The five by twelve timbers used in the coffee table were salvaged from the old “McCracken” house in, formerly, Cache Idaho. The original log cabin was built with these timbers stacked on edge. The newspapers that were tacked to the walls, as an early form of vapor barrier, dated back to 1898 which is probably around when the house was constructed. The Lodgepole pine trees from which these beams were cut were undoubtedly old growth and felled in the nearby Teton forests. These timbers were ‘rough sawn’ or ‘circle sawn’ – milled with a large circular blade. The original arced saw marks are still visible on the surface of the wood. It has been lightly sanded and coated with a beeswax finish. These timbers are assembled using a single large dovetail joint. No glue used in the assembly.

The wood used in the coffee table center panel and base are reclaimed 2″ x 6″ rough sawn Douglas fir. The heart wood or center portion of the tree is pink or red which deepens to brownish red patina with age. The sapwood or outside portions of the tree exhibit the blond coloration. These particular pieces were salvaged from a barn in Southern Idaho. They were framing inside the barn.

The pictures below show the old house from which the five by twelve inch timbers were salvaged.