Once
> I saw a strip-boat built out of the remains of a redwood wine vat from an
> old winery. It looked for all the world like cherry, it was beautiful, and
> the wood was free. See the pix of my Tred Avon on Brians site. I really
> think the nail holes add character...

My story may be the grandaddy of all used lumber tales. A few years ago I was working for an animal feed manufacturer. One of their plants had previously been a whey drying plant. I "volunteered" to wreck out nine old whey vats 8' to10' tall and about the same diameter with staves ranging from 4" to 12" wide--all old-growth redwood! Much is still stacked in my back yard though some has seen use as a strip-built canoe, deck lumber, garden trellis, Adirondack chairs, patio table, and even fascia board behind the gutters of our house (sorry, Jay!) Then a couple years later the same company was razing another old building. I talked with the demolition people and found out they were not doing any salvaging. With permission from them and my boss I dragged out enough dimension lumber to build most of a 21' x 28' woodshop. I ended up buying a grand total of 70' feet of 2"x4"s to complete the building. Point being, much salvage lumber is old-growth and much better than what can be purchased at reasonable cost today, not to mention the service one does to the environment by getting a second use out of what might otherwise be land-filled or simply burnt. It's out there if you keep your eyes open for it and are willing to invest some sweat equity. It also helps to have an understanding wife and tolerant or distant neighbors. Tom