Q. We have some concern about allergic reactions in wood. Can you perhaps tell us more about this?

Q. I am planning to build a large dining room table, about 10 x 3.5 foot. I have some 2 inches x 8 inches x 12 feet Honduras mahogany (beautiful pieces) I plan to use. I will glue them up, edge to edge. I have questions: 1. Is this project feasible or advisable? 2. What adhesive should I use? 3. What about the table frame? 4. How much will the table top expand or contract in width? 5. How do I finish the ends and top to prevent cracking and warping?

Q. Can you please suggest a non destructive/non pin moisture meter to check walnut core moisture, the thickness of walnut would be 10/4 or 60 mm?

Q: We have some hickory lumber that has some darker colored splotches under the surface. We notice this color variation only after we plane the lumber. If we plane it several times, removing more wood, the splotches go away. It is not cost effective to make 1/2-inch thick pieces out of 4/4 lumber, however. What do we have?

Q: I am sending you several samples of Eastern white pine lumber. These pieces have a small erratic line running across the grain (that is, from edge to edge across the face of the lumber). Sometimes we might see two or three lines in an individual piece. In a wide piece, they may only run 6 or 8 inches before disappearing. Can you tell us what this is? We think it is a kiln problem.

Q: What is ring shake? How do we detect it in our oak lumber? Does this shake cause a bad odor or other manufacturing problems?

Fences, wheel hubs and xyolophone keys have been common uses.