Apples to apple

One day last fall, Nirloy and I passed some apple firewood for sale.  I knew the orchard that sold produce at that spot, so we drove by to see if there were more trees that weren't yet firewood.  Indeed there were, and over the winter we purchased two truckloads of logs from the orchard.  These were an amazing, nearly last-of-their-kind stand of full-size apple trees.  Ones like this haven't been planted for decades, being replaced with much more manageable dwarf trees.  Earlier this month, the stumps were removed and I had visions of graft junctions and root burls dancing in my head.  A local excavator brought us five or six loads of "stumps" on his tri-axle dump truck.  We have a huge pile of these.  They are not really stumps, though, as some were cut off a few feet above the ground line, while others were apparently cut off at the first limbs--several feet higher than the others.  The question still remains if the figure under the ground line is worth the work it will take to get it out of the tree.  On Saturday, I tested one out, just to see how it would go.  This is how the log looked when I started.

 The ground these trees were growing in is filled with flint, which is a very hard stone.  All of these have to come off before going through the mill saw.  With a pressure washer borrowed from my friend Ted, I began to slowly remove the debris and extra roots. The force was enough to debark the roots, which helped to see if they were clean.  If you look at the water in the center photo below, you will see the unique color that was created from the release of tannins in the bark as the water ripped away pieces of it.

 

What I quickly learned was that some of the rocks were deeply embedded in the clean roots.  I was thinking that I would cut all the way through the roots and include them in the slabs.  This could make for an interesting coffee table.  However, I didn't think I could get all of the stones out of the wood in this one.  So, I resorted to cutting off the end of the root crown.












After removing a few final embedded flint-stones with the small hatchet I was using, the log was ready for its ride on the mill carriage.

While the lumber that resulted is very pretty, I was somewhat disappointed at the lack of definition in the area of the graft. This walnut plank shown at right (not our photo or lumber) has a beautiful graft line.  Granted, the plank contains two separate species of walnut, not just two varieties of the same species, like my apple.



The log itself was pretty massive (for an apple tree, anyway).  Our mill saw only has a 21-inch reach.  (Click here to see a video of it in action.)  I had to cut more of the bell off of the remaining root crown to get it stabilized and enable sawing through it.  Once I had a sixteen inch square, I cut some two- and three-inch slabs.  Here is the result:

A pass or two through the planer showed what one of these 3x16" planks had to offer.  We have had requests over the years for apple gun stocks, but rarely find anything that is large enough to make them.  About three years ago, we cut one piece that I was hoping would make one, but it checked from end to end, as often is the case with apple.  If this piece stays intact, it could hold that elusive prize.  Conversely, if the piece were resawn into a bookmatched pair of thinner planks, it would make a table approximately 30x40".  Not bad for apple. 

While the end result is very nice, it remains to be seen if the entire process of washing, cutting the roots, chopping out the stones, and all, is worth the effort.  I love apple wood.  Not only because it is one of those trees that often is "wasted" as firewood, but because the wood is truly amazing.  It is so hard that, when polished, it feels like velvet in your hand.  Even small scraps of it can be fashioned into works of art.  If the scraps are too small for that, they can be used to flavor barbecue--one of my favorite culinary delights!  I burn firewood and don't begrudge the guys who take advantage of the massive thermal potential that apple offers.  I am glad, though, that we were able to salvage some of these trees and give them a new use:  from apples to apple.

A Tale of Two Cities (and their shows)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness," so says Dickens in the opening line of his classic. We at Smith Lumber have recently experienced just that of which he opined. We completed our second retail show on Saturday and found that not all wood craft shows are created equal.

Our first-ever show was the Mid-Atlantic Artistry in Wood show on April 9, sponsored in part by the Pennsylvania Delaware Valley Wood Carvers Association. Joyce McCullough was our contact for that show. She has a wonderful website with lots of information and lovely photos. Since we had never even been to a show before, let alone been a vendor at one, Joyce was very helpful in pointing out what to expect and suggesting what to bring. We were given a corner spot in the lobby, where people could stand and talk about our wood and their woodworking, without constricting the flow of traffic in the show. Upon arrival, we were offered more tables, giving us ample room to display a selection of what we had taken along. Throughout the day, Joyce and other members of the Del Val Carvers checked in with us to see how we were doing, if we needed anything, and even thanked us for bringing wood to sell. It was a very fun-filled day. I had been promised in advance that it would be by fellow vendor and artist, Arleen Zomer. She also has a blog that you may find interesting. We met several other great people that day and even made more money than we spent, which is a good thing when you are in the retail business.

Based on our experience with that show, we decided to try it again. One of the exhibitors at the Mid-Atlantic Show, suggested that we attend the Lancaster County WoodCarver's show. I emailed Andy DiPace, whose email I was given by the exhibitor, about attending the Lancaster show. His reply was, "I can probably work it out for you." I should have been wary at that point that we were heading somewhere we didn't want to be, but I didn't see it coming. Upon arrival at the Farm and Home Center this past Saturday morning, we began to set up at our assigned location in the same way we had two months earlier. Unlike the other show, no one introduced themselves, no one welcomed us, nor did anyone offer any assistance. About an hour and a half into set-up, I was facing the table, with my back to the walkway, when I heard a voice order me to take everything off of our tables immediately. I turned to see a man I had never met, who did not greet me in any way, nor attempt to open any line of communication before giving that very gruff command. "Pardon me," I asked. He repeated his directive with the statement that the table had to be covered for the display. It was 8:30. The show was advertised to begin at 10:00. We started at 7:00 to place our product. I'm not a mathematician, but you can see that his request was likely to be impossible to meet while having our tables ready by the beginning of the show. When I explained that we had no covers with us, he said we could not be part of the show without them. I took that to mean that he was asking us to leave. I told my mom, who is the boss, that we had been asked to leave, and she went to find our help, to begin packing up. At this point, Mr. DiPace stated that "you people" come in here and think you can do whatever you want. My mom asked him what he meant. He replied that it is "common knowledge" that the table had to be covered to be part of the show. When asked about that statement, he again made a derisive remark that leaves no interpretation other than we were the wrong kind of folks to be at his show. I explained that we would pack up and leave at the end of the day and not come back. He affirmed that we shouldn't come back and walked away. We were off to a great start! I thought maybe in the ensuing 8 hours, he would stop by and amend his comments; however, he did not. Through the course of the day, we talked with several of the folks we had met 2 months earlier. They shared that this is typical of this man's behavior and of the atmosphere of many of their meetings. One of the older members of the Lancaster club told me that he was appalled by our treatment and that it was the last straw for him: he was resigning his membership. Another lady apologized for Mr. DiPace's actions and assured us that we were welcome to return, regardless of his treatment of us.

We are now left wondering about our pursuit of attending these events. We have three more scheduled for this year. We will see if the wood craft show circuit is generally populated with the kind, helpful, teaching attitude of Joyce McCullough, or hostile, aloof, xenophobic mindsets like Andy DiPace.

Not all of Spring's green is leaves

Spring has finally arrived here. The snow is gone and it is raining everyday. That must mean one thing: our spring shipment of hard maple has arrived. Each year for the past few, we have waited anxiously for the snows to melt and for a narrow mountain pass to become navigable so that our supplier can bring us some green, freshly-sawn slabs from the top of Shade Mountain. We have many maples here in the valley, but the sugar maples are few and far between. So, as the snow flies and winter buries us, we collect orders for green hard maple. We sell some other green lumber, mostly to bowl turners who like to work the product while it is still very wet. This lumber, however, is destined to be steamed and bent, which is why dried stock just won't do. Our spring maple is going to become Turkish bows.

While archery has become a popular past-time with many, true enthusiasts craft their own weapons. We sell some osage orange and other woods for long bow carving, as well. In terms of history and ubiquity, though, the Turkish, or Scythian, bow is a straight shooter. Some form of this bow was used from the Mediterranean across Asia to the Pacific. There are still many tribal peoples who use this bow. For a modern plan on making a Turkish horn bow for yourself, this forum post by Brad Heggeseth is most useful. He identifies the sizes and sources of important materials such as horn, sinew, and fish air bladder glue. Sometimes I marvel at the ingenuity of our forefathers who made weapons such as this without anything from a can sold by a big box store, or power tools. We appreciate Brad's kindness in pointing other bowyers to us. We currently offer two sizes of staves, but would be more than happy to create custom-sized blanks if you need something different. We have had several inquiries from abroad, as well; but, as with most of our international customers, shipping costs are outrageous. Since maple is a fairly straight-grained wood, we are able to provide consistent bow staves from it. Our other types of staves, especially osage, are all unique, since they are cut from "difficult" trees. Those pieces are each so individual that we take videos of them and post them to Youtube.

If you find yourself planning to make a primitive bow, we would be glad to help you out. If you are not finding what you need in our catalog, please contact us and we will do our best to make it.

Mythadventures in Education--A View from Rural America

I know that some of the readers of these musings are our woodworking friends whom we have met through the marvel of connection that is the internet. I also know that some of the readers are neighbor friends, who live here in our community and share the experience that we have on this side of the monitor. Tonight I am taking a tangential journey into something that at first glance may seem off topic--irrelevant even--but, if nothing else, it will enlighten the former group about the culture of our corner of the world, and, possibly, encourage the latter.

While many in the media and in other aspects of our society are telling us that "things are tough," most of us have settled into the new reality that is post-housing crash American and, save for currently rising gas prices, are mostly content with it. In the midst of the last few year's turmoil, many governments overreached their abilities to spend and either now, or in the near future, someone is going to be handed the bill for the Piper. In the storied Hamelin town, the Pied Piper didn't get his due, so he exchanged the outstanding note for the children. Here in picturesque, sleepy Juniata County, we are staring blankly at the Piper's tab. We will collectively decide what happens next; do we pay him, or does he lead our children into oblivion? For you see, on May 17, the electorate of our quaint villages and bustling boroughs will face that very question on the ballot.

According to the information that can be found on the Juniata County School District website, the referendum will consist of two options. Option one is higher taxes. Ouch! No one wants to pay more in taxes.

To add to the pain of paying more in taxes, many are confused about what actually is the size of the increase. If you are a visitor to the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania, it may seem foreign to you, but here, the only local funding for schools is through a real estate tax. Regardless of your income, your tax is based on the assessed value of your property. If you aren't sure what that is (or if you want to snoop on your neighbors) the assessment office's website has the details. The difference between the District's planned tax increase and what they will be asking the citizens to allow is about 11 mills. A mill is 0.1% (ie a millidollar) of the assessed value. Muddying the waters, the assessments are somewhat devalued from "actual sale prices." Add to that the fact that we are assessed in 1973 dollars, since that's when the county did the last assessment, and the majority of people don't have any idea how much the tax increase would be. Without confusing anyone with the math (but I would be happy to explain if anyone wants it), the actual tax increase that will be on the referendum is a bit less than 0.2% of the real value (2011) of your property. That is to say, for every $125,000, or so, of the value of real estate that you own, you could expect to pay about $200 more in taxes.

The second box on the upcoming ballot is just as frightening. Again, taking information from the District website, the following things will be removed from our schools if the vote is negative:

• Kindergarten
• VocationalAgriculture
• Building Trades
• Industrial Arts
• Business Education
• Family and Consumer Sciences (F&CS)
• Secondary Music and Art
• Extra-curricular activities such as sports and plays

This list is the fodder for a rumor mill running in overdrive. I will deal more with the misinformation in a moment, but those are our two choices. No more, no less; simply two: raise taxes, or eliminate many of the courses that place tools in the toolboxes of our children.

I do not write of these issues flippantly, because I will personally feel pain, regardless of the outcome of this vote. I would like to pause here and reiterate what I wrote in a previous blog entry; I am a teacher. The smell of fresh sawdust and the hum of the mill's Diesel engine that often inspire these posts are my hobby. Aside from being in the classroom on a daily basis, I, too, pay property taxes. Both choices on the ballot have very real consequences for me. I will not tell you that I can write this information without bias, because I am committed to my students' success. I will, however, present the facts as plainly as I can. All of you reading this have the ability to form your own conclusions based on evidence. I teach science, after all, so research, analyze and conclude. Please do not, though, base your conclusion on any of the following myths. These are just a few of the things that I have heard from our community over the past few weeks.

Myth #1
"They have to teach those things, so they're not really going to cut them!"

Truth
You are correct, Pennsylvania law demands the instruction of many things. The school must teach them--just as it had to do when my dad went to Redbank schoolhouse. In his one-room school, he learned all of those subjects--from one teacher. That being said, the school can drop every one of the items in the above list and offer a lesson or two about the content in some other course. The students can sit in one room all day with one teacher and comply with the Commonwealth's charge. For further clarification on the plans to do so, please see the article in the Lewistown Sentinel and read the comments of Board solicitor, Scott Etter.

Myth #2
"They are not actually going to do it. If the referendum fails, they will come up with some other way to fund these important things."

Truth
The voters will decide what happens. If the majority of voters choose to eliminate the items in the above list, they will be eliminated. In our republic, we rarely have the opportunity to participate in direct democracy. That leaves many in doubt that the "will of the people" actually creates the law in this circumstance. Doubters beware, your vote does count. The results of this referendum are legally binding. And for two years....

Myth #3
"If the referendum fails, they will just put it on again in the Fall."

Truth
This year is considered a municipal election, due to the fact that we are electing local politicians and dealing with municipal issues on the ballot. These occur every other year and are the only elections in which a referendum question such as this can be considered. So, regardless of the outcome, there cannot be another District tax referendum until May 2013.

Myth #4
"The state will come up with the money, so we're still going to have this stuff."

Truth
First, remember that the referendum is legally binding. If our community chooses to raise taxes, they go up; while choosing to "close up shop" (and the band room and the home-ec kitchen etc.), will cause those items to be eliminated. The only way that this myth could become a truth is if the Commonwealth passes a budget, fully funding schools, before the May 17 primary election. They haven't even started negotiating a budget yet and rarely meet the June 30 deadline. Anyone want to place odds on that one?

Myth #5
"Students will be able to 'pay-to-play'."

Truth
All extracurricular activities will be eliminated. Due to various considerations such as facility upkeep, liability insurance and the federally-enforced Title IX, there will not be any sports, plays etc. Discussions could be held all day long about extracurriculars, since they are, well, extra, meaning outside of the curriculum. Good, bad, or indifferent, they are included with the rest in the list.

I will stop with that brief introduction. There are many more that I have heard and read. The most frustrating part of this conversation for me has been the numerous people who choose to ignore the stark reality and form opinions based on other opinions. We all know that is a dangerous path to tread.

It has been eight and a quarter centuries since the brightly clad Pied Piper branded Hamelin into our collective memories. Today, he is standing at the gate of our community, waiting for our corporate decision. In just three short weeks, we, too, will choose to part with something dear to us. Will it be our gold, or will it be our children? I welcome your comments. We can look at the facts and agree to disagree as to our future course. As long as you are basing your decision on the factual substance that we face, I respect your decision. To my friends, near and far, examine the facts; meditate on them; reckon them unto yourself.

Popular Wood. No, I mean Poplar (or not.)

Several years ago, we received a message through the eBay system from a very irritated eBay user. He was not a customer of ours, nor was he intending to buy anything from us. Instead, he just wanted to complain that we used the scientific names for our lumber in our listings. He wanted to know if that was there to impress the "wood weenies." (His term, not mine.) I explained to him that to eliminate confusion about what we were selling, we listed the standard names (in Latin), since common names can mislead folks into thinking they are getting what they are not. Poplar is a popular example.

We often sell tulip poplar, also called Eastern yellow poplar wood. Some people even corrupt the name into "popular wood." The Liriodendron tulipifera is a ubiquitous tree here in Pennsylvania. It produces small, feathered seeds which are blown in the wind. They spread far and wide, making it one of the first trees to sprout when other trees are removed; either by natural events such as windfalls or fire, or when a tree is cut. The tulip poplar grows quickly--and to incredible size--and produces strong, straight wood. It has two flaws as an industrial hardwood, though. The wood is soft and dents easily. It has also been said that after two foggy nights, the wood of the yellow poplar will be rotten. The tree is named for the tulip-like flowers it bears and the fact that these two foibles are possessed by a European tree, as well: the poplar.

The European poplar is any of several trees belonging to the same genus (group of species) as our American aspens: Populus. These trees are called aspens here in the east, and sometimes in the west, as well. Sometimes they are called poplar, though, in addition to being called popple at times. Confused yet? While I don't expect woodworkers to memorize the scientific names of the woods they use, if anyone is ever in doubt, they can clearly identify what it is we are selling by the Latin name.

There is another tree in the aspen group that grows a bit larger than the quaking and big-toothed aspens that we have here in central PA and see at the mill from time to time. The cottonwood is often planted for landscaping and streetscaping. And often called poplar; Eastern poplar, even. The neighbor that lives across from the mill property has had a cottonwood in the corner of the yard as long as I can remember. It died in 2009. Roy was cutting some trees across from it last fall and offered to take the dead tree away. He sawed a few large planks from it this week. It is the first cottonwood that I can remember coming across the mill. The color pattern is really nice. We have a bowl blank made from this tree listed on eBay currently. The wood feels and planes very much like aspen, which is what I would expect. The bark is very similar, too. The photo below is of a bowl carved into a crotch-wood slab of cottonwood. It is from one of my favorite websites, Hobbit House, which also has a discussion of poplar, I have come to learn.So, not to contradict Shakespeare or anything, a rose by any other name may not really be a rose. Whether you are looking to make something out of poplar (the yellow kind with flowers) or poplar (cottonwood, aspens, Lombardy, or popple), maybe we can help you out. If you know what you need, drop us a line, and we will try to help you out. If you seek to be popular, though, I don't think we can do much for that.

The Most Brutal of Teachers

C. S. Lewis once said, "Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn." How true that is. So many times, I have read about things, been told about things, but do not know things until I have experienced. My thoughts today have been turning toward an upcoming experience that will be a teacher.

We have been in the sawmill business for over a century. I grew up knowing about the products and markets that my father grew up with. A little less than a decade ago, though, we shifted some of our efforts to the retail hobby lumber market--which is why this blog and our website exist. In that time we have learned many things. I knew from a college buddy that American linden, or basswood, was used to carve duck decoys. That's about the extent of what I knew about carving. My former colleague did woodturning and I had seen and knew a bit about his work. My woodturning knowledge ended there.

Today we make green, AnchorSealed bowl blanks and kiln dried squares for turners; basswood, butternut, and tupelo blanks for carvers; figured black walnut blanks for gunsmiths; osage orange staves for bowyers; figured book-matched thin wood, 8/4 ash and basswood body blanks, and black willow blocking for luthiers; and more. It seems as each day passes, we learn more about the products that our customers need and how we can better meet those needs. In three weeks, we will have a new experience that will teach us much. I just hope it is not too brutal.

On April 9, we will be attending the 35th Annual Mid-Atlantic "Artistry in Wood" Show and Competition hosted by the PA Delaware Valley Wood Carvers Association. I have never been to a wood carver's show, let alone prepared to be a vendor at one. By nature, I like to have as much familiarity with something as possible before I actually try it. I am not sure what to expect from this show and being unfamiliar makes me very uncomfortable. Fortunately, Joyce McCullough of the Del Val Carvers has been graciously exchanging emails with me as I prepare for the show. She is a talented artisan, using both carving and turning. Please take a moment to visit her website and enjoy the quality of her work. The amazing chickadee at left looks as if it may take flight if startled. While far from feeling prepared, I don't feel as clueless as we gather inventory to take with us, thanks to Joyce's kind input. We will be focusing on basswood and tupelo carving blanks, turning squares, pen blanks, and bowl blanks.

So, I will be taught by this experience. Not only will we be better carving and turning wood producers when we leave the show, but I will know more about the arts themselves. I am always fascinated by the turnings that our custom turner, Rich Burkholder, makes for us. I hope that I will have time to get away from the vendor table to see the artwork that will be on display. The carved creations of the show's feature carver, Floyd Rhadigan, are interesting, to say the least. Having no woodworking ability myself, I appreciate the skill that these master craftsmen possess. I find great beauty in the raw wood that comes straight from the tree itself, but the seemingly endless talent employed in creating these masterpieces is astounding. I can't quite decide if I am more nervous or excited for the show.

If any of you have been to this or any wood carving or turning show, feel free to share your experiences with us.

Signs...

...of Spring are nice. I wish there were more to be seen right about now. Unfortunately, Winter is rearing its head again here in central PA, so--for a little while at least--we'll just have to enjoy the Burkholders' little bloom.

There are some other signs, however, to brighten the dark of late Winter. We've been enjoying the signs being shared by Michael Wurm, keeper of the "Old Charm Bed & Breakfast" in St. Mary's, PA, on our Facebook page. Having very little "craftiness" myself, I am amazed when a true artist can create pieces like this. The picture here is just one of several incredibly unique sings that we have seen. You can see more of them on Michael's blog. If you are lucky, you may even be able to purchase one from him, either in person in the gift shop of his inn, or online in his Etsy shop. I have to say that if the sign to the left were in the shop, it would have been my wife's Valentine's Day gift.

I think, though, the most amazing part of this for me is the fact that these signs were part of one of old shanties that traveled with my dad and grandfather as part of the portable sawmill. It had to be moved to accommodate a new post for the current sawmill roof. When it was shifted, it fell apart. At least the boards--after trekking all over the middle of Pennsylvania--have found a good home.

With the shanty gone, so are the last of these boards. We do have some other weathered boards to offer at the moment. They are a bit more barn-like, with faded red paint. You can take a look at a few here. Maybe you, too, will be inspired to recycle some old boards into new ideas. As always, if you have questions, or you can't find what you need, drop us a line. In the meantime, if you would like to showcase your work, please do so on our Facebook page.