Working Reclaimed Wood Presentation [Video]
A guide for woodworkers, makers, and designers. Last June I was invited to give the keynote presentation on reclaimed wood during the 2021 World Wood Day Symposium. Because of the disruption [...]
A Thousand Years Reclaim, or the Bog Oak Revival, Part 1
A well-kept treasure lies dormant under a few rivers, ponds, and lakes in eastern Europe and Siberia, and awaits redemption. Bogwood is that treasure and Allen Telt is one of its chief redeemers. [...]
Choose the Right Plywood
Your frustration is well-founded. We test 11 samples from around the world, unveil their inconsistencies and offer solutions.
Lisa’s Slab Desk, Part 1
Working with reclaimed wood often requires some creative problem-solving. Here's a clever strategy Yoav Liberman and his student Lisa used when making this live edge desk.
Understanding Grain Direction
I often tell people that the grain direction in a board is like the fur on a cat. Stroke the cat (or board) one way and the cat will purr, and your tool will produce a nice surface. Stroke the …
How Quartersawn White Oak is Sawn
Most woodworkers have an idea of what quartersawn wood is. The accepted definition is that the growth rings are between 60° and 90° to the wide face of the board. In some species, notably white [...]
Understanding Wood: Four Structure Types
All hardwoods have vessels (little pipelines) that are used in sap production. The size and distribution of these vessels vary among species; some are visible to the naked eye. When the vessels [...]
How to Calculate Wood Shrinkage and Expansion
Wood movement can ruin a seemingly well-constructed project. Luckily getting ahead of the material and calculating wood shrinkage and expansion is fairly easy – all you need to do is multiply [...]
