[Bowhunter32]

I'm renovating a cabin that was built in 1950. Everything was repurposed to build then. I saved the roof rafters in hopes to use them somewhere and I think I landed on door trim. I took them out in July and they sat outside until today when I brushed the snow off then and brought them inside. I'm still debating on if I want to take a hand planer to them to take off the old finish and splinters. If I do I'd have to stain and seal, if not I'd like to just use a hard sealant.

Few questions:
1. Should I be treating these somehow/way?
2. They were dry for maybe a hundred years, they have been in the elements for 6 months now. Roughly 2.5"x5". How long to dry?
3. Can anyone name the species of wood? I did plane one down a little.

Thank you

 

[Unknowncraftsman]

My guess is Vg Douglas fir.
Good stuff it’s very stable after that much time.

 

[JCamp]

Fir or straight grain pine

 

[jwoodcraft]

Douglas fir. Will dry enough to work in a week or two. I use a lot of that. Will mill to the same as what's sold at the lumber yard for $10/BF except for a few nail holes, or clean up with a wheel sander to keep the patina.
Actually the wheel sander is good prep before milling to clean, especially before running through surface planer.
I also use a cheap portable power plane for initial surfacing.
A small 45˚ chamfer make a good finishing detail for rough wood. When surfaced, you can drill and plug nail holes if desired.

If you are asking about treating for insects or rot, no treatment needed. Splinters are the thing to watch out for.

 

[Bowhunter32]

I'd like to preserve the rough cut antique look if I can, but I also don't need anymore slivers from these things... If I plane them I'll use my cheap WEN electric hand planer as there are tons of nails and staples.

 

[Knothead62]

You have stuck gold! My parents built a house that had a 100 year old 8x8 beam that was made into a fireplace mantel. It was smooth but the head carpenter used a hatchet to give it a rustic look.

 

[Bowhunter32]

How much were/are these things worth? I had 8 at about 14' before I decided to cut them down for door trim... I have a few smaller dimensions ones that look the same I plan to use for decor of some sort.

 

[Unknowncraftsman]

How much were/are these things worth? I had 8 at about 14' before I decided to cut them down for door trim... I have a few smaller dimensions ones that look the same I plan to use for decor of some sort.

Too a woodworker like me they worth a lot. The wood is easy to work, very stable, and finishes out to a nice Carmel color.
Here’s a fir table I made from salvage wood from the 1920s