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I wondered if anyone knows how much crafters are paying for old barn wood? We might be taking down the 1890's barn [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] and was going to offset the some of the cost of the new one with selling the wood.
The barn would cost a ton to repair correctly, breaks my heart.
It would probably be a locally driven price. You would need to go to a craft place, or to weekend market to see what it is going for.
My Dad has a couple old building fallin in on themselves. I keep telling him to do the same. I'm sure he could make some money from selling the well aged wood. Some of it has great character.
My son and I made bird houses from some of the barn wood last year for Xmas presents. They were pretty cool.
bird house is a good idea [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] , did you use a pattern or just wing-it? [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Wing-it [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] We got out in the garage, with power tools, and some hand tools, and made 'em up. In retrospect, before I build more, I will look into plans, as I am not sure we made anything a bird of any particular species would use.
It was a lot of fun working with the kid in the garage though [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
That does sound like fun [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] , have to look into some plans, if I remember correctly, I think I ran across some on the web...
A neighbor was thinking of torching an old farmhouse which has mostly collapsed. I enquired if I could have any of the old weathered wood as I had seen several items in shops made from weathered wood. The neighbor told me to take all I want up to and including the whole building. This was just before commencing the house building project two years ago. I haven't had time to mess with it.
I had thoiught picture frames and other simple things would be in character with the wood. You need to think about how to hide all the freshly sawn edges or it spoils the effect.
I'm not too sure there is much commercial value to the wood, as is, or there wouldn't be so many falling down old farmhouses and the like dotting the landscape around here. This reminds me of the fellow who was clearing his dads spread in Kansas and was enquiring about the commercial value of cedar trees. Since the Government is paying folks to clear the trees from their property and they are literally a plague, it sort of deflates the market.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Did you find a way to hid the fresh edges? [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Its sad that our old history in buildings is valued by few [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] . Its so much money to rebuild yet, recycle isn't hugely popular either.
We did plan on using some wood in the house when we build on for the country effect. The old beams and such, I was hoping to try and build some cabinets too. Wanted to use one of the doors and hardware for our new room. Adding on might be a few years away. Building supplies through the roof right now, everyone knows.
I think we will try some crafts and maybe offer the extra wood to crafters somehow, if there aren't takers then we'll just keep on the land somewhere. We're not in a hurry.
Hiding the edges is accomplished with care in design and or faux painting or clever use of flame and brush, or...
Not being in a hurry is your best bet. I think the market will only improve over time.
Good luck to you.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]