In this episode I talk about sourcing historic woods, rubberwood, Ukrainian woods, and why Walnut and other species have so much sapwood. Plus we learn that younger trees may not sequester as much carbon as we thought.

This time I answer listener questions like:

-What to look for when buying lumber from places like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

-Wood movement based on density

-Expanding your sawmill to buying lumber

-CITES passports on the stuff you make

UVA Sawmilling is the product of 2 architecture graduates who wanted to put the trees to use that had been felled on campus. Today they are a cross disciplinary "department" that is sawing logs and making the wood available for student projects and for the University to use in its own construction projects. Essentially turning the UVA campus into a forest concession and supplier of raw materials for its own development. Learn more at https://www.uvasawmilling.com/.

Soil chemistry plays a major role in the appearance and working characteristics of the lumber we use. In this episode I look at several examples where geology and weather and even mankind have altered a tree species. It is a fascinating subject and I tap into my long unused geology schooling...and probably mess most of it up.

I have guest David Barmon with me to discuss the urban logging movement. David successfully funded his book "Trees from the City" on Kickstarter and is in the throes of getting it finished up and on shelves. We discuss how urban lumber isn't all just slabs and the direction the urban logging industry is heading.

Are you considering starting your own lumber business? Or maybe you just wondered about how they work as a business model. This is a big topic but on this episode I take a shallow dive into some of the things to consider when you start selling your lumber to others.

I'm cleaning out some of my inbox this time and answering a question about the difference between green and air dried timbers. Talking about the checking inherent in larger timbers, and planting your own grove of trees. Plus I delve into the possible replacements for Western Red Cedar.

Let's talk about Poplar...or Tulip Poplar...or Eastern Cottonwood...or White Poplar or Yellow Poplar or Quaking Aspen or (gasp) Tulipwood. No they are not all the same tree. Or are they? Today I talk about the Populus genus and that upstart wannabe from the Magnolia family Liriodendron tulipfera.

Let's talk about wood identification and the process I go through. In this episode I give you a few resources to use but mostly a hierarchy of things to follow to get you very close to a positive ID of that unknown wood in your hand. Its all in the end grain.

BTW the featured image for this episode exhibits diffusely arranged, large pores that are both solitary but in radial pairs. Vasicentric or lozenge parenchyma and closely spaced, fine rays.

This week I have Tommaso Valeriano join me to talk about the ways in which he has acquired nearly 30,000 board feet of lumber without ever visiting a lumber yard. Mostly his success has come through auctions and he shares some of his tips for finding the auctions and getting boards without breaking the bank.