Thermally Modified Wood

[Jim Becker]

Where can you buy the thermally modified wood?

Best source for me is my independent full service lumber yards "specialty woods" organization since it's primarily marketed to builders.

[Chris Fournier]

My question was intended as tongue in cheek. By definition kiln drying thermally modifies wood. Simple as that. A poor joke I guess. Over twenty years ago I worked with a supplier who was figuring out vacuum kiln drying, I never saw so much nasty thermally modified wood in my life - modified from lumber to garbage just like that - degrade and workability were deplorable. No doubt others have figured it out, these folks simply didn't. The idea that you can vacuum kiln wood to the extent that it no longer is hygroscopic will require some serious explaining for me to accept.

[Brent VanFossen]

Lee Valley is using torrefied maple on some of their plane and handsaw totes. It's beautiful.

I've also seen it in maple and poplar at one of the better lumber sellers in Portland, OR.

[Jim Becker]

My question was intended as tongue in cheek. By definition kiln drying thermally modifies wood. Simple as that. A poor joke I guess. Over twenty years ago I worked with a supplier who was figuring out vacuum kiln drying, I never saw so much nasty thermally modified wood in my life - modified from lumber to garbage just like that - degrade and workability were deplorable. No doubt others have figured it out, these folks simply didn't. The idea that you can vacuum kiln wood to the extent that it no longer is hygroscopic will require some serious explaining for me to accept.

My understanding is that the much higher heat levels used to "bake" the wood changes things chemically. If the wood was exposed to normal air during the process it would become glowing coals I suspect... There's little or no danger of combustion with normal kiln drying processing but for "thermally modified" lumber, there is. At least that's the way my local supplier 'splained it...