With every episode I will aim to answer your questions about lumber and the industry of lumber. We’ll talk about species and their attributes, import news, regulations, and maybe some fun lumber yard anecdotes. Got a question? Ask it now
Current Episode
Sweet Chestnut is a great Coppice Tree
The featured species of the month is Sweet Chestnut or European Chestnut. Similar of course to the blighted American Chestnut, but the Sweet variety flourishes in the UK and Europe and is often lauded for exterior cladding and for all manner of bushcraft work. The Chestnut is also a prime species for Coppice Forestry and I have a discussion about that silvicultural practice too. In fact I talk about the differences between Coppicing, Pollarding, and the Japanese slightly similar Daisugi technique.
I also take a field trip to Pittsburgh to look at the last drive-able wooden paved street. I talk about the Nicholson Paver and wonder about its application to modern landscape architecture. Certainly our technology has improved to create a better wooden cobble and perhaps not a street for driving but for pedestrian malls or even park paths.
Coppice & Pollard
Daisugi
Nicholson Paver
Featured Species: Sweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa or Sweet Chestnut, or European Chestnut is a highly popular species in Europe but espeically in the UK. It is widely used for exterior cladding and its ring porous nature makes it great for riving. Many buschcraft projects are made from it because of that property.
It is of course similar to its unfortunate American Chestnut cousin but a bit denser and darker in color. The hardness is half that of most Oaks and the grain a bit less "grainy" for an overall more mellow working experience.
I find Chestnut not just to be a pleasure to work with but a nice alternative to the Oaks when you want that typical mid brown, wood grain species.
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