Got Wood?

[Danglerb]

Wood the forgotten tool.

Stopped by Home Depot today, and finally had some luck back in the cull bin, a dozen or so 4' sections of 4x4 and a 4x8. I bought two of the 4x4's for 51 cents each, and $1.01 for the 4x8, and started thinking about my collection of shop wood. Stuff I use to chock tires, spread the load with a jack, or in the case of these big ones hold up a car chassis on moving dollies once the suspension is removed. I may stop back in the morning and get a couple more of the 4x4's and have them cut to 8" long blocks for stacking.

What kind of wood do you all keep around the shop and how do you use it?

 

[mrjsl]

Some years ago when I was dealing in parts and cores for big diesel stuff, we got some used transmissions and gearboxes from Belize. These came shipped in big wooden crates made from a hardwood called Ipe. Stinks a little when you cut it, but the stuff is like iron. Never rots, about twice the weight of pine, and just hard as steel almost. I scored 5 of the empty crates, and salvaged what I could. Very little 2x stock, but a lot of 1x.

I used some the other day in an angle iron anvil stand I had repainted. The old wood pad in it was soft, so I cut a couple pieces of Ipe and used it. I use it for a lot of small jobs where you don't want rot - like thresholds. I have used it as a jack pad, pry bar, sledgehammer, you name it. It's awesome stuff - I wish I owned a whole lumberyard full of it.

 

[eborcim]

I go by the local steel shop. They always have a pile of dimensional shipping lumber to get rid of. Lots of 4-, 6-, and 8-bys to choose from.

 

[IDASHO]

I have a couple of 6x12 blocks I use quite often.

I also have a selection of hardwoods that are great for forming sheetmetal.

 

[Wascally Wabbit]

I got most of my blocks from when I worked at a JD dealership. The blocks were used to block the wheels on combines when they were shipped by rail. My smaller 4X4 and 6X6 sizes I made by cutting up longer pieces with a chain saw.