I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained quite a bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I thought this might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food processing tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick and perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I was looking for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and what the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained quite a bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I thought this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food processing tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I was looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and what the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office this morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels all over the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to re-process into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the magazine was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info, however.

You are on the right message board - your friend could try advertising
in Woodenboat magazine.

Asking price is hard to figure but could be anywhere from 25k to 200k it
just depends on how bad someone wants it.



be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food processing tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick and

perfectly

clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I was looking

for

any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and what the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained quite a
bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I thought this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food processing tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I was looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and what the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office this morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels all over the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to re-process into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the magazine was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info, however.

Saw the September issure of "This Old House" magazine at Wal-Mart,
tonight, and that is the issue the story is in.

Thanks for the tip - I'll run out and get the magazine
"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained quite a
bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I thought this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food processing
tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I was
looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and what
the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office this
morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels all over the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to re-process into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the magazine was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info, however.

Saw the September issure of "This Old House" magazine at Wal-Mart,
tonight, and that is the issue the story is in.

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the tips.
(I've noted the spelling - and I'm embarrassed)
The tanks are still intact and he's trying to decide how to handle the
project of dismantling the tanks and selling the wood.
I don't think there would be a problem with selling the lumber in several
lots.
I looked at the tanks yesterday and 3 of the smaller tanks are Redwood. (in
addition to the 50K board feet of Cypress)
The Cypress varied a lot in width 3" - 12" (vast majority being in the
8-10" wide)
The lighting wasn't great, but didn't see a single knot and the grain was
straight.
The interior of the tanks were lined with plywood and then fiberglass -
(they couldn't get the fiberglass to adhere to the cypress - thank goodness)
The tanks are in upstate NY between Rochester and Syracuse.
Gregg

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Where were you when I was building wooden boats? Cypress (note
spelling) is wonderful stuff. Aside from an ad in Woodenboat, I would
write to all of the lumber dealers that advertise there and see if
they're interested. 50,000 feet is a lot for one project.

You might also try Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding
(www.tanuton.com).

Where is it? I could be interested in part of it for Fintry
(www.mvfintry.com).

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Thanks for the tip - I'll run out and get the magazine
"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained
quite a
bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I thought
this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food processing
tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I was
looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and
what
the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office this
morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels all over
the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to re-process
into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the magazine
was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info,
however.

Saw the September issure of "This Old House" magazine at Wal-Mart,
tonight, and that is the issue the story is in.

Gregg:

A real question... If the cypress is good, then taking it apart
deserves considerable care. I won't start negotiating here, but at a
dollar a board foot, that's $50,000. Multiply by a real price and it
starts to look like a lot of money. I couldn't find a lot of pricing
on the Web, but I would wildly guess that perfectly clear straight
grain 8/4 old cypress might go for $3 a board foot in the narrow
widths and double that for the wides, but that's really just a guess.

If it's not good, hire a bulldozer....


Questions:
How is the plywood attached to the cypress? If it's nailed on, that's
a real problem, because getting all the steel out would be very
difficult. Most commercial mills that you or your buyer might take it
to will not work lumber that has metal in it -- blades are too
vulnerable and too expensive.

If it's glued on, that's not so bad, provided the glue line can be
broken, or the glue can be machined off. Again, there are some glues
that are so hard on blades that it could be a problem.

Also, asbestos was used as a filler in some glues in the past. Anyone
machining this stuff is going to want to know that there are no
environmental problems.

The glass is also a question. If the whole mass is well adhered, then
it will be a mess to get apart -- my best bet would be a band resaw,
probably taking a little of the cypress to avoid hitting the plywood
or glass.

Finally, what, if anything, has the food done to the wood? It might
be nothing -- the plywood and glass kept it out. It might be
wonderful -- strange and wonderful colors and patterns, while not
hurting the cypress. Or, it might be awful -- horrible colors, rot, a
real mess. Does it smell? Will it take a finish? What was the food
chemistry (pickles in vinegar, for example)?

How are the planks aligned around the circle (I assume these are
circular tubs?). Most likely they are tongue and groove. For most
uses the T&G is waste width and would be milled off, but that's better
than if there's metal in there. With random widths, my guess would be
that they aren't edge nailed, but if they are, that's trouble.

If I were the owner, the next thing I'd do is put on a full face
shield, a dust mask, helmet, and heavy clothing. Take a chain saw and
saw out a couple of boards along the joint lines. Understand that you
might make a real mess of the chain and all sorts of stuff (steel,
glass, asbestos, etc.) could come flying out. Most of the questions
above can then be answered, although you'll need a lab to be sure that
there aren't any environmental problems. Also, of course, someone with
credentials to tell you which of the several cypress species it really
is.


Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


"Gregg" wrote in message et...
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the tips.
(I've noted the spelling - and I'm embarrassed)
The tanks are still intact and he's trying to decide how to handle the
project of dismantling the tanks and selling the wood.
I don't think there would be a problem with selling the lumber in several
lots.
I looked at the tanks yesterday and 3 of the smaller tanks are Redwood. (in
addition to the 50K board feet of Cypress)
The Cypress varied a lot in width 3" - 12" (vast majority being in the
8-10" wide)
The lighting wasn't great, but didn't see a single knot and the grain was
straight.
The interior of the tanks were lined with plywood and then fiberglass -
(they couldn't get the fiberglass to adhere to the cypress - thank goodness)
The tanks are in upstate NY between Rochester and Syracuse.
Gregg

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Where were you when I was building wooden boats? Cypress (note
spelling) is wonderful stuff. Aside from an ad in Woodenboat, I would
write to all of the lumber dealers that advertise there and see if
they're interested. 50,000 feet is a lot for one project.

You might also try Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding
(www.tanuton.com).

Where is it? I could be interested in part of it for Fintry
(www.mvfintry.com).

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Thanks for the tip - I'll run out and get the magazine
"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained
quite a
bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I thought
this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food processing
tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I was
looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and
what
the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office this
morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels all over
the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to re-process
into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the magazine
was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info,
however.

Saw the September issure of "This Old House" magazine at Wal-Mart,
tonight, and that is the issue the story is in.

Hi Jim,

Thanks again for the information.- it's really appreciated
I never thought about asbestos as a filler - fortunately the fiberglass was
installed not very long ago (post asbestos) to meet code -I guess?
I was told the tanks were still good at the time they were coated.
The new owner was fortunate enough to find one of the original plant
maintenance people who was around when they installed the fiber-glass.
Apparently they tacked the plywood in place with very few nails (as yet to
be seen).
These tanks were in service just 2 years ago and have been in use since
1920's, they were filled on and off for one - two months a year during the
cabbage harvest.
The pickling solution, however, is acidic. I have no idea what cabbage does
to the pH of vinegar though.
Have you ever smelled a rotting cabbage field? -WHEW!!! it's better than
coffee for giving you kick start on the morning drive.
I didn't smell any by the tanks but it could have been masked by our own
group.
With any luck - the wood will be OK - we're keeping our fingers crossed
We plan on dismantling one tank in October (this is NY you need all the
right permits etc....) to provide samples of the wood for evaluation.
If we find anything other than what we expect - we'll get it analyzed.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) there're a lot engineering degrees floating
around the crew that will dismantle it and (most important) a good deal of
farm boy experience (and some with both). Everybody is keeping safety a
priority so any advice or warnings you can share are greatly appreciated.
Gregg

..


We're the process of figuring out the best way to dismant
"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Gregg:

A real question... If the cypress is good, then taking it apart
deserves considerable care. I won't start negotiating here, but at a
dollar a board foot, that's $50,000. Multiply by a real price and it
starts to look like a lot of money. I couldn't find a lot of pricing
on the Web, but I would wildly guess that perfectly clear straight
grain 8/4 old cypress might go for $3 a board foot in the narrow
widths and double that for the wides, but that's really just a guess.

If it's not good, hire a bulldozer....


Questions:
How is the plywood attached to the cypress? If it's nailed on, that's
a real problem, because getting all the steel out would be very
difficult. Most commercial mills that you or your buyer might take it
to will not work lumber that has metal in it -- blades are too
vulnerable and too expensive.

If it's glued on, that's not so bad, provided the glue line can be
broken, or the glue can be machined off. Again, there are some glues
that are so hard on blades that it could be a problem.

Also, asbestos was used as a filler in some glues in the past. Anyone
machining this stuff is going to want to know that there are no
environmental problems.

The glass is also a question. If the whole mass is well adhered, then
it will be a mess to get apart -- my best bet would be a band resaw,
probably taking a little of the cypress to avoid hitting the plywood
or glass.

Finally, what, if anything, has the food done to the wood? It might
be nothing -- the plywood and glass kept it out. It might be
wonderful -- strange and wonderful colors and patterns, while not
hurting the cypress. Or, it might be awful -- horrible colors, rot, a
real mess. Does it smell? Will it take a finish? What was the food
chemistry (pickles in vinegar, for example)?

How are the planks aligned around the circle (I assume these are
circular tubs?). Most likely they are tongue and groove. For most
uses the T&G is waste width and would be milled off, but that's better
than if there's metal in there. With random widths, my guess would be
that they aren't edge nailed, but if they are, that's trouble.

If I were the owner, the next thing I'd do is put on a full face
shield, a dust mask, helmet, and heavy clothing. Take a chain saw and
saw out a couple of boards along the joint lines. Understand that you
might make a real mess of the chain and all sorts of stuff (steel,
glass, asbestos, etc.) could come flying out. Most of the questions
above can then be answered, although you'll need a lab to be sure that
there aren't any environmental problems. Also, of course, someone with
credentials to tell you which of the several cypress species it really
is.


Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the tips.
(I've noted the spelling - and I'm embarrassed)
The tanks are still intact and he's trying to decide how to handle the
project of dismantling the tanks and selling the wood.
I don't think there would be a problem with selling the lumber in
several
lots.
I looked at the tanks yesterday and 3 of the smaller tanks are Redwood.
(in
addition to the 50K board feet of Cypress)
The Cypress varied a lot in width 3" - 12" (vast majority being in the
8-10" wide)
The lighting wasn't great, but didn't see a single knot and the grain
was
straight.
The interior of the tanks were lined with plywood and then fiberglass -
(they couldn't get the fiberglass to adhere to the cypress - thank
goodness)
The tanks are in upstate NY between Rochester and Syracuse.
Gregg

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Where were you when I was building wooden boats? Cypress (note
spelling) is wonderful stuff. Aside from an ad in Woodenboat, I would
write to all of the lumber dealers that advertise there and see if
they're interested. 50,000 feet is a lot for one project.

You might also try Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding
(www.tanuton.com).

Where is it? I could be interested in part of it for Fintry
(www.mvfintry.com).

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Thanks for the tip - I'll run out and get the magazine
"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained
quite a
bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I
thought
this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food
processing
tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick
and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I
was
looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and
what
the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office
this
morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels all
over
the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to
re-process
into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the
magazine
was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info,
however.

Saw the September issure of "This Old House" magazine at
Wal-Mart,
tonight, and that is the issue the story is in.

Yup. Pickles were my guess.

"Tacked in place with a very few nails". Good luck with the nails.
Spend significant time to remove them one by one. Don't let them
break off below the surface. While you might resaw with a band saw
that wouldn't be hurt too badly by small nails, when you get to
planing, even one leftover in fifty boards would be uneconomic. Metal
detectors are a standard accessory for this sort of work.

I just had another thought. There are companies that sell wood silos
for housing. You might find someone wanting to build a round room....

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Gregg" wrote in message et...
Hi Jim,

Thanks again for the information.- it's really appreciated
I never thought about asbestos as a filler - fortunately the fiberglass was
installed not very long ago (post asbestos) to meet code -I guess?
I was told the tanks were still good at the time they were coated.
The new owner was fortunate enough to find one of the original plant
maintenance people who was around when they installed the fiber-glass.
Apparently they tacked the plywood in place with very few nails (as yet to
be seen).
These tanks were in service just 2 years ago and have been in use since
1920's, they were filled on and off for one - two months a year during the
cabbage harvest.
The pickling solution, however, is acidic. I have no idea what cabbage does
to the pH of vinegar though.
Have you ever smelled a rotting cabbage field? -WHEW!!! it's better than
coffee for giving you kick start on the morning drive.
I didn't smell any by the tanks but it could have been masked by our own
group.
With any luck - the wood will be OK - we're keeping our fingers crossed
We plan on dismantling one tank in October (this is NY you need all the
right permits etc....) to provide samples of the wood for evaluation.
If we find anything other than what we expect - we'll get it analyzed.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) there're a lot engineering degrees floating
around the crew that will dismantle it and (most important) a good deal of
farm boy experience (and some with both). Everybody is keeping safety a
priority so any advice or warnings you can share are greatly appreciated.
Gregg

.


We're the process of figuring out the best way to dismant
"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Gregg:

A real question... If the cypress is good, then taking it apart
deserves considerable care. I won't start negotiating here, but at a
dollar a board foot, that's $50,000. Multiply by a real price and it
starts to look like a lot of money. I couldn't find a lot of pricing
on the Web, but I would wildly guess that perfectly clear straight
grain 8/4 old cypress might go for $3 a board foot in the narrow
widths and double that for the wides, but that's really just a guess.

If it's not good, hire a bulldozer....


Questions:
How is the plywood attached to the cypress? If it's nailed on, that's
a real problem, because getting all the steel out would be very
difficult. Most commercial mills that you or your buyer might take it
to will not work lumber that has metal in it -- blades are too
vulnerable and too expensive.

If it's glued on, that's not so bad, provided the glue line can be
broken, or the glue can be machined off. Again, there are some glues
that are so hard on blades that it could be a problem.

Also, asbestos was used as a filler in some glues in the past. Anyone
machining this stuff is going to want to know that there are no
environmental problems.

The glass is also a question. If the whole mass is well adhered, then
it will be a mess to get apart -- my best bet would be a band resaw,
probably taking a little of the cypress to avoid hitting the plywood
or glass.

Finally, what, if anything, has the food done to the wood? It might
be nothing -- the plywood and glass kept it out. It might be
wonderful -- strange and wonderful colors and patterns, while not
hurting the cypress. Or, it might be awful -- horrible colors, rot, a
real mess. Does it smell? Will it take a finish? What was the food
chemistry (pickles in vinegar, for example)?

How are the planks aligned around the circle (I assume these are
circular tubs?). Most likely they are tongue and groove. For most
uses the T&G is waste width and would be milled off, but that's better
than if there's metal in there. With random widths, my guess would be
that they aren't edge nailed, but if they are, that's trouble.

If I were the owner, the next thing I'd do is put on a full face
shield, a dust mask, helmet, and heavy clothing. Take a chain saw and
saw out a couple of boards along the joint lines. Understand that you
might make a real mess of the chain and all sorts of stuff (steel,
glass, asbestos, etc.) could come flying out. Most of the questions
above can then be answered, although you'll need a lab to be sure that
there aren't any environmental problems. Also, of course, someone with
credentials to tell you which of the several cypress species it really
is.


Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the tips.
(I've noted the spelling - and I'm embarrassed)
The tanks are still intact and he's trying to decide how to handle the
project of dismantling the tanks and selling the wood.
I don't think there would be a problem with selling the lumber in
several
lots.
I looked at the tanks yesterday and 3 of the smaller tanks are Redwood.
(in
addition to the 50K board feet of Cypress)
The Cypress varied a lot in width 3" - 12" (vast majority being in the
8-10" wide)
The lighting wasn't great, but didn't see a single knot and the grain
was
straight.
The interior of the tanks were lined with plywood and then fiberglass -
(they couldn't get the fiberglass to adhere to the cypress - thank
goodness)
The tanks are in upstate NY between Rochester and Syracuse.
Gregg

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Where were you when I was building wooden boats? Cypress (note
spelling) is wonderful stuff. Aside from an ad in Woodenboat, I would
write to all of the lumber dealers that advertise there and see if
they're interested. 50,000 feet is a lot for one project.

You might also try Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding
(www.tanuton.com).

Where is it? I could be interested in part of it for Fintry
(www.mvfintry.com).

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Thanks for the tip - I'll run out and get the magazine
"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and gained
quite a
bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I
thought
this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food
processing
tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5" thick
and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it. I
was
looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay) and
what
the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office
this
morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels all
over
the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to
re-process
into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the
magazine
was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info,
however.

Saw the September issure of "This Old House" magazine at
Wal-Mart,
tonight, and that is the issue the story is in.

- A room from a tank?
Well - there're certainly big enough - I never would have thought of that.
It's defiantly worth a look.
We were discussing what to do with metal containing boards just yesterday.
-Mostly looking for ways to remove any sunken nails without destroying the
wood.
(we didn't come up with any feasible solutions yet)
We'll take care to segregate any metal containing boards from the clean
ones.

Thanks for the help Jim
Regards,
Gregg

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Yup. Pickles were my guess.

"Tacked in place with a very few nails". Good luck with the nails.
Spend significant time to remove them one by one. Don't let them
break off below the surface. While you might resaw with a band saw
that wouldn't be hurt too badly by small nails, when you get to
planing, even one leftover in fifty boards would be uneconomic. Metal
detectors are a standard accessory for this sort of work.

I just had another thought. There are companies that sell wood silos
for housing. You might find someone wanting to build a round room....

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Hi Jim,

Thanks again for the information.- it's really appreciated
I never thought about asbestos as a filler - fortunately the fiberglass
was
installed not very long ago (post asbestos) to meet code -I guess?
I was told the tanks were still good at the time they were coated.
The new owner was fortunate enough to find one of the original plant
maintenance people who was around when they installed the fiber-glass.
Apparently they tacked the plywood in place with very few nails (as yet
to
be seen).
These tanks were in service just 2 years ago and have been in use since
1920's, they were filled on and off for one - two months a year during
the
cabbage harvest.
The pickling solution, however, is acidic. I have no idea what cabbage
does
to the pH of vinegar though.
Have you ever smelled a rotting cabbage field? -WHEW!!! it's better than
coffee for giving you kick start on the morning drive.
I didn't smell any by the tanks but it could have been masked by our own
group.
With any luck - the wood will be OK - we're keeping our fingers crossed
We plan on dismantling one tank in October (this is NY you need all the
right permits etc....) to provide samples of the wood for evaluation.
If we find anything other than what we expect - we'll get it analyzed.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) there're a lot engineering degrees
floating
around the crew that will dismantle it and (most important) a good deal
of
farm boy experience (and some with both). Everybody is keeping safety a
priority so any advice or warnings you can share are greatly
appreciated.
Gregg

.


We're the process of figuring out the best way to dismant
"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Gregg:

A real question... If the cypress is good, then taking it apart
deserves considerable care. I won't start negotiating here, but at a
dollar a board foot, that's $50,000. Multiply by a real price and it
starts to look like a lot of money. I couldn't find a lot of pricing
on the Web, but I would wildly guess that perfectly clear straight
grain 8/4 old cypress might go for $3 a board foot in the narrow
widths and double that for the wides, but that's really just a guess.

If it's not good, hire a bulldozer....


Questions:
How is the plywood attached to the cypress? If it's nailed on, that's
a real problem, because getting all the steel out would be very
difficult. Most commercial mills that you or your buyer might take it
to will not work lumber that has metal in it -- blades are too
vulnerable and too expensive.

If it's glued on, that's not so bad, provided the glue line can be
broken, or the glue can be machined off. Again, there are some glues
that are so hard on blades that it could be a problem.

Also, asbestos was used as a filler in some glues in the past. Anyone
machining this stuff is going to want to know that there are no
environmental problems.

The glass is also a question. If the whole mass is well adhered, then
it will be a mess to get apart -- my best bet would be a band resaw,
probably taking a little of the cypress to avoid hitting the plywood
or glass.

Finally, what, if anything, has the food done to the wood? It might
be nothing -- the plywood and glass kept it out. It might be
wonderful -- strange and wonderful colors and patterns, while not
hurting the cypress. Or, it might be awful -- horrible colors, rot, a
real mess. Does it smell? Will it take a finish? What was the food
chemistry (pickles in vinegar, for example)?

How are the planks aligned around the circle (I assume these are
circular tubs?). Most likely they are tongue and groove. For most
uses the T&G is waste width and would be milled off, but that's better
than if there's metal in there. With random widths, my guess would be
that they aren't edge nailed, but if they are, that's trouble.

If I were the owner, the next thing I'd do is put on a full face
shield, a dust mask, helmet, and heavy clothing. Take a chain saw and
saw out a couple of boards along the joint lines. Understand that you
might make a real mess of the chain and all sorts of stuff (steel,
glass, asbestos, etc.) could come flying out. Most of the questions
above can then be answered, although you'll need a lab to be sure that
there aren't any environmental problems. Also, of course, someone with
credentials to tell you which of the several cypress species it really
is.


Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the tips.
(I've noted the spelling - and I'm embarrassed)
The tanks are still intact and he's trying to decide how to handle
the
project of dismantling the tanks and selling the wood.
I don't think there would be a problem with selling the lumber in
several
lots.
I looked at the tanks yesterday and 3 of the smaller tanks are
Redwood.
(in
addition to the 50K board feet of Cypress)
The Cypress varied a lot in width 3" - 12" (vast majority being in
the
8-10" wide)
The lighting wasn't great, but didn't see a single knot and the
grain
was
straight.
The interior of the tanks were lined with plywood and then
fiberglass -
(they couldn't get the fiberglass to adhere to the cypress - thank
goodness)
The tanks are in upstate NY between Rochester and Syracuse.
Gregg

"Jim Woodward" wrote in message
om...
Where were you when I was building wooden boats? Cypress (note
spelling) is wonderful stuff. Aside from an ad in Woodenboat, I
would
write to all of the lumber dealers that advertise there and see if
they're interested. 50,000 feet is a lot for one project.

You might also try Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding
(www.tanuton.com).

Where is it? I could be interested in part of it for Fintry
(www.mvfintry.com).

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

"Gregg" wrote in message
et...
Thanks for the tip - I'll run out and get the magazine
"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Tom or Barb" wrote in message
...

"Gregg" wrote in message
t...
I've been lurking around this news group for awhile and
gained
quite a
bit
of good information that helped me build my first boat.
There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people here so I
thought
this
might
be a good place to post this question.
I have a friend who purchased a building with old food
processing
tanks
(1920's) made from Cyprus.
The Cyprus boards are 12-13' long 6-10" wide and 2"-2.5"
thick
and
perfectly
clear.
He has about 50,000 board feet and would like to sell it.
I
was
looking
for
any suggestions on where he could start (other than e-bay)
and
what
the
(ball park) asking price should be.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gregg

Was reading This Old House magazine in the doctor's office
this
morning;
and there was an article about a man (company) who travels
all
over
the
world buying up old lumber (including old wine casks) to
re-process
into
flooring for houses. Unfortunately, I didn't notice if the
magazine
was
this month's issue. It shouldn't be hard to find that info,
however.

Saw the September issure of "This Old House" magazine at
Wal-Mart,
tonight, and that is the issue the story is in.