The old adage, "What's one man's garbage is another man's treasure." applies to the lumber industry practices of old. Born-Again Boards scours the woods to find logs left from turn-of-the-century logging shows. In the old days, only the cream of the crop was removed from the woods. Logs with "flaws," such as splits, curly wood, or twisted trunks, were left behind, as well as the thinner tops of trees. These remnants have remained intact because of redwood's amazing resistance to rotting.

Right: This ancient McCulloch chainsaw is powerful enough to drive a five foot bar. Shown here are Bill and Josh Hoopes. Photo by Gary Lynch.

Left: Bill, Josh, and Geoff Hoopes pack a 175 pound plank to the shaping room. Photo by Gary Lynch.

Right: Bill, Mike Duncan, and Jerry Hendrickson saw on a log that had likely been sitting in the woods since the early 1900's. The slabs cut from this 6 feet in diameter log were 10' long and 3 1/2"; thick, weighing over 250 pounds before they were trimmed. Photos by Chris Hoopes.

The Alaskan Sawmill has proven to be an indespensible tool for Born-Again Boards.