News

Texas Cutting Boards

June 5, 2020 • Donald Wilton • cutting board • handmade cutting board • pecan cutting board

One project that I enjoy making is my Texas cutting board. One of the things I like most about these cutting boards is that they are all made from pecan trees grown in Texas. These cutting boards are about one foot across and range from about half an inch to over one inch in thickness. I normally buy my pecan lumber directly from one of three sawmills; one west of Waco, Texas, one near Bastrop, Texas and one in north Houston, Texas. My shopping trip begins with a phone call to the sawmill to see what they have on hand...

The Best Place to Buy Lumber is ….(Part Three)

May 20, 2020 • Donald Wilton • best place to buy lumber • Sawmill • type of lumber • type of lumber store • where to buy lumber • woodworking • woodworking store

In this final installment I discussed the advantages and disadvantages of buying lumber directly from a sawmill. Some advantages are larger boards and getting the sawmill to cut the boards the way you want time. Some disadvantages are the time and cost to drive to a sawmill and the limited selection of lumber species. At the end of the day your project will determine if construction focused, woodworker focus or sawmills are your best option.

Part two of The Best Place to Buy Lumber is ….

May 16, 2020 • Donald Wilton • best place to buy lumber • S4S • type of lumber • type of lumber store • where to buy lumber • woodworking • woodworking store

In Part two of “The best place to buy lumber” I the differences between stores focused on construction and stores focused on woodworking. Stores like Rockler, Woodcraft and Houston Hardwoods focus on woodworking and offer a much wider selection of lumber, both in species and sizes. While woodworking stores like Woodcraft and Rockler have some similarities with specialty lumber yards like Houston Hardwoods there are major differences.

The Best Place to Buy Lumber is …. (Part One)

May 13, 2020 • Donald Wilton • best place to buy lumber • type of lumber • type of lumber store • where to buy lumber

I want to share with you my thoughts on the best places to shop for lumber and plywood. At first thought one would think, “Well gosh! I will just go to Lowe’s or Home Depot because they have everything I will ever need.” That may be right or there may be better options. This is a three-part article where I will talk about buying lumber at places like Home Depot or Lowe’s vs specialty lumber yards or woodworking stores vs direct from a sawmill. Your needs and budget will determine the best place to go. Well that and how far you are willing to drive. I have driven over 300 miles (round trip) to buy lumber, but it was well worth the time and expense. I will first discuss big box stores that cater to the general public.

Turning a Christmas Tradition

April 27, 2020 • Donald Wilton

Turning a Christmas Tradition

Several years ago I started a Christmas tradition in our family. Our daughter and son-in-law always have a live Christmas tree. They want to have a reminder of each tree so they would cut a disk from the base of the tree trunk and put the date on it. I liked the idea of saving a part of each tree but thought I might be able to make it a little more special. I offered to make Christmas ornaments from the trunk of their tree. They liked the idea so now each year when they take down the tree I get the trunk. Not only do I make ornaments for them and their son but I also make ornaments for his family and ours.