• Man sitting at a laptop in a workshop
    3:39

    Understanding Janka Hardness

    With over 60,000 species of trees in existence, we woodworkers have an overwhelming number of wood choices available to us. So, how do you choose the right wood for your project? Cost, local availability, color, and figure are important characteristics to consider, and can be pretty easily assessed. Depending on your project, hardness might also…

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  • Large log
    6:28

    Read the Log Before Milling

    Milling a log into lumber isn’t as simple as just throwing it on a sawmill and making cuts. Well, it can be, but if you go that route you may not get the best possible pieces out of the log. Reading the log means having a good look at it and positioning the log on…

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  • Sawing into a large log
    4:35

    Logs to Lumber with a Chainsaw

    Many woodworkers are intrigued by the idea of going from logs to lumber using a chainsaw. It can reduce or even eliminate your materials cost, as well as allow you to gain access to many species that are not commercially available. Going from logs to lumber requires you to put a bit of “sweat equity”…

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  • Man chopping a large log
    9:48

    Huge Log, No Forklift, No Problem

    Good news: I have a sawmill. Bad news: I don’t have a forklift. The platform for the sawmill is about 36 inches above the ground. If I were using the sawmill all the time, I might invest in a forklift or a front end loader, but since I only use the Logosol mill every once…

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  • Using fire to preserve wood
    7:34

    Shou Sugi Ban: Using Fire to Preserve Wood

    Have you ever built an outdoor project and wondered what your options were for protecting it against the elements? To keep outdoor pieces looking their best, it’s important to finish them in a way that will prevent deterioration that can often occur through prolonged exposure to moisture. There is a wide variety of commercial product…

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  • Pieces of wood stacked on a pallet
    6:05

    Air Drying Wood Slabs

    Logs are cut and converted to lumber while the log is still wet, commonly referred to as green, and the material needs to be dried before it can be used in your shop. Air drying wood slabs is a really low tech way to dry lumber. Prep Before stacking the green wood paint the end…

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  • Strips of wood
    1:43

    Red vs White Oak: How to Identify the Difference

    Red oak and white oak are in the same family, but have very different characteristics. Unfortunately simply looking at the boards may not give you enough information to tell the difference between the two. And no, looking at the color of the boards won’t do it. Red oak isn’t really red, and white oak isn’t…

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  • Bottom of wooden project
    3:43

    Identifying Parts of Your Woodworking Project

    You wouldn’t start a project without looking at the plan first. Similarly, you shouldn’t start any projects without having a really close look at your material. What’re we looking for? When you purchase solid wood for your projects, especially hardwoods, they most likely will be in random width and random length. That means just what…

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  • Bottom of wooden project
    6:03

    Repairing a Wobbly Table

    Building a wobble-free table or wobble-free chair legs can be tricky. Sometimes you might be working with organic shaped material, or other times perhaps there is the slightest slippage while you are gluing up. Whatever the cause, it’s common that a project wobbles just slightly when you take it out of the clamps. Never fear,…

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