Adam King Studio Fine Furniture & Antique Restoration

It seems that lately you can’t go very long through the day without hearing about rising food costs, escalating gas prices, or the effects of global warming. Since these issues are at the forefront of the media, it’s made many of us stop and consider just how much of an impact our actions and lifestyle has made on the environment.

With that in mind, I have begun to take a long hard look at what I can do as a woodworker to minimize the effects that my shop may have on our planet. At first glance, it seemed almost impossible, given that the material I use daily grows straight out of the ground. With problems like deforestation and illegal wood harvesting surrounding the industry, I wondered if this whole thing was a mute point.

Last month, Kari Hultman at The Village Carpenter wrote an article entitled, “Don’t Waste Wood.” In it she chronicles how she came to acquire and eventually use some rare American Chestnut. Her emphasis was on the fact that many woodworkers have that prized stash of precious lumber just waiting for the perfect moment of inspiration and if we let too much time go by, then there will never be that “perfect” moment or project.

Whether she intended it to or not, Kari’s post also reinforces a real and tangible way that you and I can lessen our impact on these precious resources.

Reclaim the Past.
Reclaimed or salvaged lumber is a big business these days. Many companies are doing very well seeking alternative lumber sources such as sunken logs, old timber frame barns, and damaged or dying virgin trees. These old growth timbers are then turned into products like flooring, furniture, dimensional lumber, and even veneer.
You can certainly try to purchase all of your material from these companies, but the price tag is at a premium. If these companies can find sources for reclaimed lumber, then so can you. Old barns, factory buildings, floors, and even vinegar tanks have all been sources of amazing old growth lumber for use in my shop.

For instance, the wood I use for my hand planes is old growth white oak that comes from floor beams that were once part of the factory where my shop is now located.

Also, some of the most amazing cypress has come from old vinegar storage tanks that were disassembled here in town. The timbers are 3.5 inches thick, 8 inches wide and 10 feet long! These tanks were over one hundred years old when taken apart. With an average of 30 growth rings per inch, this wood is old! It has a wonderful mellow gold color with sudden steaks of a faint pink hue from exposure to the apple vinegar. It has yielded beautiful pieces like this one.

I have obtained heart pine, douglas fir, walnut, and even leopard wood from salvage sources. The best part about it was the cost: a little time to seek out these sources (most I literally found by accident), some sweat and elbow grease to haul it back to the shop, and a little effort to clean up and sort through the stash. No money was ever paid for any of these reclaimed treasures. In fact, people were more than happy to have me take it off their hands.

It may seem like a small thing, but anytime we can salvage lumber from the past, we not only end up using a superior material, we also reclaim our heritage and our responsibility to be wise stewards of the precious resources we have been provided.

Do you use salvaged or reclaimed lumber? What have been some of your sources? Are there other ways we can minimize our environmental impact as woodworkers? Leave your comments below. I look forward to hearing from you!