wood dr. Gene Wengert

Wood Dr

Why are sawmills closing?

Q. I read in Woodworking Network about sawmills closing in the western U.S. and western Canada, but more opening and expanding in the southern U.S. What is happening?

Wood Dr

Cupping in flooring

Q. I had standard 2-inch wide maple flooring put in our house. Now, almost every piece has developed a little cupping with the edges high enough that it feels like a corrugated surface. What is going on?

Wood Dr

Glue interfering with veneer finish

Q. We have some veneered panels and the veneer is actual narrow pieces of veneer that are glued into a large sheet. The problem we are having is that when we finish these panels after sanding, there is a region, perhaps 1/8 inch wide on each side of the glue line that interferes with finishing, so now the glue line is obvious. Any ideas?

Wood Dr

Cupping is creating problems

Q. We manufacture moulding and buy FAS grade lumber that sometimes is cupped edge to edge so much that it gives us problems. Can you please clarify the NHLA Rules, especially paragraphs 14 and 61? Our supplier hides behind these rules. I think we might have improperly graded lumber.

Wood Dr

Is warp covered in lumber grade?

Q. We bought some No.1 Common kiln-dried hardwood lumber and it is warped up and down along the length. This cannot be used to make our larger doors, as the pieces we cut will not be flat. The supplier says that warp is not covered in the grades. Is this correct?

Wood Dr

Drop in gluing pressure

Q. I just noticed that our gluing press has a slight drop in pressure after the peak pressure is reached (caused by a drop in air pressure when another machine kicks in). Is this possibly the cause of our weak joints?