Wood of the Week – Black Ash

Black Ash is a thirsty hardwood that is native to the great lakes region of North America and shares a habitat with tamarack and black spruce. It looks similar to Oak when stained, is comparable to oak in price, and has less chatter than Oak so it often displays a brighter finish.

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Our shop's Timesavers wide belt sander.

The Timesavers Wide Belt Sander

A belt sander is a machine with a motor that drives several spindles which rotate a large belt of sandpaper. It is used to shape, sand, and finish a variety of materials – in our case, that material is wood. We purchased our Timesavers sander around the year 2000 and it has been in daily use ever since.

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A grove of lyptus trees.

Wood of the Week – Lyptus

Lyptus is a trademarked name that is used for a hybrid of two Eucalyptus species. Lyptus is attractive to consumers because it is a “green” economically friendly wood species that is abundant, easy to attain, and very affordable.

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Our shop's Powermatic 72" table saw.

The Powermatic 72 Table Saw

A table saw is a circular saw that is mounted on an arbor under a table, through which the blade protrudes. The main function of a table saw is to hold the saw blade at the desired or necessary angle while the woodworker pushes material through the blade. Our Powermatic 72 table saw was built in 1977 and weighs nearly 900 pounds.

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A foggy forest of Douglas Fir.

Wood of the Week – Douglas Fir

Douglas fir is an evergreen conifer species that is native to western North America and can be found from the Rocky Mountains to Oregon and Washington’s coast. Its appearance is desired in cabinetry and furniture with flat sawn material being very aesthetically pleasing.

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The Oscillating Edge Sander

An oscillating edge sander is a sanding machine that has a large belt of sandpaper mounted on two spindles that moves repeatedly up and down. They are made to do exactly what their name implies… sand edges!

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A close-up detail on a veneer of butternut wood.

Wood of the Week – Butternut

Butternut is a hardwood species of walnut native to North America that is sometimes referred to as White Walnut, due to its close relation to Black Walnut. Its soft qualities make it a great species to use in carved furniture and is a favorite of wood carvers.

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The Rockwell Bandsaw

A bandsaw is a saw that is used principally in woodworking, lumbering, and metalworking. Its blade is a continuous band of toothed metal that gets stretched between two or more wheels from which it spins. The evenly distributed teeth allow the bandsaw to uniformly cut straight, irregular or curved shapes.

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Wood of the Week – Genuine Mahogany

True Mahogany is a hardwood that was once thought to be a type of Cedar. Mahogany is prized for its beauty, durability, color, and character. It is naturally resistant and can withstand literally hundreds of years of use as a dining room table, yet is classy enough to be the choice material for accent pieces in luxury cars.

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