Uses for redwood...

[Harold Burrell]

Somebody in my area is selling some California Redwood lumber on CL...

http://elmira.craigslist.org/mat/1456939347.html

What could somebody use that for and how much is it worth?

[Dennis McGarry]

What could somebody use that for and how much is it worth?


You are kidding with that question right?

Hmmm decks, workbench top, decks, gazabo's, out door hot tub surround..decks. Roughly $3 to $5 a BF..

"Impervious to weather, rot or insect infestation"

[Harold Burrell]

You are kidding with that question right?

Hmmm decks, workbench top, decks, gazabo's, out door hot tub surround..decks.

"Impervious to weather, rot or insect infestation"

No...I wasn't kidding...just clueless. :o

I am VERY new at all of this...not to mention that we don't see much redwood here in PA.

Have any idea what it might be worth?

[Dennis McGarry]

Sorry about that, I hope I didnt come off to strong there. Didnt mean to.

Depending on where it is, I have seen it as low as 3 a Board foot and up to 6 a board foot.

Oh and redwood siding is great as well.

[Dell Littlefield]

There are some really beautiful strip canoes made of redwood.

[Harold Burrell]

Sorry about that, I hope I didnt come off to strong there. Didnt mean to.

Depending on where it is, I have seen it as low as 3 a Board foot and up to 6 a board foot.

Oh and redwood siding is great as well.

Oh, no...I wasn't offended...I appreciated the response. Thank you.

I'm really not all that embarrassed by my "cluelessness". I mean, I figure everybody here had to learn sometime. I just soooo appreciate all of the insight here.

[Jamie Buxton]

Redwood is rather soft. You can easily dent it with your thumbnail. Because of that I wouldn't use it for furniture.

[Harold Burrell]

Redwood is rather soft. You can easily dent it with your thumbnail. Because of that I wouldn't use it for furniture.

Thanks, Jamie.

I am going to assume that you are indeed an authority on this...seeing as you live in Redwood City. :D

[Thomas S Stockton]

From the pictures it looks like an old water tank and is probably old growth redwood. Value, old growth redwood is worth a lot more than what you can find at the lumber yard these days, I would guess $10 bdft or more. Google recycled old growth redwood and see what you find. Or you can build a house and shop out of the stuff like the one I live in. The exterior is all vertical grain redwood, started it's life in Orinda CA. Shops downstairs and home upstairs. The building is a 42' diameter.

[Matthew Hills]

I've seen redwood used artfully as an accent in the back of a cabinet on another forum.

I can speak from experience (as a very disappointed 9-year-old), redwood is not a good material to make a proper sword from.

It's primarily used for outdoor applications. The sapwood (not as reddish) is not as well regarded for this, and I'd swear that 95% of the borg redwood is sapwood.

I have seen it in outdoor furniture, but usually in pretty chunky form so that its softness doesn't cause a problem. (think picnic table, not hallway table)

Matt

[Neal Clayton]

From the pictures it looks like an old water tank and is probably old growth redwood. Value, old growth redwood is worth a lot more than what you can find at the lumber yard these days, I would guess $10 bdft or more. Google recycled old growth redwood and see what you find. Or you can build a house and shop out of the stuff like the one I live in. The exterior is all vertical grain redwood, started it's life in Orinda CA. Shops downstairs and home upstairs. The building is a 42' diameter.

nice diamond pattern window sash upstairs too ;).

gonna see if i can't figure out how to make those with modern tools in a few weeks. don't suppose anyone has a ~1920s sash trimmer out in the garage they're looking to scrap? ;)

[fRED mCnEILL]

My very first woodworking project was a patio picnic table in Wood Magazine that called for Redwood. As a newbee I thought it was important to use the same wood as the mag. did. So I had to get redwood. But I live in Canada(Vancouver) and redwood is almost non existant here. But I was able to go to Bellingham (Wash.)and get it. Looking back now red cedar would have been almost the same both in quality and price. And I could have gone down the street to get it.

But the table is nice and has stood up well.

[Wayne Cannon]

Be aware that today's redwood is not nearly as impervious to decay and insects as old-growth redwood -- today's redwood is only mediocre. Almost any cedar, for example, is significantly better than today's redwood. It's also only the heartwood of redwood and cedar that is decay and insect resistant.

See http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/publications/fplgtr102.pdf for more information on redwood's characteristics and uses.

[Michael Peet]

Several years ago my brother and I made a redwood picnic table for our parent's anniversary. IIRC it was about $500 for the lumber, and our pile was smaller than the one in the pic.

Mike

[Rich Switzer]

For price comparison sake, here is a recent posting from the southwest of some that has been machined with some detail on history. I have no idea if it's still for sale.

http://flagstaff.craigslist.org/mat/1444762226.html

[Sean Nagle]

Fourteen years ago I built a redwood deck for the house. I had off-cuts that were fairly large. I used all the leftovers to build a planter's bench for my wife. Since it lives in the garage, its finish doesn't weather like the deck and still looks fantastic. I think I put spar varnish on it.

Redwood also makes great Adirondack chairs.

[Rick Moyer]

about 1500bf, gonna be an expensive purchase!