Old hardwood lumber

[Kyle Cogar]

Not sure where to post this. I found a lot of old hardwood lumber on Craigslist. Here’s the ad.

“All old lumber, has been kept in dry storage for 20 years

Red Oak all 4/4
1 - 7.25" x 45"
1 - 9" x 66"
1 - 8" x 92"
1 - 7.5" x 98"

Soft Maple all 4/4
1 - 6.75" x 99"
1 - 6.5" x 124"
1 - 7" x 124"
1 - 8" x 124"

Mahogany
4/4
2 - 2.75" x 85"
1 - 13" x 96"
6/4
1 - 4.5" x 57"
8/4
1 - 2.87" x 85"

Walnut all 4/4
1 - 12" x 94"
4 - 3.5" x 72" molding”

I’m about to go over and pick it up. I’m a newwoodworker and thought $150 for all of this was a good deal. Anything I should look out for when buying it? Anything wrong with 20 year old lumber?

[Jerry Wright]

Good price. Look for useable length, ie length between knots, bow, twist, rot, etc. I have raided lots of barns and drying sheds with good luck. Old is not a problem.

[Bill Dufour]

My brother the mechanic gave my older brother a mahogany packing case that had been used to evacuate a chain hoist from the Philippines during WW2. It was made from 2x4 an 2x6. In that situation no one cared about the wood since it would fall into enemy hands if not used up and shipped out. Probably much better wood then would have been used in peacetime for a shipping crate. The wood was fine. Just had to design around a few nail holes.
Probably hard to find tropical wood of that quality today with deforestation and what not.
Bil lD

[David Eisenhauer]

Old wood is good. Only look-out I can see would be lots of twist-bow-etc as Jerry pointed out. Money seems OK without bothering to work out actual BF price. Mahogany and Walnut are not cheap here, Red Oak is not give away either and Soft Maple is about all I want to pay for.

[Ron Citerone]

If there is no bug infestation I would think it's good to go..........I am presently working walnut that I had cut in 1986 and it is real nice to work with and looks great.