Shannon's Lumber Industry Update

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 […]

Lumber Buying Guide Part 1: Where to Buy LumberOver the next few episodes I’m going to talk about buying lumber.  How to prepare for the trip to the lumber yard and how to talk to the lumber seller.  But today I want to start with where to buy lumber.  Maybe you have great lumber yards […]

A Look at the Lumber Supply ChainMany people ask me about where their lumber comes from.  Specifically, how did it get here and who/what touched it before I pulled it off the rack at my lumber yard or big box store.  This episode takes a high level view of the journey of that board all […]

Lumber tariffs in opposition to new commercial stick frame buildingsMaybe a bit controversial and political this week as I dip into politics and (gasp) the environment.  But hey you guys sent me these articles so I only have my great audience to blame for this episode.   Honestly I love this aspect of the lumber […]

Marine plywood grades are only half the storyWhen buying any plywood, it is important to think about what you are building and what functionality is most important.  This is especially the case with marine construction as marine grade plywood is a term that gets used a bit too loosely and not all of it is […]

Grading, Forest Fires, and BugsThis episode I catch up on some questions submitted via email and give an update on the Amazon Rainforest fires, a beetle cure,  a lumber laundering scheme, and air dried vs kiln dried lumber.Industry NewsAmazon rainforest fires: difficult to tell at this stage but many concession owners state it will cause […]

The Lacey Act requires “Due Care”A few episodes ago when I talked about CITES, I was clear to say that it has no enforcement body and that is up to the governments of the signing countries.  Well the Lacey Act is the teeth to enforce things like CITES.   In short the Lacey Act and the US […]

Green Plywood?On this episode I talk a lot about plywood.  There is a lot more to talk about in the future but I did my best to address some of the questions that have come in  on the topic recently.  The Roseberg Forest Products “scandal” with OkoumePlywood core compositionNon Toxic, “green” plywood optionsCARB2 and the […]

Top Customer Service and Lumber Quality OnlineOn a recent fly fishing and Mountain Biking trip to Michigan, I stopped by Bell Forest Lumber in Ishpeming, MI.  Boone and Eric sat down with me to talk about their online retail lumber business and it was a really interesting look at an entirely different business model to […]

Softwood Forestry ManagementIn this episode I talk about genetically modified Chestnut, Red Oak sizes, Whitewood, the difference between hardwood and softwood, and old studs vs new studs.  The theme really is softwoods and how those resources are managed very differently from our hardwood forests.   Thanks to everyone who wrote in with questions and feedback, you make […]

CITES regulates, Not EnforcesFormed in 1960, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is an international agreement between governments.  Its goal is to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of plants and wildlife.  Every year the convention meets and individual governments can propose whether a species should be listed or […]

300 containers of Bubinga go missingOn today’s show I have to talk about the fiasco in Gaboon with the missing Bubinga, but also answer some questions on getting starting in the lumber import/export business.FeedbackChris works for a lumber company and after sharing this show with his boss, they are now using it to train new […]