Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 60 – Softwoods 101 Softwoods and YouSoftwoods. These woods get overlooked a lot because they are deemed not as durable or stable as hardwoods. The softwoods types are actually pretty limited when compared to the thousands of hardwoods.  With the softwoods we are really only looking at 100 or fewer […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 59 – Pressure Treated Wood, Rot, and Dimensional Terms Pressure Treated Lumber VarietiesIn this episode I talk about pressure treated lumber.  Specifically what differences you can expect between Southern Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir.  Somewhat related to treated lumber, I define wood rot and draw the distinction between bug eaten […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 58 – Wood Spalting and Staining Wood Spalting vs StainingSpalting is rotting wood caused by fungus but is much more defined than staining from fungus.  Usually spalting follows the grain lines, rotting the softer early wood and tracing along the harder late wood making those dark “ink” lines commonly associated […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 57 – Steaming Lumber for Color Wood Movement, Extractives, and Drying VentilationThis episode I talk about lumber steaming but answer a few questions along the way to help us understand what is happening during the steaming.  Industry NewsLignia couldn’t find new investors and is bought by Accoya who kills the competitive […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 56 – Lumber Seasons and Hickory Varieties Hickory Varieties…Or is it Pecan?In this episode I discuss the seasonality of the lumber industry, mold on your drying boards, Hickory varieties, wood movement during the build, fishing lure woods, and woods we see every day but may not know about.Industry NewsCanada’s version […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 55 – Lumber Prices…Yet Again Lumber Prices Dropping but still highOn this episode I’m revisiting lumber prices yet again as the craziness may be nearing an end. But I predict pricing will never return to pre COVID levels. It seems the Fed agrees with me too. There are so many […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 54 – How Can We Stretch Our Lumber Farther “Clear” Lumber Creates WasteIn this episode I follow up on some exterior wood questions for a dock and wax poetic about Ipe and Cumaru. Then I get into a heated discussion about wood for a sauna and finally wrap up with […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 53 – Modified Wood & Engineered Wood Engineered Woods vs Modified WoodsEngineered woods are a destructive and additive process where you have to start with saw dust or some form thereof and then assemble it into your finished product like MDF, particle board, OSV, or even plywood.  Modified woods start […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 52 – Exterior Woods What Makes the Best Exterior Woods?Choosing the right exterior woods for your projects doesn’t have to be difficult when you understand the factors that make a good outdoor wood. In this episode we discuss the 5-6 factors that make a good exterior woods.Tyloses Content  (White Oak […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 50 – The Mahoganies One Name, Many SpeciesWhen you say Mahogany you think luxury and fine furniture.  Maybe you think Ron Burgundy…or is that just me?  Regardless the species is synonymous with high quality and fine craftsmanship.  So is it any wonder that the name gets attached to hundred of […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 49 – Bow Wood Bois d’Arc is an MOR/MOE StudyIn a recent episode of the WoodTalk podcast someone asked about making a bow. I decided to use that question to delve deeper into what makes a good species for a bow.  This bow wood discussion is a good example of […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 48 – Maine Urban Timber Co | iDry Vacuum Kiln Vacuum Kilns Aren’t Plug and PlayToday I welcome Niles Krech of Maine Urban Timber Co on the show to talk about his business. From building a bandsaw mill to learning the ropes of a vacuum kiln, Niles has done a […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 47 – Wood Movement Q&A You had questions on wood movementI asked for questions on wood movement and y’all delivered big time. Hopefully I got through them all and did my best to combine duplicate questions. The best way to understand anything is in context so digging into the details […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 46 – Wood Movement 101 Wood Moves, Get over ItYou can’t stop it but you can slow it and you can restrict it. Most importantly you just need to build to compensate for wood movement. Don’t be afraid of it, embrace it. This week I cover the basics of wood […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 45 – COVID Stresses Lumber Logistics Shipping Delays Hold Up HardwoodsThis week I delve into the effect of COVID on the Hardwood sector and specifically how shipping and logistics delays are causing the biggest disruptions. Then I answer some of your questions about CITES, color fast finishes, and a few […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 44 – Things all woods do Things All Woods DoAll wood turns grey with exposure. The sun, wind and rain are brutal and will win out in the end no matter what you do to try and prevent it. In this episode I talk about why this happens and what […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 43 – Riving Wood Riving wood Capitalizes on WeaknessToday I talk about riving wood. Why do it, what species to consider and when to use a wedge and when to use a froe. Then I talk about the falling prices of Cherry, Buying CITES species, drying turned bowls, and why […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 42 Steamed vs Unsteamed Walnut Lumber quotes, Moisture Meters, Kiln Fires, and Thickness pricesThis episode I catch up on some questions submitted via email and then spend some time talking about steamed vs unsteamed Walnut.  What is the steaming process and how does it work.  Why is it done […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 41 Plywood Glue and Q&A Plywood GlueThere are a lot of different types of plywood glue.  Many formulations have been put together to address specific use cases.  But in general there are 3 main type:Urea Formaldehyde  (including new Soy Based variants)MelaminePhenolicFor interior panels Urea Formaldehyde is the standard and […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 40 Plywood Cores Plywood Cores come in many varietiesThe core of a plywood panel is the largest component and therefore plays the largest role in how that panel will perform.  As I mentioned in the first episode of this series on plywood, you need to choose your panel based […]