171 Western Redcedar

Its not actually a Cedar but who cares. Western Redcedar is an amazing exterior wood used in everything form boats to guitars, decks, shingles, siding and pergolas. Its known as the tree of life among the native peoples of the PNW. This tree produces some amazingly clear vertical grain boards and as you might expect, has gotten pretty darn expensive these days.

Spalting is essential fungal rot in wood. But it is pretty and therefore people seek it out and even go so far as to "grow" their own. In this episode I discuss the 3 types of spalting found in wood and even discuss the fungi responsible for it.

In this episode I feature Pacific Madrone. An interesting pinkish-orange hardwood with the same hardnesss of Hard Maple but a lot more character. I also talk about drying Holly and the gunk build up from Olive and many oily woods.

Decorative arts trends are often tied to a particular species of wood. In this episode I discuss how and why certain species become intertwined in a design style. I also answer a question about the dramatic price differences between similar plywood products.

Today I feature Black Locust and talk about how it was/is used for tree nails, how it resists rot for a hundred years in ground contact and how it invades and colonizes the soil around it for total world domination. Its a tough and imperialistic tree, what is not to love?

With St Patricks Day upon us I wanted to look at the traditional Irish woods and what they are used for an how they are sourced. This is not a country we think of when it comes to lumber but there is a long history or traditional crafts that is still alive today using locally grown and harvested woods.

Zelkova lumber is starting to become more available as the 1st and 2nd generation of urban planting in the wake of the Dutch Elm blight is maturing and urban sawyers are finding more Zelkova in their inventories. This tree has many of the same properties of Elm and a long, revered history across Japane, Korea and China. Additional topics in this episode include what woods are safe to burn from your woodshop scraps and how the Post WWII lumber boom compares to the current lumber market.

We have been drying lumber for thousands of years and in this episode I look into how it was done and how it evolved into the kilns we use today. Plus a look forward and innovations in drying tech. Most importantly though are the observations that drove the need to dry rather than any particular science. How did wood behave and how did we want it to behave is what started this whole idea of drying lumber.

Red Alder has increased in popularity substantially from its "junk tree" status and now shows up in cabinetry, floors, guitars and even saunas. Listen as I dive deep on the merits of this underrated hardwood. Also in this episode I talk about Walnut grading for color and how the potential of Vietnamese Walnut could play out in the North American market.

This time I dive into the driftwood trade. This is a nearly 3 billion dollar global industry that I never knew was even a thing. Now I see driftwood everywhere. Plus I talk about log pricing, Oak staining, and freeze dried lumber.