Using a sponge, brush, rag or clean cloth, apply stain to wood generously.

Summary Although wood processing is not for everyone, the many benefits may be what you are looking for. Whether you want area heating or central heating, there are many possibilities you can pursue. A good place to get started is with the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association which provides a host of services and information related to the wood burning industry at http://www.hpba.org

If the wood has uneven wood grain, or blotchy patterns to it, chances are it is a softwood. When you stain it, it will stain unevenly. You may want this, to let the stain enhance the natural beauty of the wood. If you do not want this, place a pre-stain wood conditioner on your wood. It seeps into the wood fibers so that the wood will stain evenly. (With this product, I am not sure how dark of a stain, the wood can ultimately be, when finished.) Check with the manufacturer.

It does not matter if it is “soft” or “hard”.

Many people believe that hardwood and solid wood are synonymous. They’re not. If you’re hearing the term engineered wood for the first time, you most likely think that it is somehow inferior to solid wood. That’s not necessarily true.

Renewable Resource Wood is a renewable resource; gas, coal, and oil are not. When a tree grows, it removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, replacing it with oxygen (a benefit already to mankind). When a tree dies and rots or is burned, the CO2 is returned to the atmosphere. So the net result is zero concerning this greenhouse gas-not so with coal, heating oil, and gas. When they burn and give off CO2, that carbon dioxide came out of the atmosphere millions of years ago. There is no renewing cycle of CO2 (and certainly no oxygen being released). The result is that those fuels are adding this greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. Wood fuel, therefore, is environmentally friendly.

Imagine this: you are in a quaint little shop somewhere in the mountains or at the beach, on vacation. You have been admiring a group of nice-looking wood figures on the shelf there, thinking about how nice one of them might look in your home. You know, right there in the living room near the fireplace, maybe even on the mantle!

Heating Efficiency

Mesquite has a strong earthy flavor. It is great wood for smoking beef, fish, chicken, and game. Mesquite is one of the hottest burning woods. Some people insist that too much mesquite smoke can be a bad thing. I’ve heard that smoking with mesquite for too long can create a bitter flavor.

So this might be a reproduction, so what? Well, that is really a good point….if you don’t much care about the issue, then it probably will not be a big deal to you. However, if you DO care about the issue of Original vs. Reproductions, then to YOU it is essential to have an original piece of woodcarving whenever you have the ‘choice’.