Rescue battered wood - Pallets and pallet stock are cheap (or free) and
easy to come by. Look for untreated specimens at construction sites, community
colleges, buildings under renovation, or shipping warehouses and plane them
down and/or kiln-dry them in a homemade kiln-dryer to uncover their hidden
beauty. You can then resell the wood as is or even turn it into beautiful
furniture. (Be sure to advertise that the wood is “reclaimed,” as people are
often willing to pay much more for this.)