Logs to Lumber
With sweat equity and a few simple tools, you can split strong, stable stock. Though sawn lumber was available to 17th- and 18th-century European woodworkers in Colonial America, many American [...]
Anatomy of A Log
Tree Anatomy In woodworking, we’re generally concerned about the sapwood, heartwood, and annular rings (which is what we see as “grain pattern”). The slower a tree grew, the tighter the annular [...]
Milling Lumber with a Chainsaw Mill
When it comes to milling lumber, chainsaw mills offer a low cost of entry, with some big capacities. The more and more I get wrapped up in the milling, logging, and lumber industry, the more and [...]
Kiln-Dried vs. Air-Dried Lumber—Know Before Purchasing
Every good woodworking project starts with properly-dried wood that won’t cause you moisture issues in the future. And unless you want picking out wood to be a big guessing game—and a surefire [...]
Preparing Rough Stock [Video]
Chris Schwarz demonstrates how to prep rough stock in this classic Popular Woodworking video. …
The Art of Resawing
Resawing can be a wild ride. You never know exactly what’s going to happen when you cut open a board! Just getting your tablesaw or bandsaw to work right can be an adventure, too. Resawing [...]
Lumber-Drying Clamps
I’ve dried my own lumber for years, but I always had a problem getting enough weight on top of the stack, to keep the upper boards from warping. Here’s a solution: Use clamps made from threaded [...]
The Ultimate Guide to Resawing
As a sawyer, I always have a few questions for a client as I prepare to saw their logs into lumber. The first is: “How do you want this cut…live edge or boards?”. My second [...]
Wood Too Good to Burn
Look to your firewood pile for plenty of project inspiration. I’ve been cutting up my leftover bits of green wood for firewood to use in my new workshop. It’s not going well. I have a feeling [...]
The Right Way to Prepare Lumber
To true your wood with machines, the steps you follow are critical. This time-tested procedure is the best way we know of. I get to meet many woodworkers around the country at woodworking [...]
Power-Carved Side Table
Turn a log into a sculptural statement piece. PROJECT #2101 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 4 days • Cost: $200 Have you ever come upon the opportunity to get some logs either due to a downed [...]
Milling Your Own Lumber
Whether a hobby or a small business, it’s a woodworker’s dream job. As a craftsman, I’ve always enjoyed building stuff. But the pivotal point that led me into woodworking [...]
