A Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma

The ash log I showed recently has been in action all week. I’ve got 7 people building continuous armchairs with it, including this character.

He’s even doing pretty good work ;)

For those who don’t know, this is Peter Follansbee, an old friend and one of my woodworking heros. Here is a piece that he traded with me, I feel so fortunate to have it.

So amazing

When I first saw the ash log we are using, I noticed something odd about it. The growth rings always tells a story. Usually, the early years will have relatively wide growth rings because the young trees are repopulating an area and there’s an abundance of light and water. As the trees grow, resources get scarce and the width of the growth rings starts to narrow. It’s very common to see a quick return to fast growth, signifying a change in the neighborhood. Perhaps a fire or a logging will free up the resources. But this tree is different.