permission from the Mid America Council (MAC) and the Camp Ranger, my son brought home a couple of big chunks of felled Cedar wood from the camp.

Wood that was once destined to be firewood has been drying out in my garage and in my workshop since then. In other words, the stuff has been in the way for nearly 2 years now and I haven't given in to the temptation to get rid of it yet. Some day I need to cut into it to see if there is a treasure hiding inside. Regardless of the grain and figure the pens, knife scales, and stuff I make from it (probably Fire Starters - Boy Scouts love Fire) will at least always have an interesting back story -- and I have found that sometimes the story can be more important than how pretty the wood is. - Dave

 

[MRDucks2]

Many Thanks to Tom Bennett of Wolf Creek Knives. I was surprised and pleased when I arrived home after a long drive back from Chicago yesterday.

A pocket knife from Wolf Creek Knives awaited. A lined lock with thumb stud, curly Koa scales and handwork on the bolsters and blade. Perfectly sized for my hand with a nice palm swell in the handle (one of the things I really like about Tom's knives). A illy smooth opening and solid lock.

This is sweet. Thank you, again. What a great trade for a few old chunks of wood.

 

[flairwoodworks]

The most beautiful wood I've ever seen came from a pallet. I think that was the only pallet I harvested wood from. I believe it was also a sycamore (london plane?) with tan, orange, red and purple colours. Quartersawn too, so wonderful figure.

 

[MRDucks2]

The most beautiful wood I've ever seen came from a pallet. I think that was the only pallet I harvested wood from. I believe it was also a sycamore (london plane?) with tan, orange, red and purple colours. Quartersawn too, so wonderful figure.

I sent Tom sycamore from the floor joists of an 1887-1893 grounds keepers cottage that is now part of my garage (Dr Nelson Wilson House) a section from a 1890s-1900s oak school library desk (Franklin School, Tell City) and spalted American Chestnut from a hand hewn barn beam out of a pre-civil war barn I owned and tore down on my families property (rural Cannelton, Indiana). He said he liked historic wood with a story so I sent him a box.