Recycling furniture

[Sir Percy]

What are the opinions on recycling wood from old bits of furniture, e.g.,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/G-Plan-Te...aultDomain_3&hash=item3aa9f6c962#ht_84wt_1141

Would there be problems in removing varnish, sawing up, etc?

Cheers,
perce

 

[adidat]

You realise it's a veneered top right? It can all be cut off and varnish removed, but not a huge amount of useable timber.

Adidat

 

[Sir Percy]

Duh.
So, when did veneers start to be used?

 

[JakeS]

Duh.
So, when did veneers start to be used?

Ancient Egypt, IIRC.

 

[blackrodd]

Look at the end grain, usually gives the game away.
Veneering furniture, has been around for a very long time, It's very economical and certainly better for stability, careful sanding should be ok, but mind the corners!
Regards Rodders

 

[custard]

What are the opinions on recycling wood from old bits of furniture

Nothing wrong with it at all, but the trick is to break up items that are a million miles out of fashion (dark brown, big Victorian lumps) and recycle them into something that's actually trending (pale and interesting Danish Modern).

I suspect many on this forum would rather do it the other way around!

 

[Jacob]

You get some nice heavy old furniture going for peanuts at auctions. Often re-usable in bit n bobs but expect a lot of waste - good if you have a woodburner.
Big wardrobes sometimes go for a fiver, even less if you hang around to the end and make an offer for the leftovers.
Also brilliant if you want to know about furniture anatomy - pulling it apart and chopping it up is better than any text book!

 

[HOJ]

Just check closely what you intend to buy, I bid on an wide board Elm table at an auction without having looked at it closely, only after having paid for it and going to load it into my van found it was more like a dart board, live worm every where, went straight in the fire.

Mind you did only pay a £1.00 for it.....