Inspired Home Magazine, in its March-April 2013 issue, runs a fabulous six-page spread on a "metro-prairie-style" condominium that features grain-eroded bin wall slabs from the historic Globe Elevator. The unusual material is used for accent walls in the foyer and to clad the surfaces of the kitchen island. The two-story "SkyBarn," designed by architect Chris Hawley of Radiant Homes, sits above the horizon and features a 3,081 square foot living area with two roof decks that offer panoramic views of historic downtown Fargo.
    To view or download the magazine, CLICK HERE, then scroll down. The article begins on Page 38.
    

     We've had an ongoing discussion for several years about whether antique reclaimed wood needs to be kiln-dried or not.  Dimensional lumber from the Globe Elevator, for instance, has been air-drying for more than 125 years.  You'd think that would be plenty dry, right?  But, in fact, wood acclimates to its surroundings fairly quickly.  If it's raining, lumber stacked in our yard under lumber wrap, or stored indoors without a dehumidifier, could easily have a moisture content of 20%.  You wouldn't want to resaw it in that state.  Ideally, you'd want it somewhere around 8% before you cut into it.  The question is:  How should you get it to the desired moisture content?  Two of Old Globe's biggest customers disagree on the answer.  
     Steve Ory, owner of Northern Wood Innovations in Rhinelander, Wis., is adamant that it's best to kiln-dry all wood before resawing it.  But Ron Sween, owner of Northshore Wood Products in Duluth, Minn., prefers it air-dried.  "Sometimes, when wood is kiln-dried, it seems to retain energy," Sween says. "Then, when you cut into it, that energy is released and the board might cup or crown or twist."  (I hope i've quoted him correctly.  If not, let's hope he chimes in with a correction.)
      My guess is, the result has something to do with the skill of the kiln owner.  Perhaps those boards that went boing when Sween resawed them had been dried too quickly or too unevenly.  
      I went online to see what I could find on the subject and came up with a very interesting post from sWoodCentral's BP Archives. Here it is:     
http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/drywood.shtml 
      Those guys 
      I'd be interested to hear what others have to say on the subject.

They're the new cast members of "Ax Men," the popular reality TV show on the History Channel. Top row, L to R: Bryan, Leo, Chad, Arnie, Scott, Brandon, Allan, Scooter, Robert. Front row, L to R: David, Mike, Judy  The Old Globe Reclaimed Wood story will be featured on Season 6 of the show, due to air in early 2013.  Stay tuned!

Dan Kelch, owner of the popular Lulu's noodle bar in Evanston, Illinois, has done it again:  His new restaurant, Taco Diablo, promises to be just as popular as the 20-year-old Lulu's.  Diablo (devil, in Spanish) is located at 1029 Davis St. in the same Chicago suburb.  
Kelch serves up a wide range of kick-ass cocktails and a fabulous - yet remarkably moderately priced - menu of sophisticated Mexican fare.  The garlicky shrimp and the grilled chicken thighs with rich mole sauce are particular favorites.  The dessert flan is also excellent, and big enough to share. 
But you don't really expect to find restaurant reviews here, right?  We love good food, but our real interest in Taco Diablo is the reclaimed lumber that graces its bar, its booths, its tables, and its walls. 
The wood is all from the historic Globe Elevator, and some of it was sculpted by 100 years of grain flowing over it.  
The contractor who put it all together was the very talented Sam Thomas of Zigmil, Inc. 
You guys really do nice work!!

Welcome to the NEW blog page of the Old Globe Website.  Check back soon for cutting edge discussion of all things pertaining to reclaimed wood.