Recycled Wood Projects

I found a bunch of long pallets in a dumpster.  yes, I said a dumpster.  and they were all in perfect condition.  I loaded up as many as would fit in my girlfriends explorer and headed home.  I had no idea what I was gonna use them for, but it was good, free wood.  I unloaded them on the side of the house for a few days. (not to leave them there to long to look like trailer trash), and finally took them apart.  Taking out staples is a pain in the A@#!  I used one pallet to make a headboard and to use for box spring support boards for a bed I was building, then thought...I have been making lots of furniture, but no accent pieces like pictures.  I made a few frames and now I can't stop.  lol  On these two pictures, I used some old metal tractor seats and the center piece.  It is country and rustic and very different than Ikea cookie cutter pictures!  Talk about a conversation piece!

A Wood Picture and Frame and a Hope Chest I Made

I found this sliver of elm that I cut off a elm slab to make a table.  It had dried out and warped into a cool curve shape.  I stained the heck out of the 1.5' x 1' elm sliver (elm absorbes stain like crazy!) and used it as the focal point of the barnwood frame.  It looks amazing with the barnwood stained oak red and the frame stained black!  The next thing I made was a barnwood hope chest, using new hinges and a rustic hinged latch lock.  It is solid and roomy!  I stained the outside ebony and the inside red oak.  Looks amazing!

Big Bench, Lean Shelf, and Big Picture

I made a big bench or chair out of walnut and maple.  It is over kill in size, but would look awesome on a deck or front porch!  Then I made a barnwood lean shelf.  Those are a little tricky to get the top shelf and other shelfs level.  Measure twice or three times, cut once. lol.  Then I made a 5' x 3' frame with recycled pallets, the back is recycled barnwood, and then left over ends from logs and branches I made furniture with. 

Barnwood Coffee Table, End Tables, Book Case, Bird House and a Coat Rack

I've been busy building furniture out of barnwood the last week.  I got tired of pealing bark off logs and branches and sanding forever, so I switched it up a bit.  This barnwood is over 100 years old.  I got it from an older guy who had a heart attack and could not use it any more.  It was in his storage for over 30 years.  He told me he got it from a building in down town KC and was off a trail rail car door.  It still had the old nails in it and everything.  It is beautiful barnwood and in great shape for being over 100 years old.