Burning oak timbers

[bushcraftbob]

A friend of mine works for a building company, and they are restoring an old timber framed building. Some of the oak timber scraps they have removed are very old but also very dry and he has offered me some to burn - is there any reason it shouldnt be burnt? I.e could it have been treated down the years with any chemicals etc to stop it rotting that could give off poisonous fumes?

ta

Jamie

 

[FGYT]

any bits any good for knife handles ???

 

[Dave Budd]

they'll burn brilliantly, but as duncan says maybe better uses for some some of the nicest oak i've used for handles has come from old buildings

 

[tombear]

EEPP! Burning seasoned oak?! I take it they are ratty little pieces as theres lots of neat stuff you could make from it like hanging tinder boxes.

All I get dumped on me by mates is boxes of Laser tag sets and unused 8 man tents, sniff.

;-{D)

ATB

Tom

 

[bushcraftbob]

the wood turned up tonight - the outside is fairly soft and rotten but the inside is hard as iron!!! Hadn't thought of making anything - any suggestion on a diy project? How is a hanging tinder box made??

 

[tombear]

At one time most houses would have had a wooden tinder box that would have been hung on the wall near the fireplace/hearth, Most I've seen pics of where of oak or elm and were simply nailed together or carved out of a solid lump of wood. The better quality ones have proper joints but nailing seems to have been the most common method. Very few have survived.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_E3XW_L9n6b0/SvzzJjQr_TI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/nAkNoYmYS0M/s400/tinder+box+4.jpg

All sorts of domestic stuff was made from thin oak boards, candle boxes, sulphur match holders and racks for clay pipes.

ATB

Tom

 

[bushwacker bob]

You will need very sharp tools and a lot of strength to work old seasoned oak. It burns superbly and cuts well with a chainsaw

 

[tombear]

Like one of these!

Which I think is a farm fencing chisel and after I'd finished cleaning it up is frighteningly sharp. The metal produced far more and hotter sparks than the 1950s chisels I've done up. Eee! they don't make them like they used to!

ATB

Tom

 

[bushcraftbob]

Cheers for the inspiration guys, I have made a handle for a firesteel blank. Pretty basic but well chuffed with the result! The oak has a black stain running through it where there used to be an iron nail. Here is a pic:

Just to thin - i was going to burn it all! Any other basic projects i can do? I reckon the tinder box might be a bit too advanced for my basic woodworking skills!
cheers

 

[British Red]

At one time most houses would have had a wooden tinder box that would have been hung on the wall near the fireplace/hearth, Most I've seen pics of where of oak or elm and were simply nailed together or carved out of a solid lump of wood. The better quality ones have proper joints but nailing seems to have been the most common method. Very few have survived.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_E3XW_L9n6b0/SvzzJjQr_TI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/nAkNoYmYS0M/s400/tinder+box+4.jpg

All sorts of domestic stuff was made from thin oak boards, candle boxes, sulphur match holders and racks for clay pipes.

ATB

Tom

Damn, now I really want something like that for the cottage!!

Have we got any competent cabinet makers out there??

 

[TomBartlett]

I'd say give the tinderbox a go. Even if you mess it up, the wood's still there for you to burn.

 

[tombear]

Yeah, go for it! If I could get the materials together (just call me cheep) theres a whole range of similar wall boxes that were in common use in the West, of widely varrying quality from crudely made banged together with nails to inlaid works of art.

http://www.adams-antiques.net/antique_wall_boxes.html

If you wanted to keep something handy or dry or away from rodents you'd have a wall box. I'm still looking for useable images of the boxes they had for rush dips. The remains of last years batch are still in the inverted top of a cradboard comics box lid.

ATB

Tom