A local story that defies belief ....
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6542266-second-corduroy-road-found-near-conestoga-mall/
Our ancestors threw down some timbers to get a path through a muddy
area - and it's treated like an archological find !
People lined up yesterday to get 2 foot lengths of the rotting old
timbers ! Geeeesh. It's not like it was an historic building or
sunken ship or something ...
John T.
Well seasoned. Stable - maybe. Might be wet and have to dry...
They did the same thing across the desert. They made fences that
were connected along the top and bottom and used them flat on the
ground. At first they tried snow fence but the lathe was to thin.
So railroad ties were used and cars and trucks rode above the sand.
Man moves ahead.
Martin
On 5/7/2016 7:12 AM, Puckdropper wrote:
> [email protected] wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> A local story that defies belief ....
>>
>> http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6542266-second-corduroy-road-found-
>> near-conestoga-mall/
>>
>> Our ancestors threw down some timbers to get a path through a muddy
>> area - and it's treated like an archological find !
>> People lined up yesterday to get 2 foot lengths of the rotting old
>> timbers ! Geeeesh. It's not like it was an historic building or
>> sunken ship or something ...
>> John T.
>>
>>
>
> Free wood? Any of it salvagable for turning?
>
> I might be lining up for some free turning stock... but I'm not exactly
> normal. :-)
>
> Puckdropper
>
[email protected] wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> A local story that defies belief ....
>
> http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6542266-second-corduroy-road-found-
> near-conestoga-mall/
>
> Our ancestors threw down some timbers to get a path through a muddy
> area - and it's treated like an archological find !
> People lined up yesterday to get 2 foot lengths of the rotting old
> timbers ! Geeeesh. It's not like it was an historic building or
> sunken ship or something ...
> John T.
>
>
Free wood? Any of it salvagable for turning?
I might be lining up for some free turning stock... but I'm not exactly
normal. :-)
Puckdropper
Sonny <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> On Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 7:12:34 AM UTC-5, [email protected]
> wrote:
>
>> > People lined up yesterday to get 2 foot lengths of the rotting old
>> > timbers ! Geeeesh. It's not like it was an historic building
>> > or sunken ship or something ...
>> > John T.
>
> Often times, simple stand-alone home decor pieces is prime, no matter
> what shape it's in. For a long time, I've had my eye on a partially
> sunken hollow log, that I like to think was drilled (holes) by an
> Ivorybilled Woodpecker. Want it for shop decor.
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/7101890947/in/photostream
>
>>
>> Free wood? Any of it salvagable for turning?
>>
>> I might be lining up for some free turning stock... but I'm not
>> exactly
>
>> normal. :-)
>>
>> Puckdropper
>
> Hmmmm!
> 1) I have some walnut root ball remnants (probably some burl within),
> from the trestle table project. I gave some to the local turners
> guild and still have some remaining. Below is one example, that I
> was/am to make a lamp base with, but there are other pieces, still.
> They've been air drying for about 2-3 yrs, now. I'm not much of a
> turner, at all, but I was to try turning a mallet head, to go with the
> table, with a piece of the remaining stock.
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/14089532812/in/photostream
>
> 2) Also, I recently dug up the rootball of a dead camelia shrub,
> roughly 10" diameter. Discovered the ball was pretty solid, still,
> and seems to be burled, so I kept it. It was certainly hard wood to
> chop/cut, when digging it up. I called the local turners guild, to
> see if anyone would be interested in trying it, but got no call back.
> There are 2-3 pieces: 1 bowl size and 1-2 pen size (I think) pieces.
>
> I can take pics to show you. Available at mailing cost, only, if
> you're interested.
>
> Sonny
Hi Sonny,
Thanks for the offer. I think I'll pass at this time, as I'm not sure
I'd be able to do anything with it (still learning) and I'm sure shipping
won't be cheap. OTOH, if you're willing to ship regional flat rate
shipping could be fairly reasonable.
FWIW, regional flat rate requires you to request boxes from the USPS,
then purchase postage online. They're way cheaper than the nationwide
one-rate boxes the USPS pushes.
Puckdropper
On Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 7:12:34 AM UTC-5, [email protected] wrote=
:
> > People lined up yesterday to get 2 foot lengths of the rotting old
> > timbers ! Geeeesh. It's not like it was an historic building or
> > sunken ship or something ...
> > John T.
Often times, simple stand-alone home decor pieces is prime, no matter what =
shape it's in. For a long time, I've had my eye on a partially sunken hol=
low log, that I like to think was drilled (holes) by an Ivorybilled Woodpec=
ker. Want it for shop decor. https://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/=
7101890947/in/photostream
>=20
> Free wood? Any of it salvagable for turning?
>=20
> I might be lining up for some free turning stock... but I'm not exactly=
=20
> normal. :-)
>=20
> Puckdropper
Hmmmm!
1) I have some walnut root ball remnants (probably some burl within), from =
the trestle table project. I gave some to the local turners guild and sti=
ll have some remaining. Below is one example, that I was/am to make a lamp=
base with, but there are other pieces, still. They've been air drying fo=
r about 2-3 yrs, now. I'm not much of a turner, at all, but I was to try t=
urning a mallet head, to go with the table, with a piece of the remaining s=
tock.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/14089532812/in/photostream
2) Also, I recently dug up the rootball of a dead camelia shrub, roughly 10=
" diameter. Discovered the ball was pretty solid, still, and seems to be =
burled, so I kept it. It was certainly hard wood to chop/cut, when diggin=
g it up. I called the local turners guild, to see if anyone would be inter=
ested in trying it, but got no call back. There are 2-3 pieces: 1 bowl siz=
e and 1-2 pen size (I think) pieces.
I can take pics to show you. Available at mailing cost, only, if you're in=
terested.
Sonny
On Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 6:14:23 PM UTC-4, [email protected] wrote:
> Sonny <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
> > On Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 7:12:34 AM UTC-5, [email protected]
> > wrote:
> >
> >> > People lined up yesterday to get 2 foot lengths of the rotting old
> >> > timbers ! Geeeesh. It's not like it was an historic building
> >> > or sunken ship or something ...
> >> > John T.
> >
> > Often times, simple stand-alone home decor pieces is prime, no matter
> > what shape it's in. For a long time, I've had my eye on a partially
> > sunken hollow log, that I like to think was drilled (holes) by an
> > Ivorybilled Woodpecker. Want it for shop decor.
> > https://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/7101890947/in/photostream
> >
> >>
> >> Free wood? Any of it salvagable for turning?
> >>
> >> I might be lining up for some free turning stock... but I'm not
> >> exactly
> >
> >> normal. :-)
> >>
> >> Puckdropper
> >
> > Hmmmm!
> > 1) I have some walnut root ball remnants (probably some burl within),
> > from the trestle table project. I gave some to the local turners
> > guild and still have some remaining. Below is one example, that I
> > was/am to make a lamp base with, but there are other pieces, still.
> > They've been air drying for about 2-3 yrs, now. I'm not much of a
> > turner, at all, but I was to try turning a mallet head, to go with the
> > table, with a piece of the remaining stock.
> > https://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/14089532812/in/photostream
> >
> > 2) Also, I recently dug up the rootball of a dead camelia shrub,
> > roughly 10" diameter. Discovered the ball was pretty solid, still,
> > and seems to be burled, so I kept it. It was certainly hard wood to
> > chop/cut, when digging it up. I called the local turners guild, to
> > see if anyone would be interested in trying it, but got no call back.
> > There are 2-3 pieces: 1 bowl size and 1-2 pen size (I think) pieces.
> >
> > I can take pics to show you. Available at mailing cost, only, if
> > you're interested.
> >
> > Sonny
>
> Hi Sonny,
>
> Thanks for the offer. I think I'll pass at this time, as I'm not sure
> I'd be able to do anything with it (still learning) and I'm sure shipping
> won't be cheap. OTOH, if you're willing to ship regional flat rate
> shipping could be fairly reasonable.
>
> FWIW, regional flat rate requires you to request boxes from the USPS,
> then purchase postage online. They're way cheaper than the nationwide
> one-rate boxes the USPS pushes.
>
> Puckdropper
Another interesting USPS shipping fact:
The USPS Click-N-Ship website does not offer a 1st class shipping option. They
only offer Priority Mail, which is OK for packages that exceed the 1st class
weight limits. However, since the minimum is in the $6-$7 range, that often
exceeds the 1st class postage for lighter items, which is often less than $3.
If you go through PayPal Shipping, you can buy USPS 1st Class postage and
create labels. Once you log into PayPal via this link, you'll have access
to their shipping utility:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now
One downside is that they do not appear to have any type of "Address Book"
feature like the Click-N-Ship site. You have to enter the shipping address
manually each time. I send small items to my out-of-town kids on occasion
and I wish I could save their addresses. However, saving $3-$4 each time
is well worth the extra effort.
On 5/7/2016 10:18 AM, Sonny wrote:
> Often times, simple stand-alone home decor pieces is prime, no matter
> what shape it's in. For a long time, I've had my eye on a partially
> sunken hollow log, that I like to think was drilled (holes) by an
> Ivorybilled Woodpecker. Want it for shop decor.
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/7101890947/in/photostream
I would question whether all of the holes are caused by woodpeckers.
From the arrangement of the holes it looks like it was a main beam in a
barn (?) where the other members of the frame structure were placed in
the pockets in the main beam.
I have seen similar beams in old barns, old cover bridges,
and old mills.
_____
As for the archeological excitement of an old corduroy road. These are
mention frequently in old diaries and accounts of early transportation.
While historian have a general idea of how a corduroy road was
constructed. it is good to see actual examples of the roads in
archeological digs. This gives us a better understanding as to what
they were, and the time it would take for their construction.
Roads are the basis for any community. Knowing the actual location of
the original roads in a community are basic to understanding how the
community was organized and how it grew.
A piece of a corduroy road would be like the brick from my elementary
school that I have in my garage; worthless but nice to have for the
memories that are represented by the building it came from.