Like most wreckers, I scrounge a lot of material, whether it's pallet
wood or a decent scrap of lumber in a neighbor's garbage, I'm always
on the lookout for something I can use.
Today was my biggest score ever....
A dead restaurant in the neighborhood is getting gutted. I managed
to intercept some maple butcherblock countertop on the way to the
dumpster.
It's scuffed up big time on the top. The bottom is weathered and
grey. It was sitting outside in the rain, etc for at least a week or
two. It's old and smells kinda like rancid grease. It's rotted out
on one edge where it appears to have been butted against a wall. It's
broken into three sections and has some nails toed into it where it
appears to have been patched long ago.
BUT.....
It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
17" wide.
The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
I might cut the narrow piece into some mongo cutting boards for
friends and family.
That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
out there?
Y
I look for things like that for some heavy duty decorative work in the
house. Our home has a sort of rustic look, so even though 2 1/4 is pretty
thick, you may be able to rough it up and is it for small beams. Not sure
if you get where I'm going here.... so, yeah the benchtop sound great!
George
"Yitah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Like most wreckers, I scrounge a lot of material, whether it's pallet
> wood or a decent scrap of lumber in a neighbor's garbage, I'm always
> on the lookout for something I can use.
>
> Today was my biggest score ever....
>
> A dead restaurant in the neighborhood is getting gutted. I managed
> to intercept some maple butcherblock countertop on the way to the
> dumpster.
>
> It's scuffed up big time on the top. The bottom is weathered and
> grey. It was sitting outside in the rain, etc for at least a week or
> two. It's old and smells kinda like rancid grease. It's rotted out
> on one edge where it appears to have been butted against a wall. It's
> broken into three sections and has some nails toed into it where it
> appears to have been patched long ago.
>
> BUT.....
>
> It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
> the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
> wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
> 17" wide.
>
> The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
> it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
> I might cut the narrow piece into some mongo cutting boards for
> friends and family.
>
> That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
> thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
> out there?
>
> Y
On 29 Dec 2003 19:30:10 -0800, [email protected] (dustin
pockets) wrote:
>
>
>Rent a floor sander. My boss farmed out some mechanic's bench top
>refinishing
>to a local sub for cheap $. I know it must have been fast if the subs
>did it. They looked like they were done with 16 grit then varnished.
>Good enough for dropping truck tranny's on. No reason you couldn't do
>the same with finer grits then finish with a ROS.
>
>Good Luck!
Great idea. I think i can get one from ACO for less than $20. I'm
also thinking I might be able to take it to a local mill to have them
put it through their drum sander, though I probalbly have to clean it
up good before i take it there.
I also have a 14" hand plane which i might use - funny how you forget
your hand tools when you get some with plugs.....
Y
I have a similar gloat from when I bought my house. My real estate
agent negotiated with the old homeowner to remove a huge pile of old
paint cans stacked on top of what looked like a few dressers (that
they were to remove as well). Low and behold on closing day all of the
trash was still there. I negotiated $300 of the final house price
since I now had to remove the stuff. Once I got rid of the paint cans
(1 hours work) I found a 10' x 3' x 2 1/4" maple top attached to the
two scraggaly dressers. There was even two electrical outlets run to
the dressers. I now have a great workbench that I was paid $300 minus
1 hours work for.... I will eventually make a real base for it but the
scraggaly dressers are working fine for now.
[email protected] (dustin pockets) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Anthony Diodati" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > I don't know about that but that sure was a nice find!
> >
> > "Yitah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Like most wreckers, I scrounge a lot of material, whether it's pallet
> > > wood or a decent scrap of lumber in a neighbor's garbage, I'm always
> > > on the lookout for something I can use.
> > >
> > > Today was my biggest score ever....
> > >
> > > A dead restaurant in the neighborhood is getting gutted. I managed
> > > to intercept some maple butcherblock countertop on the way to the
> > > dumpster.
> > >
> > > It's scuffed up big time on the top. The bottom is weathered and
> > > grey. It was sitting outside in the rain, etc for at least a week or
> > > two. It's old and smells kinda like rancid grease. It's rotted out
> > > on one edge where it appears to have been butted against a wall. It's
> > > broken into three sections and has some nails toed into it where it
> > > appears to have been patched long ago.
> > >
> > > BUT.....
> > >
> > > It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
> > > the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
> > > wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
> > > 17" wide.
> > >
> > > The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
> > > it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
> > > I might cut the narrow piece into some mongo cutting boards for
> > > friends and family.
> > >
> > > That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
> > > thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
> > > out there?
> > >
> > > Y
>
>
> Rent a floor sander. My boss farmed out some mechanic's bench top
> refinishing
> to a local sub for cheap $. I know it must have been fast if the subs
> did it. They looked like they were done with 16 grit then varnished.
> Good enough for dropping truck tranny's on. No reason you couldn't do
> the same with finer grits then finish with a ROS.
>
> Good Luck!
the workbench idea is good....that's what I did with my huge 9 foot $30
butcher block. Anyhow, you can make a jig for your router that will route
the surface of your butcher block flat. The routers runs along a movable
track and cuts a flat surface using a regular straight bit. Maybe JOAT or
somebody can point you to instruction on making this jig. They are great for
planing all kinds of stuff
you could also use some of it to make a writing desk, bowls or plates,
toilet seat, vise jaws, industrial strength shelving, radius (arched)
sanding blocks, solid-body guitar or (get this) I hope I'm not going on a
limb here....a cutting board!! =)
--
Jonny Durango
"Patrick was a saint. I ain't."
"Yitah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Like most wreckers, I scrounge a lot of material, whether it's pallet
> wood or a decent scrap of lumber in a neighbor's garbage, I'm always
> on the lookout for something I can use.
>
> Today was my biggest score ever....
>
> A dead restaurant in the neighborhood is getting gutted. I managed
> to intercept some maple butcherblock countertop on the way to the
> dumpster.
>
> It's scuffed up big time on the top. The bottom is weathered and
> grey. It was sitting outside in the rain, etc for at least a week or
> two. It's old and smells kinda like rancid grease. It's rotted out
> on one edge where it appears to have been butted against a wall. It's
> broken into three sections and has some nails toed into it where it
> appears to have been patched long ago.
>
> BUT.....
>
> It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
> the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
> wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
> 17" wide.
>
> The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
> it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
> I might cut the narrow piece into some mongo cutting boards for
> friends and family.
>
> That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
> thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
> out there?
>
> Y
I'd say that is a gloat of very notable magnitude ... might be one of the
best of 2003, IMO. You indeed suck!
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/29/03
"John" wrote in message news:
>
>I negotiated $300 of the final house price
> since I now had to remove the stuff. Once I got rid of the paint cans
> (1 hours work) I found a 10' x 3' x 2 1/4" maple top attached to the
> two scraggaly dressers. There was even two electrical outlets run to
> the dressers. I now have a great workbench that I was paid $300 minus
> 1 hours work for.... I will eventually make a real base for it but the
> scraggaly dressers are working fine for now.
I don't know about that but that sure was a nice find!
"Yitah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Like most wreckers, I scrounge a lot of material, whether it's pallet
> wood or a decent scrap of lumber in a neighbor's garbage, I'm always
> on the lookout for something I can use.
>
> Today was my biggest score ever....
>
> A dead restaurant in the neighborhood is getting gutted. I managed
> to intercept some maple butcherblock countertop on the way to the
> dumpster.
>
> It's scuffed up big time on the top. The bottom is weathered and
> grey. It was sitting outside in the rain, etc for at least a week or
> two. It's old and smells kinda like rancid grease. It's rotted out
> on one edge where it appears to have been butted against a wall. It's
> broken into three sections and has some nails toed into it where it
> appears to have been patched long ago.
>
> BUT.....
>
> It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
> the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
> wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
> 17" wide.
>
> The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
> it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
> I might cut the narrow piece into some mongo cutting boards for
> friends and family.
>
> That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
> thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
> out there?
>
> Y
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'd say that is a gloat of very notable magnitude ... might be one of the
> best of 2003, IMO. You indeed suck!
>
Indeed,
I once found a 7' long X 30" wide X 2 3/4" thick Maple bench top in a
dumpster next to where I was working.
The kind they might have along a wall in a school wood shop.
Had to end up selling it when I moved though. Broke my heart.
Tony D.
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=2120da7f2051713c&rnum=1
"Anthony Diodati" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I don't know about that but that sure was a nice find!
>
> "Yitah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Like most wreckers, I scrounge a lot of material, whether it's pallet
> > wood or a decent scrap of lumber in a neighbor's garbage, I'm always
> > on the lookout for something I can use.
> >
> > Today was my biggest score ever....
> >
> > A dead restaurant in the neighborhood is getting gutted. I managed
> > to intercept some maple butcherblock countertop on the way to the
> > dumpster.
> >
> > It's scuffed up big time on the top. The bottom is weathered and
> > grey. It was sitting outside in the rain, etc for at least a week or
> > two. It's old and smells kinda like rancid grease. It's rotted out
> > on one edge where it appears to have been butted against a wall. It's
> > broken into three sections and has some nails toed into it where it
> > appears to have been patched long ago.
> >
> > BUT.....
> >
> > It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
> > the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
> > wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
> > 17" wide.
> >
> > The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
> > it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
> > I might cut the narrow piece into some mongo cutting boards for
> > friends and family.
> >
> > That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
> > thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
> > out there?
> >
> > Y
Rent a floor sander. My boss farmed out some mechanic's bench top
refinishing
to a local sub for cheap $. I know it must have been fast if the subs
did it. They looked like they were done with 16 grit then varnished.
Good enough for dropping truck tranny's on. No reason you couldn't do
the same with finer grits then finish with a ROS.
Good Luck!
Yitah said:
>It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
>the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
>wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
>17" wide.
Build a nice workbench top out of it.
>The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
>it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
Neander it with a hand plane.
>That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
>thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
>out there?
Trivets? Tabletop? Four squares of this these joined together would
be a fairly large tabletop for the kitchen/dining room/patio.
Greg G.
On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 10:22:37 GMT, "Jonny Durango"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Anyhow, you can make a jig for your router that will route
>the surface of your butcher block flat.
This is a good idea. If you do it, consider investing in a bit like
Jesada's tenon cutter that has some downshear to the face edges. This
gives a better cut surface than the usual straight-sided cylinder.
Nice piece of scrounging !
--
Klein bottle for rent. Apply within.
On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 04:02:07 -0500, Yitah <[email protected]>
wrote:
Why not clean the top up with a plane and cut it up into cutting
boards and sell them on ebay?
>Like most wreckers, I scrounge a lot of material, whether it's pallet
>wood or a decent scrap of lumber in a neighbor's garbage, I'm always
>on the lookout for something I can use.
>
>Today was my biggest score ever....
>
>A dead restaurant in the neighborhood is getting gutted. I managed
>to intercept some maple butcherblock countertop on the way to the
>dumpster.
>
>It's scuffed up big time on the top. The bottom is weathered and
>grey. It was sitting outside in the rain, etc for at least a week or
>two. It's old and smells kinda like rancid grease. It's rotted out
>on one edge where it appears to have been butted against a wall. It's
>broken into three sections and has some nails toed into it where it
>appears to have been patched long ago.
>
>BUT.....
>
>It's 2-1/4" thick. Each piece of maple in this is 2" wide and runs
>the full length. The original counter was about 3-1/2 - 4 feet
>wide. by 7-1/2 feet long. The three sections are about 14", 15", and
>17" wide.
>
>The biggest section is going to be my new workbench top after I clean
>it up. (How I'm going to fit it in a 13" planer is still a puzzle)
>I might cut the narrow piece into some mongo cutting boards for
>friends and family.
>
>That still leaves a piece 15" wide and 7-1/2 feet long and 2-1/4"
>thick. Way too thick and heavy for a shelf or bookcase, any ideas
>out there?
>
>Y