We had so much work with making hay and nobody had the time to get the wood down the mountains." I thought: "He is fooling me". "No, no, this is not a joke," answered the farmer. Now I understood - he had them cut last year on 21 December when the moon was waning in Capricorn. We too were harvesting trees for wood flooring on the same day last year, but we didn't test how long we could leave them up there.
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When the farmer arrived with his last load of wood, he let me into his secret: "Yes, me too. I am glad that the boards turned out so pristinely. I was really quite worried about it being damaged this last summer, it's been so hot and humid. The cut logs were stacked in the forest for nearly a whole year.
The boards and beams which came out of the saw however were pristine white and crisp. No traces of blue fungal blotches and bark beetles at all. Both should definitely have been present if the logs were stacked in the woods or in storage during this hot summer. Only if those boards had been harvested very recently, could they be this white.
The beautiful scent of the trees wafted throughout the whole mill; however I couldn't make any sense of what I saw: the round logs didn't look as if they were harvested only recently. The abutting surfaces were tanned by the sun as if the logs had been stacked throughout all of summer.
It was uncommon for a farmer to turn up with Swiss pine in September. If there was no obvious need, no one would cut them in the hot summer months, particularly not such a large quantity! The risk of the wood turning blue in the hot and humid weather was too big. So I was curious and present when the first logs went through the saw mill the next week.
It is a pine tree and as with all pines, its wood should be harvested and processed during the cold months of the year. If the round wood stays stacked for too long before it is being sawn, the warmer spring air causes it to turn blotchy blue under the bark. This stain is caused by a fungus and even though it doesn't affect the structured integrity, it devalues the beautiful wood.
For this reason it is often used for flour and corn chests. The flour worm can't stand the scent of the Swiss pine and in this way, the flour is protected. The wood keeps its scent and the effect it has on flour worms remains for many generations. There is something else which one should consider when using Swiss pine.
Many years after the replacement beam story, I was preoccupied running our own wood mill. Together with my wife and our employees, I made some designs in the manufacturing process. For years now, we only used selected trees which had been harvested at the right time to produce quality building and form wood to manufacture solid wooden homes and floors. We called it "Holz100".
If we decide to work with nature and use simple and natural methods, then everything is possible in the wood-working and wood industry. Three things are responsible for the wooden beams staying stable and true:
I now had a greater appreciation of Granddad's particular and detailed descriptions. More of his experiences and insights were coming through all the time and I endeavor here to tell you as much as possible. Something else I learned then: it doesn't matter how big a project, if you build a whole house or just buy a book-shelf for your unit, what matters is only how you do it and how we treat our trees.
I knew very well that the correct choice of wood and timing were of importance for the quality of the wood. However, I didn't think it possible for elaborate constructions like this large gallery to practically stay free of splits and cracks. Nor would I ever have thought the difference between 'typical' wood and ours would be as obvious as in the replaced beam.
I still feel grateful towards the carpenter as the story goes on. One year later, this particular beam had splits and cracks as thick as a finger. Six years later, when I visited this house again, it was the only one in the whole house that was split and had cracks. All other beams, which we took from the "Johannistal' at the right time of the year and moon phase, were beautifully intact, even though they had been processed while 'green'.
I was sure about it and I needed to know. When the architect came over, he explained: "The carpenter had sawn one of the timbers wrong and replaced it with one of his beams." This in itself was not a disaster, but I just couldn't help but notice. It was fresh and green, without splits and cracks and as expertly finished as all the other work in this house.
When they celebrated, I was able to admire the fine work of the cabinet-makers and carpenters. You can imagine how closely I looked at 'our' wood and how surprised I was about my discovery: in the lounge area, there was one beam which was not 'ours'! I was dead sure! It had grown faster than the others and its branch knots were different too.
This method is the most natural way of drying wood. Compared to kiln drying, this is much gentler on the environment and economically sensible. Back to the building site: I was horrified about the intentions of the architect to use the wood in May. Without further drying, it was literally "green"! Against my experience and expertise, I gave in. The one who pays also has the say. By the end of June, the fresh wood had been used to build the house.
A tree which has been cut down tries very hard to produce fruits and seeds one last time. When we leave the branches on the trunk, they pump out incredible amounts of moisture and the wood in turn becomes lighter. When the tree top is pointing downhill, gravity too supports the natural dehydrating mechanism and can reduce the moisture content of wood from 100% down to 40-50%.
Make sure that as many purchases as possible are made from natural materials, materials you want to spend your life with. Smell and touch these things curiously and free of hesitation, like a child. Clothes, furniture, floor, wall surfaces and other items are all sources of energy and support.
I allow this feeling to flow from the palms of my hands into and through my whole body. This sense of wellbeing is always the strongest when it comes through nature. I invite you to be open to new experiences and allow yourself to be in awe like children are. The amount of effort this requires is tiny and yet the rewards will be well worth it.
He strengthened my resolve to leave wood untreated or use preservatives and all treatments which close its pores which prevent our senses from deeply appreciating wood, this wonderful and sustainable resource. Touching any wooden surface always uplifts me and I consciously run my fingertips along the surface to 'sense' the wood.
Even an old carpenter with good eyesight couldn't have been more accurate. Gaping with amazement, it took me a moment to close my mouth. Andy deserves a big thank you because he showed me yet another way in which wood touches our senses, influences and accompanies us every day, unbeknown to us.
The floors were to be prefabricated in our workshop from spruce trees, beech and oak. About a year went by before they both returned. This time, his wife, Andrea moved him swiftly through the house to the kitchen. Without much ado but with some 'cheek' he confidently identified and explained every type of wood we laid out for him to touch.
A unique atmosphere filled the room. We all felt him experiencing and discovering a world so new to him. Even our three children became quiet and fascinated by the investigative movements of his hands. It was late at night when our visitors left. Both were satisfied with their choice of different wood for use in their hallway, lounge and bedrooms.
With wood however, he was inexperienced and his finely tuned sense of touch, hearing and smell was discovering new territory. Interested and excited he wanted us to explain every type of wood. All the time, his fingers, palms and finger nails were exploring the different wood samples we presented.
As this question posed itself even our children were curious and joined us around the kitchen table. Only the dog wasn't impressed and kept snoring comfortably on his blanket. Throughout his life, the blind man had sharpened his other senses more than a seeing person would be able to do and thus compensated for his blindness.
After a short introduction, we all sat down at the table when I noticed that his hands were discovering and inspecting our well-used and smooth maple table top. The couple was looking for a wood floor for their new house. The main issue was the type of wood that was to be used. But how is someone without sight going to choose the type of wood he preferred?
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