I’ve picked up some interesting oddities of late that I’ll take some pictures of, but the non-exhaustive list includes a huge 45-degree steel pipe flange that would make an interesting light, an ancient projector, two large wood pulleys, a beautiful very well-worn cobbler’s bench (from the Coolidge family; yes, that Coolidge) that could make a fantastic Edison chandelier, an oxen yoke (also Coolidge), hay forks, and even a lid to an in-ground kitchen scraps container.
I’ve been milling a little as well. I replaced the very out-of-place 2″ by 6″ pine mantel in my dining room with a 4″ thick piece of spalted birch. It may hold a world-record (well, maybe town-record) for shortest distance moved for a finished work; the birch stood less than 30′ from my fireplace. I’ve also milled some Eastern Cedar; it has the most amazing purple heartwood. Finally, I’ve squared (very roughly) a maple stump. You can see the picture below with latex paint on the end-grain to limit cracking during the drying process. They say it takes a year per inch of wood; I don’t think I have the patience to wait 9 years for this to dry…
Patch Hill Forge 