Wood, the element

Ever wonder the Janka hardness of Sapele? 6,280 N

How about the modulus of rapture of Blue Ash? 95.2 MPa

Maybe the radial shrinkage of Mango? 3.6%

Perhaps the scientific name of Dogwood? Cornus florida

You are probably thinking that I am some kind of Idiot Savant, or have waaaay too much time to do research on the internet. The real truth is that I found a fantastic website, The Wood Database, that catalogs all the properties of all species of wood, or at least all the wood that I can think of. This information is then put into a periodic table-esque collection of physical properties that is easily searchable.

Strength, weight, shrinkage, rot resistance, workability, odor, common uses, allergies, price, color, etc, etc, etc. This site literally lists every fact about most woods, even information that you might not need to know, and there are pictures to boot!

Ever seen the end grain of Lilac?

Lilac end grain magnified 10x

Want to know what sealed Sissoo looks like? This site has it!

I don't know what Sissoo is, but here it is sealed.

Just don't let your significant other catch you drooling over the pictures on your computer screen, they might get the wrong impression.

PS. You're welcome.

On second thought, maybe I'll move to Finland

In a previous post I said that if my current job didn't work out I was going to move to Germany and become a Bavarian logger. But after perusing the internet I came up with another great video. (Link for phone and tablet users)

I want to join this crew of Finnish carpenters so bad it hurts.I could go on and on about the things I found fantastic about this video, but I will stick to the high notes.

1. Hewing an entire gable end wall before I die MUST happen.
2. I need to start cutting joints with nothing but a hatchet.
3. How cool are pegged floating floors?
4. I am going to Finland to get me one of those sweet axes!

P.S. Seeing as I have crazy O.C.D., I couldn't stop thinking about those great Finnish axes. So I did some research and found that there are pretty much two ways to get your hands on one. The first way - find a friend in Finland and have them go to any flea market and pick up a great vintage Billnas for almost nothing...and then pay a fortune in shipping costs to send it over state-side. The second way is to figure out a way to buy one from John Neeman Tools (see blog post here). It might be easier finding a friend in Finland, and I have a feeling that it would be a lot cheaper too.

P.P.S. I think it is poor blogging etiquette to have the P.S. longer than the blog.

P.P.P.S. Or having three post scripts.

P.P.P.P.S The End

The Dregs of Society

A lot of change is happening at work recently and as a result we are cleaning out spaces and finding fun toys...I mean tools...to play...I mean work...with. On top of that, our tractor is currently out of service, but work must go on. Luckily we found (what we thought was) a Dreg in one of the storage sheds.

A modern Dreg with spindly wheels.

Flash forward a week and we needed to move a log from the hewing bocking to the saw pit. The log was a wet piece of white oak 10"x10" 13 feet long, so it was waaaaay heavier than four men wanted to lift, what a great time to try out our new set of wheels.

Rope makes pulling and steering a lot easier.

What an easy job it was! If it wasn't for pulling the log up an icy hill we could have easily handled this thing with two men. Looks like a 17th century Dreg just topped the project list. It will make timber handling a fantastic exhibit rather than a dirty little secret we do before visitors arrive.

I get the easy job of taking pictures.

My Fallback Plan

Just in case my life as a 17th century carpenter philosopher doesn't work out, I will definitely try out being a Bavarian woodsman. I found these two short videos during some inter-web wanderings. The first one is just the most ridiculous logging operation I have ever seen, I was slack jawed watching these crazy Germans tossing around their giant logs with nothing more than some elbow grease. Also, the man taking down the log's dimensions wins the best dressed award. (Link for tablet and phone users)

The second video is equally as interesting (same group of woodsman?). There are so many awesome things going on in such a short stretch of time. Flitching with wedges, long mortising axes used for....well everything, the hewing trestles that you can roll logs right onto from the hill, a sweet chalk line/plunger/chalk cup combo, the strange yet awesome scrub plane for the inside of the water trough, and finally the sweet Hersey kiss-esque finial on top of the fountain. (Link for tablet and phone users)

Nature Does it Best

I could have found definitive proof from a 1620s English woodcut of a pitchfork.

I could have designed small yet strong joints that could withstand years of bad weather.

I could have spent the afternoon dressing my stock and fussing to make sure everything fit tight.

Or...I could let nature do its thing, and take care of all the tough stuff for me.

Wood Finishes for Tree Huggers

I am a hippy in hiding. I obsessively organize recyclables, buy organic food, use natural body products, avoid chemical cleaners, and the list goes on and on.  As an extension to my obsession with "All-Natural" I have been on a hunt for the best possible wood finishes without compromising Mother Nature and my health. At the same time I don't want to sacrifice the overall beauty and durability of the projects that I work so long and hard over.

My first real dilemma with natural finishes came when I started making wood cutting boards as presents for my family members. I agonized over how to protect the wood without simultaneously poisoning them and their dinner guests. Using my favorite interweb algorithm I found a great recipe for a cutting board finish made with pharmacy grade mineral oil and natural beeswax. Mineral oil and beeswax are used for a whole host of internal and external personal care products so they are perfect candidates for a natural, food safe wood finish.

Cutting Board Blanks Fresh from the Planer

So here is the super-duper secret recipe. Heat the mineral oil and add the beeswax until it melts. Yup, it is that simple. The ratios are really dependent on your preferences, add more wax for a stiffer buffing paste, or more oil for a milky rubbing lotion. I personally like an oil to wax ratio of 3 to 1. This allows a nice creamy paste when the finish is cold, and I feel that it seeps into the wood when I let it sit for a while.

A Whole Lot of Boards after Raising the Grain with Water

Applying this paste is as easy as making it. There are no crazy rules like modern high tech finishes, "Apply to a clean hypoallergenic surface that has been blessed by a Rabbi, let sit for 2 minutes and 37 seconds, then immediately wipe off with a mixture consisting of 21/32nds mineral spirits and 11/32nds turpentine, then re-apply within 79 minutes or after 9-1/2 weeks, but only on Sundays and Thursdays, or the second Friday of every lunar cycle!'...well you get my point. Simply slop it on the wood, let stand for 30 minutes (or 30 hours for all I care), and then buff it off with a clean rag. I promise you will have a great looking, velvety, safe for food finish that cost less than $5 for 16 oz.

A Finished Cutting Board being put to the test making Omelets.

What about the cons you ask? Let me explain some of my perceived disadvantages.

Is this the most durable finish? No, it has to be reapplied every once and a while when the wood seems to be drying out.

Is it the most Eco-friendly solution? Most mineral oils are a byproduct of petroleum refineries, and the fact still remains that petroleum<organics.

Does it contain any VOCs? Only if you consider the smell of warm honey a VOC.

So overall I would say that the mineral oil/beeswax finish is far better than most salad bowl finishes or polyurethanes, but not as environmentally sound as an all natural oil. But for the time being I can fall asleep at night knowing that all of the recipients of my hand made waddayacallits don't have to worry about toxic solvents and chemicals tainting the beauty and enjoyment of the wood.

PS I wrote this post about six months ago...but somehow it got lost in the pipeline...alls well that ends well right?

The Birth of a Tool

More interweb wanderings, and yet another inspiring find. Recently I ran across a series of videos made by John Neeman Tools, a collective of Latvia craftsman who create beautiful tools. It shows the art, passion, care , and artisanship that goes into each and every tool that they make.

These videos make me want to grow a beard, move to a cabin in the woods, and start making tools. Come to think about it I am already half way there (you figure out which half).

Do what you love, and love what you do

It is funny how when you are in a certain frame of mind you always seem to find things that appear to echo how you are feeling. While I was wandering the digital highway I ran across a wonderful video narrated by Alan Watts.You can watch the video below to get the full effect of his words and imagery...but be careful, it might just make you quit your job.

This video stuck a deep chord with me as I am somewhat a product of this philosophy. I went to school for Mechanical Engineering, but after four years of school and several internships I realized that this was not what I wanted to be doing, especially since work takes up so much of ones adult life.

To me, this looks like hell on earth.

So I made a decision, a brash one maybe, but it was mine to make. I would spend my life creating things on my own terms. Yes I would have to get a job to pay the bills, but why not have it somewhat related to the things that I truly want to do with my life. So I took a job as a carpenter. The work is hard and seldom glamorous, but I feel fulfilled at the end of each day.

The view from my "office" this week. What did yours look like?

Do I regret it? Not in the least. I built my own house for a fraction of what it would have cost if I hired someone else to build it while I withered away in a cubicle. No one can ever take your knowledge away...except for father time, but he does whatever the heck he wants anyways so I wouldn't worry about that. And on top of that I get to take beaten down, outdated houses, and build something unique and beautiful everyday of my life.