Making Wood from Hemp - How Hempwood Could Change Lumber Forever

Hemp has been used for thousands of years for many purposes, including rope, nets, and cloth or canvas, but today, for the first time, an innovative company with a big idea is making wood from Hemp. They are aptly named Hempwood and offer several products, including dimensional lumber, flooring, turning blanks, furniture and more. In this video I explain how they turn this plant into lumber and show you how it works.
Here are some links to the Hempwood Website where you can get samples of buy their products:
www.hempwood.com
hempwood.com/shop-hempwood/
hempwood.com/about-the-company/
#Hemp #woodworking #lumber
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[@robertmoriarty925]

Years ago I grew a hemp plant. It’s stalk was about 1-1/4” in diameter. After it was cut and dried, it was light like balsa wood but nearly impossible to break. Pretty impressive!

[@lise1255]

Both hemp and Bamboo are amazing and sometimes even superior alternatives to various tree's that takes 50-300 year to mature .

[@ST-0311]

Basically it's fine fiber OSB. Doesn't look bad in the rift sawn pattern. I'd use it in dry areas. I'm sure the hardness comes from the glue, not the fibers.

[@christopherlee5584]

Don't be too sure..... hemp fiber is incredibly strong and durable.

[@ST-0311]

@@christopherlee5584 Yes. It's strong and durable. Hemp makes rope. If it were hard it wouldn't bend. Nylon is also strong and durable. That doesn't make it hard.

[@MattWeber]

There is actually very little glue used. Much like creating bamboo veneers, the fibers want to heat bind together under high pressure like he shows used. Like he also said, its more of a durability issue once becomes moisture saturated in comparison to a solid wood though. In bamboos you usually only see the glue used when creating laminate glue ups for bamboo plywood production, so I would assume the same if want to make hemp plywood.

[@atomicsmith]

@@ST-0311Hemp rope is made from the outer fiber. This is made from the woody center of the stalk called the hurd. It’s incredibly hard, and contains silica.

[@wyw876]

I see this more as a softer, larger scale micarta

[@tinymetaltrees]

If they made chocolate illegal to make the carob farmers happy, then criminals would be the only people eating chocolate...

[@zapa1pnt]

And I would be one of them, diabetes not withstanding. 😁✌🖖

[@Resist_JWO_1984]

There is an agenda in full swing to make beef illegal. The goal is to make people eat bugs

[@jorgeo4483]

Why is Washington seen with a white woman working? He was a great slaver too. Hemp has always been a strategic crop in most countries; in the US and Spain, who introduced it in America, it is still on the military's list. Many people grew it until Harry Jacob of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and journalist Randolph Hearst appeared, who resented its competition with the yellow paper in his newspapers. Its cultivation is a good option and is subsidized in the EU as long as the plant has minimal toxicity. It can be made from the paper of the US Constitution to clothing, shampoos or livestock feed. H-emp is an Italian patent that uses Lycra in its composition to give it elasticity. In any case, its processing is very expensive, too much water and chemicals are used and the result does not match the characteristics of the wood, it is a chipboard and I doubt it is cheap.

[@woodandwheelz]

Hemp wood is the new particle board.

[@sc3639]

What?!? Particle board is very breakable?

[@woodandwheelz]

@@sc3639 Particle board is very breakable. But, the point of my comment comes from the portion of the video where he puts water directly on the wood and leaves it sit there. He stated that he felt that if he left it longer, the hemp wood would have separated. Just like particle board.

[@robertwilliams4487]

You mean, the new, $320/sheet particle board.

[@duncanmacleod7210]

I build about 40 houses per year and when it becomes more competitive we will definetively use it.

[@epmcguire9983]

I have installed many hardwood floors. I like the looks of it, and I can't wait to work with it! Lightfoot construction.

[@DIYwithDave]

Right on!

[@Handlesplus]

Hemp wood is fantastic and I would use both if I could get them. That flooring looked fabulous!

[@clinicallyspeaking-themedi5069]

An excellent presentation. Thanks. You're quite right. In wartime, supplies of Jute, Flax and Manilla were cut off. Just in case you're interested, Henry VIIIth issued a decree in 1533 compelling land owners to set aside 1/240th (0.42%) of their tillable land for hemp to ensure an adequate supply for Navy rope production. Elizabeth 1st (his daughter) imposed a £5 fine (equivalent to $1800) on a landowner who refused to grow it It is hardy, easy to grow and economically important enough for new lands to be conquered with the express purpose of hemp cultivation Sown close together (about 10 plants per foot square), the plants grow taller and stronger with less leaf. Hemp is more durable than flax, which makes it more useful for ropes, caulk, fishing net and sail canvas Used extensively on all ships before 1850 Nelson’s fleet, required 200 tonnes of hemp ropes and sail cloth annually HMS Victory alone needed over 60 tons of hemp The word ‘Canvas’ comes from Arabic for hemp (Qanab) Hemp is also used to make fashionable clothing and hempcrete, used as a building material

[@acff65]

I like the look of the rift sawn.

[@danalaniz7314]

Really informative. I hope it becomes a major part of sustainability and logical resource management. The flooring looks great and I like the rift look. Hopefully the price will come down.

[@radiationroom]

Love the hemp flooring!

[@DIYwithDave]

I agree. It looks pretty good.

[@charitiekbyrd1]

I like the rift cut better, the face sawn looks more like particle wood. I think it would make for great flooring but they need to keep the price affordable if they want to make good money for it. I would absolutely use hemp wood if I had some. I have recently gotten into woodworking and plan on being on KZbin myself. I also used to be a stoner until my body turned against me and I can't smoke it anymore. They have crossbred it so much that I have anxiety type episodes from it or I would still definitely be a stoner lol. Seriously though I think it's great to see a viable replacement for wood because eventually we could have a shortage and this would definitely prevent that from occurring. Great job and love the content, keep doing you and stay safe. Happy Building 😁

[@AVBros37]

It seems like a good idea but it might be better as a plywood substitute. Also the riff sawn looks way better than the face

[@dubehigh]

Very interesting, I know hemp rope is some of the strongest rope out there. But I don’t like the look of pressed wood. It looks a lot like plywood. Great information Dave Thanks.

[@danielhanawalt4998]

I've heard of all kinds of things hemp can be used for. Amazing plant, especially how fast it grows. I'd definitely try out hemp wood. Like any new product the technology would get better with time and someone would figure out a way to make hemp wood in various densities that would mimic trees. And better saw blades to hold up better against the hardness. Or sharpen your blades a little more often. I saw a video awhile back about hemp crete for building. Said it's very fire resistant. One took a torch to it and could barely burn a hole and it still didn't catch fire. That'd also be worth considering.

[@crappo8459]

Looks beautiful

[@AmericanDrinker]

You killed it when you pronounced tetohydrolcanabinol. Good job dude

[@danielschroll6782]

I love this, thanks for digging into this. I definitely would have used it for flooring if it was available

[@stormagorist6129]

I definitely would try it out. Looks like it has great potential for stains and other finishes.

[@DaremoKamen]

In the SciFi novel "Four Day Planet" by H Beam Piper, part of the world building is the colonists produce 'wood' in a factory from fibers of a native reed like plant, because the native tree like plants couldn't be used.

[@LucilaConde-Zambada]

I love both looks, depending on application

[@henryechezabal758]

This is a beautiful, “wood,” product. I definitely like the Riff.

[@ActionTeamJoe]

Very informative. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@walterott8228]

Interesting segment. I liked it.

[@dennishuddleston2000]

Looks good!

[@vmoutsop]

Great video. Keep doing these type of videos on interesting topics and products.

[@DIYwithDave]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

[@trcass1]

interesting segment, thanks for sharing.

[@DIYwithDave]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@danallen578]

Love it!❤

[@stevekundzala676]

Interesting! Rift looks better. Thanks for the info!

[@normancook4620]

Great presentation, I like your demeanor

[@kanzzon]

I came to this video expecting a type of bs fact less video but I am very impressed with the information given and I appreciate the effort and the companies that get involved making this a reality.

[@willfriar8054]

looking back at history and thinking about all that potential lumber I have wasted it over the course of 50 years

[@comfortablynumb9342]

Hempcrete is another great way to build using hemp. The blocks are fireproof even with a torch blasting them. Walls made of hempcrete don't need insulation. So with exterior walls of hempcrete and interior walls made of hemp wood we could stop using pine and building stick houses that need insulation and burn easily.

[@splashpit]

Iv seen hemp used on stick frame as internal and external finishes, would be good to have the hemp for flooring both polished or made into carpet could even use it for curtains and furniture structure and coverings .

[@WayneCook306]

Very interesting thank you, 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@DIYwithDave]

Glad you liked it!

[@johngrover9191]

looks good I like rift sawn look

[@DIYwithDave]

Me too!

[@tuesboomer1623]

Very informative. I like the look of the flooring. Definitely rift sawn, which Looks much more appealing. The face sawn looks like ugly osb. Sealing seems to be unavoidable and makes it seem more like mdf. Lots of unbeatable positives environmentally, especially the growth rate. Thanks for the video.

[@RLHauk]

When a hempwood house burns down, the Firemen seem to mellow out and search for Twinkies !

[@dropshot1967]

great video

[@orazha]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I would certainly give it a try. I'd need to know more about it's characteristics before using it for something structural or, even, flooring.

[@alanpierce7147]

Great video, Dave. I had no idea hemp wood was starting to get traction. The positive environmental implications alone are huge, let alone the economics- if this can scale.

[@CoupleofBunkies]

I would love to try it out

[@SpiritAscending]

I like both patterns. And I would love to have hemp wood floor. Especially since it’s organic and a renewable resource. And American made.

[@LordHog]

Watching this video all I could think of is Randy’s Tegridy Farms

[@aaronblackford981]

Oh. I hope to see the rice hull lumber review soon

[@zapa1pnt]

It shouldn't be much different than MDF, but it is another good source of ( generally wasted ) material, for the same product.

[@zapa1pnt]

Thanks Dave. Always great info. "Stoner woodworker"?????? OH, that's scary as Hell! 😁✌🖖

[@johnharts2463]

Nice video

[@rockys7726]

That grain is wild! I think it looks awesome. I was going to comment even before you asked for it. How does this compare structurally? Tensile strength? Compressive Strength? How well does it hold fasteners?

[@purtis99]

NE Texas here

[@lazygardens]

So OSB from hemp.

[@MrGaborseres]

Two things ✌️.... First price, second longevity. If those are right then it will be successful.

[@garyjarvis2730]

I'm sure that changing the binder they use could make the product completely waterproof. Once they get to the economy of scale level it could be an attractive alternative to solid wood. It might be a viable alternative to wood framing at some point or useful for sheathing. As a product in it's infancy it has a long development road to success and acceptance. Nice video.

[@hempwood2602]

The HempWood journey started in 2003 when our founder was one of the inventors of strand woven bamboo. He got sick from the formaldehyde used so he started working with soy glue, but the bamboo market had already dropped to a Home Depot product where people cared more about price rather than health. Then Hemp became legal in 2014 and Greg filed some patents. We now have sold over a million feet of flooring and growing. You are correct, we need to keep scaling to lower the cost. Thanks for following our journey!

[@markthomasson5077]

@@hempwood2602without being waterproof it isn’t suitable for flooring?

[@markthomasson5077]

It does look interesting

[@richjones5432]

Interesting. I have not heard of this before. It does seem to have the same limitations as OSB. Which again is a great product when used properly. Nice work & well presented.

[@coalmine9666]

it is really cool and I want to see more of this type of wood. I love renewables and Im curious what projects this could be good for (besides flooring which sounds solid already)

[@DIYwithDave]

I think that it could be good for a lot of things. I have some turning blanks and plan to make some bowls. I think that it would be good for boxes or picture frames too.

[@dieterjosef]

How does it burn? What fumes come out of it? I would like to know the same about particle board, OSB or plywood.

[@juligrlee556]

I'm waiting for impermeable products for the bottom of all my buildings so splash doesn't destroy my exterior buildings. I personally believe this is a worldwide product need, especially for areas of the world where termites are prevalent.

[@outinthesticks1035]

A couple years back I got a packing crate , from overseas , that was made with resin impregnated MDF . I thought it could be a very useful product, stiffer than MDF , stronger , will not take up moisture Checked with my supplier, it's available in coastal communities where they need a waterproof material for boats

[@57menjr]

lol worked as a painter and wore hemp pants then over 20 yrs ago old idea , evey gen thinks its new !

[@jamessullivan3829]

Hemp pants would be a hemp based fabric which he showed us the history of in the video, the hemp block wood is a relatively new idea So it's not a case of every gen thinks it's new, it's more than each generation creates a new use for the material 😊

[@newt2010]

It does have a very cool look. It did seem hard, because your table saw seemed to struggle a bit cutting it. If you had a sharp blade. I like both looks, and would depend on what I was building on what look I would pick. Thanks for the video. Cheers

[@butterfinger1171]

Ive been told by my lumber salesman that alot of interior door jambs are being made from some type of plant in South America.. He didnt know what plant specifically but the veneer looks like pine.

[@christopherweidensee6133]

Soon you will be seeing a hemp wood with better mock wood patterns. Just as bamboo wood has really improved over the years. I own a beautifully made wireless keyboard and mouse made from bamboo wood. Yes. I would use hemp wood in any projects; home, furniture, flooring, arts & crafts, materials technologies. Man...I got a good buzz going. 😁

[@sk13ppy]

Love it! What was that floor made of - rift or face? It looked great. Yes, I would love my house to be built from as much hemp as possible. Have you heard of Australian hempcrete?

[@jaquigreenlees]

Gotta love how versatile marijuana is. Hemp is the stalks of the plant, the drug is in the leaves. and the fibres of the stalks have been used to make denim as well as silk and manila rope.

[@stevejorgensen8123]

Thanks for the video. I was wondering how well it holds screws and how well does paint stick to it?

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

I'm all for renewables.

[@DIYwithDave]

Me too!

[@fliporhold]

The big claim for 20 years has been, hemp will be a huge cash crop and make everyone rich.. is taxed on dope and so on its never happened

[@shangrilaladeda]

Wood is already renewable

[@DIYwithDave]

Lol... Very good point. There is a difference, however, in terms of how long it takes to renew.

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

@@shangrilaladeda You mean beside when they cut down Trees & pave over them?

[@AlsanPine]

thanks for this. i have been wondering about hempwood for a while now since i heard about it a few years ago. would be interesting to play with it. i would think it behaves like engineered wood and is more dimensionaly stable. the price sure has to come down though.

[@glenloderhose5331]

How does it take paint, love the flooring

[@ronaldperkins5655]

Great video about a new product! you're probably right in that improvements in production and economies of scale will drive down the price. I wonder if this could be used for DIY furniture projects? I really like the "face" cut, as the irregular grain pattern would look great in lathe projects.

[@dennishuddleston2000]

I like the rift sawn....the other looks like strand board.

[@jreeder6168]

Very interesting. We definitely need some alternative materials. It looks like an osb product. I don't understand the cost as the energy used to cure the product is hemp waste. I really like the wide plank flooring. Hopefully, Improved productivity will bring down cost. What's the likelihood it will be used in engineered joists? Good demo. Would like to see more in the way of innovation and new products. Thanks

[@luke_fabis]

There are similar materials engineered from bamboo, as well as trees. Parallel strand lumber is the general term for it.

[@hempwood2602]

Yes, our founder invented it and built 53 factories in China making strand woven bamboo. Then he invented HempWood and moved back to the US setting up 2 factories in Kentucky! Actually voted the coolest thing made in Kentucky 2024.

[@barryhamm3414]

I like the idea of using a readily grown product to save cutting down trees. Depending upon cost I'd certainly give it a try. How does it react to atmospheric moisture compared to actual timber?

[@tonysheerness2427]

As a wood how does it take metal fasteners and do screws pull out easy? If the grain only goes one way does it have a weakness to split? This a chicken and egg scenario, as to sell it has to be the same price or cheaper than normal wood or have special properties, and until they get volume will be dearer. Just like other fibre boards chipboard, mdf or osb boards water absorption will be the biggest downfall. I must admit it is very clever and could they do the same thing with wheat stalks/straw?

[@Muljinn]

Straw/wheat stalks probably could work like this, but the material strength is likely to be substantially less. Most other grasses haven’t been selected for strength for generations the way rope making hemp has been.

[@tonysheerness2427]

@@Muljinn The south American Indians built rope bridges out of grass.

[@timothyalanogrady]

I like the fact that it's considered a hardwood. But the prices is insane I priced a room for a customers dining room 360 sq and it was almost 3500.00 just for materials

[@fredericrike5974]

Do you have any info on how hemp products would work in an LVL or in other applications of "manufactured wood"? From the long, high strength beams to medium and high density fiberboard? Looks awesome.

[@bobbg9041]

It could make a nice Joint rolling table.

[@donwyates]

I've always been fascinated by materials and potential uses, especially organic ones. Cannabis gets a bad, undeserved rap, I think. The medicinal benefits are real.

[@libertycosworth8675]

What is needed for many applications for hemp wood is a laminating/glue system that would not be affected by water - that would be essential for a flooring application, and sealing it can only go so far. I also would want to know if they have tested it for pest resistance.

[@PaganWizard]

I would like to try some face sawn hemp wood to build a top for a workbench, IF it was available in longer lengths. I REALLY like how well it takes oil based finishes, which would be great for furniture, but, I think the way it absorbs and retains water, I think it would make it less than desirable for flooring or even construction projects, especially in parts of the country where medium to high levels of precipitation and/or humidity levels could create potential problems.

[@AgiHammerthief]

looks more interesting than density bamboo floorin

[@ryanrich9186]

Face or rift, my opinion ( as someone that does not work with wood ) it depends on the intended use, no different that traditional lumber, particle board, mdf, ply, dimensional, they all serve different uses and intended purposes and they all have a need in some way or another.

[@OddBall1958]

So how will it compare to Timber Strand lumber for framing? My thought is that the price is going to have to drastically drop to make it affordable. Hence, a 2 x 4 x 8 is about $4.00 +/- where I am in Colorado. When it comes within reach I'll be giving it a try. Thanks for the great info and letting us be aware of a new product.

[@ds61821]

Very interesting. There are hemp flooring websites.

[@tradermunky1998]

Hemp is super strong and durable stuff, it can even be stronger than steel. Pretty sad it was demonized (by the cotton lobby the story goes), be interesting to see its uses today if it wasn't. Grows like weeds too, hence the name of "weed" for its smokable cousin.

[@DIYwithDave]

It is sad, but I really like what Hempwood is doing and I can't wait to see how it progresses.

[@user-ys4ce8si3x]

It looks interesting, but I am curious as to its working qualities. Others have asked about how it takes fasteners and glue. I'd also like to know how it works - is it stringy, like Poplar can be, or does it fuzz out like MDF? How does it turn? I would imagine that with the right formulation it would take paint well. Not sure I'd want to take a plane to it. But given the ever-increasing costs of hardwood (have you priced Walnut lately??), it's something to consider where we can.

[@genesishep]

Just like any product, the cost will continue to be exorbitant the longer it remains controlled by one manufacturer. The reality is the crop is inexpensive to grow and the process isn't all that complex but if its patented then there will be no competitors and they can charge whatever they want for the product. Sure, they may drop the cost of their product over time once they have better equipment and can produce more however it will always be considerably more expensive the longer they are the only manufacturer. The sooner there are multiple vendors and sources for hemp wood the more cost-effective it will be.

[@barneymiller4088]

Isn’t this just a variation of what is done with bamboo and we haven’t seen this revolution.

[@armonwp]

@barneymiller4088 You're right. This is just hype.

[@hempwood2602]

Our founder was one of the guys who set up bamboo flooring. When hemp was legalized in 2014 he moved back to the USA and opened HempWood!

[@chadjones4255]

So is this an alternative for MDF? or more like a composite for sheathing boards?

[@MrGaborseres]

I definitely see a problem with water absorption. 🤔, but if the price would beat regular wood it would definitely work in a lot of applications 👍

[@pleXis88]

I love the look of it, but like you said: it needs to be sealed off properly. How much upkeep would it require if used as flooring? When the lacquer on hardwood flooring is worn down over time you can still wash it without risking completely destroying the material. I expect you would have to keep more on top of maintenance with hemp wood to keep it intact. Depending on how much extra work it requires I would definitely consider it an option as it is absolutely beautiful.

[@falynntears]

Check out the history of hemp in Indiana, this is not the first time hemp has been used as a building material. At one time, Indiana grew it as a cash crop because it could be used to make paper, cloth, rope, and yes, building materials. (does your state have a history with hemp? It is possible, as it was widely grown.)

[@milo-qh7cv]

I wonder how it reacts to water and humidity. does it rot easily or is it affected by being outdoor

[@AlwaysCensored-xp1be]

Hempwood are thinking wood planks but the process could make tile shapes as well.

[@DIYwithDave]

Absolutely.

[@twalrus1]

And we laughed at Cheech and Chong for driving a truck made of weed. We are 5 years from building cars and trucks made of hemp, lol.

[@CarveLife]

I wonder how well it works on CNC?

[@markweaver6634]

It’s about time‼️Where the hell is Hemp Gas⁉️

[@chrisehlers6189]

Needs more testing. What is deflection under load compared to other hardwoods and softwoods (like pine)? What is strength of glue joint, and strength of screw joint ?compared to hardwoods?

[@kentaroo.7759]

Does it take paint well? How strong is it? Can a chair or table be built from it?

[@barryminbiole6199]

The need to seal all cutcedges is worry-some. How does it accept fasteners? How does it glue Is it suitable for veneering?

[@warrior4christ777]

Do you have to dye it or can you stain it

[@wagnersouza4463]

Looks like OSB. Could be used as MDF or MDP in furniture, and because of the velocity of growth, could be cheapper than any wood. It have a great potential in poor countreis that wood is pretty expensive. Here in Brazil probably would be used like MDF finished with some veneer or formica.