Working on DIY projects can be expensive, depending on the type of equipment you’re creating and your wood choice. However, you can reduce your budget by using reclaimed wood. Using such wood is easier if you have a CNC machine because it’ll help you to join them accurately.
Here are some ways of using reclaimed wood for your DIY projects:
Know Where To Get Reclaimed Wood
Before settling on your project, the first thing you need to do is to find out where to source reclaimed wood. Fortunately, there are several locations where you can get low cost or free wood for your projects. They include:
Retired Barns
If you’re living in a neighborhood next to old ranches and farms with retired buildings and barns, you can get some good pieces of wood to reclaim. However, you should find the buildings or landowners and inform them that you’re looking for reclaimed wood to accomplish a woodworking project. Most owners may be happy to give you the wood because they’ve been postponing the idea of getting rid of the materials. If they aren’t getting rid of the wood, they may sell it to you at a low price.
Businesses
Most retailers and storefronts have discarded crates, pallets, and wooden boxes. If you can find such businesses, visit them and ask for permission to take the discarded items. If you find newer wooden pallets, your work of preparing the wood for the projects may be reduced.
Clean The Wood
Every time you intend to use reclaimed wood to complete a DIY project, you should consider its condition. Most reclaimed woods tend to be dirty because they’re kept outside. If they’re stored indoors, they may have paint or be treated with other chemicals. You should ensure that the wood you use is clean to prevent it from affecting your project’s appearance.
You also need to be careful about metal pieces that are popular in these types of wood because they can create problems when shaping or cutting the wood. As a rule of thumb, you should make a point to inspect the wood for staples, screws, nails, and other pieces that may be stuck in the wood before beginning your project. If you have enough money, you can have a metal detector to find unseen pieces within the wood.
Be Careful When Handling Painted Wood
When searching for reclaimed wood pieces, you may probably end up finding some that are painted. The abuse the wood has faced and the wear it has received from light damage, dents and abrasions, may tempt you to use them the way they are.
However, if you intend to create a piece of furniture that carries heavy objects, it would be best to reinforce the wood with other internal structures to prevent it from breaking. Also, if the paint on the older wood can mix with your preferred paint and cause problems, it would be best to sand or cut it.
Summing Up
The wood that you use in your project will determine its appearance and quality. Although reclaimed wood can be great for some projects, you need to know how to use and handle it to prevent it from damaging your creation.