Ed Sallee
12-27-2009, 8:16 AM
Back at the end of August, I was fortunate enough to visit fellow creeker, John Keeton..... John went back to his converted tobacco barn and pulled out these two gems (and some other things).... Wormy, American Chestnut - a solid 2" thick by about 58" x about 6"....
Some of you may not know that this wood has been extinct since the early 1940's - due to blight, which wiped out the species..... But, before that happened, Chestnut was the go to wood to build just about everything.... That's why barn wood can hold some value.... because chances are, an old barn was made out of Chestnut....
Needless to say, the wood JK gave me is at least 60, if not 70 years old already.... It is a tad fragile, but not too bad... but, there were several knot holes, where the knots had shrunk up and fell out... and the surrounding wood was not very sound.... So, I taped the bottom of the nail & knot holes and filled 'em up with epoxy.... ought to strengthen up the wood, and help keep the integrity of what it once was.... An old piece of barnwood...
So, thanks again Mr. Keeton..... we'll see what comes out of this... although, I have a pretty good idea already....
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/WMWH10/DSC09973.jpg
Some of you may not know that this wood has been extinct since the early 1940's - due to blight, which wiped out the species..... But, before that happened, Chestnut was the go to wood to build just about everything.... That's why barn wood can hold some value.... because chances are, an old barn was made out of Chestnut....
Needless to say, the wood JK gave me is at least 60, if not 70 years old already.... It is a tad fragile, but not too bad... but, there were several knot holes, where the knots had shrunk up and fell out... and the surrounding wood was not very sound.... So, I taped the bottom of the nail & knot holes and filled 'em up with epoxy.... ought to strengthen up the wood, and help keep the integrity of what it once was.... An old piece of barnwood...
So, thanks again Mr. Keeton..... we'll see what comes out of this... although, I have a pretty good idea already....
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/WMWH10/DSC09973.jpg