148 - Common Lumber, Common Uses

It could be said that Hickory built America. Hickory's properties made the American felling axe possible with its extremely high MOR and MOE values. Today we discuss this great American wood and why you need to add it to your repertoire of woods.

Douglas Fir is a species we find everywhere. So much so that we may not even know we are looking at it. It has two distinctly different markets: construction lumber and fine (very fine) lumber for cladding, decking, soffits, and even furniture. The species has had a rebirth of late and is outcompeting Western Red Cedar in the forests.

What are the markets for the common species of lumber you find at your hardwood lumber dealer. I delve into who is buying what and for what. Plus further discussion about logging in national forest land, wood movement and heat, buying veneer, and harvesting Boxwood.

This time I featured Parota or Guanacaste. The Costa Rican national tree and known for being avialable in wide slabs of red, ribbony goodness. I also discuss how to know if the wood you are buying will be good for the project you intend to build, and fungus..mmmm fungus.

Time to revisit the old stud torn from a building that is compared to the new stud fresh from the big box store. But more to the point, let's take a look at how wood is sawn from a log to meet market demands. Not that trees don't grow like they use to but do we actually need them that way too.

This episode's featured species is London Plane or Plantanus hybridia. Nearly identical to American Sycamore it is a fun blonde wood option with a striking quartersawn lace pattern. Soft and light it is easy to work but can be difficult to dry without a lot of twisting and checking. We also open the can of worms on the lumber tariff conversation and look at how lumber can pose a national security threat. Other topics include, decking product options, softer woods for cabinets and counter tops, and finally lesser grade lumber availability.

My guest today is Mark Dubac of Windwood LLC in Portland, OR. Mark has a reputation on social media for humorous posts about the sawmilling world. Often making fun of influencers he has become a bit of an influencer himself by pulling back the curtain and showing what actually goes into sawing logs as a business.

Red Maple is also sold as Soft Maple and it is one of the species of Maple commonly found in the Soft Maple group like Big Leaf, Silver, and Striped Maple. Box Elder is often lumped into this group and sold as well as Soft Maple. Also in this show: KDAT, Lumpy plywood, and untarped lumber.

In this episode I have the CEO of Thermalwood Canada, Bob Lennon on to talk about thermally modified wood. Thermalwood is a member of the Thermowood Association and follows their procedures for modificiation so you can expect consistent quality throughout their kiln runs. But beyond just the typical thermally modified hardwoods, Bob and his crew have been experimenting and creating new products to fill holes in other markets. In particular is their Obsidian product which may just replace Ebony entirely in guitar manufacturing.

Today I highlight Persimmon wood as a lumber source. The North American Ebony. Then dive into the variety of decking products on the market and their lifespans. Might start to wander into touchy topics when I get to the composite market...maybe. Also I talk about Lignosat and what the future of wood in space might mean.