Track 4
What happens between the forest and the workshop — sawing, drying, grading, storage, and buying.
10 guides · 1 available in this track
Sawing is where log geometry becomes board behaviour: grain pattern, stability, yield, and cost all trace back to how the log was broken down.
Plain Sawn vs Quarter Sawn vs Rift SawnComing soon
Guide 1 introduced the sawing patterns and the machines that execute them. This guide focuses entirely on the three board orientations those patterns produce: plain-sawn, quarter-sawn, and rift-sawn. We'll go deep into how each one looks, moves, performs, and when to choose it —
Timber Drying MethodsComing soon
In Guide 1 we followed the log through the sawmill. In Guide 2 we examined how the three board orientations affect stability and movement. Now we follow those freshly sawn boards to the next critical stage: removing the moisture.
Kiln Drying vs Air DryingComing soon
Air drying and kiln drying are not competing ideologies. They are tools. Used well, they complement each other. Used poorly, they ruin timber.
Moisture Meters and Measuring MCComing soon
Moisture content (MC) is the number that links the timber yard, the workshop, and the finished piece. In Track 2 we covered what MC means and why it drives movement. In Track 4 Guide 3 we saw how drying methods work. This guide is the practical skill: how to measure MC properly,
Storage, Acclimation, and Handling TimberComing soon
Drying gets timber close to a target moisture content. Storage and acclimation are what keep it there — and what bring it the last few percent into line with your workshop and the final environment.
Timber Grading (Strength, Defects, and Stamps)Coming soon
If you have ever looked at a piece of softwood with a stamp full of letters and numbers, or wondered why two boards of the “same” size and species are priced wildly differently, you have already met grading.
Planed vs Rough Sawn (Nominal vs Finished Sizes)Coming soon
When timber leaves the sawmill it is rough, slightly oversized, and rarely perfectly straight. Most timber is then dried and machined. Every one of those steps changes the dimensions.
Timber Treatment and ProtectionComing soon
If you build a deck with the wrong treatment level, it can rot from the inside while still looking fine on the surface. If you treat the wrong timber for indoor furniture, you can create health, finishing, and corrosion problems you did not need.
Buying Timber (What to Check Before You Build)Coming soon
Buying timber well is a skill. This guide gives a simple checklist so you can pick boards that will stay stable, machine cleanly, and fit the job.