The second day of our M-term included design refining, an excursion to the lumberyard, and the milling and resawing of our outer box walls. The morning visit to the lumberyard was definitely the most exciting part. I didn't know how to picture a store filled purely with wood; in an age when supermarkets are the norm, it seemed strange to limit the possibilities for profit by selling only one product. Little did I know that the U.S. Forest products industry is a huge sector of our national economy [If you are interested in specifics, the USDA states it brings in 4% of the country's GDP with a total of $288 billion annually], and by association, it has a large market of buyers from professional contractors to student woodworkers like us.
The inside of the lumberyard was much neater and vaster than I had originally imagined. Multiple metal warehouses were filled with organized rows of every shape, color, and texture of wood. Although we had reviewed their brochure beforehand, it wasn't until I was walking through this forest of board options that I realized how diverse the market of lumber was.
Most of us, myself included, ended up deciding on the soft Mahogany wood for our boxes, attracted to its promise of butter-like slicing and a beautiful, deep red finish. Back in the Tinkeria, we swiftly got to work once again, taking turns on the jointer, planer, and table saw machines to create the perfectly sized boards for our boxes. I can't wait to see all of our progress come together in the final product!
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