Art Mulder
Member
- Messages
- 3,383
- Location
- London, Ontario
subtitle: how things change!
Today I spent the afternoon helping a friend who is gutting most of their country farmhouse back to the brickwork. It was filthy work as we ripped down plaster, lath, and the supporting woodwork. One wall was also ripped down on the main floor, and a few upstairs. The house was built late in the 1800s, possibly 1877. It is yellow brick, three layers thick. On the inner brick they had horizontal boards about every 3-4 feet, and the lath woodwork was fastened to that with 3 inch cut nails. I kept a few of the cut nails, just for fun.
But the real point of my post is the 2x4s. These were, to my eyes, MASSIVE posts in the walls. Actually, they weren't, they were just a full 2 inches by 4 inches. He is saving them, and will probably re-use them over the course of his construction. But he gave me a couple to take home. I'm very curious to see what they are like when I open one up. (Hmm, I'll have to use an old blade, as I don't have a metal detector!) And maybe I'll make some small project from them, perhaps picture frames? Anyway, we're not sure of species, but we figure white pine, given our locale in southern ontario.
Here they are...
FULL size...
Now lets compare to something 100 years newer...
On the left we have the old 2x4s. On the right is a 2x4 I found in my garage. I think it was probably taken out of my garage during our recent work there, which would place it as a mid-80s 2x4. In any case, certainly 100 years newer than the ones I brought home today. Sorry I don't have one fresh from the borg handy to compare, but you've all seen those!
...art
Today I spent the afternoon helping a friend who is gutting most of their country farmhouse back to the brickwork. It was filthy work as we ripped down plaster, lath, and the supporting woodwork. One wall was also ripped down on the main floor, and a few upstairs. The house was built late in the 1800s, possibly 1877. It is yellow brick, three layers thick. On the inner brick they had horizontal boards about every 3-4 feet, and the lath woodwork was fastened to that with 3 inch cut nails. I kept a few of the cut nails, just for fun.
But the real point of my post is the 2x4s. These were, to my eyes, MASSIVE posts in the walls. Actually, they weren't, they were just a full 2 inches by 4 inches. He is saving them, and will probably re-use them over the course of his construction. But he gave me a couple to take home. I'm very curious to see what they are like when I open one up. (Hmm, I'll have to use an old blade, as I don't have a metal detector!) And maybe I'll make some small project from them, perhaps picture frames? Anyway, we're not sure of species, but we figure white pine, given our locale in southern ontario.
Here they are...
FULL size...
Now lets compare to something 100 years newer...
On the left we have the old 2x4s. On the right is a 2x4 I found in my garage. I think it was probably taken out of my garage during our recent work there, which would place it as a mid-80s 2x4. In any case, certainly 100 years newer than the ones I brought home today. Sorry I don't have one fresh from the borg handy to compare, but you've all seen those!
...art