You know that I would be untrue, you know that I would be a liar — if I were to say to you that burning wood does not interest me. My last house was heated by burning wood. Recently, we had an article in the May/June issue of Woodworker’s Journal magazine on building a tabletop fire pit.
Our latest foray that introduces using fire as a technique in making a table is based on a Japanese process called Shou Sugi Ban. It is a way to “protect” wood from rot and bugs, basically by carbonizing the surface. (Can you think of anything better?) It is the cover project in the Woodworker’s Journal magazine July/August issue — on sale now — and you can get a look at the shou sugi ban burning process with a video here.
If you are interested, please listen carefully to the safety recommendations, and then … light it up!
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
