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Gene Wengert

Gene Wengert, “The Wood Doctor” has been training people in efficient use of wood for 45 years. He is extension specialist emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

FDMC Magazine

Grain raising

Q: We have drawer fronts that now, several months after manufacture and finishing, have grain raising. The rings of the tree are actually raised, forming a corrugated surface. Any ideas?

FDMC Magazine

Small, raised spots on sycamore

Q: We are experiencing raised "pimples" after machining Sycamore. It occurs on 1 to 5 in 100 pieces. It is always on glued rails and on flat sawn grain. It is very random but appears to be associated where glue has dried. The problem also appears only on the sap not the heartwood. We also run sap gum and silver leaf soft maple into this product but have never seen these random raised pimples.

FDMC Magazine

Grain raising defect

Q: Is it just waterborne products that cause a nice, smooth door beforehand to dry rough after staining and finishing when the fibers poke up? How can this be avoided without all the sanding between coats?

FDMC Magazine

Dry it once

Q: We are trying to save money by getting a small dry kiln and drying the lumber ourselves. We are looking at a DH (dehumidifier) electric kiln. The electric company offers us a fantastic rate if we use "off-peak" electricity, which means that we need to shut off the kiln in the afternoon on many days. Is this okay?

FDMC Magazine

Core color contrast

Q. We just received some lumber that has a color issue. We see that the core is normal in color, but the core of the wood is considerably whiter. This contrast in color, shell is darker than the core, is giving us fits and looks poor in the finished product.

FDMC Magazine

Critical drying time

Q: I would like to see if I could get some literature on the most critical time when kiln drying lumber. My boss seems to think it's at fiber saturation point,30 percent MC. I would like more information.

FDMC Magazine

Split laminated glue joints

Q: We cold pressed several hard maple panels, 4/4 thick, then ripped them into 5-inch wide strips, and then we laminated these four 5-inch pieces to produce a post approximate 4 x 5 inch cross section. Then we sent the posts to the finish dept. The post began to split at the glue joints, usually the end, after the finish material was put on them and they were exposed to the hot box. How can we determine if the post are going to split before we apply finish material and heat?