Homegrown hemlock

I always enjoy using a new wood for the first time. You never know what to expect.

I’ve been requested to use hemlock for an upcoming project, a wood I’ve never worked before, and I’m looking forward to it for a few reasons.

For one thing, I got the wood from a local lumberyard. Pennsylvania has a lot of hemlock, and I’m pleased to be using wood that was grown, harvested and milled less than 90 miles from where I live. It’s good stuff, too – very few knots, mostly straight grain. A few checks, but I can work around them.

The wood was still a bit damp when I brought it home two weeks ago, but I’ve had it stickered in the shop, and it’s dried a bit. Nothing closed to kiln-dried, of course, but completely workable without rusting my tools. Plus, this is for an outdoor project, so a bit of additional wood movement will be negligible.

I took one of the checked hemlock boards to cut out the useable stock – mostly I was just playing around to kill some time – and was pleased with how it worked. It cut and milled easily, the surface is really nice, and I tried out some of the clear outdoor sealer I plan to use as a color test and it looks great. Likewise, I liked the aroma of the wood. (Between the test milling and that stickered lumber, my shop smells great.)

I typically stay with tried-and-true materials when making things. I know them, am familiar with their properties, and like most woodworkers I tend to have favorites. But it’s great to try something new from time to time. In this case it was because the hemlock was requested, or I might not have given it a try. I need to remember to do this on my own more often.