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Gene Wengert

Gene Wengert (1942-2025) was popularly known as “The Wood Doctor.” He trained thousands of people in efficient use of wood for more than 50 years and authored foundational resources on wood technology. He worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Virginia Tech. His popular "Wood Doctor's Rx" column has appeared regularly in FDM and FDMC magazine since 1978. Because so much of his advice was timeless, he asked that we continue to run his columns in memoriam.

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Components & Sourcing

Water-based finish on hard maple

Q. We have recently switched to a water-based finish. When we use it on hard maple, the wood from one supplier seems to cause the sugars in the wood to come through the finish and appear as a white frost on the surface. What is it and why on just one supplier?
By Gene Wengert, January 23, 2018 | 9:55 am CST
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Components & Sourcing

Wet and warped stacking stickers

Q. We ordered some stacking stickers for stacking and they are supposed to be from a plantation in Central America. They arrived wet, so we dried them and they warped like crazy. Did we do something wrong? They came in a full 1-inch in thickness, so we have to plane them too.
By Gene Wengert, January 23, 2018 | 9:42 am CST
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Components & Sourcing

Uneven stain absorption

Q. What is causing uneven stain absorption? Specifically, we can see, within each growth ring, good and sparse adsorption. This is with pine. Also, maybe it is the same thing, but why doesn’t varnish and paint stick well to pine plywood when exposed outside?
By Gene Wengert, January 23, 2018 | 9:05 am CST
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Wood Explorer

Longleaf pine

Strongest of the southern pines. Longleaf pines were a major resource for naval stores in the past. The timber was also used for heavy construction, railroad bridges and elevated tracks, floors and cooperage (barrels).
By Gene Wengert, November 30, 2017 | 1:43 pm CST