It All Starts at the Mill
Drying live edge wood slabs properly is one of the most important, and often overlooked, steps in creating a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture. When slabs are pulled from our mill, they are stacked with evenly spaced sticks separating each layer. These sticks create a space between each layer for air to flow over the surface of the slab, allowing moisture near the surface to evaporate. This is the start of the air-drying process. The air-drying process can take anywhere from 1-3 years depending on species and thickness of the cut slab. The general rule of thumb for most hardwoods is to allow them to air dry 1 year for each inch of thickness. Most of our slabs are cut between 2” and 3” thick; so, a 2” slab will need to air dry for 2 years. This is to allow all the “free water” in the woods cellular structure to be evaporated.
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A burl is a growth of callus tissue formed on a tree normally in response to an environmental injury. These injuries could include but are not limited to, storm damage, disease, or insect damage. Burls grow at a rate faster than other tree cells and due to that reason, they can grow to substantially larger sizes. Though a lot of people see a burl and assume it’s a disease on the tree, they are far from that and are very beneficial for trees as they help preserve and aid a damaged area.… 