Shannon's Lumber Industry Update

Shannon Rogers
  • 5.0 (8)
  • LEISURE
  • UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY

An 8/4, Kiln dried podcast all about lumber and your questions about it. Let's dispel some myths and broaden an understanding of this ancient industry and help us all become a little more wood savvy...woodier??

  1. 165 Zelkova

    2 MAR

    165 Zelkova

    Zelkova lumber is starting to become more available as the 1st and 2nd generation of urban planting in the wake of the Dutch Elm blight is maturing and urban sawyers are finding more Zelkova in their inventories. This tree has many of the same properties of Elm and a long, revered history across Japane, Korea and China. Additional topics in this episode include what woods are safe to burn from your woodshop scraps and how the Post WWII lumber boom compares to the current lumber market.

    52 min
  2. 164 History of Drying Lumber

    11 FEB

    164 History of Drying Lumber

    We have been drying lumber for thousands of years and in this episode I look into how it was done and how it evolved into the kilns we use today. Plus a look forward and innovations in drying tech. Most importantly though are the observations that drove the need to dry rather than any particular science. How did wood behave and how did we want it to behave is what started this whole idea of drying lumber.

    57 min
  3. 163 Red Alder

    4 FEB

    163 Red Alder

    Red Alder has increased in popularity substantially from its "junk tree" status and now shows up in cabinetry, floors, guitars and even saunas. Listen as I dive deep on the merits of this underrated hardwood. Also in this episode I talk about Walnut grading for color and how the potential of Vietnamese Walnut could play out in the North American market.

    1h 5m
  4. 162 - Driftwood

    27 JAN

    162 - Driftwood

    This time I dive into the driftwood trade. This is a nearly 3 billion dollar global industry that I never knew was even a thing. Now I see driftwood everywhere. Plus I talk about log pricing, Oak staining, and freeze dried lumber.

    38 min
  5. LU161 Bubinga Santa

    22/12/2025

    LU161 Bubinga Santa

    In this episode I feature Bubinga and talk through its trade and CITES regulation. I then move into a conversation about how Santa might logistically pull off making toys for the entire world and what his lumber orders might look like.

    57 min
  6. 160 - Peruvian Walnut

    26/11/2025

    160 - Peruvian Walnut

    In this episode I feature Peruvian Walnut and talk about how it has become a flooring species. Specifically how its drying difficulty drove it to be a flooring product. Additionally I talk about juvenile wood, Jindai wood, and the Hickory/Pecan confusion. Make sure you check out TDC's video about urban lumber that features previous guests Camp Small and UVA Sawmilling. https://youtu.be/5kx-CoT4zsg?si=0j-g9JS70K5nFYR-

    51 min
  7. 159 Colonial Lumber

    12/11/2025

    159 Colonial Lumber

    Today we look at the birth of the timber trade in America. From when the Pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower up until the Revolutionary War. Timber was one of those contributing factors that led to war. We all talk about throwing tea into the harbor, but what about the Pine Tree riots and the Broad Arrow Notices that claimed colonial Pines for the Royal Navy. Happy Thanksgiving as we explore how and what timber was used and exported from early America.

    1h 1m
  8. LU158 Ponderosa

    30/10/2025

    LU158 Ponderosa

    Today I feature the mighty Ponderosa Pine. I was marveling at these trees on a recent trip out west and knew I had to feature the species. A mainstay of the construction lumber industry often labelled as PP/LP on lumber racks. But also a species with a different life in the form of clear boards in moulding, interior flooring, paneling, etc. The species is fire propagating and is a perfect example of how healthy forest management needs a little fire from time to time. The Beetle Kill Pine is the result of weak forests without natures cleaning mechanism. Ponderosa is a yellow pine but a pale version of yellow pine both in appearance but in workability with softer and less difference between early and late growth. It makes for a more uniform working experience with planing, sawing or cutting joinery. Also in this episode I answer questions about: - Kiln Drying schedules to reduce trial and error when drying lumber - How pulp wood forests no longer destined to a paper mill could be turned into saw timber forests. - Typical construction lumber species in the 1920s in the NE United States

    55 min
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About

An 8/4, Kiln dried podcast all about lumber and your questions about it. Let's dispel some myths and broaden an understanding of this ancient industry and help us all become a little more wood savvy...woodier??

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