Well, it is a start, anyway.....

[steven c newman]

Nailly old beams. Four by sixes. Got tired of tripping over the bleeding things. :mad: Cut a couple down, avoiding nails as I went. 228369Ugly critters, ain't they?:eek: I got enough to start a bench, maybe228370 and enough spare parts to connect them up into a base228371 Not sure WHAT kind of Hardwood this is, though. A better look at the end grain228372 The good news? The owner of the pole barn I "timeshare " with, has re-decked his LONG trailer he uses to haul his mowers with. Sooooo, there is now a supply of "used' 2x12s sitting in the barn ( NO NAILS, either) That I MIGHT be able to rip into stuff for a top. Well, it's a start, anyway.:D

[Joe Fabbri]

If you can make them work, then that's great. Nothing better than reusing old materials.

Judging by the pinkish look and the greyish aged color, they might be some sort of Fir.

Joe

[Dale Cruea]

Looks like with a little work you could have a nice solid bench from them. You need a band saw.

[steven c newman]

I have two bench top ones in the shop. A lot of the joinery will be with handsaws, though. I also have a nice BIG framer chisel to chop with. Might even make my own pegs. We'll see, got all summer to work on this. I don't have that long on a computer desk build, however. That might take place first....228387 The top for the desk, awaiting glue-up, when things warm back up around here. Might even have a handplane ( or three) to smooth it out with....

[David Keller NC]

Based on where you live, it's unlikely that you'd have what is nearly universal south of the mason dixon line - hard yellow pine. And even after 150 years, cutting into the stuff is likely pouring pine-sol on the floor in your shop.

My second guess would've been white oak, but the appearance of the end grain, face-grain and the worm holes makes me think otherwise. You just -might- have chestnut if the barn/building it was salvaged from was more than 100 years old. If so, you'd have a pretty unique bench - chestnut in those sizes is nearly unfindable.

[steven c newman]

Might cut some bridle joints to mate the legs to the beams. Some mortise and tenon joinery to add the braces with. Bridles would be drilled and sawn. Mortises would be chopped out, since I do have a framer's chisel in the shop. tenons will get the handsaw treatment. pegs........maybe, we'll see.

[James Taglienti]

Its pretty clear (pun) that its a white pine. It should make a really nice bench! When its that old it looks just like the old growth cypress too but that stuff in beam form is usually WAY south like gulf coast states