Hardware Podcasts

STL334: Understanding Hoadley

Shop Talk Live · 7 Feb 2025 · 1h 18m

What this episode covers

Furniture conservator and wood identification expert Randy Wilkinson joins Shop Talk Live to discuss his work and his e-learning course on identifying wood. Wilkinson explains how he transitioned from electrical engineering to 18th-century furniture reproduction and conservation, eventually specializing in wood anatomy using microscopes. He details how identifying secondary woods helps attribute furniture to specific regions and craftsmen, and discusses the complex ethical and scientific challenges surrounding endangered species like mahogany and rosewood.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Yale
Materials
Brazilian rosewood, Mahogany, Magnolia, Poplar, Whale baleen, Cedrella
Also
Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking, Hoadley, Smithsonian, CITES

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