In order to produce a high-quality and durable product, there is a holistic series of millwork steps to get good heat treatment and dimensional stability – it is not just burning timber until it looks right or copying techniques from videos online. The information available in English is incomplete and few people actually know the correct process (though lots of people think they do). We have been milling Yakisugi for more than six decades and use logs from our own forests – so in any case there is little chance you will be able to DIY it for less cost than we sell retail for the same grade of wood. However, if you’re dead set on doing it yourself here are the rules: use cypress only, face the outside of the log to the outside of the resawn moulder blank, do shiplap or square edge (not tongue & groove), use planks about 10-15 mm thick, dry the wood completely (takes weeks), use the traditional triangular flue method (weed burners do not work well at all) and burn it way beyond your comfort level to where you think you’ve ruined the plank, then if desired use a soft wire brush to knock down the soot.