The history of your shop as told by scrapwood
I enjoy using colorful, exotic woods to craft small woodworking projects. When I make a project from a new wood, I cut a 1⁄2 ×3×6" sample piece of the wood. I write the name of the wood on the back in permanent marker and apply a coat of Danish oil to bring out the grain. The display board, shown above, shows off the samples in my shop. It's made from a 1⁄4 " hardboard backer with rabbeted hardwood rails. The samples serve as a good conversation piece as well as a reminder of past projects.
Not coincidentally, the sample size listed above is the standard specimen size for the International Wood Collectors Society (www.woodcollectors.org), but if you're not a serious collector, size your samples and board to fit your space or scrap.
—Ken Minnaert, Olympia, Wash.