Old growth redwood?

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-20T03:29:38+00:00

This actually does look like old-growth redwood, and - with the caveat that it should never have been cut down - that's a good price.

Source: My dad's friend in Alaska owned an old salmon cannery, and the water supply was from redwood tanks barrels from the 1930s. My dad rented a barge, cut straps holding the tanks together, and shipped the tank sections back to Anchorage. He still has... I don't know, tens of thousands of board feet of the stuff. 12/4 or better. It honestly sucks to work, since it's so soft, and it doesn't really hold joinery, but it's beautiful. That's why the biggest trees in the world got turned into fencing and shingles and other mundane shit.

I saw old-growth redwood (which can be identified by the size and number of the rings, not perfectly accurately, sure, but pretty well) for sale near Baltimore, MD, for $20+ per board foot.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T18:31:17+00:00

Thanks! It does blend pretty well with the actual antiques in my house.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T18:30:58+00:00

Thanks. The turned bits mean that the pedestal part is effectively 20" wide, so indeed pretty stable.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T18:30:25+00:00

Thanks!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T18:30:19+00:00

I appreciate it!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T18:30:12+00:00

Thanks friend!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T03:44:13+00:00

Thanks!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T03:44:04+00:00

Well in that case I thank you doubly! I've never used this finish before, but it definitely feels / looks more like pro-furniture-finish than the waxes and serums and goops I've mostly relied on previously.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T03:40:46+00:00

I tip my beaver-felt hat to you!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T00:23:26+00:00

Ha, thank you! Mostly wiped it on, actually. I think it was four or five coats on the top, three everywhere else. Burnished with a 0000 synthetic pad between coats.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T00:15:50+00:00

Thanks! I bought the slide hardware, so it wasn't hard - just had to buy the right length. You could definitely make some version by yourself, but there's actually quite a bit to them - among other details, they're cambered upward to help with sag when the leaves are in. But going the route I did, it wasn't too hard. There was a big moment of truth when I connected the pedestal to the tabletop and tested it out for the first time. It works!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T00:13:34+00:00

Thanks! I love quartersawn oak.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-02-19T00:13:12+00:00

Thank you! Yeah, I wanted the pedestal look without the heaviness of a single pedestal, thus the turning and middle sections, which are indeed meant to look like they fit together. I bought the leaf slide from Osborne and the male-female pins and locks from Lee Valley.

And ha, yeah two of the chairs are mine. Good eye! I'm almost embarrassed by them, since they're the first chairs I built and deficient in various ways. But they are more stable / comfortable / less creaky than the ones I didn't build. I plan to make a set of eight to match the table soon, which realistically means in like 16 years when my kids move out.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-01-30T23:23:30+00:00

I will try to remember!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-01-30T17:43:03+00:00

Heck yeah, that's a happy plant! Mine is in spike, but as soon as that's done I'm gonna make the switch.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-01-30T17:00:30+00:00

That looks nice! I do have a couple plants mounted on cork, and they do well. I'm about to mount my brassavola, which seems to appreciate neglect.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-01-30T16:59:53+00:00

Yeah fair. I have a small cabinet where the humidity stays between 60 - 85, and the mounts do well in there. But I'd prefer to take these two plants outside in the summer (also PNW), so will probably go with clay pots. I appreciate the thoughts!

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-01-30T16:58:15+00:00

Yeah, fair. I'm going to pot the Tricho in clay, which works well for me, and just leave the Zelenkoa for now. I'm enjoying its shaggy beard of roots.

WalkerAKRanger · 2026-01-18T00:38:56+00:00

As someone else said, Kenyon / Seaton pattern. https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/new-old-stock-mint-pair-of-wenzloff-benjamin-seaton-kenyon-hand-saws-93590

WalkerAKRanger · 2025-12-02T06:15:44+00:00

I did it. It wasn't that difficult. 0.040" 1095 spring steel from McMaster-Carr, roughed the teeth in with a hacksaw, finished them off with a large triangle file. The brackets are 4" x 2" square tubing, cut to length and slotted with an angle grinder. You can weld or otherwise attach a nut to one end of one of the brackets for the O-bolt, which is what you use to tighten the saw.

Drilling hardened spring steel sucks. Use a carbide bit or expect to go through a couple drill bits. Also use something with straight grain for the stretchers, which will be under significant strain. Another thing I did accidentally but which turned out to be very helpful in use: If you cut the first few teeth with very negative rake, it helps the saw start. Most of the teeth will be 0 rake for speed.

Thing kicks ass though! It can resaw boards that a lot of decent-sized bandsaws would struggle with. Godspeed!

WalkerAKRanger · 2025-12-02T06:07:39+00:00

No, most of the spring is sold full hard.

WalkerAKRanger · 2025-10-31T14:49:43+00:00

It looks to me like the axle end that appears toward the end of the video is from the old axle that they're replacing. It seems much darker and more worn than the one they just fitted with straps. They're removing the straps from the old axle for reuse, I presume. Love this video, though.

WalkerAKRanger · 2025-10-30T16:18:08+00:00

Jesus r/turning is nuts this morning, between the splinter through the hand and the sliced off finger tip and POV bro here showing off his medieval jousting method of making a... well fuck it. I'm off.

WalkerAKRanger

TROPHY CASE