Wood has been an important building component for humankind for millennia. It has been burned to warm and cook, split into boards to build shelters and sculpted into shapes to express an artistic flair. But, little thought is given to wood as a packing and shipping material.
This page from Wikipedia covers – very briefly – the history of wooden packing crates. From carrying ammunition for wars to be waged to the medical supplies that have cured diseases, wooden packing crates have been there, done that. In fact, during the heyday of wooden packing crates, many hobby woodworkers got their start using delivered crates as their material of choice.
Today, most shipping crates are made of cardboard or plastic, but there is a brisk business in classic wooden crates on eBay and other auction sites. They are definitely a piece of history.
And, there’s post No. 994.
Tom –
I love old packing crates. They just look great. Plus depending on what they were used to contain, they can be a good conversation starter. I had a couple of ammo crates that I would haul things to and from college. One day a friend nearly freaked out saying I can’t have guns in the dorms. I opened them to show her they only had art supplies. 🙂
Jonathan
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ALL the wood I use for my projects once was in the form of shipping crates.
Once you get the hang of removing the nails without too much damage, and filling or cutting around the holes, it’s easy peasy.
(and it cuts down on expensive mistakes.)
Although I may make an exception and order in the near future from Bell Forest Products.
After you turned me on to them, I looked around their site.
Wowza! there are some mighty pretty woods there.
Thanks Tom.