All I want is a piece of wood with character!!!

July 12, 2011 6:07 AM

Reclaimed wood in Indianapolis? (whole, raw, and amazing!)

Hi there hive!

I've been looking for pieces of raw, reclaimed wood with character to make into a bench and into a long window table in Indianapolis and all I keep finding are shops selling reclaimed flooring.

(I'm craigslist searching, I've googled and called shops, I've gone into shops.. no luck)

Help me? Where can I find this type of wood (hopefully cheaply).

Any and all help is appreciated!

posted by xicana63 to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

You might try talking to general contractors, especially those who specialize in remodeling older houses. Demolition companies. Craigslist ads for old barn wood, perhaps? Think about where that wood is likely to have come from, and go to the source. It's not surprising that "reclaimed" isn't getting you anywhere; the term isn't specific enough. Ask yourself: reclaimed from what?
posted by jon1270 at 6:14 AM on July 12, 2011

Reclaimed lumber resources in Indiana.

Doc's Architectural Salvage and Reclamation Services.
posted by valkyryn at 6:34 AM on July 12, 2011

A finish carpenter in my family has several sources for exotic woods, including reclaimed wood, but he's very secretive about it all. I don't know if he's secretive about it because that's his personality, or because that's what all carpenters do, but you might consider contacting a local carpenter or carpenter's union.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:45 AM on July 12, 2011

For craigslist terms, I've had luck searching for "barn wood" and "wood beams" (restrict to materials only).
posted by true at 6:51 AM on July 12, 2011

Try searching some of the woodworking forums. The thing you may run into is that a lot of serious reclaimed lumber is planked out of huge beams and the like and is being pursued because it is old growth lumber - this means it typically isn't cheap. If you can find someone taking down an old barn or the like, something to small to interest the serious pros, that would be your best bet. The thing about reclaimed lumber is that the character on the outside is often "filthy and full of nails" so you have to do quite a bit of prep work.

Another possibility is try to find a small rural saw mill that pretty much cuts whatever the local tree services, highway department, etc. bring to them. They get some interesting stuff that rarely makes into the local woodworking store (much less the big box stores).

A third possibility (that get's you truly reclaimed wood, just not old) would be to build up something out of pallet lumber. I've pulled planks of hickory, walnut, oak and cherry off of pallets before. Nothing big enough to make a single piece of furniture out of but if you do something clever in the glue up, you can made a design element out of adversity.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 6:56 AM on July 12, 2011

Also keep in mind that after this spring's storms, there are a ton of downed barns and trees in the area that haven't all been cleaned up yet. You might have luck posting an ad yourself asking if anyone's willing to let you come take some of their scraps.
posted by asperity at 6:59 AM on July 12, 2011

Do you have Habitat for Humanity Restores there? (they sell reclaimed wood at our local store in Idaho)
posted by cda at 7:38 AM on July 12, 2011

Craigslist.
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:05 AM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]