You’ve probably seen those stunning live edge slab tables with sweeping grain, golden-brown tones, and a natural figure that looks almost too good to be real. Chances are, you were looking at guanacaste wood. Also known as parota wood or…
Wet Sanding Wet sanding is a way to make wood feel extra smooth and look perfect. Whether you’re building something with wood, fixing up old furniture, or getting wood ready to paint, wet sanding can help you get a clean,…
Buckeye wood comes from the buckeye tree (genus Aesculus), a unique hardwood that grows in North America. Known for its distinctive nuts and beautiful spring flowers, the tree also produces soft, light wood with a few practical uses. In this…
I still remember the first time I cut open a fresh board of Padauk. The color hit me like a shock. It wasn’t brown. It wasn’t red. It was almost neon orange — like something you’d see under a blacklight,…
When bugs enter your home, carpenter ants and termites are two of the most worrying. They may seem alike, but they act differently, cause different types of damage, and need different treatments. In this article, you’ll learn the main differences…
Introduction to Wood-Boring Beetles Wood-boring beetles are small insects, but they can cause big problems. They damage homes, furniture, and wooden objects by making tunnels inside the wood. These beetles are hard to spot at first, but learning how to…
Carpenter Ants If you see big black ants in your home, you might have carpenter ants. These ants can be a big problem. They don’t just bother you—they can also damage your house. Unlike regular ants, carpenter ants dig into…
One time I dropped a small piece of Lignum Vitae into a bucket of water. I thought it would float, like most wood does. It didn’t float at all. It sank straight down, like a rock. That is the moment…
A friend asked me last week, “Is hickory wood actually good, or is it just hype?” Here’s my honest answer. Hickory is tough. Really tough. It’s one of the strongest woods you can buy in the US. But it’s heavy,…
I’ve patched cracks running clean across old tabletops, and I’ve fixed hairline splits on cabinet doors so small most people never noticed them in the first place. Wood cracks for a lot of reasons, and once you know how to…
