Cherry Log: Quartersaw or Flatsaw? Appearance would argue for flatsawn, stability for quartersawn — but it's more complicated than that. October 1, 2010
Rx For Bending Wood Dr. Gene Wengert offers advice on bending solid lumber in production applications. 1998.
Calculating moisture content Using a hygrometer and calculator to determine the MC of kiln samples. September 2, 2002
"Water Oak" Versus "Pin Oak" Locally common names for Oak varieties can cause confusion. Here's a discussion of some Oak tree varieties and some information on their characteristics. February 9, 2008
Do trees freeze? The short answer is no; Gene Wengert provides full details. February 13, 2001
Acetylated Treated Lumber — What's Up with That? Here's an interesting discussion about the durability, fastener compatibility, and other properties of acetyl treated lumber, such as "Accoya," with some useful links to more. January 2, 2014
Wood and Water An excerpt from Gene Wengert's book, "Drying Oak Lumber." May 31, 2001
Calculating the weight of lumber Formulas, detailed instructions and species-specific charts from Professor Gene Wengert. May 3, 2001
Fresh-Cut Pine for Rafters In theory, green softwood should perform acceptably for barn rafters. In practice, on the other hand ... well, life is full of surprises. November 28, 2006
Spots revealed in dry, planed lumber Dr. Gene attempts to find the causes of discolored spots on dried lumber, revealed only when the stock has been planed. 1998.
Raised glue lines after curing A glue line that is raised days after parts are assembled and the glue has cured is a sure sign of wet lumber. 1998.
Moisture content of walnut -- and measuring it A woodworker seeks information about acceptable moisture contents for walnut used in furniture, and wonders what makes moisture meters tick. 1998.
Woods for outdoor furniture A manufacturer of outdoor furniture consults the Wood Doctor for help with choosing a species to replace beech. 1998.
Gluing white oak panels Because of its density, white oak lumber must be machined carefully for panel glue-up, and assembled within an hour of preparation. 1998.
Air-dried oak for casework? Air-dried lumber needs to live in the environment it will inhabit prior to fabrication. 1998.
Calculating longitudinal shrinkage There's no firm factor for calculating longitudinal shrinkage in maple, but here's a place to begin. 1998.
Working with casehardened lumber Casehardened lumber should be returned to the processor, or planed to the desired thickness; resawing is not an option. 1998.
Laminating different species In a triple lamination, it's OK to use two species of lumber, given a few conditions. 1998.
Workbench end caps: Bad idea? Though European workbenches commonly feature caps over the ends of the worktop material, these may hinder natural movement of the wood on this side of the Atlantic.
Chemically "aging" cherry Tips and cautions for using chemicals to quickly achieve the richer colors certain woods attain with age. 1998.
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.
Tips for drying butternut burls Butternut burls are dried much like regular lumber. Also, a source for further information on drying burls. 1998.
Darkening wood with steam Saturated steam can be an effective way to darken some species of wood, while still green. 1998.
Smelly lauan The Wood Doctor is quizzed about bad-smelling lauan in a commercial bar. Diagnosis: anaerobic bacteria. Prognosis: terminal. Prescription: replacement. 1998.
Ash baseball bats Where to find the strongest ash for baseball bats. 1998.
Wood technology Web sites A short list of Web sites with information about characteristics of given species. 1998.
Why is machined teak blotchy? If you're not familiar with it, one property of freshly machined teak can take you by surprise. 1998.
Indoor Wood Shrinkage and Expansion A learned discussion of the way building interior humidity causes dimensional change in wood. December 1, 2005
Durability of Eastern Red Cedar Short answer: it's the heartwood that is rot-resistant. But you'll learn more than that from this discussion. April 11, 2008
Drying Rewetted Kiln-Dried Lumber How to render kiln-dried lumber, which has been rewetted due to flooding or excessive humidity, useful once again. 1998.
West Coast Live Oak Uses This discussion of Live Oak lumber characteristics includes some info about the "Sudden Oak Death" disease that is plaguing the West Coast. July 30, 2007
Eastern Red Cedar for Outdoor Use Thoughts on drying Eastern Red Cedar, and on the wood's value for decks or outdoor furniture. December 6, 2009
Understanding Drying Stress in Wood A complaint about cupping in mahogany door stiles after machining leads to a discussion of what causes drying stress and related movement in kiln-dried wood. June 23, 2006
20 Steps to Drying Hard White Maple The Wood Doctor's 100 percent guaranteed, sure-fire, no-snake-oil method for successfully drying hard white maple. 1998.
Wood weight and highway transport How to accurately estimate the weight of a truckload of air-dried lumber to assure compliance with trucking regulations. Includes access info for resources. August 1, 2000
Aspen Wood for Cabinets It's soft, it's fuzzy, and it takes finish unevenly. Hmm... August 29, 2006
"False Acacia" (a.k.a. Black Locust) Black Locust is known in Europe as "False Acacia." Here's some info about the species and the lumber. October 15, 2010
Poplar for a Storm Door: Movement Issues An extended discussion of the behavior of Poplar in an exterior exposure. Science says Poplar is suitable for exterior woodwork, but experience may indicate the contrary. June 3, 2007
What Does "Old Growth" Mean The sawing and drying forum discusses what "old growth" means when used to describe lumber, and what qualities "old growth" wood may or may not have. May 14, 2006
Warp in Drying Causes and cures for warpage when drying lumber. May 4, 2001
Maple Hassles Woodworkers kick Maple's reputation around on this thread — but there's plenty of good information here about how to get the best out of it. April 9, 2008
Drying rough-sawn timbers A large outdoor project raises questions about drying large, rough-sawn timbers for long-term use. June 20, 2000
Troubleshooting a Cracked Beechwood Countertop A good case example of the inevitable cracking that occurs when wood moisture-related movement is not allowed for — this time, in a counter of solid wood glued to plywood. February 11, 2010
Troubleshooting Buckled Peel-and-Stick Veneer Indoor humidity has caused adhesive-backed veneer to buckle. Here, pros discuss the limitations and vulnerabilities of the material. November 20, 2005
Is Vacuum Dried Wood Stronger? With so many variables to control, it's hard to be sure whether any particular drying system gives better results in terms of wood properties. October 29, 2012
Uses for shavings and sawdust A discussion of uses for and the marketablility of waste from the primary processing of lumber. July 18, 2000
Working with Sapelle Notes on the workability and machinability of this exotic tropical hardwood. January 8, 2007
Log weight Locating a chart and doing the calculations. September 2, 2002
Determining MC by weight Tools and techniques for measuring moisture content by weighing lumber cuttings. January 4, 2001
Yellow Cedar Characteristics Not a true Cedar, Yellow Cedar grows mainly on the northern Pacific coast of North America. Here is some info about its useful properties. April 2, 2013
Comparing wood strengths Wood species has less to do with strength than does grain characteristics. June 21, 2000
Aromatic cedar for closet lining A discussion of drying and machining, aromatic red cedar for closet lining. Includes ideas on marketing the finished product. March 4, 2000
Steaming beech for veneer production Questions and answers on various technical aspects of steaming beech lumber, preparatory to producing veneer. Includes ideas for further reading.
Ring Shake in Hemlock Hemlock makes good boards or framing lumber, but wood from trees exposed to grazing animals may be have structural flaws. July 12, 2005
Ring Deformation (Compression Wood) An odd-looking ring pattern in a cross-cut log is explained as compression wood, certain to bend after sawing. April 20, 2011
What's Better for Framing, S-P-F or SYP? Southern Yellow Pine has a greater span capability than the mixed-species category "Spruce-Pine-Fir," according to Dr. Gene. January 11, 2007
Working with Silver Maple Like Red Maple, it's a type of Soft Maple. Machines easily, but with a tendency to fuzz. August 29, 2006
Red cedar vs. white cedar siding The differences between the two woods, specifically, their suitability for use as siding. October 17, 2000
Sticker stain solutions A look at potential causes and solutions for sticker stain. July 11, 2000
Quartersawn mahogany, or is it? An architectural woodworker seeks specifications and industry guidelines for what constitutes truly quartersawn mahogany. March 5, 2000.
Cures for sticker stain Drying lumber can suffer from sticker stain for a variety of reasons. June 20, 2000
Holly and Teak for Boat Decking This thread answers the question of why Holly and Teak are paired in boat decking (below decks only), and continues with a folkloric and historic discussion of Teak for boatbuilding — including on nuclear submarines.October 19, 2013
Drying Cedar Siding Fresh cedar boards need only a quick air drying for exterior use. October 30, 2005
Aging yellow cedar Attaining the look of naturally aged yellow cedar. September 2, 2002
Checking Concerns with Massive Wood Posts A custom home project calls for 15-inch-wide solid timber posts. Here's a discussion of the inevitable checking that will occur, and how to minimize it. November 13, 2005
Steambending How much time to allow based on thickness and proposed radius of wood. September 23, 2003
Alternatives to Honduran Mahogany A discussion of the qualities of some of the woods used as substitutes for Mahogany, plus an attempt to clear up some of the confusion around the much-misused "Mahogany" label. February 5, 2007
White Pine for Stick Framing A few facts about the standards relating to the use of White Pine as house framing lumber. November 3, 2010
Cottonwood for Building Cottonwood has drawbacks, but it can be used. Here's more information. August 18, 2009
Working with Jatoba ("Brazilian Cherry") This tropical hardwood is dense, heavy, and beautiful, but prone to movement and hard on tools. Yellow pieces will probably change to match the rest. May 11, 2011
Working with Ipe Wood Woodworkers air their objections to Ipe, which is heavy, hard, and rough on tools. The Wood Doctor adds a little technical detail to the discussion. March 12, 2014
Sawing Dawn Redwood A discussion of the characteristics of lumber sawn from Dawn Redwood. March 28, 2010
Hard vs. soft maple Can these maples be mixed, and what are the differences? January 21, 2002
Paulownia Characteristics and Uses A fast-growing, light and strong semi-tropical wood, Paulownia has enough value to be worth stealing. Here's an example growing on a bathroom windowsill. September 5, 2010
Promoting blue stain How to promote this visual effect in a stack of red pine. March 21, 2002
Burmese Versus Plantation Teak A quick discussion of Asian and South American varieties of wood marketed as "Teak" July 13, 2010
Building with Green Water Oak Building with timbers that have not been dried creates some degree of risk. September 27, 2008
Black Locust for Window Sash Black Locust wood is naturally durable, but unstable and prone to movement and cracking. April 13, 2010
Poplar Is a Hardwood, but Is It Hard? As a deciduous tree, Poplar is classified as a hardwood. Here's some hard info about just how hard it is (or isn't).November 15, 2011
Mahogany Varieties for Countertops A discussion of the practicality of mahogany for a countertop, and thoughts about similar alternatives. November 7, 2007
The Ultimate Spoilboard - ULTI-BOARD - Specifically Engineered and Formulated for the Ultimate in Spoilboard Performance - Not Your Ordinary Sheet of MDF.