Quickie Work Bench : A table from six scraps

Last year I pulled these six scrap boards from of a dumpster behind an old Ingles. They're pretty badly cupped but otherwise solid, hard yellow pine 2x12s.

 

It's amazing what people get rid of during a tear-out.

I squared up the boards and made some rips.

All of the wood for this project is stacked on the left. The only scraps are on the right.

You may have noticed that for way too long I have worked without a bench. Cuts were made out on the deck and most pieces were assembled on the floor.

So this is long overdue. 

 It's a simple design from scrap lumber and it went together quickly. If every project could be like this...

 I won't be making any more cuts out here.

This helper really digs it.

 He also helped me install additional bracing from the leftover cutoffs.

Little known fact about furniture biology: tables asexually reproduce more tables. It's a fascinating life cycle.
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Paulownia bed legs and the Big Eyed Elater

My landlord cut down an invasive tree on our property and I snatched up some pieces a while back.

 It took some time to ID it, but I have arrived at Paulownia, or Princess tree. It is native to China and grows at an alarming rate. I had already decided it would make great legs for my daughter's new loft bed before I learned of Paulownia's traditional uses in China and Japan. One tradition is to plant one when a daughter is born. It will mature when she does and the tree is then cut and carved into various items as wedding gifts. Most common of these is a chest or dresser.

 Paulownia sports enormous heart-shaped leaves.

 (preparing to rip it down the middle)

(mark for the outside rip)

 I discovered the heart wood is much like styrofoam. Growth rings would indicate this tree is only 3 or 4 years old - it was at least twenty feet tall and this wasn't the thickest part of the trunk.

Then I had a startling encounter:

 A very large beetle flew up onto the porch.

 It is the Big Eyed Elater, a beautiful click bug over 2 inches long!

 And back to work . . .

 I split the two halves and used a grinder to debark the quarters.

 Magic oil!

 (the oiled posts have a nice luster)

These posts will be used to elevate a donated bed. It hasn't arrived yet, but when the time comes I will use more of the same Paulownia for the ladder and railings.