Wood

Reclaimed Redwood Bench

This entry was posted in Projects Wood on July 16, 2016 by Bill Kovalick

A grove of black and white oaks approaching harvest-able size — My brother John and I took advantage of an unseasonably warm mid-March day to go for a nice long hike in the woods near where we grew up in the mountains of eastern PA. As I am wont to do, I found myself examining various trees along the way, identifying them by species, considering why certain trees are growing […]

A Walk in the Woods

This entry was posted in Wood on March 16, 2016 by Bill Kovalick

Cutaway view of carpenter bee tunnels in redwood lumber — When I reclaimed the lumber from an old redwood bench, I knew there were carpenter bees taking up residence in the wood but I had no idea how many – and how much damage they had caused. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The only external evidence of the bees was neat 1/2″ diameter […]

Carpenter Bee Damage

This entry was posted in Restoration Wood on March 6, 2016 by Bill Kovalick

Burl on cherry tree with 1-gallon can for perspective — While out looking for wild blueberries, I came across a wooded grove containing a number of trees with unusual growths on them. I’ve seen such growths before but never this many in such a tight cluster. I felt like I was walking into an alien forest… As best I can tell, these growths are burls rather than […]

The Gall of Those Burls

This entry was posted in Wood on August 4, 2015 by Bill Kovalick

Could American chestnut be the wood of choice for future generations of woodworkers? Well, I’m not quite ready to make that prediction but there is reason for optimism. As some of you may know, chestnut was one of the dominant tree species in the eastern forests of North America a hundred years ago. It’s estimated that in the early […]

American Chestnut – Down But Not Out

This entry was posted in Restoration Wood on July 9, 2015 by Bill Kovalick

Sycamore Display Case

This entry was posted in Projects Wood on December 23, 2014 by Bill Kovalick

This rather unassuming chunk of wood represents the initial stages of an abstract wood sculpture that is being crafted by my friend Rich. The wood came from a white oak tree that had been cut down 3-5 years previously and had been slowly air drying in a garage since then. My involvement with the project […]

Wood Sculpture

This entry was posted in Projects Techniques Wood on December 23, 2014 by Bill Kovalick

My dad added a porch to our house back in the 1970’s and I must say he did a pretty good job overall. Especially for someone who wasn’t a professional builder or carpenter. However, there was one critical flaw in the construction: the main sill plate running across the front of the porch was made […]

When Wood Goes Bad

This entry was posted in Restoration Techniques Wood on December 23, 2014 by Bill Kovalick

As woodworkers, we use wood to build beautiful furniture and other objects. But wood does have a dark side: it can be harmful to our health. Trees contain toxins in the bark, fruit, sap, wood, and foliage but for the majority of woodworkers, exposure to the wood and, in particular, wood dust is the primary […]

Wood Dust Health Hazards

This entry was posted in Safety Wood on December 23, 2014 by Bill Kovalick

Scalloped Corners

This entry was posted in Techniques Wood on December 23, 2014 by Bill Kovalick

Here is a collection of miscellaneous tips to help you be a more eco-conscious woodworker: Dust control Controlling the dust in your shop not only improves the quality of the air you breath but also makes it easier to collect sawdust for mulch and other eco-pursuits. Poor dust collection can lead to health problems that […]

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