I'm worn out!

[Bruce Volden]

Just finished up 4 days of disassembly of 60+ year old bleachers @ a high school.
They are 19' in length 9" wide 1" thick.
168 planks! About 3200 feet running length! My 60 yo wife and I did almost 100% of
the work. Hauling it down 2 flights of stairs, 2 planks at at time.
Now what shall I do with it??? My plan is to construct an infrared sauna.
There might be "some" leftover:)
I think I got an excellent work out for the week/month/year!
Oh yeah, FREE!
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[Matt Day]

I’m tired just thinking about that!

Wonder how bad hardened gum is on planer blades? ;-)

[Bruce Volden]

I forgot to mention that! FREE gum also.

[David Lageman]

That's a lot of work (and gum) and you both have to be exhausted. If only those boards could talk...imagine the stories they could share!!!

Maybe a silly question, but what material did they make bleachers out of 60 years ago?

[Bruce Volden]

That's a lot of work (and gum) and you both have to be exhausted. If only those boards could talk...imagine the stories they could share!!!

Maybe a silly question, but what material did they make bleachers out of 60 years ago?

I believe it to be fir due to the sharp dry never ending supply of splinters I encountered.
These were full length boards-no scabbing.

[Ted Calver]

Well worth the effort! Probably nice, tight grain...all dry and straight. Hope you've got room to store it out of the weather. I believe you owe the missus big time.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I forgot to mention that! FREE gum also.

That's certainly an added benefit!:confused::rolleyes::D

[Mel Fulks]

Can’t see , but I’m guessing it’s vertical grain. Good stuff

[kent borcherding]

The Madison , Wi. craigs list had some fir bleacher board listed for $2 a linear ft - if it is clear and vertical grain , IMHO $2.00 a lf is reasonable.

[Frank Pratt]

Looks like fir to me. That's a great score, but the "free gum" is what really makes me envious :D

[johnny means]

Almost through up when I realized the Gum talk wasn't about a species of lumber.:(

[Bob Falk]

Bruce,
Like you, I scored a gym of 15' and 20' long DF bleacher seats. This was about 10 years ago. Got it cheap ($300..... not as cheap as you) from a local school district who wanted it gone yesterday. Funny, it was on CL for a couple days and no one responded as the ad was so poorly written. Luckily it was already removed and stacked on a trailer. They delivered and helped unload for an extra $100. Amazing deal. I used a lot of it for trim on the 1920's historic Tudor remodel I was working on. Nice to have full length trim with no joints. I drilled and plugged all the bolt holes. About 1/3 or more was vertical grain and many boards had very tight growth rings. At the time, a timber broker offered me $1.25 a foot. He said they rip the boards to avoid the bolt holes and remill into T&G flooring. I am also building a sauna and am going to use instead of cedar. The tight grain is beautiful wood, but as was mentioned it tends to splinter when machining. I am trying to figure out what to do with what I have left (all vertical grain). Oh, a couple other things....wax your planer bed.....the gum wants to stick to the beds. Also, the ends of the boards had two long screws (I think to help prevent splitting) and you'll want to remove those before machining. Don't ask me how I know.....ruined one table saw blade cutting through the 1/4 steel screw.

[Bruce Volden]

Bruce,
Like you, I scored a gym of 15' and 20' long DF bleacher seats. This was about 10 years ago. Got it cheap ($300..... not as cheap as you) from a local school district who wanted it gone yesterday. Funny, it was on CL for a couple days and no one responded as the ad was so poorly written. Luckily it was already removed and stacked on a trailer. They delivered and helped unload for an extra $100. Amazing deal. I used a lot of it for trim on the 1920's historic Tudor remodel I was working on. Nice to have full length trim with no joints. I drilled and plugged all the bolt holes. About 1/3 or more was vertical grain and many boards had very tight growth rings. At the time, a timber broker offered me $1.25 a foot. He said they rip the boards to avoid the bolt holes and remill into T&G flooring. I am also building a sauna and am going to use instead of cedar. The tight grain is beautiful wood, but as was mentioned it tends to splinter when machining. I am trying to figure out what to do with what I have left (all vertical grain). Oh, a couple other things....wax your planer bed.....the gum wants to stick to the beds. Also, the ends of the boards had two long screws (I think to help prevent splitting) and you'll want to remove those before machining. Don't ask me how I know.....ruined one table saw blade cutting through the 1/4 steel screw.

Bob,

This is my second "haul" of this wood from the same HS. My first haul was a couple of years back but much smaller, I used most of that wood for flooring in a "bunk house" in my garage.
I planed the boards and drilled out the bolt holes to insert contrasting dowels and it still looks great to this day.
My daughter wants to use some for horse stalls.

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[Jamie Buxton]

..My daughter wants to use some for horse stalls..

Vertical grain doug fir for horse stalls??!! Aieee!

[glenn bradley]

Worth the effort I'll bet. Congrats.

[Bruce Volden]

Vertical grain doug fir for horse stalls??!! Aieee!

I hear you brother but,

She alerted me to the bleachers! She's employed there! Yikes

[Jamie Buxton]

I hear you brother but,

She alerted me to the bleachers! She's employed there! Yikes

So you owe her big-time! Is she especially attached to this wood for her horse stalls? Or could you talk her into something a little less precious than clear vertical doug fir? Y'know, buy common pine to build her stalls, and keep the doug fir for nicer jobs. Heck, make one of those nicer jobs some pretty piece of furniture for her home. Free, of course!

[Brodie Brickey]

Dug fir hot tub to go with that sauna? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj4gSMdaaxE