Okay, here’s my blog post about using LVL Basketball beech timber, written from a personal, hands-on perspective, just like the example:

Alright, so I’ve been messing around with this LVL Basketball beech timber for a project, and let me tell you, it’s been a bit of a ride. I wanted to share my whole experience, from start to finish, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Getting Started

First off, I got my hands on this big chunk of LVL. It’s basically layers and layers of beech wood all glued together, looks pretty cool. I had this idea to make a… well, I’ll get to that. The point is, I needed to figure out what the heck I was doing.

• Inspecting the Wood: I spent a good hour just looking at it, feeling the texture, trying to understand how it might behave. It felt super solid, way denser than regular wood.
• First Cuts: I was a little nervous, to be honest. I used my trusty old circular saw, and man, it went through it like butter. Way smoother than I expected.

The Messy Middle

Now, here’s where things got interesting. My plan was to, a small section of a basketball court, I started shaping the main part, and that’s when I realized this LVL stuff is TOUGH.

I tried a few different techniques, but ended up settling on a combination of sawing and then a LOT of sanding. Seriously, I went through so much sandpaper. My arms were killing me!

• Dust, Dust, Everywhere: This stuff creates a TON of fine dust. I made sure to wear a mask, but my workshop was still covered in it. Note to self: better dust collection next time.
• Gluing Up: I needed to join a couple of pieces together, I am a bit worried about the strength and what kind of glue to use.

The (Almost) Finished Product

After what felt like forever, I finally got it to the shape I wanted. I applied a few coats of finish, really brought out the grain of the beech. It actually looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.

I’m still working on the small details, and it’s definitely been a learning process. But that’s the fun of it, right? You try things, you mess up, you learn, and you end up with something unique.

So yeah, that’s my LVL Basketball beech timber adventure so far. It’s been a challenge, but a rewarding one. Stay tuned for more updates, assuming I don’t lose a finger in the process!