old wooden 'scaffolding plank'

This big 'ole thing was made as a workman's plank, for use with scaffolding (or ladder jacks, etc.) to allow working space thereon while otherwise hanging in midair. Nowadays of course, such things are made of metal with all manner of clamps/safety apparatus attached by federal regulation, <rolleyes> but 'back in the day' things like these were the norm...just start putting the scaffolding together, sling a few of these across it every so often where needed, and "be smart enough to notice if one of 'em gets bumped and is close to falling off" and/or "not to bump somebody else's such to knock it off" when you eventually go to work standing on it... <sigh>

It measures about 6-1/2' long and 12" wide overall. It is made in an interesting fashion, consisting of two identical parts of 6 long wood slats (about 1" x 1-1/2" x 6') all fastened together at one end with a couple large crosswise bolts and slightly wider short 'spacer blocks' between them. One of those two parts was then flipped end for end and nested into another, with a pair of iron brackets riveted across their surfaces thru the 'loose ends' of the slats a few inches from their ends. Quite a clever design actually, no doubt providing superior weight-holding strength (vs. 2X12's, or whatever) as well as the ability to quickly drain liquids (rain?) and all probably ultimately more lightweight than big solid boards of similar size.

Anyways. This one is now destined to become a "shelf" somewhere around the house instead, as soon as I manage to find some new spot around here where I can actually put up another 6-foot long shelf...? <groan><headdesk>