Confusing Lumber Term: "Sap and Better?" Experts and wood buyers and sellers discuss the meaning of some obscure lumber grading terms — such as "Sap/BTR" for white-wood Maple. April 20, 2011
Framing Lumber for Planting Boxes A discussion of treated wood, naturally rot-resistant lumber, outdoor exposures, and pests. April 14, 2010
Mahogany Versus Sapele for an Outdoor Structure A long discussion about different flavors of Mahogany, their sources and qualities, and how they compare with Sapele for durability and quality. March 26, 2010
Lumber Tally: Rough Versus Milled When you buy dressed lumber, the quantity is tallied based on the rough board footage, before milling. The "rip-off" percentage can sometimes confuse the buyer. September 27, 2012
What is heart pine? History and how heart pine is defined today. October 30, 2003
Calculating moisture content Using a hygrometer and calculator to determine the MC of kiln samples. September 2, 2002
-What is a Board Foot? Explanation and glossary of lumber terms by Professor Eugene Wengert. May 2, 2001
Fortune Teller: Making More Money in the Wood Industry Wood Doctor Gene Wengert makes some educated guesses about the near future in the wood products industry, and offers some advice about how wood-based businesses can profit from change. April 15, 2013
Hardwood Supply and Quality The U.S. has large and growing stocks of high-quality hardwood timber, and a limitless supply of ungraded rhetoric. August 8, 2006
Log scale and overrun Different types of scales, formulas and methods of figuring overrun. January 28, 2002
Relating Lumber Grade Selection to End Use Which grade you should buy depends on what you're making. If you're willing to trim, cut, and select, a lower grade may serve your needs well. February 19, 2013
Worm Holes in Mahogany Worm holes aren't always considered as a defect in Mahogany, but they do leave you wondering whether the critters will come back. July 30, 2007
Slippery kiln-dried wood What could make dried wood so slippery that it is difficult to machine? August 12, 2001
Relative densities of various birches The Wood Doctor offers resources for information on the relative densities of birch lumbers, and offers an opinion on plastic laminate. 1998.
Another Wood Identification Puzzle Sycamore? Beech? Mulberry? The forum takes a look at some old wood found in a barn and destined to be made into guitar bodies. January 28, 2013
Sawing "Select" Graded Lumber from Tie Logs A discussion of grading standards for "select" hardwood lumber, and whether it's a good buy as byproduct from sawing railroad ties. February 4, 2011
"Shop-Dried" Versus "Air-Dried" Lumber A discussion of the quality and value of hardwoods that have been stacked and dried in a dry indoor area, but not in a kiln. March 26, 2013
Ways to Estimate or Calculate Board Feet Rule of thumb gets you pretty close, and even methods involving careful measurement are susceptible to basic arithmetic errors. January 11, 2007
Five value-added approaches Professor Gene Wengert presents ideas on adding value to your wood products. April 2, 2002
Checking of Dry Lumber Checking occurs when the wood is very wet. Checking that appears in lumber purchased as kiln-dried is a defect. December 8, 2012
Board-Foot Lumber Measurement Confusion A woodworker tries to figure out how to make sure he's ordering and getting the amount of wood he actually needs. January 20, 2010
Buying Lumber at Auction Tips on assessing the quality of air-dried hardwood up for sale at a small auction. October 3, 2009
Sawing utility poles Is it safe and practical? Advice from those who've done it. August 25, 2003
How to quartersaw Sawyers share details and pictures of their preferred methods. May 17, 2003
Moisture content for exterior doors Determining the appropriate MC for lumber that will be exposed to vastly different humidity levels. November 14, 2001
Ordering by the Board Foot Clearing up the confusion about lumber quantities and unit conversions. April 14, 2005
Wood, the environment, and Man A wide-ranging overview of the state of the primary processing industry, and where it may be going from here. August 10, 2000
The "Sustainable" Chain of Custody How can a small shop get certification that its wood is sustainably produced, all the way back to the source? June 30, 2009
"Cherry-Picking" Lumber Is it right to select the pieces you like from a stack of boards and leave the rest for the next person? July 24, 2006
Wood Choice for Reproduction Windows Spanish Cedar, White Oak, and Cypress are options that come to mind for a durable exterior application. and January 23, 2014
Regaining MC in overdry wood Is machinability lost when lumber has been overdried, then had moisture put back in? May 17, 2003
Yield Loss in Ripped-One-Edge Lumber A woodworker who has ordered a delivery of random length and width wood ripped on one edge and surfaced on two sides wants to know how much wood he can really expect to get. April 27, 2007
"China Cedar" -- What Is It? "China Cedar" is a separate species grown in the Far East. However, Cedar logs from America do get sent to China and come back to North America as lumber, complicating the picture. December 30, 2007
Lumber "Shrinkage Fee" Upcharges to compensate for lumber shrinkage are improper, say the experts (and the rules). August 29, 2005
Is storing cants feasible? Can large cants be stored until an order for custom-cut lumber is received? February 19, 2002
Defining Quarter-Sawn and Rift-Sawn There are both formal and informal definitions for "quarter-sawn" lumber. Here, cabinetmakers and the Wood Doctor discuss the fine points. July 5, 2006
Moisture Content of Western Red Cedar A stable wood that is typically serves exterior uses, Western Red Cedar is usually delivered at about 12% moisture content. But you can find it drier than that. July 28, 2006
Is Tropical Wood Quality Slipping? Writing a detailed spec for the desired quality can help you get the lumber quality you need. October 14, 2009
Mahogany Supply and Varieties More info on what "Mahogany" really means, and information on the availability of various types. April 6, 2007
Rays and Flecks in Oak Advice on how to select Oak with or without ray and fleck figure. September 30, 2009
Air-dried lumber Is it air-dried cherry acceptable for furnituremaking? March 20, 2001
Sourcing Knotty Cherry Lumber A discussion of knots, character, grading standards, and how to find Cherry that looks interesting. August 31, 2010
Treated Cypress Options A discussion of surface coatings, preservative treatments, and natural decay resistance of Cypress used for outdoor shutters. July 12, 2008
Value added defined Many definitions and interpretations are offered up. July 29, 2003
What is value added? Forum participants give technical and personal definitions. April 2, 2002
FOB defined Origins and meanings of the term "freight on board." (Sawing and Drying Forum) March 23, 2003
Locust for Window Sashes? Locust is durable and rot-resistant, but it's not stable or easy to machine — so probably not the best choice for window parts. January 23, 2014
The Ultimate Spoilboard - ULTI-BOARD - Specifically Engineered and Formulated for the Ultimate in Spoilboard Performance - Not Your Ordinary Sheet of MDF.