Q: We have some 5/4 hard maple, and when we resaw the lumber, the two 1/2-inch-thick pieces cup right off the saw. When they sit around for a day or so in the plant, then the cup goes away. Our foreman calls this casehardening and blames the kiln operator; the kiln operator says that the lumber is okay and that we have a storage problem and that we should not process cold lumber. We want you to resolve this please.

Q: I recently applied a sheet of "peel and stick" veneer to a cabinet end panel. The cabinet looked fine from time of application until several weeks after installation. Now many bubbles appear under the veneer. How can I avoid this in the future?

Karl Forth's observations from visiting successful companies.

Q: Our main red oak supplier sprays water on his logs during the summer. I have heard that some guys don't buy red oak if the logs were under water because you can't keep the sap from staining. Is this true?

Q: We have finally learned that using the correct moisture content (MC) of the lumber prevents end checking and warp in our glued up panels, especially in the wintertime. Our supplier of lumber says that wood is variable and so we cannot get the uniform MC that we need. What can we do?

Q: This is not earth-shaking, but we were wondering if they make left-handed drill bits.