Unusual uses for wood

Rob-GB

Rob-GB

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A visit to the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset UK, brought this one to light.

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Caught in a fishing net off the south coast in 1972, covered in sea growths, it was inspected by a bomb disposal team, who reported only hearing the munching of marine worms when checking it with a stethoscope.  [laughing]
It turned out to be a practice torpedo from the 1940's. Although the coloring of it looks like oak a close look by yours truly has deduced it is Douglas Fir.

Anyone got some other examples of unusual wooden things?

Rob.
 
During WW2, the Germans set up some fake airfields to draw away the Allied bombers from the real fields. They even had wood-and-fabric planes on trolleys and soldiers, who drove around with trucks to show activity. But the Allies were not fooled. From reconnaissance flights and the Underground they knew it all. And they did a few bomb runs with wooden bombs.
 
Somewhere in my slide carousels are some pictures of wooden water pipes. These also are from WWII - I photographed them on Attu Island.  They are either hexagonal or octagonal, and are wire-bound; made out of redwood if I recall correctly and with an i.d. of about 8 inches.  My understanding is that wooden pipes were not uncommon 60-120 years ago, but it would be exceedingly rare to find them today.
 
WarnerConstCo. said:
Wood gutters.
Click to expand...

They're not that unusual, at least here in the UK. There are thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of homes here with wooden guttering. Mainly low-cost terraced housing, built from around 1880 to 1900. I'm typing this in a house with wooden gutters.
 
yeah i worked in places with wooden gutter, they last years. Also have to be replaced with wooden gutters aswell as often they are in conservation areas
 
 
The shakers used logs with holes cored down the middle for pipes too.  Had some on display at the Shaker Museum in Mass.

Best,
Todd
 
Thanks for those guys, there must be some more, possibly weird uses  [scared]
I heard a rumour that one of the early American presidents had wooden dentures, if so what wood was used?

Rob.
 
Wooden dentures were quite common in the past, but I'd have thought a president would be able to afford better ones.
 
One of my most favorite clients is an author and expert on American presidents.  I will ask him tomorrow.

He was involved in TV and advertising as TV was in its infancy.  He has had a life that is unbelievable.  He even was a sensor for the tv show Saturday Night Live from the second season on to the ...

Wooden dentures will be researched.

Peter
 
I love the steam punk robots!

Here is a nice wood item, 20.00 for the keyboard and mouse:

 
My grandfather worked for a company in Cleveland that made packing crates for parts for Ford cars.  The specifications were very tight as to dimensions and pre-drilled hole sizes and locations.  When the crates were filled and trucked to the Ford plant, inspectors would check the crates very closely.  If the crates were not made exactly right, the whole shipment was rejected, unopened.  Turns out that Ford was using the broken-down crates as floorboards for Model T cars. 

 
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