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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

Adhesive help

Q: I have used some contact cement to glue veneers, finished them, and several days later I had some bubbles where the adhesive had let go.

Wood Dr

10 facts about end cracking

Q: Like everyone else, we have some end cracking at the glue joints during the wintertime in our glued-up panels. Our supplier says that the problem is the dry humidity in our plant (about 25 percent RH) and I wonder if it is the high MC in the lumber. What perplexes me is that when we have cracking, we measure the MC and it is always under 7 percent MC and sometimes under 6 percent MC. We are considering increasing the RH in our plant this winter; 45 percent RH has been suggested. Can you comment or direct us in the right direction, as this cracking is expensive?

FDMC Magazine

Bacteria darkens wood

Q: We have been working with red oak for many years, but just this past month we have had several problems with our furniture that are new to us. Specifically, we had one job that we finished with a white-colored paint finish. Several of the individual strips of wood developed a dark, dingy, dirty hue along almost the entire strip about a month after they were put into use. The back sides of the pieces were unfinished and had some mineral in the wood. Do you think that a recent switch to No. 2 Common lumber is involved?

FDMC Magazine

Gang rip trouble

Q: We have a gang rip saw that we have trouble with. When the lumber is about halfway through, the piece travels away from the fence. The infeed has rollers that are at an angle so that the lumber is pushed against the fence. That seems to work well for the beginning of the pieces, but then it moves away from the fence. When we increase the feed roll pressure it seems like it might get worse. Any ideas?

FDMC Magazine

How to sell excess lumber

Q: We have a modest lumber inventory of various air-dried and kiln-dried species and thicknesses. We believe that we will not be using some of this lumber in the foreseeable future and want to sell it to improve the cash flow and reduce inventory costs and risks. We believe that we can possibly do best if we sell kiln-dried lumber in small batches to builders, cabinet shops and maybe even serious hobbyists. We plan on planing most of it before selling. My question is how to sell it. Lineal footage, board footage, or by the piece.

FDMC Magazine

Is winter cut maple whiter?

Q: There is a debate going on at our lumber yard between the salesmen and the kiln operator. Is it true that winter cut northern Michigan hard maple is whiter than summer cut? I have heard a couple of the old timers say that back in the good old days they had a rule that you don't cut hard maple if the leaves are on the tree. The reasoning was that in the summer the sap is in the tree making the wood a caramel color. In the winter the sap would no longer be in the tree, making it a nice white color. Is there any validity to this?

FDMC Magazine

Cherry streaks

Q: I just purchased some cherry and it is full of small dark streaks. What are they and are they found in one area of the country more than another?