Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 35 MOR/MOE MOR Lumber TestModulus of Rupture is also known as Bending Strength.  The MOR lumber test tells us how much force is required to snap a board of a particular species.  It is particularly helpful when building something that will experience dynamic loads or more obviously when actually […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 34 Case Hardening Gravity Dries Lumber TooThis episode I answer some emails and discuss case hardening, compressed cedar, Teak blunting, the Emerald Ash Borer, drying lumber with gravity, and Hophornbeam wood.Industry NewsWe bought a Woodmizer so I’m getting some first hand saw mill operation experience finally.emailsTeak: does it actually […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 33 Interview with Greg Wilson: Hempwood CEO Hempwood: The New Oak?Back in Episode 28 I first talked about the product Hempwood.  Today I bring the CEO of the company on to talk more about it.  I want to thank Greg Wilson for taking some time out after a long […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 32 Lumber Thickness Lumber Thickness from Sawmill to Lumber RAckToday I talk about the thickness of lumber and understanding how it is sawn and planed to give you the net thickness you may be buying off the shelf vs buying true rough sawn lumber. This is am important factor […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · LU 31 Interview with Timber Woodcraft (plus Solar Kilns) Salvaged Lumber dried by the sunJosh Weber runs Timber Woodcraft with his wife, Krista in Louisville, KY.  Both of them have woodworking in their blood and what started as a side job while teaching has turned into a full time passion […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · 30 – Shearing Strength (and a rant) Shearing Strength is a hint on how a wood will planeThis week I’m talking about a little touted technical property: shearing strength. This is another number to look at when trying to figure out how a wood will work. In this case it […]

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update · Episode 20 Janka Hardness Janka Hardness is good place to start, but not the only numberWhen deciding what species of wood I want to use in a project I will start with the color but then quickly look at the Janka hardness number to determine what the workability of that […]

Plywood Structure, E4E, and Hemp WoodThis episode I talk about how plywood doesn’t tear itself apart with wood movement, bugs in plywood, rounded corners in 2x4s, and a new product called Hemp Wood.Industry NewsThe NYT Magazine did a great article on the genetically engineered American Chestnut, but also recapped the history of the blight and […]

Fuming White OakOn today’s show I talk about changing the color of your wood through ammonia fuming and ebonizing with steel wool and vinegar. How the tannins do their job and how you can pump up the tannic acid with an additional coat to the wood.  Fuming White Oak produces an immediate darkening that will […]

3 Species, 3 Market TrendsThis episode I talk about 3 species: Pine, Cherry, and Yellowheart all with similar questions about pricing and availability.  Radiata Pine vs Common Pine examination shows a shrinking of the price gap while Cherry is hit or miss on the availability.  Finally Yellowheart may not be available at all…for now.  3 […]

Mahogany, Choosing Species for weight, Vetting a supplier, & CoppicingThis episode I define  what is Genuine Mahogany, and talk about how to choose a species for weight and durability using technical specifications.  Then I take a walk into a coppiced forest, and finally talk about questions to ask a new supplier to vet them for […]

In this episode I discuss the White Oak shortage, grading marks, Spanish Cedar, more drying lumber, and a call for solar kiln information and experience.Solar Kiln Knowledge?If anyone out there knows something or has experience with solar kilns, please write in or send a voicemail as I would love some insight on this additional method […]

why do we kiln dry lumber?Kiln drying lumber removes the moisture from the boards not just to make them more stable but it increases the durability by hardening the cellular walls and even removing some of the resins and other extractives that attract bugs and encourage decay.   Air drying lumber also removes the moisture and brings […]

Stuff that Grows and GlowsI’ve got an interesting variety of email questions to answer this week covering veneer, sapwood strength, mold growing on your boards, wood that glows in the dark, as well as some industry news updates.Industry NewsIBAMA (Brazilian Forestry Ministry) has decreed that a single document is all that is needed for legal […]

Forest Stewardship Council and LumberToday when you want to buy green products the Forest Stewardship Council “FSC” logo is what you look for.  To that end FSC has done an outstanding job branding and conditioning consumers to feel good about that logo and the products it is on.  I applaud them for that and do […]

Plantation Forests are Managed Like CropsThis episode I catch up on some more questions submitted via email.  There is a good variety covering pest control, methods to identify alternate species, stickering your lumber, and of course, smoking ALL the meats.Tales from the YardWith talk of finding alternate species, I share a project about a wide […]

Wood Bending with Warped WoodThis week I catch up on some emails from listeners. We talk about purpose warped wood, the Green Wall, community based logging, shop made plywood, composite lumber, and (gasp) environmentalists and loggers working together…MASS HYSTERIAIndustry NewsEngineers use cross lamination and wood drying to predictably bend woodChina and Africa are planting “Green […]

Be Organized when buying lumberIn this part of my Buying Lumber series I talk about building a plan for your lumber yard trip. This involves reverse engineering your parts list back to the boards. A lot of variable are in play here that only you as the maker of your particular project can answer.  What […]

Online Lumber is bought differently10 or 15 years ago buying lumber online consisted of scrolling through eBay looking for pen and bowl blanks.  Occasionally a pool cue or pepper mill blank would show up or maybe some thin knife scale exotic boards.  Today there are retailers who list large percentages of their stock online in […]