Month: May 2014

Food + Wood

/ Kyle Newman / Leave a comment
produce-baskets

Photographed at Nashville Farmers Market

Flavorings and packaging are two uses for wood in food and drinks, but never the less an interesting topic for the inquisitive.  In the case of bourbon it is both.  Wood has a long presence in the packaging of foods and through the development of new materials over the last 100 years it is interesting to see where and why it persists.  White oak, beech, and birch are just few that still have their place in packaging of foods today.  Hickory, white oak, and mesquite are staples when it comes to flavorings.  The Food + Wood Series elaborates on the application of wood as it applies to foods and drinks.

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WWII Wood Posters

/ Kyle Newman / 4 Comments

During WWII, the United States set an impressive bench mark for unity and home front efforts that has yet to be matched. Everyone was expected to do what they could to help. Goods were rationed and factories were diverted from their primary products to products that could directly support the war time efforts. Lumber and wood product industries took and active part in these efforts. The United States government want to make sure they had a reliable supply chain for all wood goods. Continue reading →

Characteristics of Wood: Pith Fleck, Turkey Tracks, and Glassworm

/ Kyle Newman / Leave a comment

When reading or talking about wood, we run across technical terms and jargon. Some may be familiar to us and others may leave us wondering where they came from. Understanding these specific natural characteristics of wood can help us draw connections between the things we know and the things we have yet to learn. Continue reading →

Why do I write about wood?!?

/ Kyle Newman / Leave a comment

kylenewman-wooddigest-veneertieI found it fascinating that when I was in college and people asked what I was studying they were surprised that I was studying WOOD.  I got responses like “what are you going to do with that?” or “will you be able to get a job?” Since then I’ve made it a mission to enlighten people about what can be done with wood, what has been done with wood, and the science behind working with wood.  These are the inspiration for the Application + Wood, History + Wood, and Science + Wood series.  Hope you enjoy!

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Sports + Wood

/ Kyle Newman / Leave a comment
bats

Photographed at Louisville Slugger

Sports are a popular pass time and even they are intertwined with the wood. From baseball bats to bowling alley floors, to pool cues; wood is an integral part of many of the sports we enjoy. The application of wood in sports is both practical and simple. Various woods are chosen for their specific physical properties and less for their appearance. Both competitive sports and the use of wood goes well into prehistory of mankind; however I find it fascinating that combination of both rarely precedes the industrial revolution. The Sports + Wood Series elaborates on the application of wood as it applies to sports.

Music + Wood

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custom-carved-guitar


Fender Custom Shop Carved Floral Stratocaster, 1994. Photographed at NAMN Museum of Making Music

Music is a fascinating area when it comes to the art of woodworking. Wood adds to the beauty of both the music and the instrument itself. Music is, has been, and always will be an important part of culture. Until the refinement of metals and the development of synthetic materials wood was the material for instruments. Even today the finest instruments are made of wood. Pianos, guitars, and the woodwinds to name a few that are made from wood. Wooden instruments last and it is not uncommon to hear of a violin from the 18th, 17th, or even the 16th century sold in auction. The construction and the woods chosen for an instrument are not random, but are highly specialized. This forms an interesting overlap in the study of acoustics and wood science. The Music + Wood Series elaborates on the application of wood  as it applies to instruments.