Recycled Wood Craft Ideas

recycled wood craft ideas

Let's grab some recycled wood craft ideas here!

When choosing recycled wood craft ideas projects, there are several questions that need to be answered.

What kind of project are you planning?

Will it need to bear weight, like a piece of furniture?

Will the finished product be kept inside or outside?

Will it be painted or left natural?

It goes without saying that you have to know the end result you want before you can decide how to go about getting there. There are many instances where budget wood, irregular cut lumber, or reclaimed wood will work perfectly - and may cost you nothing!

If you decide that the best wood for craft projects like yours is a new piece of lumber, the first thing you need to do is check the boards for defects.

Select a board that is free of the following:

Knots - Some knots can add to the overall look of a finished woodworking project, but many knots will compromise the integrity of the wood. Depending on the lengths of the cuts you need to make, a knot can make large sections unusable. Why pay for parts you can't use?

Cracks/Splits - As with knots, cracks and splits weaken the wood and make large sections unusable. Avoid them.

Warping - Look down the board edge. If it curves rather than following a straight line, you have warping. It could be a natural quality of the particular piece of wood, or the curve may have been caused by shipping or storage. Avoid curved boards, especially if your project requires longer pieces.

Twisting - Twisting is when a given edge may follow a straight line, but the face of the wood does not follow a flat plane.

I've seen six foot boards twisted over 45 degrees, at local lumber yards. Basically, standing the board on its end, what is the front at the bottom, becomes a side, at the top. Set these boards aside and keep looking.

Moisture - This one may be a bit tougher to judge, but you don't want to grab a piece that is too wet or too dry. The piece of wood can change as it dries, or as it absorbs moisture from the air. You can take it home and have it form a curve while it sits in the shed, awaiting use.

There are many more considerations when choosing recycled wood craft ideas projects - such as appearance, scent, and strength - but eliminating defects is of primary importance.

The author, Mike Wescoat, has created a free informational resource to help woodworkers choose the best wood for their projects. Visit WoodForWoodWorking.info [http://woodforwoodworking.info] to download a Free copy of Wood For Woodworking - Nature & Qualities of Wood.

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