Wood Shavings Blog

Timber expands and contracts as the moisture content in the wood changes. Wood movement along the grain is insignificant, but across the grain expansion can cause large dimensional changes. This movement can cause joint failures in furniture that has been poorly designed. The coffee table below belonging to my parents,...

One of the exciting things about working with wood is watching how it changes as you cut, sand, stain and finish it. When working with old weathered timber this process is even more fascinating. You never know what beauty is hidden beneath the grime until you start planing back the...

Trees have a variety of internal structures that affect the timber we get out of them.  This post will highlight some of the main features in a growing tree and how that affects the finished timber that we use to build with. Lets start with the different parts of a tree...

Finishes are applied to furniture to provide moisture resistance (see last weeks post on how moisture damages timber), improve colour, add sheen and to bring out the natural beauty in the timber grain. There is a lot of mystique surrounding timber finishes.  Much of this is a result of marketing...

There are three main causes of deterioration in furniture over time.  The big three are;- Wear and Tear, Ultraviolet Light, and Moisture  Wear and tear is a natural result of  furniture  use  and  can lead to scratches  and finish thinning.  It is  not  easy to  prevent this type of deterioration...

In the last 20 years Australia’s population has increased by about 30%, but waste generation has risen by a massive 170%. We recycle more than we used to, but still dispose of around half our waste in landfill. Much of the timber removed when renovating old houses in Brisbane comes...