# Carpentry question. What can I build with . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340 "2003-09-18T10:22:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Peter\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/1 "2003-09-18T10:22:29Z")
. . . about a dozen four ft. sections of 4" tongue and groove flooring. They came from a house built in the 1880s by my wife’s grandparents. When that house was torn down to make room for a newer one, some of the flooring was salvaged for use as slats in a bed her father built. I’m using the rest of the bed (ash) to make a bookcase, and would really like to make something special for her with the slats. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/2 "2003-09-18T10:31:29Z")
A coffee table? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/3 "2003-09-18T10:33:45Z")
Or perhaps a nice little blanket box. ---
**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/4 "2003-09-18T10:44:16Z")
I think that you can build a death ray; the plans should be somewhere in the archive… ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Peter\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/5 "2003-09-18T10:51:44Z")
\*coffee table check \*blanket chest making up a rough drawing \*death ray -good thing plans are available because it sounds like it exceeds my sketching ability ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/6 "2003-09-18T11:18:26Z")
Point the first: Suggest thread movement to IMHO. Point the second: Dunno 'bout a blanket chest, per se. You’ve got only about 16 square ft of material, which makes a relatively small box. Add in some scrap allowance and the interior dimensions wind up pretty small. How about we call it a hope chest? Point the third: How about a matching set of knick-knack shelves that you hang on the wall? I suggest this because I did something similar, using a salvaged drawer from an old bowfront dresser as the main structure and flooring for the shelves. It holds our CDs, which is perhaps a more prosaic usage than something special that you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/7 "2003-09-18T13:38:36Z")
I was thinking the same thing **zut**. 16 sq. ft. is not a whole lot. I think a nice coffe table (using the slats for the top and finding other material for bracing and legs) or soem nice shelves are your best bet. If it’s particularly nice wood you could select the best pieces and consider a jewelry and use the rest for maybe a cutting board for the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Peter\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/8 "2003-09-18T19:20:56Z")
Not sure what type of wood as it’s been weathered silvery grey (how do I find out by the way?). It’s still very solid though. A curio shelf or shadow box would be good, and the chest idea might work if I substituted cedar for the bottom panel in a plan like [this](http://lightning.prohosting.com/~vin/BlanketChestPlans.htmlhttp://lightning.prohosting.com/~vin/BlanketChestPlans.html) one. I have no problem with planing or sanding it back to remove the patina. ---
**Author:** ![Svt4Him](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@Svt4Him](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svt4Him)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/9 "2003-09-18T19:56:49Z")
Don’t know what you could build, but MacGyver could build a MiG from it, and 007 could use it to rob Fort Knox. ---
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/10 "2003-09-18T20:18:18Z")
Sawdust is easy to make, and anyone can do it. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpentry-question-what-can-i-build-with/202340/11 "2003-09-18T20:34:07Z")
I’d go for a jewelry box or some such. Wood gets used up fast in any project so aim low. To identify the wood sand or plane off some end grain and some face grain. My guess is the type of wood won’t be important since the sentimental value demands that you use this wood. You could also go for the blanket chest sort of thing if you just use the show wood for the top.