Shannon's Lumber Industry Update

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.

In this episode I feature Bubinga and talk through its trade and CITES regulation. I then move into a conversation about how Santa might logistically pull off making toys for the entire world and what his lumber orders might look like.

In this episode I feature Peruvian Walnut and talk about how it has become a flooring species. Specifically how its drying difficulty drove it to be a flooring product. Additionally I talk about juvenile wood, Jindai wood, and the Hickory/Pecan confusion. Make sure you check out TDC's video about urban lumber that features previous guests Camp Small and UVA Sawmilling. https://youtu.be/5kx-CoT4zsg?si=0j-g9JS70K5nFYR-

Today we look at the birth of the timber trade in America. From when the Pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower up until the Revolutionary War. Timber was one of those contributing factors that led to war. We all talk about throwing tea into the harbor, but what about the Pine Tree riots and the Broad Arrow Notices that claimed colonial Pines for the Royal Navy. Happy Thanksgiving as we explore how and what timber was used and exported from early America.

Today I feature the mighty Ponderosa Pine. I was marveling at these trees on a recent trip out west and knew I had to feature the species. A mainstay of the construction lumber industry often labelled as PP/LP on lumber racks. But also a species with a different life in the form of clear boards in moulding, interior flooring, paneling, etc. The species is fire propagating and is a perfect example of how healthy forest management needs a little fire from time to time. The Beetle Kill Pine is the result of weak forests without natures cleaning mechanism. Ponderosa is a yellow pine but a pale version of yellow pine both in appearance but in workability with softer and less difference between early and late growth. It makes for a more uniform working experience with planing, sawing or cutting joinery. Also in this episode I answer questions about: - Kiln Drying schedules to reduce trial and error when drying lumber - How pulp wood forests no longer destined to a paper mill could be turned into saw timber forests. - Typical construction lumber species in the 1920s in the NE United States

Happy Halloween! Let's explore some lumber and tree lore from around the world and some spooky tales that may make you think twice before you cut down that tree or plane that board for your next project.

The featured lumber species today is Catalpa. A very oak like tree but with a really soft workability. High quality, clear lumber that is easy to work and comes in decent widths and lengths. Why doesn't this wood more popular? Also on the show, Tree of Heaven as lumber and the engineered wood products world of PSL, LSL, and LVL.

Today I fight my strong wood bias and take time to talk about composite lumber. All the various plastic boards you will find on the market from wood flour and plastic slurry to polyethylene capped boards and fully plastic HDPE or PVC. What you should know about the differences and how you can actually work with this stuff.

My featured species this episode is Buckeye. Its a non commercial species but not terribly hard to find and has some unique color and high propensity to form burls. But the real meat of this show is a look at how a forest regenerates after a disturbance like a fire or logging. The successional forest model helps us understand how forestry managers can foster a healthy forest through logging. But then we look at how bugs and blights can disrupt the succession model even further.

How do you find unusual and typically non commercial wood species? In this episode I give some tips to help the listener build a network of wood sources.

Monkeypod is a great timber coming out of Costa Rica that is almost entirely FSC. It is often sold as wider slabs due to the lighter weight and the way it is sawn in the jungle. A great alternative to many of the tropical species out there like Koa and Blackwood or even some of the fancy Rosewoods.

Let's define plantations and natural forests and talk about what we can expects from the lumber coming from plantations. Also how plantations can evolve into natural forests. Ultimately why do we need plantations and why do we need natural forests. Also answer some questions about air drying and dealing with bugs as well as drying large timbers.