It’s What’s On the Inside That Counts… Even With Wood

Last week I picked up some lumber from a private seller. It doesn't look like much, but it's what is on the inside that counts!

I talked my buddy in to helping transport it back to my house with his truck. He obliged since I offered him one of my special beers from the cellar either! The lumber haul yielded me quite a bit of beetle kill Ponderosa Pine that was cut up near Red Feather Lakes. The big stack of lumber right now doesn't look like much other than some weathered planks.

However, I am lucky enough to have a planer on hand that has been borrowed from my wife's grandfather. I cut two of the 1 x 8 boards down from an 8 foot length to a rough 4 feet each. I then sent each board through the planer which takes the thickness of the board down at very small increments on each pass.

This is what I ended up with after a few passes.

Look at those knots!

There is something that I love about the intricate and coloring of this type of wood that is a byproduct of those pesky beetles.

The heart of the tree gives a nice contrast between the blue and the warm tones of the heart.

Now I am asking for some help... There are many things on my "To Build" list and I am having a hard time deciding on what one I should do first. So I would like for you to decide for me!