Episodios

  • 133 Narra Wood

    133 Narra Wood
    Sep 30 2024
    Today I discuss the featured species, Narra. It is a beautiful SE Asian wood mostly known in its burl form where it is called Amboyna Burl. Narra is undoubtedly a tropical wood in the Padauk genus but unlike many tropical woods it is easier to work with due to a lower hardness and a luster that serves to lubricate tooling while working its. I also discuss some of the elements that may make locally sourced timbers more expensive than wood brought from across the country. And finally how you might start the process of having your own trees introduced into the urban lumber market.
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    53 m
  • 132 - What are Burls?

    132 - What are Burls?
    Sep 11 2024
    Today I talk about burls. What are they to the best of our knowledge and how to work them. But I also spend a fair bit of time talking about genuine Mahogany and some statements made lately that 80% of Mahogany is illegally harvested. Buried the lede a bit on that one but its important to understand how to buy a wood if you are not sure about its sustainability.
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    1 h
  • 131 - Tamo Ash

    131 - Tamo Ash
    Aug 21 2024
    This week I feature the Tamo Ash, Fraxinus mandshurica. It is a species of Ash primarily sought for the unique "peanut" figure. Like a lot of figured woods it is not totally understood how the figure is formed but proper use of the whole tree must be considered for the health of the species. Also talk about ray fleck in White Oak and drying wood. Is there an ideal environment for drying and preventing bugs in your woods?
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    1 h
  • 130 - Healthy Forests

    130 - Healthy Forests
    Aug 7 2024
    What is a healthy forest? Today I have a guest, Nick Smith from Healthy Forests to talk about it. Nick is the executive director and he is the man behind building awareness and policy that can help us manage our forests and reduce the growing threat of wildfires that are decimating our forests today.
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    1 h
  • 129 - Sweet Chestnut

    129 - Sweet Chestnut
    Jul 24 2024
    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.
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    52 m
  • 128 - Wood Toxicity

    128 - Wood Toxicity
    Jul 10 2024
    Wood dust is a major health risk. Mostly as a cumulative effect (AKA sensitizer) that can sneak up on us and ruin your health after decades of working with wood. It is imperative we protect our lungs from even the most benign wood dust. So imagine how dangerous more toxic woods can be when in dust form that you get on your skin, in your eyes, or lungs. In today's episode I discuss the various categories of wood toxicity and what you can do to ameliorate your risks when you are working with a toxic wood. But remember that just about every wood is toxic and everyone will react differently. Moreover what doesn't bother you now could very well cause health problems in the future with continued exposure.
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    54 m
  • 127 Eastern Cottonwood

    127 Eastern Cottonwood
    Jul 2 2024
    This time I feature the Eastern Cottonwood and actually do some field reporting on it as I was recently out in the prairie states. I also go some time to work with a slab of Cottonwood to give some hands on experience with it.
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    22 m
  • 126 Hemlock

    126 Hemlock
    May 29 2024
    Today I discuss Hemlock, our featured species. This is a wood with an identity crisis. Its long been a mainstay in construction lumber yet has more refined purposes as a high end clear, CVG siding and cladding product. Now it has an even brighter future as a thermally modified option for both interior and exterior uses.
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    49 m