Scrap Wood Projects, Online Classes, Drying Lumber and MORE!!

Brians Questions:

Hey guys, Got another one for ya. I have never used real hardwood for a project. Everything I have done so far has been with random scraps, pine or plywood. I was wondering what you guys would suggest as a good first project using hardwood. I do have a small variety pack of 3 species I picked up from woodcraft a while back that was on sale. 3 small boards that are essentially 2' 1x4's. Couldn't tell you what species they are at this point. I had thought about starting out by making a simple wood mallet using these. As a companion question. What general advice would you give someone just starting out. I don't have a planer or joiner so where should I get my hardwood? Do typical wood suppliers have an option to purchase already dimensioned lumber? I know a big box store is always an option. What species would you recommend getting started with? Any other helpful tips for this rookie? Thanks again, Jon

Guys Questions:

Hello gents, My wife creates some really detailed pyrography on offcuts from my woodworking projects. Usually I give them a light coating of linseed oil or tung oil but We’ve found over time, and in particular when in direct sunlight, that the burnt image fades quite a lot. Any ideas on a finish that would help prevent or reduce this fading? Thanks Adam (listener from the UK)

Hey all this is Mason with Blairswoodshop again. I've been thinking of more questions to ask and I have a couple. I'll start with this one and send the others later. I've been seeing a lot of advertising from finewoodworking magazine about some online courses. I'm actually quite interested. I live in a rual area of Missouri and before that I was in a rural area of Southern California. So any kind of in-person class is always a 2-3 hour drive away. I know there is a lot of experience lost with the lack of hands on and in person instruction, but do you all still think there is something to be gained through online live instruction? Most of my experience is through hours of research, reading, listening to this podcast, YouTube, and hands on experience. I feel I could learn some processes faster even through a camera, where my questions can be answered directly at that moment. Sorry about the long winded question, but I am curious of what you guys think?

Huys Questions:

Huy, Guy, Newbie Brian - First off let me apologize for taking a month off from my regular queries. I had to go ahead and dodge a process server after my 7 year old made me get my wife a toilet seat heater for Christmas. Second, Happy New Year to you and yours. May your 2023 be filled with etcetera. Third, I got a hot one for you. Had a 30" diameter beech tree taken down out of my deck (it was growing through it), and saved the bottom 10'. Borrowed my buddy's chainsaw and Alaskan mill and slabbed it up into 8/4. Here is my conundrum. I am 95% sure I will use all but two slabs as milled lumber to make a big dresser. Would you, if you were in my size 13's, mill the lumber to rough size green/now, and then air dry it, or dry it as stacked slabs and then mill it? I can see advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, I'm leaning towards leaving it as slabs only because beech is notorious for twisting as it dries, and I feel like less mass moves easier. But then I consider that if it has innate tension, it's going to move when I mill it, no matter what. I have a whole bunch of other questions but I like a nice lead-in to warm up the audience, so I'll send them individually. You guys breaking trying to break up a multi-parter would just throw off my flow. Love you miss you. Tom @figurawoodwork

I use Odie’s oil. I don’t like it for furniture at all though. I think it looks nice, but I question the durability. That said, I do use it on pens that I sell. You do not get a high shine, but it does leave a nice, natural looking finish with a moderate shine. Plus it applies super easily and seems durable enough for my pens. I was wondering if you guys had a take on hard wax oils for wood turnings. We don’t talk about lathe work a lot. Dillon