Good Timber

I have enjoyed living in proximity to 

my wood worker (furniture-building) son

for the past few years as he has been seriously following

his life calling to improve his skills and build his body of work.

Cory is a craftsman, but also a philosopher, 

and a voracious reader on widely varied topics.

Luckily for me, he regularly shares what he has learned

and what he knows about wood - many things 

about which I had no idea: how wood grows, what happens in

good years and bad, environmental forces that impact how

the wood looks and acts, which woods are hard enough 

for certain applications, what happens when it is cut fresh,

changes that occur while in the curing barn 

or shop, about how wood "moves" all its existence long,  

and much more.

 Above is a "simple" shallow bowl that Cory turned earlier this year

from Ambrosia Maple. "Opening up" the wood as this process does

reveals so much beauty, it is rather breathtaking!

Striations are enhances when "plain" natural oils are applied,

and the light seems to penetrate beyond the surface.

For this bowl, the craftsman decided to provide more contrast

on the bowl's rim as an accent, so he applied "heat" to the rim

edge by forcing handfuls of turning shavings with pressure to

the bowl's rim by hand as the lathe spun.

Friction heated the shavings to the point that it

actually BURNS the "permanent" color on.

In contrast to the "refined" surface of the Ambrosia Maple bowl

is this "spalted" and wormy Hackberry bowl (below) 

that Cory turned a few years earlier.

Spalting refers to the affect caused by a fungi, either while

growing or after it has been felled, which affects the coloration and

often makes it especially sought after by wood workers.

This bowl also has a surface feature: irregular holes 

created when boring insects attacked the live tree, 

that actually pierce through to the interior, as can be seen

with this inverted position image below.

The insects attacked the tree first, which lowered its defenses

and allowed the fungi to take hold.

Very interesting to look at, because of its imperfections.

Discussing what makes wood "attractive" often brings to my mind

a phrase that I associate with post-crisis evaluations in my own life:

"At least I am getting my money's worth from mortality."

Cory shared a poem with me a few years ago, entitled

"Good Timber" 

by Douglas Malloch 

that is likewise illustrative on this topic 

(four stanzas worth the read!):

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:

The stronger the wind, the stronger trees;

The further sky, the greater length;

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow,

Where thickest lies the forest growth,

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife.

This is the common law of life.

* * *

Thank you, Cory, for teaching me about

the nature of struggle and survival!