Rockler has recently added a new domestic wood product to their catalog – reclaimed oak lumber. Not just reclaimed oak boards, but Route 66 oak boards.
These boards are sourced from tractor trailer decks that travel the country, including on Route 66. They will be sold at Rockler stores for $5.99 per board foot, and online in 2-plank bundles of 15 board feet for $89.95.
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Each board will be red or white oak and will measure 6 feet long, 12 inches wide, and 1-1/4 inch thick.
At the ends there will be blackened holes where bolts were torched out, and the bottom side, while less worn and weathered, show rust bands where they contacted a tractor trailer’s frame.
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First Impression
Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel about this new product. Part of the appeal of reclaimed lumber projects is how many woodworkers and crafters will source the wood themselves. It’s not just about the beauty of the final project, but about the unique transformation of the wood they use.
I cannot shake the feeling that a project crafted from reclaimed lumber bought at a retail store will have lost part of its essence.
Yes, these boards will give your project a rustic and weathered appearance, but will it be a true reclaimed wood project?
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I suppose the same question comes up in baking. Is a cake homemade if you use a mix?
In any case, more options for woodworkers is still a good thing in my book. While a lot of woodworkers will head to the lumberyard to hand-pick boards for their projects, there are guys like me that are just as happy ordering lumber from the internet.
Jon
Wow, quite the price. I’m all for reclaiming lumber, but that’s 3x the cost of new white/red oak at my local hardwood supplier (4/4 common runs ~$2/bd ft). I can understand the appeal of used boards for certain projects, but buying lumber from barn demos, etc is cheaper than this. I hope they ran metal detectors over it and removed any other metal bits too!
Stuart
Actually, Rockler recommends going over the wood with a metal detector, as there could be nails or metal bits embedded in the wood.
Esther
*there could be
Stuart
Fixed, thanks!
Jerry
One thing I might add, truck deck floor, is about the highest quality, most knot-free wood you will find short of cabinet grade wood.
Our local lumberyard supplies wood for a few people who do restoration work on antique wagons and buggies, and their ‘wagon grade’ oak lumber is about 4-5 times what just a comparable oak board would be. I could see this being used in a repair such as that, whe the boards would already have that aged look.
Fred
They are probably glad they scored a bunch of it and know they will sell it, even if it takes a while. Not much different than getting any other exclusive product, this just isn’t new. I can’t say I think Rockler is the good guy, making this somewhat easy to salvage wood available, or the bad guy, who should charge less for old wood but yes they’re bothering to salvage and store it. I’m kind of in the middle, all the above is true. It is what it is.
I like the idea that it’s part of the story of America, even if it’s viewed as taking the easy way out, I’m sure the wood will make plenty of amazing projects.
mnoswad1
This is the problem with “reclaimed wood” “rescue animals” and “repurposed furniture”
Its all just old shit that nobody else wanted and with some marketing behind it we are fooled into paying more for it to make ourselves feel better and to impress our friends.
I will never pay more for used wood than new……period.
Yes, reclaimed wood at retail for 3 times the price of new is absurd.
Allen
I hunt upland birds. The best dog I have ever hunted behind came from a rescue place. I have hunted behind some very good, very expensive dogs.
Ya gotta be careful with generalities. But yes, old truck floors for more than new is a little over the top. There’s a salvage yard near me with a bunch of trailer rigs, I might approach him and see if we can make a deal.
mnoswad1
You’ve read into my comments without seeing the point………rescue dog = dog from the dog pound. Unless you climbed up a ladder and rescued a dog from a burning house fire, or found it on the street with a broken leg yourself………its not a “rescue”, its from a dog pound. And if its a N0-Kill shelter……..then how is that a rescue?
“Rescue” is the politically correct trendy word for dog pound, just like “repurposed” actually means scrap junk.
The best friend I ever had came from a the local dog pound.
Porphyre
I agree completely. If you read Rockler’s page, it’s 100% marketing. The wood is burned “from where the bolts were torched out”. The back side has “rusty bands from the trailers” and various sentences about “this wood is used to moving”.
I just suddenly realized what gets my goat about this. It’s living by proxy.
Using reclaimed stuff is fine by me as long as you have a connection. It’s wood from YOUR barn or 100 year old house – or your mom’s or grandpa’s or whatever. But building a table out of 150 year old barn wood you got from some supplier somewhere is just you trying to collect some reflected glory from the 150 years that barn lived. You didn’t work those fields or build that barn. Someone else did and you’re living by proxy.
Hang Fire
You’re right, but ever seen American Pickers? 100% of their customers (which they never show) are wealthy people who are trying to buy their way into the American legacy of labor and industry, by decorating their homes and restored barns with repurposed articles and antique signage.
There’s a market for that stuff, maybe not a big market, but a wealthy market.
Pencil Neck
The only thing missing are the terms “organic” or “free range”, then we can feel really good about ourselves when we purchase it.
Martin C.
It says sold out on their website,
so someone or some have already bought everything.
Master Kai
Not absurd bud , this material is priced comparative to American walnut , I have thousands of feet of this stuff and have mastered the process of working with it .
Also have mastered the most desired colors that cannot be matched with and other wood products.
The story behind the material has nothing to do with it , it’s the color , texture , character . My customers pay twice the price you see here . Most of the hobbyist posting here don’t know product at all .
Rockler will be jacking price soon because they won’t be able to keep up with orders , get it while you can because they won’t have it long . I just read a post they sold out ,Im getting ready to hook them up soon and y’all will have to pay what it’s really worth
Ken Marsh
The Route 66 connection is beyond tenuous.
rob
I think this is only the beginning. I wouldn’t be surprised to start seeing some regional chains add “reclaimed” wood to their mix as well. There are many do it yourself people out there that don’t truly know where to source these types of items. Not everywhere in the country has reclaimed readily available to the average homeowner. I know in my area there is one reclaimed retailer about an hour away that advertises all the time on the radio so I doubt their prices are cheap.
These type of items match up to what many “fans” see on DIY and HGTV shows when they show a great floor or feature wall made from reclaimed products. In the last few years look how popular used pallets have become, for years their main use seemed to be as firewood in the winter.
Yadda
Regardless of the source, it is reclaimed. In the past it would have been burned or added to a land fill. Hopefully the metal parts of the trailers were also reclaimed. The Route 66 designation is disingenuous, but much of marketing is “hype”.
Noah
In Detroit and beyond they tear down 80 year old wood framed homes every day. Maybe Rockler can “reclaim” some of that wood and sell it.
joe
I am not a hippie at all, but I wish people stop having a fancy for real wood and start “loving” the idea that trees should stop being used for furniture and something to admire just based on it’s “grain”.
MDF, and the like particle woods, are the ugly ducklins in the wood world…but only wood grain has the appeal…uhhhh! all woods painted white or black look the same to me…even particle boards….which they all serve their purpose…
It’s a good thing this is being reclaimed for those “wood grain addicts” cus they are being catered.
It’s complicated with prime price VS cheaper….prime price because it takes money to recover and what not and cheap because it is “stoled” sort of speak. But buying cheap only encourages cheating and bad behavior….if that was to work….lets all buy cheap stuff from people that steal….you find a lot of those in craigslist….expect to buy a brand new tool for 40% of the original price….if cheap is to be encouraged…lets all buy from the black market…
if you cannot tell, i’m not a fan of those wood lovers…:)
Biff Tanner
The Route 66 tie in was the first hint that this was marketing in overdrive. Ever been on the old Route 66? It’s Americana at its worst. Most of it is towns that died 50 years ago and Dollar General stores. Btw, my father worked for a construction trailer company that made high dollar trailers, the wood they used for the decks was a high grade South American hardwood.
Miss Franciene
Wood is everywhere. I have found redwood oak cherry and common pine in the form of funiture people are throwing out on trash day. Its not as common as it used to be. I think is good that rockler is doing this. And there making big money to boot. But is way to expensive for me.
Master Kai
Negative post here is incredible and complete nonsense . y’all know nothing about the product