Reclaimed Lumber
 

I live in central Iowa and have been looking for reclaimed lumber for a table I'd like to build. All of my yellow page searches have come up empty. Does anyone have any tips on who I might contact or where I could look?

Cibula11, sounds like an interesting project. Is there a certain type or species you're looking for? Also, there are many reasons to use reclaimed but what is your purpose and goal?
My first thought for central Iowa is old barn timbers. However, are you looking for boards cut-to-size or just the rough beams? Let us know and someone will probably be able to help!

Doug

Hello Cibula:
Several years ago Mother Earth News printed an article about going to farmers who have a barn in some state of dis-repair and tell them you will tear it down and clean up the mess for the recycled wood. You might want to tell the farmer you will document the removal with the County Tax Assessor to get it taken off their tax roles, thus saving the farmer money.
Glenn

Thanks for the help. Right now I'm not looking for anything in particular, just something that could be cut to length. I'm specifically looking for something around 2" thick like a truss or joist.

barn wood
 

Hi I wish you were closer I had a ton of wood left over from a barn I helped tear down. My friend and I found an ad on craigslist for a barn tear down and took it down. It made for a long summer!!! You might try asking around at the small town co-ops for info. Good luck

No kiddling. I would have been game for that! What did you do with all that wood?

Some good advice - You can certainly buy, at retail, reclaimed wood. It can be expensive depending on what you want.

For example Bubinga Curly Waterfall Lumber - Once in a Lifetime! - Rockler Woodworking Tools

As I recall, the story behind those boards was that they were from a tree that fell in a storm like 1000 years ago and got buried in the mud, somewhere in Africa I think. A farmer came across it and it was perfectly preserved. It was dug up and cut into large slabs. Some more info on that one tree
Bubinga Photos | Articles/Archives | Woodworders Journal | Woodworkers Journal

Cibula11, sounds like an interesting project. Is there a certain type or species you're looking for? Also, there are many reasons to use reclaimed but what is your purpose and goal?
My first thought for central Iowa is old barn timbers. However, are you looking for boards cut-to-size or just the rough beams? Let us know and someone will probably be able to help!

Cibula11 are you still looking for reclaimed lumber?!? We sell reclaimed lumber from old barns in Princeton, IL. We are 1 hour east of Quad Cities on I 80.

reclaimed lumber is good for your project...just make sure the lumber is still good..if you can check every piece, the better