A little while ago we drove up to a small milling operation near Sacramento. Scott Miller is the one-man-band who reclaims felled trees, logs and cuts them up into fine planks of lumber. He was very very kind and open to share his passion of wood and we had a blast selecting pieces to take home with us. If you're in the area and want to pick up some raw wood to work with, he's definitely someone I recommend you call. He shared various tips and fascinating facts about wood and we're going back once we use this lumber up. Go like the facebook page or check out the website here.
The wood is now neatly stacked and drying on little slats to allow air to circulate across the surface of the wood. When a tree is cut down, it is considered wet and may need 2-6 months to dry.
Black Walnut burl (Which smells absolutely fantastic)
Slab of Pecan Hickory
One Cedar long sitting on redwood logs.
Cedar (left)and redwood (right) logs.