THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

GUIDE WORKSHOP
TIPS SAFETY
machines Stationary o Wear gear: safety safety appropriate glasse sr a f a c e s h i e l da , n dh e a r i n g o protectors lf thereis no or earplugs. w a dust ystem , ear n d u s tc o l l e c t i os usea likeebony, woods mask. Forexotic maycause an the sawdust respirator; gloves when work Wear reaction. allergic lumber. rg ough handlin . Make and lighting sure thatworkshop andthatwork areadequate ventilation andsturdy. arelarge surfaces . Read yourowner's before manual ag n ym a c h i n e . operatin . Keep away andpets onlookers children, area. from thework . Unplug ee f o r p eerforming a m a c h i nb perations. s e tu p o r i n s t a l l a t i o n . Keep knives sharp. andcutterhead blades o Turn ef f i f i t p r o d u c e s t h em a c h i no ; ave vr i b r a t i oo nr n o i s eh anunfamilia resumde f o r e ee r v i c eb t h e m a c h i ns ingoperations. . D on o tu s ea m a c h i n ie f a n yp a r to f i t is wornor damaged. . Rollup long rings sleeves andremove in h a tc a nc a t c h a n do t h e jre w e l rty parts. moving . Keep your f r o ma handw s e l la w a Y or cutterhead turning blade r F i n da c o m f o r t a bs a tance ;v o i d le ing. over-reach . Concentrate on thejob;do notrush. youaretired,stressed when Never work or using alcohol drinking been or have drowsiness. thatinduce medications . Keep your a n dt i d Y ; area clean work t o a c c i d e n ta sn ,d c l u t t ec r a nl e a d s c r a pc s a nb e a sawdus atn dw o o d firehazard. saws Chain . Wear protection, goggles, hearing safety sure anda hardhat.Make workboots your ag n dl o n g c l o t h ea s r ec l o s e - f i t t i n h a i ri s t i e db a c k . . O p e r a ta os n only outdoor saw ec h a i n day. a dry, clear . M i xf u e la n da d di t t o t h ef u e lt a n ka t work area. fromyour 10 feetaway least o Tostartup thesaw, it to thework carry ; ake a n ds e ti n o n t h eg r o u n dm area anything. is notcontacting sure thechain f o o ta n do n e t h et o o lw i t hy o u r Brace your to Pull o t h eh r and h a n da , n du s e cord. the starter . While , o l di t f i r m l y th operatin ges a w h hands. w i t hb o t h

A TREE FELLING
thebackcut and theundercut Making yourownlumber To fell a treeto make (page onewithan undercut 36), begin ontheside thetrunk through thirdtheway should thetree in which facing thedirection up fromthe angling fall.Cutthewedge asthe Humbolt of thetree.Known base from lumber saves thismethod undercut, partof a tree-the lower valuable the most partof thetrunk-a chunkof which technique withthetraditional willbelost a backcut Then make of undercutting. from theundercut of inches above a couDle sideto fell thetree.The the opposite stopan inchor twofrom should backcut thatwill a hinge to leave the undercut of thefall andhelp thedirection control prevent kickback. blade
Direction of fall <--

A BOARD OF ANATOMY

THEARTOFWOODWORKING

ENCYCLOPEDIA OFWOOD

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

ENCYCTOPEDIA OFWOOD

TIME-LIFE BOOKS ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA ST.REMYPRESS MONTREAL. NEWYORK

THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced by ST. REMYPRESS PUBLISHER KennethWinchester PR.ESIDENT PierreL6veill PierreHome-Douglas FrancineLemieux Marc Cassini(Text) HeatherMills (Research) Art Directors Normand Boudreault,Solange Laberge Designer Luc Germain,Michel Gigudre Research Editor Jim McRae PictureEditor ChristopherJackson Writers ThmsinM. Douglas,Andrew fones, Rob Lutes Cont r ibut ing lllu strators RonaldDurepos,Jean-Pierre Bourgeois, Michel Blais,Jacques Perrault,Alain Longpr,Jocelyn Veillette,RobertPaquet Administrator Natalie Watanabe Production Manager MichelleTurbide System Coordinator Jean-Luc Roy Photographer RobertChartier Time-Life Booksis a division of Time-Life Inc., a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY Editor Series Series Art Director SeniorEditors

THECONSUTTANTS
and JohnArno is a consultant,cabinetmaker freelance writer who livesin Troy Michigan. He alsoconductsseminars on wood identification and earlyAmericanfurniture design. Giles Miller-Mead taught advanced cabinetmaking at Montreal technicalschools for more than ten years. A nativeofNew Zealand, he has worked asa restorerof antiquefurniture. Andrew Poynter is President of A&M Wood Specialty Inc., of Cambridge,Ontario, Canada, merchants offine hardwoodsand veneers. He beganhis careerin the wood industry in the early'70smaking customfurniture. He is now a director of the Woodworkers Alliancefor Rainforest Protectionand an interim director ofthe ForestStewardship Council. Truini is SeniorEditor of Hoze Joseph Mechankmagazine. A former Shopand Tools Editor of PopularMechanics, he hasworked as a cabinetmaker, home improvementcontractor and carpenter.

TIME-LIFBBOOKS
President Publisher ManagingEditor Directorof Editorial Resources Associate Publisher MarketingDirector EditorialDirector Consuhing Editor Production Manager Mary N. Davis RobertH. Smith ThomasH. Flaherty EliseD. Ritter-Clough Tievor Lunn ReginaHall Donia Ann Steele Bob Doyle,JohnSullivan MarleneZack

Enryclopedia ofWood p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking) Includesindex. (trade) ISBN0-8094-9916-9. -7 (Ltb) ISBN 0-8094-9917 l. Woodwork--Enryclopedias. 2. Wood--Encyclopedias. I. Time- Life Books. IL Series TTl80.E6l3 1992 684' .08-dc20 92-37293 CIP For information about any Time-Life book, please call l-800-621-7026, or write: Reader Information Time-Life CustomerService P.O. Box C-32068 Richmond,Virginia 23261-2068 @ 1993 Time-LifeBooksInc. AII rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any electronicor mechanical means,including information storage and retrievaldevices or systems, without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,except that brief passages may be quoted for reviews. First printing. Printed in U.S.A. Published simultaneously in Canada. TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time Warner Inc. U.S.A. R 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 r

CONTENTS

6 INTRODUCTION 12 14 16 18 24 26 30 34 36 40 42 45 46 48 50 53 UNDERSTANDINGWOOD Anatomvof a tree and hardwoods Softwoobs From log to lumber Lumbercutting methods Properties of wood Identifting wood Wood identificationkeys Portablelumber mills SELECTINGTUMBER Orderinglumber Gradinglumber Hardwoodgrades Softwoodgrades Lumber defects lumber Preparing

78 DRYINGAND STORINGWOOD 80 Waterand wood 86 Estimatingwood movement 87 Air-drying wood 89 Storingwood 98 WOOD DIRECTORY 138 GLOSSARY L42 INDEX IM
ACKNO\ArLEDGMENTS

56 VENEERSAND MANUFACTURED BOARDS 58 Veneers 60 From log to veneer 63 Veneering 69 Decorativematching 70 Plvwood 72 Pliwood grading plywoodedges 74 Concealing 76 Particleboard 77 Fiberboard

INTRODUCTION

Iohn Sharptalksabout

WOOD IDENTIFICATION
whileworking at our family at anearly age to woodidentification f *ur exposed I deal of Tennessee, duringthesummers.felta great in UnionCounty, I sawmill thelogs ofvarious species as I could see between thevast differences about curiosity "opened fromthesaw deck. moved up" andthelumber theywere logs made upthemajority of logs delivhardwood poplar andother common Oak, persimmon as or sasoddspecies, such was theoccasional ered to themill,butthere If apoplar board was foundin byspecies. thelumber Myjobwas to separate safras. mywoods. learned myfault,soI quickiy thatwas a stack of oak, species. Not until names of thedifferent At thattimeI onlyknewthecommon theimportance in forestry school didI realize courses woodanatomy I encountered to region. were variable fromregion for common names names, of scientific when Yale alongway since theturnof thecentury, identification has come Wood wood Nowthere are 25to 30places where forestry studies. teaching was thegnlyschool in WhenI was in forestry school isoffered aspartof thecurriculum. identificltion justafter partof ourworkinvolved idenWorld WarII, anintegral NorthCarolina, species, say sourwood, When wecame across anunfamiliar tifringwoodsamples. more difficult. I canstillremember wood, ourtask became which wasn't acommercial remarking thatheswore whosurvived Guadalcanal, awarveteran of mine, aclassmate hewas worrying, as weall another thingin hislife,butthere never worryabout he'd between ash andhickory. tellthedifference hecouldn't did,because fealens andtextbooks of a hand identification tools consisted wood At thetime, the photos Withaviewto reducing of species samples. turingsmall black-and-white veryclosely over theyears wood, I have worked with identifring anxiety associated photos. Wood lovers to getbetter of Tennessee labattheUniversity withaphotography photos in all sorts of of woodtypes S-by-lO-inch to goodquality cannowrefer parks. publications in ournational to bookstores places-from woodworking

of Tennessee lohn Sharpis a retiredUniversity professor of theInterand a member offorestry He woiles Society. nationalWood Collectors from hishomenearKnowille, Tennessee.

INTRODUCTION

Andrew Poyntertalksabout

BITYINGAND SELLINGWOOD
r.r rupplier of hardwoods andfineveneers for thelast20years, I have privbeen I ,{, \ ileged to getto knowsome of thefinest woodworkers in NorthAmerica. I've also learned a lot about woodanditsqualities, not onlythegood qualities, but the bafling ones aswell. bach I suppose myowninterest in wood began manyyears before I estab. .looking lished my company. In fact,I canvividlyrecall myfirsi hands-on experience with a piece of Brazilian rosewood-completely captivating! Thatwas in themid-'60s, andin those days woodiurners, luthiers andfurnituremakers hadlittle to choose fromin thewayof different woods. Although theycould read wonderful about Macassar ebony, satinwood, kingwood, and {esgriptiygp.assages soon,tryingto find a reliable source for allthose finewoods was nextto impossible. Theneed to inventory aselection ofwoodforthefurniture thatI pictured mfermakingwas oneof thereasons I started mywooddealership n 19j3. My furnituqemafing gradgally tapuedoff,andby 1975 puttingallmyefforu I was intottretask of marketing andselling finehardwoods andveneers. At thattime,everyonesaidtherain forests wouldgoon forever, andthatthere wassomuchwoodin theAmazon thatwewouldnever run out.However, thepassage of timeandthe demand for woodhave donetwothingsto thetimbertrade: First,aproliferation of wooddealers andwoodvarieties have entered themarketplace-a plusfor those of uswholovewood. Second, webecame complacent abouf thetruevalue of various species andthesustainability of theirsupply. Wearenowonlytooaware thattherain forests maynot goon forever. A+howhqe proble-rns causing deforestation are verycomple6 there aresteps that "Measure woodworkers should take to helpimprove thesituation. twice andcufoncd' mayseem almost toobasic, butit canmake adifference in reducing ourconsumption. Using veneer whenever possible is another step in therightdireition. I've become an active member of thewoodworkeis Alliance for Rainforest Protection. wr\RPwas founded in 1989 byaconcerned group ofwoodworkers, wood turners,luthiers, woodmerchants, tooldealers andlovers of wood. Central to manv ofirprograms, Wz\RP encg,urages ofwoodfromsusainable orwell-managed $e use sources. It is nowevident thatmuchhas to change in global forestrypractices olver th; nextfewyears ifwoodworkers in thefutureareto enjoythe remarliable selection of woodthatis available to all of ustoday.
AndrewPoynterholdsa pieceof redwood burl at his store, A dt M WoodSpecialty Inc., in Cambridge, Ontario.Thecompany sells morethan 100 types of woodto woodworkers throughout NorthAmerica.

INTRODUCTION

Ion Arno talksaboutsome

FA/ORITE WOODS
up in afamilythatowned alumber business, working withwoodhas Q in.. I grew t. l been interest Whilemany fellow a lifelong of mine. woodworkers tendto conI findthattherealessence centrate ontoolsandmethods ofconstruction, ofthecraft liesin themediumweuse-the wooditself.Theworldprovides a great manyfine timbers andsome of them, such as walnut, mahogany androsewood, lenda certain prestige project. Forme,thejoyofwoodworking fromdiscovto thefinished comes properties of various species andlearning howto choose themost ering thespecial purpose, for theintended regardless of itsnotoriety functionalwood or reputation. Everywoodhas forwhichit isunsurpassed. Thegoal anapplication of good craftsjustwhatthatapplication manship is to discover is. plentifirl There literally hundreds are of woods, some of themreasonably domestic species, thatseldom find theirwayintolumberyards. Neveflheless, theyarestilloutstanding woods for certain applications. A fewof my favorites arecatalpa, balsam poplarandblackash. I have Recently, added another oneto mylist-sassafras. A member of theLaurel family-alongwith cinnamon, camphor andbay-sassafras iswellknownfor itssweet-scented oil used in cosmetics andsoaps. Itsbuoyant decay-resistant wood hasalsogained somepopularity with boat builders. however, have longdismissed sassafras asbeing toosoftandbrittle. Cabinetmakers, Basically, formehas these assesments are accurate; thechallenge been to findanapplihas fromwhatmany cation where thiswoodexcels. Oddlyenough, theanswer come perceive qualities. asoneof its negative isbrittle,but itsresistance gives it outstanding resonance Sassafras to flexing when in dulcimers. Thebright,bell-like isaspleasant used asthesoundboard toneit yields asthespicy aroma of thewoodwhenit isbeingcut,shaped andsanded. And what rolecould fittingfor thisuniquelyAmerican bemore species thanin helping to provide thevoice for anAmerican musical instrument? I started making dulcimers onlyacouple of years ago, when mydaughte6 amusic project. lover, chose to buildonefor ahighschool Webought akit, butwhen I opened theboxI realized thatthere wasn't anything inside thatI couldn't make in my own soI started My onlyregret, shop, to experiment. sofar asbeinga luthier,is I don't possess with it. a sense of music to goalong

a home-made dulcimer, lon Arno displays fashioned ftom sassafras and osage orange. He is a woodtechnologist, consultant andfreehnce writer living in Troy, Michigan.

'{"

a.

dtr

&

TINDERSTANDNG WOOD
s you strive to improve your woodsuch aspineis moreforgivl, \ mastery of the demanding joinery, ing of less precise while craft of woodworking, muchof dense, brittlespecies suchasmayour attention will be devoted to joints that are hogany demand learning about toolsandthetechcut to close tolerances. And every niques for using them. Butin your quickly beginner learns thatsandin! quest forperfection, donotneglect woodacross thegrain, rather than themostfundamental component parallel to it, results in scratches that project-thewooditself. of every areaccentuated whena finishis perfect Rarely andalways varyapplied to thepiece. piece ing,each ofwoodexhibits its Remember, too,thathowaparjust ascertainly owncharacter, as ticularpiece of woodbehaves in a human being: Some woods are yourshop depends in large measure plain,some colorfi.rl; some arestaA pile of logssitat a sawmillin Oregon" on whathappened to it before it ble,some unpredictable; some work readyto bemilledinto lumber. reached thelumberyard. Howthe easily, some withdifficulty. A knowlwoodgrew in thetree, theweather edge properties of these will allowyouto make themostof thetreeendured andhowthewoodwas cutanddriedallaffect your abilities, achieving a wedding of form,substance and thefinalproduct. Thewoodof aleaning tree, for example, will technique thatcantransform even project anordinary into react differently duringmachining thanthatsawn fromthe aworkof art. trunkof anerect tree. Andwhether aboard isquartersawn or Youcanobtain muchfactual information about theprop- plain-sawn has animpact on itsdimensional stability. erties ofwoodin readily available books andarticles. Learning Onewayto obtain intimate knowledge of yourmaterial is to applythat knowledge ismorechallenging. Forexample, the to saw it yourself from a treeusinga portable lumbermill knowledge (page thatmaple boards maycontain wide variations in 36). Selecting andfelling a tree, bucking-or crosscutcolor, texture andfigure will assume greater meaning asyou ting-it intologs, andmillingtheplanks imparta hands-on learnto use these characteristics to best advantage. Likewise, understanding thatisimpossible to acquire anyother way. The although Douglas-fir isanattractive, easily worked wood, vari- workisarduous, andit also takes considerable timeto cutand ations in itssurface porosity canmake it difficultto finishwell. drytheboards. Buttherewards-both in theunique lumber Butwhen youlearn howto seal thewood, youwill findmany produced andthepersonal satisfaction in producing it-are uses for Douglas-fir. Experience will also tellyouthataresilient wellworththeeffort.

A standof Douglas-fir trees baslcs in thesunlight in a West Coast Many softwoods, like Douglasforest. are ideal interior trim or cabinet work. frr for

13

from the trunks and arvested branches of trees,wood is a Crown resilient, dynamic buildingmaterial. Thebranches growcanshed and leavesof a howtrees Understanding considerable lightonwhywoodbehaves tree, wherephowhenit isworked or finished. tooyntheoia asit does majorsys- takee plaae All trees consist of three water tems:a root networkthat draws from the soil;a crownof andminerals are leaves, wherewaterandminerals in the combined with carbon dioxide presence foodfor ofsunlight to produce and--ofmost thetree(photosynthesis); interest to woodworkers-a supporting trunkthattransporh thewater andfood. Viewed in cross section, a treetrunk to be a fairlyhomogeat first appears nouscolumnof wood,markedby a called growth series of concentric bands viewreveals a rings.However, a close layers series of distinct wappedaround not. At other,some living,some each thecenter is theheartwood, thedensest-and dead-part of the trunk. is thepaler Encircling theheartwood whichin turn is surrounded sapwood, onlyactivebythecambium, thetrunk's The cambium's ly growingsegment. growthaccounts for thelayers of sapyear. woodthatare added each Oneither are layers thattransside ofthecambium port sapthroughout thetreeandstore surplusfood. As the inner sapwood recedes from the cambium, its pores graduallyclogwith resins andgums, and heartwood. As the outersecbecome tions become dormant,they form a layer, trunk'soutermost thebark. Thedifferences between sapwood and heartwood are important to everywoodRootE worker. Because it ismoreporous than Anchor tree and finishes abaorb water heartwood, sapwood absorbs Butthedenser heartwood isusu- and minerals better. anddecav-resistant.from the aoil allvmoredurable present in sapwood Thecarbohydrates cells make thewoodvulnerable to fungi andinsects. Thecolors ofheartwood richer and more are also generally vibrant thanthose of sapwood.

Trunk Alao called stem or bole;aupporto tree and channela nutriente to and from roote

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

Growth rings growth In regions where a tree's is intenupted byseasonal change, its wood is characterized bygrowth rings: concentric bands, perpendicular usually fractions of an inch wide, to the axisof thetrunk.Trees thatgrow in temperate areas witha winterseason display growth distinct rings. In thetropics, where is more or less continuous, a sharply defined ringmay onlybevisibleasthe result of a dryseason. Therings areintersected by a series of rays: flattened bands of tissue thatradiate outward fromthe pithto the phloem of thetree.Growth rings consist of twoseparate layers. Thefirst,called earlywood, is laiddown at the beginning of thegrowing season; thesecond layer, or late-

wood, isformed toward porous theend.Earlywood is more than latewood, whichaccounts for the contrast between the two. Taken together, the earlywood and latewood of a growth ring in temperate climates represent oneyearin a tree's life.The width of a ringdepends ongrowing conditions andvaries from species to species, butchanges fromyear to year reveal a tree's history. A wideringsuggests a growing season withample sun andmoisture, while a narrow ringis evidence of disease, unfavorable weather groMh or insect attacks. Forthewoodworker, rings arealso clues to thestrengh of thewood: uncharacteristically narrow orwide rings cansignal weak timber.
Grotvth ring A concentric rinq divided into aarlywoodand latewood indicatin7 the amount of wood added to a.tree'a diameter in one growingaeason

A amall and often pulpy core runninqup the center of the trunk

Heaftwood )apwood that haa beencloqqed with resina, quma and other extractivea: eupportg tree

Ray Carriea nutrienta laterally throu4h the wood;alao atoreg nutrientq 9apwood Activo parA of the tree'e wood throu7h which water and minerals are conducted from the roote to the leavea: al6o storea nutrienta and helpa to support.the tree Cambium A thin reproductive layor that forma newt'isaue,addinq to the phloemand aapwoodto increase a tree'a 1irbh

lneulatea tree aqainst temperature extremeo; keepooapwood and phloemfrom dryin1 out

Phloem A thin, spon7y layer of tubea that carry diaaolvedeu4ara and qrowth hormoneafrom the leaveato other parta of a tree

s. q

A thickslice from thetrunk of a mature oakformsan oval-shaped tabletop. The growth rings that characterized this tree areclearlyvisible:Light-colored earlywoodalternates with darkerbands of latewood, etchinga distinct line between year'sgrowingperiods. each

AND HARDWOODS SOFTWOODS

f into softdivided rees areroughly hardwoods, but the I woodsand hardwoods, Some termsare inexact: for examor aspen, suchasbasswood American softthanNorth ple,aresofter pine Douglas-fir. or woods likelongleaf leaves of a tree's Thetypeandshape indicators of a are more accurate wood's identity. Softwoods particular with needleconifers include evergreen comprise like leaves, whilehardwoods or leaf-sheddeciduous, broad-leaved But it is at the microscopic ding,trees. between levelthat the true differences canbe seen. andhardwoods softwoods mainlyof traarecomposed Softwoods cellswhich concheids, dual-purpose ductthe sapup throughthe trunk and whichare providesupport. Hardwoods, later,have narevolved believed to have for supfibercells rowet thicker-walled port and large-diameter thin-walled These cells vessels for sapconduction, wood. of a tree's determine thi texture whenthereis abundant In spring, moistureand rapid growthof earlywood, the tracheidcellsin softwoods cavities to conhave thin wallsandlarge duct the sap.The resultis relatively in porous wood.As latewood develops the latterpart of the growingseason, walls, beginto form thicker thetracheids wood. creating denser suchas oak or ash, In hardwoods in theearlydevelop mostof thevessels grain.These in uneven wood,resulting With difring-porous. species arecalled hardwoods suchasmaple, fuse-porous moreevenly the vessels aredistributed Some in the earlpvoodand latewood. species, suchaswalnut,exhibita more gradualtransitionfrom earlpvoodto latewood and aretermedsemi-rineporous or semi-diffuse-porous. in cell structure The differences and hardwoods betweensoftwoods whena stainisapplied. apparent become In softwoods, the light,porousearlywood absorbs stainmore readilythan latewood-in effect the dark,denser likea photoreversing thegrainpattern graphicnegative. Hardwoods, however, enhancing the absorb stainmoreevenly,
croin naffprn

()FSOFTWOODS ANDHARDW()()DS CELL STRUCTURE

Latewood

view A microscopic arereadily andhardwood between softwood Thedifferences magnif ication. a microscope's when viewed under apparent (above, /eff)is much simpler of softwoods Thecellstructure arelong, Almost allsoftwood cells than thatof hardwoods. of sap that an unbroken column which support thintracheids, in Iatewood Thetracheids more than200 feet. cantower In hardwoods in earlvwood. than those become thrcker-walled

(above, through vessels, a series of right),the sapis conducted for atop the other. Support the trunk tubelike cells stacked one In thering-porous hardwood shown, is provided byf iber cells. preprominent in f ibers are the vessels aremore earlywood; in latewood. In both hardwoods and softdominant celltype andstarch make upthe woods, storage cells forcarbohydrates wood remainins non-vascular tissue.

T6

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

A ROSEWO(ID BYA]TY OTHER NAME... For thepracticing woodworker, callwood instead, since bothbelong to inga piece of wood byitscommon therosewood family andarenative name seldom creates confusion. lf to Brazil. In fact,there areseveral youaskfora fewplanks genuine of white oak rosewoods, such asEast yard, at a lumber forexample, there Indian rosewood andcocobolo, that is noreason whyyoushould notget costmuch less thanthe Brazilian yourequested. what Butwithsome variety a n d a r ee a s i e t ro f i n d . particularly species, exotics thatmust However, theymight notfit thebill bepurchased bymail-order, identities fora guitar-maker. Other species, canbe less certain. Common names such asbocote, bubinga andpadauk, aremisleading when trees withdiffer- areoftensoldas rosewood substientcharacteristics share thesame tutes, butdo notlook at all like name, orwhen thesame species has Brazilian rosewood. different common names in seoarate Toavoid confusion, it is helpful to localities. refer to certain woods bytheirbotanyouwanted Suppose samples of a icalnames. Brazilian rosewood is very rare andexpensive species like Dalbergia nigra,anda guitar-maker Brazilian rosewood, a black-streaked,whorequests it bythatname will not darkbrown wood oftenusedin the bedisappointed. maki ngof superior-qual ityguitars. This scientific naming system was A supplier could in good conscience developed more than200 years ago youpieces send of kingwood or tulip- bySwedish botanist CarlLinnaeus. Asshown below, in a botanical analysis of Brazilian rosewood, Linnaeus' nowuniversally accepted plants scheme classifies intothe various groups taxonomic of phyla, classes, genera orders, families, and species. Almost all trees belong to phylum, thespermatophyta withhardwoods in theangiospermae sub-phylumandthedicotyledonae class, and softwoods belonging to thegymnospermae subphylum, A botanical breakdown of Brazilian rosewood Phyfum: Spermatophyta Sub-phylum: Angiospermae Class:Dicotyledonae Order; Rosales Famify: Leguminosae Genusr Dalbergia Species: Nrgra

THE HIDDEN HARVEST

In additionto lumberand manufactured boards, providea cornucopia trees ofraw materials suchasrollsof for products newsprint(left).For centuries, people haveextracted suchnaturalproducts as cork,rubber, gum, medicine, spices, drugs, oils,charcoal, camphor and resins. The cellulose in trees is used in the fiberfound production of plastics and lacquers aswell aswoodpulp. Coniferous trees supply turpentine and resins, whichare usedin paints, inl<s andfinishes. Modernchemistry hasunlocked still moreof wood's hiddentreasures, finding waysto remoye suchdisparate products poisons asglues, andarfficialvanilla.

I7

WOOD UNDERSTANDING

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

FROMLOGTOLIIMBER
etween thestanding treeandthe Ll boards youpickofftherackat the lumberyard stands process a complex thatrequires manypeople to applyenormousskill at every step. Undetected defects in the standing tree,damage .p caused duringfelling, poorjudgment in bucking or inattentive sawing at the mill cansabotage the valueof a tree andraise thesawmill's-and thewoodbuyingconsumer's-costs. Although power saws have replaced muscle-driven pit saws in the forestandat the mill, andcuts arenowguided bylaser beams andcomputer technology instead of chalklines,no replacement hasbeen devised for the practiced eyeof an experienced lumberman.

(left) makes A logger hisundercutin a mightyDouglas-firtreein therain forats of British columbio,canada.Fellingthesebehemoths wasonce theworkof two menpushing and pulling a huge jib. felling saw;today,a chainsawreduces fetling to a quick one-man

A tractor-Iike skidder haulsa hitch oflogsfrom theforest.

L9

WOOD UNDERSTANDING

itscontents ontoa truck. dispenses Ahydrauliclogloader

thetrees Selecting begins A neetjoumey to thelumberyard or timber in thewoods, whena forester for cutting. evaluates thetrees cruiser for will beearmarked Not all cut trees for pulp mill; some will beused thesaw are These lower-grade trees or firewood. harvested to give theresidual deliberately andmore access to nutrients stockbetter thetimroomto grow,thusincreasing Theverybest trees will value. berstand's for veneer. bereserved lummost of thehighest-grade Since justunder fromthearea berwill come mustbe ableto thebark,the forester defects clues thatbetray detect ataglance

canbe Knots, for example, in thisarea. particularly depending troublesome, In thebottheyarelocated. on where where theyare usutompartof thetree, of bya slightdisfiguration allyindicated overthebark,knotsmaybesodeeply thevalue grown thattheywillnot affect Butfurther up,where of theouterwood. indicated by concentheyaretypically in thebark, or even bumps tric circles problems in moreserious knotspose terms of qualiry between difTheability to distinguish imporferent types of fungiis another All fungi tant skill in treeevaluation. species damage, butcertain cause some

In beechand hard are rapacious: bodyof for example, a single maple, of a on theoutside false tinderfungus presence 12to the of a treemaysignal If of decaywithin. l4-foot-long column to thecenter of thedecaywere confined beless of aproblem, thetree, thiswould fungiinfest themostvaluable but many wood. Anyscarring of thebarkis outer since even thetiniest thussuspicious, to makes a treesusceptible opening infection. fungal peckholes Birddamage-specifically sapsuckermade bytheyellow-bellied value. a tree's commercial alsoaffects cousins, which Unlikeits woodpecker

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

eatwood-boring insects that infestdead wood,theyellow-bellied sapsucker feasts on the sap, wood cells, and innerbark oflive trees. Persistent feeding results in longstreaks ofstain that effectively render the wood worthless. Felling and bucking Tiees arecut with threepasses of a chain saw The first two cutsiemovea wedge aboutone-thirdof the diameter of the tree,facing theintended direction of fall. The tree is felledby the third cut, or backcut,madeoppositeto and a few inches above thewedge. Asthetreefalls, "hinge" its directionis controlled by a

face; large-diameter rottingbranches pointto decay withinthetreetrunk. Whiletheoptimal length for hardwood (8feet logs is 16feet forveneer-quality logs),cuttinglogsto this lengthis not always possible. Sometimes the bucker cuts8-footand l2-footloss Once thelimbshave been removed, to avoiddefects that wouldrender-a thetree is skidded to a staging area, or larger logworthless. landing, where it isbucked intologs. To ensure thatthewoodiscutto thehighTiansporting the logs estpossible grade, thebucker-likethe In some parts of NorthAmerica, espeforester or tree cruiser beforehand-has cially thePacific Northwest where trees "read" to thetreefor signs ofdefects areexceptionally large, bucking isdone before setting to work.Bulges in thebark atthefelling site before thelogs are transindicate knots thatareclose to thesur- ported to a central yard. Steeply sloping

of woodbetween thewedge andbackcut.Expert fellers consider many factors before making thecuts-the condition of thefelling site, wind direction, the lean ofthetree, andthepresence ofdead branches in adjacent trees, aptlycalled "widowmakers."

Althougha varietyof methods havebeen used to movelogs to thelumbermill,from river runsto draft horses, truckingremains themostcommon method of transport in NorthAmerica.

2l

WOOD UNDERSTANDING

Thenarrowkerf of abandsaw produces less waste than a circularsaw. Here,aworker at aVermont mill removes a j8-foot-long bandsawblade for sharpening.

mayrequire thelogs to begathterrain floorusing aseries ered in fromtheforest isknownas of cables. Onesuch system Twomaincableshigh-lead logging. a haulback andtheothera onecalled mainline-arerigged to thetopof atall mast. othercables, called chokSeveral Tiees are fromthemainline. ers, dangle felled sotheylandwith theirbutt secwrap uphill;crewmen tionspointing thebutt section of each choker around log,signal thehead operaabucked-up tot andthelogs arereeled upthehill to pile,usuallylocated next to a thecentral been lumber road. Whenthelogshave is used to detached. thehaulback cable pull themainline for andits chokers howtheyare load.No matter another they moved fromthefelling site or when

logs loaded ontotrucks are bucked, are grapple hookfor the with a hydraulic trip to thesawmill. In the sawmill of sawmills: There aretwo maintypes aband sawandthose that those thatuse is often usea circular sawA sawmill of wood described according to thetype it employs, it cutsandthetypeof saw mill or ahardsuch asasoftwood band woodcircular mill. Large bandmillsare logs for thelarger-sized oftenrequired indusin thesoftwood thatare common NorthAmerica. Circular try in western more commonin smaller sawmills, have in theEast, hardwood operations farless expena smaller capacity, butare sive thanbandmills.

process generates Thesawing agreat "waste"-almost one-third of the deal of possible log-but every bit bulkof each up andused. Some of woodis chipped paperpulp millsorwood-fired issoldto (Thevolume utilities. of wood-burned the increased substantially since fuelhas 1970s. Today crunch oftheearly energy woodsupplies about3 percent of the energy consumption.) UnitedStates' Even thebark,whichis immediately powers frequently stripped offthelogs, thesawmill's dryingkilns. fromthelogwith Thebarkisstripped grinding off large cutterheads or blasted jets. Thelogis water by high-pressure posithenmounted on a logcarriage, offthe tionedsothatthefirstcutsslice valuable widest, clearest, most boards.

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

In less than 2 seconds, this bandsawblade, drivenby a 1S0-horsepower engine, canslicethrougha 16-foot log. Thered line-a laser beam-sh ows the operator wherethebladewill cut.

In themill, thesawyer mayrotate the log to "read"thelog'shiddendefects. Whilein thepastthis mighthave been doneby hand,it is not uncommon to seetoday'ssawyers work in a glassjudgments endosed booth, forming with thehelpofadvanced electronic equipment.In sucha mill, the sawyer uses joysticks-like thoseof a computer gam+-to twirl thelogalmost afull turn in a matterof seconds, firing abeam of laser light downits length to visualize theeffect of a particular cutbefore it is

made. In themost efficient mills,sophisticated computers areused to select the bestposition to obtainthemaximum production from each log. First,thefour outerslabs of thelog areremoved, givingthesawyer a clean planefrom which to makehis next "opening cut-the so-called face"-to give thewidest, clearest board available. Once this face is cut,thelog is rotated, andthreeadditional boards arecutonefrom each remaining face. Large millshandling biglogs send theremain-

ing square timber-called a cant-to a resawing areafor cuttinginto various sizes of dimensionlumber. Hereagain,this sawyer must determine the optimum cutting pattern that will yield the mostvaluable lumber.All theboards areedged, trimmed to lengthandgraded. Smaller mills,andthose handling smaller logs, mayuse a different sawing strategf. Afterremoving theouterslabs, theboards arecutfromtheopening face until defects interfere. Thenthelog is rotated to thenextclearest face. Aswith thefirst method, theremaining cantis resawn intolower grade lumber. Finally, theboards aresorted, stacked andstickered-separated by thin stripsto allow airto circulate between them-for their trip to thedryingkiln, where theywill remain for up to 50days.

A device known asa "slot machine" sorts into the freshlysautnboards right widthsand lengths.

23

LUMBER CUTTINGMETHODS
requires alogintolumber f onverting Most logs are \-r certain compromises. Thesimin one of tluee basic ways. sawn plest method squares thelogandslices it intoboards through fromone straight Thistechnique, known side to theother. sawing, results as through-and-through to theannual in stock cuttangentially plaingrowth A second method, rings. is similar, except thatthelogis sawing, rotated asit is cut,andthelow-quality pithisset for items such aspallets. aside isalso known asflatPlain-sawn lumber grained lumber.
Thegrowthringsin this quartersawn oakboard appear aslinesthat are parallelto theboard's edges. The third method.calledcuartersawing or edge-grain sawing, divides the log into four quartersand cuts every board more or lessradially.Quartersawnboardshavetheir annualgrowth ringsperpendicular to the face. This orientationof the growthrings accounts for thedimensional stability of Woodshrinksand cuartersawn boards. roughlytwiceasmuchtangenexpands tially to the rings asits doesradially. When ouartersawn boards swell or shrinktheydo so mostlyin thickness, a plain-sawn whichis minimal,whereas its width. A dinboard changes across pine ing tablemadefrom plain-sawn for example, canchange asmuch boards, asI inch in widthl a similartablemade from quartersawn boardswould only swellor shrinkby one-thirdasmuch.

()FSAWING IOGS THREE METHODS

method Choosing thebest intendlogs intolumber at a sawmill isa balance between Cutting andesthetic appearance. Plain-sawed use, structural stability /eft)produces boards of diminishing width asthe log ing(above, Themore expensive method, is rotated to make successive cuts. (above, quartersawing board width to the called center),limits

radius more dimensionally stable of thelog.Butit produces lumber, making it ideal fordrawer sides, tabletops andframe (above, rails. Through-and-through rghf)yields the sawing froma log; theouter maximum number of usable boards while arequartersawn. boards areplain-sawn, theinner boards

24

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

alsooffersan esthetic Quartersawing advantage: It exposes the medullary raysthat radiatefrom the heartofa log like the spokesof a wheel. In most species the raysareonly one cellthick, but in a fewspecies, suchasoak,theray ceiisare thicker and appearas vivid streaks scatteredalong the grain. poplarandbasswood Sycamore, arealso idealcandidates for quartersawing. As the illustrationat the bottom of page24 shows, quartersawn lumber is not alwayscut perpendicular to the grain,and somethrough-and-through cut boardsclose to the centerofa log will havequartersawn grain.Therefore, no matter how they are actuallycut, boards with growth rings at angles between 45oand90o to thewidesurface quartersawn, areclassified whileboards

with ringsat 0oto 45o angles to thewide surface aretermedplain-sawn. Boards with growth rings at a 30oto 60oangle arealsocalled rift-sawn or bastard-sawn. In actual practice, sawyers usea myriad of sawing patterns, depending on the type of machinerybeing used, the intended useof thelumber,log diameter andthetypeof tree.Forexample, in virtuallyall trees thepith or central coreof theheartwood is less desirable thanand not asstrongastherestofthe heartwood. "boxes Plain-sawing out the heart"by cuttingaroundit to eliminate it.

Thegrowthringsin thisplain-sawn oakboard appear on thefaceasan ellipticallandscape stock is sliced figure.Plain-sawn from logs with mostof thecutstangent to therings.

ADVANTAGES OF PTAIN.SAWN AND LUMBER SUARTERSAWN

PTAIN-SAWN Cheaper andeasier to obtain Shrinks andswells less rnthickness greater Usually comes in variety of widths Less susceptible to collapse during drying; easier to kilndry patterns Figure resulting fromthedifference between earlywood andlatewood in thegrowth rings are more consoicuous Hasmore interesting figure Round or oval knots thatmay occur have less effect on structural integrity Pockets of pitchextend through fewer boards Notassusceptible to splitting when nails or screws driven through face OUARTERSAWN More dimensionally stable Shrinks andswells less across theboard Twists andcuosless Splits andchecks less in seasoning andin use grain Raised caused bytheswelling of theearlywood in growth rings notaspronounced Figure dueto pronounced rays more conspicuous Holds finishes better in some soecies Sapwood in boards appears at theedges andis easily cutoff Wears more evenlv

25

PROPERTIE,S OFWOOD
pays n experienced woodworker attention to the selection of close has Every species wood for a project. that canmakeit ideal uniquequalities for for oneapplication but unsuitable that another. Amongthekeyproperties woodsarecolor,grain,texdistinguish ture,figure,weightand odor. for theirdisManyspecies areprized is a fiery orangePadauk tinctivecolors. red;blackwalnut often exhibitsdeep purples tones. Colorin and chocolate suchas woodis theresult of extractives gumsand resins in the wood. tannins, to air,these Whencut lumberis exposed gradually oxidize, deepening substances howevIn some cases, thewood's color. er,thecolormayfade. aretwo distinct Grainand texture properties Grain thatareoftenconfused. thedirection andregularity of describes relative to theaxisof the thewoodfibers 28,the treetrunk.Asillustrated on page grain displayed by a pieceof lumber of the depends on the growthpattern treefrom whichit wascut. A wood's depends on thesize texture Ring-porous anddistribution of itscells. havea hardwoods with largevessels coarse texture,while diffuse-porous with finevessels have a finhardwoods In somesoftwoods, abrupt er texture. transitions from earlp,vood to latewood Where produce an uneven texture. there islittleor no transition, asin whitepine, texture. thewoodhasan even

ftqure Landacape
on white birch

figure Fiddleback rooa onperoba

MoLLle fi4ure on movin4ue

: t '', '. , i rl lt ,

" l i :i., ' ',,1, i,i;,. ,1 ,1 ,r,:' , "

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.

i '-, " ,;, .]i ri;' i,':, .'l'li, ,,,'

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,1,,;',

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

Figure-an important quality in veneers-is the patterndisplayed on the surface of a board.Thisis theexpression "61n1261s1"-fte of a board's sumof its grain,contrast between earlywood and latewood, eccentricity of growth rings, mineralstreal6, disease andthe method usedto sawthe log. Someof the more stunningfiguresin differentspecies are illustrated below. Forexample, plain-sawn whitebirch reveals a so-called landscaoe figure.Interlocked grainproduces therib-

bonfigure common in African mahogany. grainin maples Wavy results in a fiddleback figure, sonamed because ofitsuse in thebacla ofviolins. Andinegular growths ontheouter surfaces of trees, such as elm, yieldanintricate burl figure. Theweight of differentwood species isexpressed asspecific gravity, or itsdensitycompared to an equal volume of water. Thespecific gravity of anovendried sample of American elm, for example, is0.50, making it halfasheavy

asa tropicalhardwoodlike ekki,which hasthesame specific gravity aswater1.00. Lignumvitae, the heaviest wood, hasa specific gravity of L23.Thehigher a wood's specificgravity,the less porousit is and the more impervious it will be to a finish. A wood'sodor-usually caused bv oils in the heartwood-may alsodetermine its use.An aromaticspecies like cedar, for example, is often usedfor clothes chests and cigarboxes.

Kibbon fiqure on Africanmahogany

Dird'e-eyefigure on maple

Burlfigure on Carpathian elm

27

WOOD UNDERSTANDING

grnvityis a better irdicatorof n Specific Witha speciJic wood's weight thartsize. gravityof 0.90, a piece of cborry weiglrs tts a trtttclt lnrger block of white thesanrc grovityis only0.35. pine,wlrcse speciJic

()FGRAIN TYPES

Featured tn lumber wiLh even wood ftbere thaL are parallel Lo the verLtcal axta of the trunk; makea for eLronq wood, but hae ltttle or no fi4ure

Found tn lumber where the ftbera devi' aLe from the verLtcalaxie of the Lrunk; not ao atronq ae etraiqhL-qratned wood, but producee an attracttve fiqure

Froduced by wood ftbere Lhat undulatetn ehort,even

wavee:yielde fiddleback ftqure

treea with twtEted trunka; common in 1coLchpineand aweetcheetnuL

Interlocked grain internal LwtaLe; Foundtn lumberfrom treeE with oppoein7 found in elm and verycommonin tropical epeciee eomeLimee

2B

UNDERSTANDINGWOOD

W()RKING WITH THE GRAIN

Reading thegrain Many woodworking plantasks, especially ing, require working in thedirection of the grain. You canusually tellgrain orrentayour tionbyrunning hand along a board face: Thesurface willfeelsmoother when your hand is moving withthegrain and rougher when running against it.Another method plane is to slide a smoothing l i g h t la yl o n g t h ef a c e i no n e direction, thenrepeat in theopposite direction. The blade willchatter orcatch onthewood fibers when it iscutting against thegrain. Asshown ontheplain-sawn board at right, "uphill" thewood fibers slope in thedirectionof thegrain and"downhill" against it.

Determining thebest direction to plane To prevent a plane blade fromcatching thegrain and tearing orchipping thewood f ibers, always grain cutin theuphill direction. This willproduce clean shavings and a smooth surface. Beespecially careful to grain spot thatchanges direction within a single board. The dragram at leftshows sevgrain patterns eral typical witharrows indiplaning cating thebest direction. The uphill drrection may beconstant from one end of a (A). board to theother Orit maychange, demanding thatyouplane from each end (B).lt could toward themiddle also change (C). from themiddle to theends lf thegrain does notslope at all,you canplane in a singlepass fromeither end(D).

29

IDENTIFYINGWOOD
of youare restoring apiece hether made fromanunfamilfurniture of theauthenticity iarwoodor debating lumberwith a local board a particular of a piece yard, for identifring a knack skill. lumberisa usefrrl ofknowlanentire branch Of course, and is devoted to woodscience edge written have been Books technology. have been careers aboutthe subject, offer founded uponit, anduniversities to it. devoted and degrees courses identifrwoodby firstslicing Scientists thenmountof asample, offa thin sliver it under andexamining ingit on a slide a mlcroscope. woodworker, however, Thepracticing in sawing thanin whoismoreinterested identiff most cansuccessfully science, for a searching woods by methodically with thehelpof inexfewsimple clues Mostof thetoolsyou pensive equipment. invesneed areillustrated atright.Your beginwith the easily tigation should (page properties ofthesanrple observable deterandfeel thesurface; 26).Examne it isoilyor dry,dullor lusminewhether by tryingto its hardness trous.Check You with a fingernail. dentthesurface Each method exposeye allyor tangentially. maybeable to tell with thenaked anatomview of a sample's es a different is ringor diffirsehardwood whether a viewis the Thesimplest onpage icalstructure. porous. in thephotos Asshown it involves looking atthe since reltransverse of hardwood are twotypes 33,these grain However, to of the sample. viewed with end when easy to tellapart atively fibers, view crushed of of avoid a blurred whether the texture lens. Note ahand thesurface with a Ifthe sam- youmustfirstshave iscoarse or smooth. thewood knife. well-sharpened razor or a may have blade cut, it plehasbeenrecently you view of a sample, get tangential has To a If it been odor. a recognizable along the make a clean cut will need to you may be able to dried, sufficiently (page 32). rings of the wood growth gravity. itsspecific calculate to a second cut at rightangles help Making can Aithough these observations radial view. first exposes a you will still the downthechoices, narrow youhave andrecordobserved magOnce under have to viewawoodsample properties andmicrosample's ed the nification in order to hazardaneducatyou compare the details, can scopic Theillustration asto itsspecies. edguess printed key of wood with a a results ways that thethree on page 31shows radi- species to identifithewood. transversely, sample can bestudied:

SLEUTH F(|R THE WOOD TOOLS

Labeled wood samplea A set of domeatic or tropical wooda with labelaindicatin1 the apeciea;can be ueed to help identify and aomparewooda

Hand lens Used to axaminewood samplea;availablein Bx, 1Ox and 12xma1nification

llluminaied magnifter For axaminin7woodaamplea; ation featu ree built- in illumin than hand for aharper viawinq leno.Typicallyavailablewith up to 2Ox maanification

Poaketkni e Used to prepare the end qrain of wood aampleafor examination

theendgrainof a board Examining 1& magnifier through an illuminated of a wood enlnrges several features sample thatarehelpfulin species identification.

Razor blade Used to aut off wood alivers for viewinqunder a microacope; einqle-adqedbladea are the aafeat type

30

UNDERSTANDINGWOOD

EXAMINING A W()OD SAMPTE

perspectives Three viewing The10xmagnification provided bya magnifer you or hand lens allows to examine three views of wood's structure, represented bythehardwood logsection shown at rrght. Thetransverse section lies at right a n g l ets o t h eg r a i n a n di s v i s i b l ie nt h e endgrain of stock. Thetangential and radial sections areat 90'to thetransverse section. Thetangential section follows a straight linethatis tangent to thegrowth rings. This section isthesurface yousee ontheface of plain-sawn lumber. A radial section isexposed bycutting a straight line from thebark through thepith, exposing grain lines thatappear asvertrcal strips.

I
l)/

l-,-

o^a

--

\\

,Y

oXo

? OoO

o"o

ffi
Examining wood under a microscope At 100xmagnif ication, a microscope u n c o v em r so r e d e t a i lo sf t h ec e l l u l a r structure of wood thancanbeseen through a hand magnifier. At leftare twoviews pine, of white illustrating key elements in species identification. The (farlefDshows transverse section the size of thetracheid cells andthetransitionin theirdensity fromear-lywood to latewood. Also evident is a longitudinal resin (near canal. Thetangential section /eff) shows thenumber andthickness of therays in thewood.

\..5---

TRANSVERSE SECTI()N
Earlywood
La'ewood

TANGENTIAT SECTION

- ? _ - c = = - ^ - ^ -g -a^-)=

c;

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-;,
/^-

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UU _\_t _ _ U - u v

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f-LL-r;Uf'lr-r uflX\-/ \-ln

Tracheid

Keeincanal

Kaye

3l

WOOD UNDERSTANDING

A LENS WITH F(lR VIEWING SAMPLES W()()D PREPARING

section a tlansverse Preparing from theend of wood Slice offa sliver grain using a sharp sample of your surface blade knife orrazor Ueft).Ihe lf the andeven. should besmooth dense anddtffiis particularly wood theendgrain cultto cut,firstsoak fora short timein hotwater.

radial sections and tangential Cufting mark a cutting section, Fora tangential rings onthe to thegrowth linetangent theline Cutalong edge of thesample. your hands making sure saw, witha band of thetool withtheblade arenotin line (right). make an section, Fora radial at the thesample cutthrough end-to-end withthe rings highpoint of thegrowth table. piece saw onthe band facedown lightly forviewing, Toclean upthecuts plane. witha hand thesurfaces smooth which willcrush using sandpaper, Avoid thefibers.

32

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

WOOD IDENTIFICATION METHODS Although identifying wood requires andcanberevived by moistening a careful observation of theappropri- drywood sample. practice atefeatures of a sample, Checking a sample for hardness makes thejob easier. First measure byrunning a fingernail along the thewidthof thegrowth grain rings, and andnoting thedegree of indennote thecolor andluster of the tation canhelodifferentiate simiwood. Remember thatwood exoosed larspecies suchas butternut and to sunlight andairchanges color, so black walnut. the hueof a freshly cut sample may Thestandard toolfor macroscopic bedifferent afterit hasdried, Luster viewing of wood is a 10xhandlens. is nota common feature of many Choose onewithbuilt-in illuminawoods, but it canhelpdistinguish tionforsharp resolution. Examine between species that areotherwise samples in good light,holding the alikein color, texture andweight. lens close to oneeyeandmoving Although odor, likeluster, is distinc- thesurface to bestudied intofocus. tivefor onlya fewwoods, it canbea Note thedistribution andshape of particu- features useful keyto identification, suchasvessels, tracheids, larlyamong softwoods. Odoris most resin canals, earlywood, latewood, pronounced pores in freshly cut lumber, andmedullary rays. Therela(in hardtivediameter of vessels (in wood) or tracheids softwood) is important in determining thetexture of thewood; the larger these cells, thecoarser thewood. Thedistributionof pores within thegrowth rings willalso tellyouwhether a hardwood is ring-, diffuse-, semi-ringor semi-diffuse-porous. When viewing endgrain, choose an area of average growth rate,avoiding defects like grain cross andknots. Withsoftwoods, lookfor resin canals; theyareonlypresent in pine, spruce, larch andDouglas-fir. lf youarelooking forrays-animportantfeature of hardwoods-they are best seen ona transverse or tangential surface,

(lFTWO COMPARING MAGNIFIED VIEWS WOOD SAMPTES

Thetwophotos above showwhat theendgrain,or transyerse sections, of two dffirent hardwood samples wouldlooklikeunderthemagnification of a handlens. A ring-porous (above, hardwood left)features rows pores of relatively large in theeailywood and clusters pores of smaller in thelatewood. Theverticalbars interrupting thepores aremedullary rays. A semi-ring-porous wood(above,right) shows little distinction between theearbryood and latewood. Here,thepores areevenly distributed throughout the tissue.

33

KEYS WOODIDENTIFICATION
A collection wood of labeled in samples canbeinvaluable you become helping familiar It with a varietyof woods. mayalsocontain a species you wish to identify.

identifying an unfamiliar I orrectly out of thousands of \; woodsample possibilities requires close observation, knowledge andathorough ofwoodand matter, itsproperties. Butasa practical to thepossible choices are usuallylimited several familiar species, anda commercially available setof labeled woodsamples, such astheoneshown atright,may include a piece thatmatches thewood you areattempting to identifr.Most youwill need to record often,however, awood thefeatures of a sample, thenuse keyfroma bookto make identification sense ofyourresults. keyis essentially a An identification master listof woods andtheirpropertiesthat serves asa cross-reference to link thefeatures of a particular sample name. keys require to a species Some thatyou compare theirentries against features to thenaked eye thatarevisible whileothers or with a 10xmagnifier, demand that you note microscopic details. Stillother keys arebased onthe user having wide-ranging sensory informationaboutthewood,including its colot odor andtexture, andthebark of thetreefrom which andleafshape it came. Using a key is like climbing the to branches of a tree.Youareasked answer a series of paired statements, choosing theonethatbest describes the woodin question andproceeding to the nextpairindicated. At each statement, theuserforksontoa different branch

until reaching a leafthatidentifies the Thefirststatement mayinvolve sample. If thewoodis thetexture of thewood. porous, for example, youaresent to one you if it isnon-porous, setof statements; jumpto adifferent You setof statements. flippingfrompage to continue thisway, page gradualin abook, aseach answer lyreduces thechoices. Finally, thesearch isnarrowed to a single species.

Avoidkeysthat try to coverevery wood in theworld; will prove species they onethat describes toogeneral. Choose region, trees in a specific such asNorth hardAmerican softwoods or tropical woods. Several classic keys canbefound yourlocal in woodworking boola;check public library agenor boolstore. Some (below) cies also offerwoodidentification services.

IDEI{TIFICATIOI{ SOURCES FOR WOOD

Books Edlin, Herbert L., What Wood ls That? A Manualof Wood ldentification. 1969. New York: Viking, Wood. Hoadley, Bruce,ldentifying Nevvton, Connecticut: Tau nton Press, 1990. Panshin, A.J.andDeZeeuw, Technologr. Carl,Textbook of Wood New York: McGraw Hill, 1980. Rendfe, 8.J., World Timbers: Volumes 1-3.London: Ernest Benn, 1970. Sharp, John8., Wood ldentification: A Manualfor TheNon-Profexional. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, Forestry andWildlife Extension, 1990. Research Timber Development Association, Timbers of the World: Volumes I and2. Lancaster; Construction Press, 1979. Agencies thatoffer wood identification services Center ForWood Anatomy Research Products U.S.Forest Laboratory 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive Madison, Wisconsi n 53705-2398 International Wood Collectors Societv 2913ThirdStreet Trenton, Michigan 48183

34

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

USING A W()OD IDENTIFICATION KEY

Here is anexample of how a typical wood identif ication eLoraqe celle conapicuouo tn raye, forming ripple key works. In thiscase, wearestarting conLinuouelineethrouqhoul, witha plain-sawn marksexLendiniq laLewood: WaLer hickory acroea the 4ratn board of an unknown wood. The firststep isaimed at when tanqenLial narrowing theinvestigation to either thehardwood orthe gectton of wood ta portion softwood your of thekey. You examine sample viewed:?eretmmon witha hand lens andobserve thatit has vessels andis porous; according to your key, it is a hardwood. Next, HearLwoodcheeLnuL- Heartwoodbrown youmust determine whether thewood is ringbrown Lo chocolat.e or difto yellow-brown fuse-porous: Younotice thatitsearlywood is notsharply or purplioh brown youaretoldthatit is diffuse-porous. defined; Thenext features to examine aretherays. Seen in thetangential view of your sample, therays arerelatively narrow and uniform in width. This observation leads to another concerning thesize of thepores in thegrowth rings. Since LaLewood ef,orage celle LaLewood atoraqe the pores in theearlywood of your sample arelarger appeartn fine,continucellenot evideni oue ltnea than those in thelatewood, thisindicates thatyouhave a semi-diffuse-porous youexamine wood. Next, thedistribution of thepores in thegrowth ring. lf they were unevenly distributed, your thekey would identify sample Foreeevenly diaToreaunevenly diotrtbastanoak. Instead, thepores in your sample areevenly t,ributedthrou6huLedthroughout growth distributed. You must thenevaluate thestorage cells in out growth rinq rin7 and found in cluaLere thelatewood. aeparatedby eectiona of Seeing thatthey arepresent in a fine, fibrouaLtssue:Tanoak youaredirected unbroken line, to determine thecolor of theheartwood. lf it were chestnut-brown orchocolate, youwould have a piece of black walnut or butternut. Butsince theheartwood you is brown to yellow-brown, Toree in the earlywoodlarger Toree uniform in size have either water hickory or persimmon. Since therays than thoee in the latewood; throuqhoutthe rin4 Lranaition qradual (eemi-d tfof your sample arestacked vertically, creating ripple fuee-poroue) youto theendof your marks, thekeyleads quest: thesample is persimmon.
Kaye broad and viaible Woodrtnq-porouo (eailywoodeharply defined); earlywoodporea larqer LhanlaLewood poreoand viaible1;othe nakedeye Kaye narrow and uniform in width Wooddiffuee-poroue (earlywood not eharply defi,ned): earrwooa Pore??malter than latewoodporeoand visibleto the naked eye
Wood wiLhout eLacked raya; Wood with aLacked

Wood non -poroue (without veeeelo): Wood tieaue dominated by tracheide in diaLincL rowa; raye not viaible 1,othe naked eye

Woodporoua (with veoaelo):WoodLtosue dominated by veosele(poree) embeddedin fibroue tiaaue: raJ6 may or may not be viaibleto the nakedeye 5TART HERE

35

LUMBE,RMILLS PORTABLE
-|a h. desire underto gaina deeper leads of woodeventually I standing out of the shopand woodworkers some into the woods,andback lumberyard, your own to the treeitself.By sawing Iumber from logs,you can produce specmeeta project's thatexactly boards ificationsand gain valuableinsight Each step into woodasa living material. asyou watch yieldsa thrill of discovery patterns of grain and figureemerge from thelog. A numberof lumbermills on the marketallowyou to cut through-andor quartersawn throughcut,plain-sawn largestaThese toolsinclude boards. of cuttionaryproductionmills capable ting logsmore than 20 feetin length, portablemodels with toughbandsaw and still smallerunits that use blades, chainsaws. that followshowyou Theprocedures howto cut logsinto lumberwith a chain by a jig that attaches sawthat is guided to it. Besides thecuttingjig anda hearythis simplemethodrequires duty saw, board, nothingmore than a straight a hammer anda fewnails. to crossaredesigned Most chainsaws cut trees-that is, buck the logsinto afterthe treesarefelled shorterlengths Cuttinglogsinto lumber anddelimbed. in whichthesawis a rippingoperation ing is donealongthe lengthof the log, at least Rippingwith a chainsawrequires threetimesasmuchpowerascrosscutting, andthesawmustrun at full throtmostof thecut.Because tlethroughout muchportablelumbermilling involves to usea directlogs, it isbest hardwood of at drive chainsawratedat a speed least3000feetper minute,with a ripTominimize strain pingchaininstalled. logsthat arereltry to select on thesaw, suchastwist and ativelyfreeof defects with few knots and burls. taper, and cuttinglogswith a Felling trees work requiring chainsawis dangerous to workinghabits. Payattention safe your taskat all timesand keepcutting andwellmaintained. sharp, clean edges prolonged work with chainsaws Since prowearhearing theears, candamage or earmuffs. tection,suchasearplugs for chainsawwork also Prooerdress shieldandsteel-toed includes a fuIl-face You clothing. boots;do not wearloose chainsawgloves canalsodon special yourhands anda pairofsafeto protect ty chapsmadefrom a tough,sytthetic fiber,suchasKevlar'", to protectyour slip or legsshouldthe sawaccidentally iump back.

jigsand commercial Specialized you enable to cut logs machines saw Here, a band into lumber. a 2-by-10 board lumber mill cuts Thedevice from a squared-offlog. bladethat a narrow-kerf features produces waste thqn a chain less to cut saw,makingit feasible planksasnarrowas % inch wqsle. thickwithoutexcessive

36

WOOD UNDERSTANDING

BOARDS A t(lc INTO CUTTING

thelog 1 Squaring I Tomark outthecant-thesouaredthe off partof the log-andmaximize numbe o rf b o a r dts h e l o gw i l ly i e l d , on both ends of the log. scribsa square diameStart at theendwiththesmallest angle of a carpenter.Place the inside justinside the bark, and ter's square of the square mark twooutside edges lines witha pencil. Using thescribed (/eff,). guide, complete the square asa Measure sides of the souare and the log, to the other end of the transfer them pith the is centered in making sure that thesouare.

THROUGH.Al{0. THROUGH CUTTIl{G PATTERN

OUARTERSAWING CUTTING PATTERN

pattern thecutting Choosing (above, righil,divide the square lumber want.Forquartersawn between through-andBefore cutting the log,choose asfor Mark outthe middle segment segments. outtheappropriate intothree andmark through cutandquartersawing lines in thetwo cut lumber, thenscribe pattern through-and-throughthrough-and-through ontheends of the log.For cutting (above, in the to those outside segments thatareperpendicular of lines within the /eff), scribe a series cut lumber perpendicular will bemore or less to Thegrowth rings faces areroughly tangent to thegrowth middle. square sothattheboard you of these boards. thefaces to theboard thickness rings. Space thelines according

37

UNDERSTANDING WOOD

thecant Q Cutting r-t Setthelogon spacers, withoneside of the marked s0uare vertical. Cuta 2guide by-4 longer thanthe log, thenpositionit ontopof the logsothatit extends beyond each end. Align theoutside edge of theguide withtheside of thesquare andnailit in place. Use wood shims to level theguide. Place thelumber-cutting jig onthe guide (above) andadjust its fence sothatit runs smoothly along the guide. Attach thechain saw to thejig following themanufacturer's instructions. To make thecut,position thejig onthe guide at thesmallest endof thelog. Then, withthesawblade clear of thelog, start upthesawandtip it forward sothatthe blade bites into thelog. Carefully step backwards anddraw thejig along the guide, cutting through thelog to theotherend. Tocuttheother sides, remove theguide androtate the log.Repeat the procedure to align theguide withthe square andmake thecuI(right). Continue until allthesides arecut.To cut the resulting cantintoboards, use thechain you saw andthejigto cutalong thelines marked in step 2. lf youhave a band saw, youcancutthe logintoa manageable 6by-6 cantwiththechain saw, thenuse the band saw to cutthecantintoboards. With proits narrower kerf, a band sawblade duces less waste thana chain saw blade.

38

UNDERSTANDINGWOOD

t(lc CROSSCUTTING JIG the Simplify thetaskof squaring of a logbefore cuttingit into ends jig lumber withthecrosscutting jig, The which shown at right. can be builtto fit a variety of logsizes, of a guide andan inverted consists L-shaped frame withtwotriangular support brackets. To make thejig, cut twopieces plywood for theframe. of 7a-inch should Thelengths of the pieces exceed thediameter of the largest Thewidth logyouexpect to handle. of thetop piece should equal the desired widthof cut.Screw thetwo pieces along withthetritogether Screw a 2-by-4 angular brackets. guide longer thatis at least 8 inches thanthediameter of thelogto the withthat toppiece, aligning itsedge of thetop piece. To use thejig,setthe logonspacersandposition thejig atopthe log. Nailthesidepiece of theframe to sure that theendof the log,making is level to the theguide andsquare log's axis. Setup thechain sawand jig ontheguide the lumber-cutting asyouwould to cut a logintoa cant (page38).Thenstartthe sawand tio it forward sothatthe blade bites intothe log hight, below). Draw the jig along untilyoucut theguide through the log.At the endof the jig andthecutcut,thecrosscutting you.Keep willtopple off piece toward in thekerf the blade frombinding andstand clear of thejig at theend of thecut.

39

i;.vffi--.=,'

'"3*'.t *t

i{rffSrrr**

..""

SELECTNG LI.A4BER
theNational Hardwood Lumber Association.In addition,some care hasprobably beentakento control the moisture content of thestock duringits stay in the yard.Youcanalsoasktheretailer to furnish stockthat is surfaced to a uniform thickness-anecessity for woodworkers who do not have access to apowerplaner. Thereareother,lesscostlywaysto obtain wood. If you live near a small sawmill, you mayfindgoodqualitylumber at a very low price.However, the woodwill probably begreen, roughand ungraded-and it mustbestickered, seasoned andsurfaced before it canbeused for furniture.Biggersawmills preferto Whatever your approach, thereare shaftanda hookat oneend dealwith largevolumesof wood and for several sources to coverin your search therulerenables a maybereluctant to fill smallorders. One Jlippingstock, for raw materials. The most obviousis gradertofill an order answer is to pool your materialneeds for woodquickly. the locallumberyard. yardsstock Some with those of otherwoodworkers. Some "planer specialty items, depending on demand in theareas theyservice; sawmills will sellyoutheir outs"-small pieces of varylumberyardsalong the coast,for example,might carry ingwidthsandthicknesses thatcanbeboughtatbargain prices. mahogany and teakfor boat construction and repair.But It may alsobe economical for you to buy wood that has because mostyards primarilysupply theconstruction trades, beenrecycled aftermanyyears of usein bams,factories, wharves your solid-wood choices will probablybe limitedto structur- and otherstructures. Youmayalsofind an opportunityto do al softwood lumberand perhaps an occasional piece of oak. your own recycling. Reusing old wood makes sense environFor a wider choiceof hardwoods, and for wood carvingand mentally, and it is rapidly becomingthe only legalway of turning blanks,you will haveto rangefartherafield.Look in obtaining somespecies. In addition,recycled boards that were the YellowPages for dealerships that specialize in fine hardcut from straight-grained old-growthtimber maybe superiwoods, or scan theadvertisements in woodworking magazines or to fresh lumbercut from smaller trees. Therearedrawbacks for mail-order woodworking-supply companies. to recyclingwood, however. Wear, rot andinsects mayaddup Youwill paytop dollarfor hardwoods boughtfrom a retail to a waste factorof 50percent or more.And you shouldexpect source, but in return you will generally receive materialthat to extractmanynails,boltsand staples-andstill ruin saw hasbeengraded for qualityusingthestandards established by blades in encounters with hiddenmetal.

omecraftsmen probuytheirwood jectbyproject. They design andlay out a piece of furniture, calculate the amount andtlpe of woodrequired, then embark onaquest for exactlywhat they need.Otherwoodworkers stockpile beautiful or interesting pieces of wood even before theyhave a specific project in mind.Picking through thepiles atthe local wooddealership, surveying felled Iogs at a building siteor scavenging bucked logsleft overfrom roadside treework,these craftsmen accumulate promising woodin thedryingshed-a Principaltoolof thelumbergrader's supply thatserves asaninspiration for trade, a lumberruler measures the future work. width of aboard.With aflexible

Different grades of lumbercanvary widely-even in the same stack of boards. Thereis no morecertainwayof geningwhatyou want thanselecting thestock yourself.

4I

ORDERINGLUMBER
Board-foot calculations, henit is time to orderlumber verydifferent. of describe a volume for a project, it pays to do your whichactually yougoto thelum- wood, are explained atthebottomof the homework before As a general rule,you can Bybecoming aninformed and nextpage. beryard. youincrease order bythelinstock of likedimension well-organized consumer, foot-25linear feet of 1-by-4lumber, youroddsof coming away with your ear Themainlimitation of You for example. needs met andyourwalletintact. however, is that it only having extra trips this method, will also avoid to make workswith lumberof uniformwidth to yoursupplier. . Species: youmix dimenwood andthickness. Once Askfor a specific will end up family name. sions-asyou probably notmerely abroad species, "white notjust doing when orderinghardwoodoak," Forexample, order "oak." proper- a boardfoot measurement becomes Every has unique species yourneeds. to describe ties;select onewith thecharacteristics necessary Howyouorderyourwoodcanalso It can thatsuittheneeds ofyourproject. youneed softwood of wood depend onwhether behelpful to learn thebasics (page youcin usuWth softwoods at some orhardwood identification 30), since widthor lengh, allyspecify anyboard lumberyards several similartypes of boards aregenerally woods maybelumped together under whilehardwood widthsandlengths, available in random name. thesame . Quantity: youorder. onthegrade Lumber maybe ordered depending . SizeWood rather issold in nominal either by thelinearfoot or theboard yoursupplier which thanrealsizes, soremember to make foot.Besure knows forthedifference when orderyouare they are allowances measure using, because piece A 1-by-6 ing surfaced lumber. of 3/q pine,for example, is actually inch widewhendried thickand5%inches Withrough, or unsurfaced andsurfaced. green lumber, thenominal andreal sizes Formoreinformation on are thesame. hownominal andrealsizes compare, refer on pages 46 (hardto thecharts woods) and48(softwoods). Thethickness boards is of hardwood commonly expressed asa non-reduced fraction in quarters of aninch.A l-inchistermed for example, thickoakboard, plankis % % lumbera 1%-inch-thick andsoon. . GradeWhen ordering aparticular grade standard terminoloofwood, use gy.Refer 47 for to the charton page 49 for softhardwoods andon page woods. Themaindifferences between grades lie higher andlowerhardwood In in appearance rather thanstrength. woodfor general, reserve higher-grade parts thevisible ofyourprojects.

1HO?TI?
Carryinglumber by aar with juol a Traneportlumberon your car eafelyand oecurely f ew pieceoof rope.Tieone ropet o a eolid sf,ructure in t'he t runk -a Lrunkhinqe, for example-and makea loopaf. lhe other end, a secondrooeunderlhehoodandform anolherloop,At, Secure hitch bhe the lumberyard, elipNhe woodthrouqhone loopand Nhen lumber from lurchinq backand keep N'he other one in poeition,To torLh,tie a ihird ropearoundlhe lumberand secureit to Nhewindow poel.Ueefoamorlowelslo proteclthe sideofyour car,

42

SELECTING LUMBER

. Seasoning: Lumberis sold either (AD).The kiln-dried(KD) or air-dried practicaldifference between the two is thatKD woodhasa lowermoisture content-about 8 percent, while air-dried, high-density hardwoods generally have a moisture content range of 20to 25 percent. Softwoods andlower-density hardwoodsareair-dried to 15to 20 percent moisture content. KD lumberii therefore preferable for makingindoor furniture,because the wood is unlikelyto dry out any further;aswell, the kiln's heatallowsthe wood'scellsto reposition, reducing the likelihoodof warping and checking. This doesnot mean you needto restrict yourselftobuying onlyKD lumber,however;in fact,many prefermoisterwood,makingAD carvers wood a betterchoice for them.Youcan bring air-driedwood to the appropriate moisturelevel for cabinetmaking, as shownin the Drying andStoringWood chapter(pageTB).

. Surfacing: Also known asdressing, surfacing refers to howlumber has been prepared at themill before it is sent to thelumberyard. Lumber thatissurfaced is usually surfaced on bothsides: S2S lumber has planed been smooth onboth faces, while S4S wood has had bothfaces jointed. planed andbothedges Rough, or unsurfaced, lumber(Rgh)is less expensive thaneither S2S or S4S wood, andif youowna planer anda jointer, youcansave moneyby surfacing rough (page lumber in yourshop 53). A sample orderfor woodat a lumberyard mightbeasfollows: 100 bd.ft. %FAS redoak,S2S. Thiswouldamount to 100 board feet of nominally 2-inch(Firsts thickFAS andSeconds) grade red oakwith planed bothfaces smooth. Once youreceive yourlumber, check it carefully to make youare sure getting whatyouwant.If theorderdoes not meetyourspecifications, do not feel obliged to buyit.

TIPS ON BUYING TUMBER

o Make twocopies of yourcutting list (page 44); giue oneto the lumberyard andkeep oneforyourself. r When ordering hardwoods, request planks realistic sizes. Large of some species arenotavailable; hardwoods aregenerally available in random widths andlengths. . Whenever possible, inspect the youwillbebuying. lumber . Examine each board to seehow project. it willfit intoyour Where appropriate, test-f it boards together for a good visual match; if, for youarebuilding example, a table, lineuptheboards youhave selectedfor thetabletoo to becertain pattern. theyforman interesting . Once youhave selected the youintend boards to buy,besure to leave thepileneatly stacked. Lumber thatis notstacked conectlv tends to warp andcanbedamaged.

CALCULATING BOARD FEET

IIIUMBER OF BOARD FEET ()F IN4 TII{EAR FEET DIFFEREI{T SIZE BOARDS
1"x 12"x 12"= | eYs11;12rd board foot l-by-7=lboardfoot

1-by-6=2boardfeet

1-by-12=4boardfeet

2-by-4 = 2 2/sboard feet

Ordering lumber bytheboard foot Because theboard footis a unitof measurement thatoffers a standard wayof totaling thevolume of stock regardless of dimensions, it is commonly used when dealing withlumber. Asshown at left, thestandard board footisequivalent to a piece that is I inch thick, 12 inches wide and 12 inches long. Tocalculate thenumber of board feetin a particularpiece of wood, multiply rtsthree dimensions together. Then divide theresult by 144 if the d i m e n s i oa nrs ea l l i n i n c h e s o,r b y 1 2 i f o n e dimension is expressed in feet.For thestandard board, theformula is: + I 4 4 = | ( o r1 "x 1 2 " I" x 12" x 12" x I ' + 1 2= I ) . Soif youhadan8-foot-long youwould 1-by-3, calculate the board feetasfollows: 1 x 3 x 8 + 12 = 2 (or2 board feet). Other examples areshown in the illustration. Remember thatboard feetarecalculatedonthebasis of nominal rather than actual sizes.

2-by-6=4boardfeet

43

LUMBER SELECTING

Adjuotableehelf

Making using a cutting list and A cutting listrecords thefinished sizes proneeded fora oarticular of thelumber ject. lt may w di t h t h ep l a n s b ei n c l u d e youwillhave youpurchase; to otherwise, your of fashion ownbased ona drawing rf b o a r d T .a l l y u pt h en u m b eo t h ed e s i g n piece f e e tf o re a c h using t h ef o r m u l a shown on page 43; tackon anextra 30 in to account fordefects to 40 oercent andwaste. For the project shown thewood , hich totals r o u g h lly 6 o nt h i sp a g ew youshould 20 or board feet, order at least lumber in addition to 25 board feetof a/a quantity thenecessary of plywood sheetn c l u dte ing. Ti,e c u t t i n lg i s ts h o u l id he name of thepart, thequantity, thedimensions of thepieces andthekind of wood forthe prolect. Forconvenience, suitable piece. to each assign a letter

CUTTING LIST Piece ATop B Bottom CS i d e D Fixed shelf E Adjustable shelf front F Drawer side G Drawer H Drawer back I Drawer bottom J Back Oty. 1 1 2 1 1 I 2 1 i 1 L. 23Vt
z5'/4

32
23Vq 223/e
ZZ'/4

W. 13 13 13 13 I2Vz
6

Th. 1 I 1 1 I 1 1 I
rlt Yd

Material Board feet 2.I0 ash ash ash ash ash ash ash ash plywood plywood 2.I0 5.78 2.I0 L94 .77 .80 .74

IlVz 2lVq 2IVq

5 5 10 24

32

44

GRADINGLUMBER
isa wayof evaluating T umbergrading l-.i thesurface aualiwof a boardaccording to certainitandards, takinginto account factors suchasthenumber, size and degree of defects in thewood.The goalis to ensure that woodworkers get whattheypayfor; a boardof a certain gradeof wood boughtin Mainewill closely resemble a similar-grade board purchased in New Mexico. At first glance, the rulesof grading may seemarbitrary.For starters, the standards aredifferentfor softwoods and hardwoods, the result of the enduseof eachtypeof wood.Softwoods areprimarilyused in construction, soa grader may assume that a softwood board will be usedasis, with no furthersurfacing. Hardwood boards, on the other hand,arealmostalways planed, crosscut andrippedinto smaller pieces to fit a particular piece of furniture.Addedto that is the factthat,while thereis one standard for hardwoods, softwoods are furtherdividedinto separate groups and graded according to rulesestablished by differentorganizations. Takingthe time to become familiar with hardwood and softwood grading will pay dividends.A sound understanding of the gradingsystem enables you to select themostappropriate board for thejob at hand;it canalsosave you money. There isno need, for example, to orderlongplanks oftop-grade FAS(or Firsts and Seconds)lumber if mostof the pieces of the cabinet you intendto build areonly threeor four feetlong. Youwouldprobably be betteroffbuying No. I Common, whichis considerablycheaper, andwill be adequate once you havecut out the defects. Lumberproducers andvendors have long found it advantageous to study wood typesand set rulesfor grading to guarantee a uniform product.Oneof theearliest ilstances of grading occurred in 1764, when Sven Aversdon ofStockpine into four cathohn dividedSwedish egories-best, good,commonandculls. During the lBth Century, appearance wasthe primary criterionfor grading wood,but asknowledge ofwoodpropertiesincreased, standards chaneed to include strength andtheamountolclear or usable woodin each board. Thebest wayto become familiarwith grades isto visita lumberyard andexamine stockfirsthand.Getto know how a hardwood gradelike FASdiffersfrom No. I Common.And whenyou Select lumber, tryto picturehow each part can becutout of a boardwith theleast waste.

(lFA TYPICAL HARDWOOD LUMBER GRADER'S EVATUATION BOARD

N0.I COMMON GRADE
Cutting No. lt Cutting No,5:

3 t/2" x 4',/z' (15 3/+ unita)

41/2" x 41/z' (2O 1,/a unite)

B 1/2"x 41/z' (38 1/+unita)

Cutting No.4: 6" x 5 2/a'(34 uniLe)

Equipped withlumber penandlogbook, rule, a professional grader lumber canevaluate a hardwood board in roughly 15 seconds. Although thesystem is scientific, it is notfoolproof . Grading is alldone byeye-the grader. eye of a human Still, quality rigid control ensures thatonly percentage a very small of boards arenotgraded correctly. Here arethefourbasic graders steps lumber take to make theirassessment: L Determine thespecies andmultiply thelength bythewidth (SM) of theboard to findthesurface measure in square feet(1 foot) in theboard = 12 SM. above, 12 inches x 12 feet 2. Choose thepoorest facefromwhich to grade andvisualize

thenumber of imaginary defect-free cutsthatcanbemade; in thiscase, 4. 3. Determine thenumber of portions of cutting units-clear lumber 1"wide by 1 long-that canbemade fromthe4 cuts; (lf theboard in thiscase, I08y4. perfect, yield were it would 144cutting units.) 4. Consult a chart thatlists grades thequalities of different andfactor in thenumber of cutting units andthenumber of allowable cuts: A No.1 Common board requires thattwothirds of thetotal cutting units areclear. Given thesize of thisparticular board, upto 4 cuts would beallowed. Since thisboard meets both criteria, it justifies thegrade No.1 Common.

45

HARDWOODGRADES
gradyears ago, hardwood ,.{ hundred :i-l ing variedfrom mill to mill, but u,ith the formation of the National (NHLA) Lumber Association Hardwood standardized. in 1898, grading became strictlyon At first,the ruleswerebased in 1932 thenumber andsize of defects; theprotheywerebroadened to reflect portionof a boardthiitcanbe cut into These pieces, called cuttings. smaller pieces mustbe clear on onesideand Theirsize also detersound on theother. hardwood minesthe grade.Today's assume thatboards grading standards into smaller pieces to trre invariably cr,rt is based on makeftrrniture; thus,grade face, in thecase poorest except a board's rvhich takes the board's best of Select, into account. face hardisoneofseven standard Select is FAS(an rvoodgrades. Thetop grade folandSeconds), abbreviation ofFirsts No.2A No. 1 Cot.nuron, lowed by Select, and28 Common, andNo.3ACommon andNo. 3B Common(clnrt, opposite). No. 2A and No. 28 Corrmonarefrequently lumped togetheras No. 2 manyiumberyards likewise, Common; 3AandNo.38 Common togethsellNo. er asNo.3 Common. Thebetter thehigher the thegrade, of clerrcuttiugs: B3'r perpefcentrge face mustbeclear centof Select boards cnttir-rgs; only 50 percentof a No. 2 need But board bedefect-fi'ee. Common is a moresubtle art than these grading indicate. Tr,vo boards that calculations with thesame number arethesame size grades: canendup in different ofdefects mtryprevent Theposition of thedefects oneboardfrom havinglargeenough to makethehighergrade clear cuttings of theotherboard. Althoughpayingmore for bettern-Ieans thatyouwill endup grade stock fewer thismay rvithwoodhaving defects, to not always be theeconomicalthing modest, do. If your projectis relatively from a hand-pick thelumberyourself variety depending on thefturcofgrades, Where tion of each boardin the piece. face isialledfor,the onlyonedefect-li'ee is a goodchoice. select grade Or,for the thatare pieces ofyour ftirnitureproject you may relatively small,for example, be ableto getby with No. 1 Common No.2A Common boards boards. srade in for thepartsofprojects ire suitable rvhichappearance is not of paramount imoortance. suchashiddenfurniture If youdo buylower-grade lumframes. planon morewaste wher.r ber,however, of board youarecalculating thenumber feetto order. beauty is in theeyeof the Of course, feelthat cabinetmakers beholder. Some to a defects suchasknotsaddcharacter piece And if mostof the of furniture. partsrvill end up beingsmall,lowerwoodisuotonlyrrrore grade ecortorttifor the benore suitable cal,it mayalso moreattractaskat hand-by yielding rvood. tivelyfigured

THICKNESS STANDARD FOR SURFACED HARDWOOD Nominal Actual (rough) (surfaced twosides)
3/au

3/rc" 5/to" 1/rc" e/rc" 3/4t or r3/16t1

Vr" Te'
3/+u

1'
It/4'

lrAa"
1 q / n l"/16

Lr/z'

z',
3"
4u

IVz"or I3/q" 2Y4" 33/4'

Tlrese twLt oak boords dentortstrstetlrc rottge of hardtood T t,rr(/('s . l r c l o pb o , r r ,,l' o t r l , r i r t s a,s No.2A krnts artd is classi.ficd Corrrrrtort; the bottotrr boartlis FASgrodelrurilte r. defbct-fi'ce

'f"#--

46

SELECTING LUMBER

HARDWOOD TUMBER GRADES

GRADE Allowable length of board Allowable width of board Minimum % of clear face cuttings Minimus m ize of clear cuttings FAS 8'-16' 6" orwider 83Vt% 3 "x 7 ' ; 4"x5' SELECT 6 ' , -1 6 ' 4" orwider 83Vz% 3 "x 7 ' ; 4"x5' N0.1 C()MMON 4',-L6' 3" orwider 662/s% 3 "x 3 ' ; 4 "x 2 ' N0.2A& 28 C()MMON 4' - I6', 3" orwider 50% 3" x2', NO.3A C()MM()N 4' - I6', 3" orwider 33%% 3"x2' NO.38 C()MMON 4' - I6', 3" orwider 25% Notless than 172" wide containing 36 square inches

Formula to determine S M + 4 number of cuts A M a x i m un m umber

^{ ^l^^. ^,.++;-^^ ur Lrtrdt uuLUilB5

SM+4 +

S M + l+ 3 5

SM+2 7

Unlimited

Unlimited

permitted Reading thechart This chart, created bytheNational Hardwood Lumber Associa(NHLA), tron records theminimum requirements a board must meet to merit grade. a particular Generally, a higher-grade board is longer, wider andmore defect-free than grade. one of a lesser pieces Theclear areobtained wrth asfewcutsaspossible. B yc o m p a r i n ged i m e n s i oo th nfs a b o a rw d i t ht h ef i g u r e s supplied in thechart, it is possrble to determine thegrade of piece a particular of lumber. The firsttwohorizontal rows oro-

vide data on minimum board dimensions grade. foreach The thirdrowgives information onthepercentage of defect-free surface, orclear face cuttrngs, a board must have foreach grade. Theminimum size of each clear face cutting is listed jn row four. Once thesurface (SM), area, orsurface measure of a board is determined, theformula in row5 willgive the total number of cuttings allowed fora particular grade. Row 6 contains thenumber of clear grade cuttings permits. each The location grades of lumber ona log grades High of lumber, such asFAS andSelect, aregenerally cutfrom the partof the log,near outer the bark. N o .3 C o m m og , und nr a d e s fo closer t o t h ep i t h , a r en o ta l w a ys su i t a b l e forcabinetmaking andarefrequenily used for packing crates or pallets. In some species, such aswalnut, where color is important, thesapwood does notqualify astopgrade, even though it may beclear.

FA9 9elect N o . 1C o m m o n No.2A and 2E Common N o . 3 Aa n d 3 E Common

47

GRADES SOFTWOOD
generally cabinetmakers I lthough finepieces many hardwoods, fI prefer built with softbeen of furniturehave reasons for using wood. There aregood Softless expensive cousin: hardwood's readily available more woodisgenerally to work. andis easy thanhardwood, popular choicPine isone ofthemost include Itsvarieties es of cabinetmakers. pine yellow Southern whitepine, Eastern as sugar such fromtheWest, andspecies pine, Idaho whitepineandponderosa Western softpine. Douglas-fir, another popularity asacabgaining isalso wood, larch and Westem spruce inetwood. Sitka good choices. are twoother restrict youshould Forcabinetmaking, in shown of softwood yourself to grades page. Rememonthefollowing thechart sold aregenerally berthatsoftwoods on both smooth S4S-thatis,planed jointed Andthey ontheedges. faces and face best graded ontheboard's based are after surfacing. are softwoods Unlikehardwoods, on the depending graded differently redfor a California thegrade species; not does for example, woodboard, pine. You to a piece ofponderosa apply about softwood information canobtain
from the American gradingstandards Committeein GerLumber Standards mantown.Marvland. gradingtakes both strength Softwood into account.Three and appearance Finish and gradecategories-Select, Common-are often usedfor woodmust working.Select and Finishgrades while boardsin the be clearof defects, grades may containdefects Common and Finish suchastight knots.Select moisture content to a stockareseasoned or less. Commonboards, of 15percent andhomeused mainlyin construction building,may haveup to a 19percent level. Thequalityof Common moisture grade is furtherdividedinto catboards number I to 5, with the highest egories grade. to the lowest corresponding Someboardsdisplaya gradestamp, like the one shown on page49. The informationaboutthe stampdisplays whensurfaced moisture content species, and gradeof the stock.To avoid marhowever, l-inchring their appearance, are thick boardsin the better grades The aftersurfacing. often not stamped stampmay alsobe missingfrom lesser gradeboardsthat havebeencut into lenghsby retaillumberdealers. shorter Keepin mind that softwoodis sold accordingto nominal size,or green which is differentfrom a dimensions, board'sactualsize.A2-by-4,for example, actuallymeasures lt/zby 3t/zinchnominalsizes Thechartbelowshows es. boards of somecommonly available whensufaced. alonewith their true sizes

Thk Fr ench- Canadian nightstand was built entirely with pine-an attractive alternative to more hardwoods. expensive

LUMBER SIZES ACTUAL S()FTWOOD AND NOMINAL

(rNcHES)
dry Surfaced
I-by-2 1-by-3 1-by-4 1-by-6 1-by-8 1-by-10 I-by-12 2-by-2
3/q-by-Ir/z .3/a-by-2Vz 3/q-by-3Y2 3/q-by-51/z 3/q-by-7t/+ 3/q-by-9t/q 3h-by-IlVt

til0MlllAt

ACTUAL

0r{cHEs)
green Surfaced
2s/zz-by_teAo 2s/sz_by_2e/rc 25/sz_by_3e/rc 2s/ez-by-5Ye 25/sz-by-7Vz 25/zz-by-91/z 2s/gz-by-lI1/z Ie/rc-by-IsAa

it0MtNAt 0NcHES)

ACTUAT fl1{CHES)

dry Surfaced
2-by-4 2-by-6 2-by-8 2-by-I0 2-by-I2 3-by-4 4-by-4 4-by-6
I1/z-by-3t/z Ir/z-by-5Vz l1/z-by-7rh lr/z-by-91/t IVz-by-Ilth 2Vz-by-3Vz 3r/z-by-3r/z 31/z-by-5r/z

green Surfaced Le/rc-by-3e/rc ls/$-by-5Ye Ie/rc-by-7Vz ls/rc-by-9Vz Ie/rc-by-Mz 2s/rc-by-3s/rc 3e/rc-by-3eAo 3eAo-by-55/a

I|/z-by-IVz

48

SELECTINGLUMBER

SOFTWOOD TUMBER GRADES FOR CABINETMAKING

CHARACTERISTICS (supreme) Select B andBTR Clear appearance quality; andhighest minor defects andblemishes. ldeal withclear finishes, Notalways available; expensive (choice) C Select quality; High small defects andblemishes (quality) D Select quality; pronounceo Good defects andblemishes more Superior Finish quality grade Highest of finish lumber; minor defects andblemishes Prime Finish quality High withfewdefects andblemishes (colonial) No.1 Common Has limited availability andsize ranges; may have smalltight knots, making thisgrade appropriate if a knotty appearance is desired (sterling) No.2 Common Larger, coarser defects andblemishes; oftenused where a knotty appearance withstrong character is desired GRADES

DECIPHERING A GRADE STAMP

Reading a grade stamp Most grade softwood stamps, likethe one shown at left, contain fivebasic elements. A code number identifies themill thatproduced theboard, andthegrade of thewood appears next to thetrademark of theagency thatestablished the (inthiscase, rules forgrading thewood theNortheastern Lumber Manufacturers Association). Thespecies is also noted; sometimes more thanonespecies is stamped ontheboard, indicating it may beany of those listed. Finally, theseasoning information reflects themoisture content of thewood at thetimeit was surfaced: S-DRY means thattheboard was surfaced after seasoning andhasno more than19 percent moisture content; MC15 refers to a board witha maximum moisture content of 15 percent; S-GRN is reserved forunseasoned wood surfaced witha moisture content above 19 oercent. A board thathasbeen surfaced while stillgreen tends to shrink andits dimensions willnotbeasaccurate as those of a board thathasbeen surfaced after it was seasoned.

EST WHITE PINE

O R W AP Yt N E @

49

LUMBERDEFECTS
affect adversely ostlumberdefects strength, appearance, a board's workabilityor ability to takea finish. or however, irregularities Sometimes, make a piece abnormalities canactually when especially of woodmoredesirable, figa popular, distinctive theyproduce or burl. Of course, ure like bird's-eye intendeduseis the final arbiter;what is maybea blemish to onewoodworker for point.Knots, selling another board's defect would be a significant example, but for a tabletop, in boardsintended feature of some theyarean essential types ofpaneling. areeithernatural, Lumberdefects man-made or the resultof poor seanatural defects All woodharbors soning. by growingconditions that arecaused itself. Thesame of thespecies or qualities maybe present in differtypeof defect are ent woods.Someimperfections Loose knots,for found in all species. simplyby theway example, arecaused grow. Theyaretheremnants of brotrees become encased kenbranches thathave by thegrowthof newwood.Othernatincludegum in hardwoods, ural defects wood andreaction oitchin softwoods Naturalforces suchas in all soecies. canalso fire,wind, fungi and insects wood. A common defects in cause sortisbluestain. defect oFthis occurwhenwood is Several defects to dry. to the air and allowed exposed Because wood doesnot shrinkuniwarpingcan formly in all dimensions, resultwhen the moisturecontentof lumber droosbelow a certainlevel. (Refer Wood to theDryingandStoring for moreinformation on propchapter common of wood.)Some er seasoning defects arechecks, bow,cup, seasoning in mind that twist,crookandsplit.Keep these defects canalsooccurin boards comcutclose to thepith of a log.Some in the chart mon defects areexolained belowandopposite. it isvirtuallyimpossible to Although defect-free, buywoodthatis completely youcanincrease yourchances ofobtaining thebestlumberfor your needs by 42). your woodcareftilly(page selecting is that you Anotherpoint to consider if some lumberwith defects cansalvase to the necessary tools you havjaccess 53). andlearnhow to usethem (page

The top board shows splits, Threepiecesof oak with defects: at oneend,and the bottonr checks the middlepiecereveals knot and reactionwood. a crook,a loose boerddisplays

INWO()D DEFECTS
CHARACTERISTICS REMEDIES

Loose or dead

notseriously weaken withthesurrounding Does Appears asa whorl thatis intergrown canbecutoutor Knots formasthegirthof thetreeincreas- a board; wood tissue. asappearance dictates. lf thebranches are used, thebranches. es,gradually enveloping theknot inteenvelopment, stillalive at thetimeof their grates in thetreetrunk withthewood knots before working ring. When a Remove bya dark Appears asa whorl encircled iseventually enveloped withthelumber. stump branch dies theremaining integrate with Butthedead stump cannot bythetrunk. ordead knot, it, creating a loose thetissue surrounding

50

SELECTINGLUMBER

CHARACTERISTICS Anaccumulation onthesurface of theboard or in oocketswithin theboard. Usually develops when a treehas suffered an injury, exposure to fireor insect attack.

REMEDIES Donotusewhere a quality finish is required, asgumwill bleed through most finishes.

Lengthwise ruptures orseparations in thewood, usuallycaused byrapid drying. May compromise strength andappearance of board.

Canbecut off.

,V

Anend-to-end curve along theface, usually caused byimproper storage of lumber. Introduces internar stresses in thewood thatmake it difficult to cut. An edge-to-edge curve across theface,usually caused when oneface quickly of a board dries more thanthe other. Common ontangentially cutstock, on boards cutclose to the pith,or if oneface of a board hasless contact withtheairthantheother. Uneven or irregular warping where onecorner is not aligned withtheothers. Results fromuneven drying or grain pattern a cross thatis notparallel to theedge.

Flatten bowed boards on (page thejointer 55),or cut pieces, intoshorter thenuse thejointer. Cupmay correct itself if both faces areallowed to dryto thesame moisture content. Cupped boards canbesalvaged onthe bandsaw(page 54) or jointer(page55). Board canbesalvaged on joinler(page55),or cut into shorter boards.

End-to-end curve along theedge, caused by incorrect seasoning or having thepithof a logclose to theboard edge. Weakens thewood, making it unsuitable for weight-bearing appl ications. Similar to checks, appearing asseparations along thegrowth rings. Also known asringcheck or ring shank. Results fromimproper drying of wood or felling domage. Appears asa darkstreak across thefaces oredges of planer lumber. Occurs when knives aredullorspin on onepartof board for toolong.

Board canbesalvaged onjointer ortable saw (page55).

Board canbe used, butsplit maymartheappearance of thewood, becoming more noticeable when stainis applied. Remove machine burn with jointer(page 53) or sander.

Appears asa discoloration of thesurface on otherwise normal-looking wood. Results frommolds thatflourish when lumber is dried orstored in warm, moist or poorly ventilated conditions. Species likeholly andEnglish sycamore areprone to blue stain.

Conceal witha dark stain.

51

LUIV{BER SELECTING

()FUNEVEN GROWTH THE STRESS

wood Recognizing reaction ischaracwood, shown above, Reaction growth rings its compressed terized by lt when lifeless color. occurs and silvery, p r o n o u n c e dr v e , c u h a s a a t r e et r u n k grows when a tree on asoften happens a slone This defect canalso in beseen pith of a trunk. boards cutclose to the probposes wood Working withreaction it has for woodworker; because lems the properties than norshrinkage different internal in the malwood, the stresses and a saw blade to bind board cancause i s o t h ew o o d c u t r k i c kb a c kW . hen i t, h a sa f u z z y s u r f a ca en d sanded reaction Bending absorbs stain unevenly. Ioad any onit may cause wood orplacing grain. it to break across the

llj lll ill {il ul irJi$ i$ ut iil ul ul i$ ul ul {Ij ru ui 1HO?TI?

lumberfor lwist Checking but you can betouqhI'o recoqnize, Warped boards can somelimee slicks. wit.hlheatdof ohop-made windinq olockquickly epoltwieled, t'hewidLhof lhe Io a lenqlhthatr ie trwice CuI Nwonarrowboard,a then ard f acedownon a workLable, board Nobe tested.I eI Lhebo to eachot'her. 3i4hl elickeaL bolh endo, bhewinding place Varallel Lopo Yourboardie twieted if Nhe et tcks. acroo;Ihe t opeof Nhe aligned. of the slicks are noNperfectly

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PREPARING LUMBER
hefirstjobin a cabinetmaking projectinvolves preparing yourstock. If youowna jointer, a planer anda table saqyoucandotheworkyourself. Whether to construct alarge cabinet jewelry or a miniature box,lumber is generally prepared in thesame way. The procedures youfollowdepend on how the wood was surfaced beforeyou bought it. Forrough youstart boards, by smoothing oneface on thejointer, thenone edge. This will give youadjoiningsurfaces thatareperfectly square to pass each other. Next, thesecond face through a planer sothatthefaces are parallel. Nowyoucanrip yourboards to widthandcrosscut themto lengh. ForS2S lumber, whichhasalready youneed hadbothfaces surfaced, only SURFACING STOCK
pass oneedge across thejointer,thenrip and crosscut. S4S wood,with all four surfaces dressed. canbe cut to width and lengthimmediately; only edges thatwill be gluedtogether need to bejointed. Althoughlumberwith defects should be avoided, you may find yourself with a few warpedboardsyou do not want to discard. Several simple techniques for salvaging defective stockareshownon pages 54and55.A cupped boardcanbe ripped into several narrowerpieces, in effectflatteningthe curveinto stripsthat can be jointed. A crookedor bowed boardcanbe salvaged on thejointer by graduallycutting awaythe high spots. And a simplejig canbe usedwith the tablesawto transforma boardwith an uneven edge into a square piece.

Forsurfacing push a board face, blocks helpto keep stock flat and your hands pressure safe. Lateral keeps theedge against thefence.

Jointing a board lAaand7einch. Seta cutting depth between Joint a board face asshown in the joint photo above. To an edge, feedthestock slowly across thecutterhead, (page making sure thattheknives arecutting withthegrain 29).While feeding theworkpiece over theknives, use a hand-over-hand motion to keep downward justto the outfeed pressure onthepiece sideof the cutterhead, maintaining pressure against thefence. Continue these movements untilyoufinish thecut.

53

LUMBER SELECTING

Planing stock Seta cutting depth upto %ainch. Stand to onesideof the olaner anduseboth hands to feedthestock carefully into themachine, keeping the board edges parallel to theedges of the planer table. grips Once the machine the board and pulling begins it across thecutterhead, support thetrailing endto keep it flaton the table(right). Asthe cut progresses, move to the outfeed sideof the olaner withbothhands andsupport the piece roller. untilit clears theoutfeed lf you passes aremaking several to reduce the plane board's thickness, thesame amount of wood fromboth faces. This willminimize warping.

WARPED LUMBER SALVAGING

Ripping intonarrow cupped stock boards This forsalvaging involves technique cupped boards theband saw, butyoucanachieve thesame result witha table saw or a your radial armsaw. lf youareusing a band saw, install widest blade andsetup a ripfence onthemachine's table. Setthe width of cut;thenarrower thesetting, theflatter theresulting

(high) boards. Tomake a cut,settheboard convex sideup on thetableand,butting the board against thefence, feedit (above). steadily intothe blade Make sure thatneither hand is in line withthecutting edge. Finish thecutwitha push stick. (page Remove anyremaining high spots on thejointer 55).

54

SELECTING LUMBER

()RBOWED JOINTING CROOKED STOCK

Jointing concave and convex surfaces Thediagrams at leftshow howto "straighten out"crooked boards onthe jointer. Theseverity of thedefects is greatly exaggerated forclarity in theillustration; extreme crook should bestraightened on a table saw asshown below, 0n thejointer, theidea isto pass thehigh spotonthe board's edge repeatedly across thecutterhead until theedge is straight. For theconvex, or outward-bowing, edge (left, pass above), thehighspotat the middle of the board across theknives as (cutsI and2). many times asnecessary "nose-diving," Avoid or allowing theleadingedge to rideupduring thecut.When thesurface is f lat,make a finalpass (cut along theentire edge 3).Toflatten (/eff, theconcave, or inward-bowing, edge jointoneendof theboard below), as (cuts many times asnecessary 1 and2), then turntheboard around to reoeat the process at the other end (cuts 3 and4). jointThis operation is similar to basic i n g ,e x c e p tt h a ty o uo n l y c u tt h eh i g h spot at thetrailing endof theboard. Start thecutwiththeleading endof the board an inchor soabove tablelevel. Feed the piece toward thecutterhead with only thetrailing endin contact withthe infeed part table. When thedeepest of theconcave edge is above theknives, lower theleading endof theboard onto theoutfeed table andcomplete thepass. Once thesurface is even, make a final pass (cut5). thelenghof theboard Flattening bowed stock is simrlar to face jointing: withtheboard concave face down, passes make asmany asnecessary to remove thehigh spots near theends. Use push your blocks to keep fingers safely away fromthecutterhead.

5 : 5 :

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5HO?TI?
5trai6hteningout an uneven edge Even ouLlhe edgee of a crooked boardon the Lablesaw wiNh a jiq. CUN ohop-made a piece of 3/+-inch plywoodwiLhpertectly parallel edqeo. ?laceNheboard oquarely on to? of Nheplywood, with the uneven parNoverhanging oneedqe.tsult etop blocke againotNhetrailinq endandedqe oftheboardas shown,then screw Nhe blocke NoNhe plywood. AtLachNoggle clampe to Ihe blocks and Ihe clampo preee downNoeecure the board to the jiq. 1et Ihe width -oliae of cuI equalNo'Nhe width of rhe Vlywood piece and *,e iiq acro*e lhe eawtable,cuttin4 the edqeof Nheboardetraiqht.

55

\TENE,ERSATD IIRED BOARDS

he time-honoredtechniqueof arrayof appealing configurations-herveneering cantransform a simple ringbone and reverse-diamond among cabinet door into a flamboyant burstof others. Theycanalsotakefull advantage colorandgrain,an unassuming piece of of such beautiful but unstable woodcuts furniture into a seamless work of art. ascrotchandburl, whichareimpossiAnd thoughwood veneers haveshifted bleto work with in solidform. in and out offavor overthe centuries, Theold masters veneered overa solwoodworkers haveusedthem to marid-woodbase, or substrate, usinghot velous effect since theancient Egyptians gluemadefrom animalhides, bloodand embellished with thin sheets objects of bones. Theysmoothed the veneer and precious woods.In the lBth and early pressed out air bubbles with special l9th Centuries, fineveneers became the hammers. Whilehammer-veneering is hallmarkof sophisticated, high-style Decorativematching of veneers can still practiced, today's craftsmen may furniture. Largeswaths of distinctive createunusual qnd breathtakingeffects, choose a moremodernveneer press; wood veneers covered tabletops; marsuch as the natural grain figure theycanalsochoose from a muchwider quetrypictures-delicate patterns made selection of gluesand substrates. The featured in this Victorian davenport. by aligningpieces ofveneerand insetgluemaybean aliphaticor plastic-resin ting them in the surrounding wood-decorated all manner type;the substrate maybe anyoneof a numberof manufacofcabinetry. turedboards, mostpopularly plyvood,particleboard or mediVeneering declined with the advent of productionmachinum-density fiberboard. Theintroduction of these manufactured ery in the l9th Century, only to reboundonceagainin the boards revolutionized furnituredesign: Because the boards early20thCentury with advances in manufactured boardtech- aredimensionally stable-they neitherswellnor shrink with nologyand improvedadhesives. As materials continueto seasonal changes in humidity-traditional frame-and-panel improve, veneering makes more sense than ever. Furniture designs canbe replaced by largeunbrokenveneered surfaces. that wouldbe prohibitively expensive to craftfrom solidexotOf thevariety of manufactured boards, cabinetmakers probic woods canbeveneered with thesame woods at a muchmore ablymake themostuseof plpvood,itselfa productof veneer reasonable cost. construction. Plywoodis available in manygrades for many And, of course, veneering todayoffersthe same esthetic uses; always buythebest you canafford. Cabinet-grade hardadvantages it always has.With veneers, woodworkers arefree wood pllwood, whichis already faced with attractive veneers, to create stunning grainpatterns with such techniques asbookis a cost-effective alternative to solidwood-ideal for such matchingor slip-matching; they canarrange veneers in an projects aswallandfloor cabinets, bookcases anddrawer fronts.

Manufactured boards offerthesolidityof hardwood alongwithgreater dimensional stability. Clockwise of the from lowerleft is a sampling mo stp op ular cabinetmakin g typ es: softw ood plnv ood, me dium-den particleboard, sityfiberboard, hardboard andBalticbirchplywood.

57

furniture\ / eneerrevolutionized V makingasfarbackas2000 sc,when theEgyptians handsawed thin sheets of wood and then adhered them to thickwith animalglueand heater backings Veneering edsandbags. soondeveloped into a refined art andbecame a hallmark The rococo of many furniture stvles.

styles of theLouisXV periodin themid1700s fostered a demand for kingwood, tulipwood,purpleheart and rosewood veneers, whilethefuts andCrafts movementof thelate1800s ignitedacrazefor marquetry based on mahogany, walnut and satinwood veneers. By the turn of the 20thCentury. modernveneer mills

served both the furnitureandconstruction industries. Almostasfragile asan eggshell and burstingwith thewarmthandopulence ofexotic hardwoods, veneers areavailablein morethan200varieties, some cutasthin as%oo inch.Some of themost popularvarieties arelisted below.

A GATLERY OFCOMM()N DECORATIVE VENEERS

VENEER Avodi16 Black walnut Brazilian rosewood elm Carpathian lmbuia Lacewood (Si lky-oak) Mahogany Maple AND FIGURE COTOR yellow Golden to gold; mottled figure gray-brown Light to darkpurplebrown; striped figure Chocolate to violet andblack to brick-red; striped f igure Brick redorgreenish-brown to light tan;burlfigure Rich chocolate to olive-brown and gold; burlandstriped figures pink Silvery to reddish-brown, f leck f igure pinkto reddish-brown, Light striped andfiddleback figures white withtan Creamy sapwood heartwood; curly andbird'seyefigures Golden brown to yellowish-green; mottled andburl figures withdarkbrown Creamy white streaks; burlfigure Rosy cream; straight-grained figure, sometimes curly purple gray Deep withlight sapwood; striped figure Reddish brown; mottled anc ribbon stripe figures yellow; Golden mottled figure Warm orange withdarker streaks; burlfigure Cream background withdarkbrown lines; striped figure AVAILABLE CUTS cut Quarter flat, Crotch, butt, quarter cut,burlcut Flat cutand
nil2rf cr arrt

SUPPLY Plentif uI Plentif uI Rare

TEXTURE AND WORKAEILITY Medium textured; easy towork. Stains unevenly grain Medium texture; difficult to work. Takes f inish well Medium texture and oily; difficult to work. Resists finish Medium texture; easy to work. Takes finish well Medium texture; easy to work. Takes finish well Medium texture; easy to work. Takes finish well Coarse texture, difficult to work. Takes finish well Fine texture; difficultto work. Takes finish well Finetexture; moderately difficultto work. Takes finish well Coarse texture; easy to work. Takes finish well Fine texture; easy to work. Takes finish well Coarse texture; hard to work. Takes f inish well Medium texture; easy to work. Takes f inish well Fine texture; easy to work. Takes f inish well Fine texture; easy to work. Takes f inish well Medium texture; moderately difficultto work. Takes f inish well

Burl B u r lf,l a tc u ta n d rotary cut cut,flat Quarter cut,flatcut, Quarter

erninh hrrfi

P l e n tu if l Rare Moderate P l e n tu if l P l e n tu i fl

cut,flatcut, Quarter crotch, rotary, burl Burl

Myrtle burl 0live ashburl Peanvood Purpleheart (Amaranth) Sapele Ceylon satinwood Yew Zebrawood

Moderate

B u r ls , tump cut,flat cut Quarter cui,flatcut Quarter cut Quarter Flat cut,quarter cut Flat cut Quarter cut

Rare Rare Plentif ul Moderate Rare Rare Rare

VENEEITS AN I) N{I\NUI:A(]'I'LI II.ED I]OARDS

WH E R VE E NEERS ORIGINATE ONA TREE

Birds'-eye maple veneer
Mahogany crotch veneer

Crotch veneer
ili,i. ir'r itt iiii 1 1 , ' i I l ' I a :a : ' ) ilii':' rll;.,i it iriir 1,.,1 Iiii'rai-:

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Carpathian elmburl veneer

Eurl veneer
i.i,1 i't:tii i i t ' i . i i . i ; 1 t . , , l i i, ' : i 'i ' 1 1 . ; 1 , , | :. a i-.1 .i a-, i.,i f i' i i i., f a-. I i. i I ra:,:::t,l,i i, -rr'r ri a :

r,r'.. t-iii't-i ir,, i: r t:l i i,.,I : :t :: i.. 1'1i1r.1i1,,i,i;1 , l/.:'1 /l'ii rir. ;:,.;i i :: f:, 1 ::ri., ti-ia a'\art iii iii i,,':.i.,, t r . l r ' , . 1 t t a r a , ; i r i' , ., -',1

European beech veneer

Walnut butt veneer

Flat-cut veneer
| : a.,) j. .; ;: I r':, : 1-.ii,. | )a.t | 1... i | |, ri i:'tti,: r,),\, a.a.l..itli1 .,rri t .i.:.,.jtl .j a,,\.::11..

Eutt veneer

at'

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FROMLOGTO VENE,ER
away, a log 1'\ nceitsbarkisstripped \J .un be cut into veneer in oneoi rvays: three sawcutting, rotarycutting or flat slicing. Sawcutting,whichgoes employs backto theearly19thCenti"rry, huge circular saws to rip strips of veneer from logs.Althoughnot asefficient as othertechniques, sawcuttingis still used to produce from somecrotchveneers irregularly grained woods or dense such asebony. Rotarycuttingand flat slicingcan produce veneers zoinch asthin as7sto l,/r In rotary andaslongasI B feet. cutting, a log mountedin a hugelatherotates against a presslu barwhilea razor-sharp knife oeels off a continuous sheet of veneeithe length of thelog.Fir plp,vood, aswellassome decorative veneers such asbird's-eye maple, arenormally rotary cut.Half-round, rift andbackcutting arevariations thatproduce veneer from half-loss ratherthanwholeones. In flatslicing, a half-log isheld ontoa framethatswings r-rp anddownagainst horizontai knife;a sliceof a stationary veneer is removed with everydownFIatslicing produces crown-cut stroke. veneers. A typeof flat slicing knownas quarter-clrt isused slicing on woods that display a strikingfigurewhenquarterwhiteoakor lacewood. sawn, asin sapeie, VENEER-CUTTING METH(lDS
Rotary autting UsedLo cut con' etruction plywood and eomedecora' guch tive veneera maple ao btrd'o-eye

Half-round autting A method used for burlaand aome decorattve apectea

Eack cutting A rotary cutting method that. yielde buLLand croLch veneer9

Flat eliaing Uaedto makecrowncut veneer?; pro' wiLh duceaveneera repeatinqfigure thaL facrltLaf,ea book' matchingand oLher decorative effects

Quarber-auialiaing Uaedto cut decoraf,tveveneerg, auch ae ribbon,atripe and flake,that are obtarnedfrom quar' loqe Lereawn

Flat-sliced sheets of verteer move nlortgtt conveyor drying tud for storage hr n vetreer .fnctory.

Ri{t cutting Yieldeveneerwtth the raye at rou7hly 45" to the eurface; uoedprimarilyon whiLe oak

60

VENEERS AND MANUFACTUREDBOARDS

VENEER TYPES AND SIZES

VENEER TYPE
Rnienr nr rl

stzEs
Length upto 10 feet; width from8 to 36 inches Length 3 to 16 feet; width from4 to 24 inches Length 3 to 16 feet; width from 3 to 12 inches lrregular dimensions. Sheet sizes vary from10 x 36 to 18 x 54 inches; average sheet size12 x 36 inches Length from18to 54 inches; width from10to 24 inches; average sheet size 72 x 36 inches lrregular dimensions. Sheet vary sizes from 8 x l0 to 18 x 54 inches; average sheet size 16 x 24 inches

AVAILABLE SPECIES Bird's-eye maple, bubinga, Douglas-f ir, masur birch Ash, Brazilian rosewood, cherry, maple, oak, teak Avodi16, mahogany, oak, Queensland maple, sapele, satinwood, zebrawood Maple ,alnut w Amburana, mahogany, walnut Carpathian elm,English oak, madrone, myrtle, olive ash, redwood, thuya, walnut

Flat-sliced Quarter-cut Buttandsiump Crotch Burl

SH()P.MADE VENEER

I T o c u t v e n e eo r n t h e b a n ds a w ,f i r s tm a k ea p i v o tb l o c k f r o mt w o p i e c e s of j o i n e di n a T , w i t h t h e o u t e re n d o f t h e s h o r t ep wood r iece trimmed t o f o r ma rounded nose. I n s t a la l 3 / q - i n cr he s a w blade o n t h e s a wa n d i n s t a l l t h e ripfence o n t h e t a b l e .S c r e w t h e p i v o tb l o c k t o t h e f e n c es o t h a t t h e r o u n d e d tip isaligned w i t ht h e b l a d e . Positiot nh e f e n c ef o r t h e w i d t ho f v e n e ey r o uw a n t( a b o v e ) I, ypic a l l yr / ei n c h .l f t h e s t o c ky o ua r ec u t t i n gi s r e l a t i v e lty h i n ,c l a m pa f e a t h e r o o a r o t o t h et a b l e t o s u p p o ritt d u r i n g t h ec u t .

Settine upthecut 1 t -

6l

VENEERS AND MANUFACTURED BOARDS

r) Cutting theveneer L f eea into theworkpiece theblade withbothhands, keeping flush thestock (abovd. against thetip of the pivot block fromdrifting To prevent the blade off line, steer thetrailing endof theworkpiece. Near theendof thecut,move to theback of thetable withthesaw still . oldin r u n n i ntg of i n i s h t h ep a s sH tg he against thepivot block, stock square oullit oast theblade.

Illl lllt lllllllllllllllt lllt llllllu lllt llllillt lllllllliltlllllllt lltl

1HO?TI?
)alvaqin6 warped veneer Crotchand burlveneerz eomelimesbecome ---1, warped and brilNle, the reeulL of aqinqor improVer oNorage.Io flatten the eheeNe, dampen them ueing a e?on7e moisNened wiNh warmwaf,er and elackthemon a piece of Vlywoodwilh lwo or Nhree sheelo of newopaper between each slice. Tlacea heavy weiqhl, suchas a concreleblock, on top. Let,theveneero sitfor a day or two.Wrap the sheetsin Vlaotic and eloreLhemunder a weiahluntilvou need them.

62

VENEERING
is like woodworkI pplyingveneer A ing in reverse. Instead ofstarting with a board,thencuttingandsanding it down to its finished dimensions. veneered pieces arebuilt up alayerata time. Beglnning with a substrate-or base-of solidwood or a manufactured panel, you gluebanding to theedges and thenwiderpieces of veneer to bothfaces. With a plywood base, orientthegrain ofthe veneer sothat it is perpendicular to the grain of the plywood,and both faces of theplyr,vood mustbeveneered to preventcupping. (Neverapplyveneer overfir plywood,because the grainof the fir canbe seen throughthe veneer.) With a hardwood base, veneer should be appliedparallelto the grain. Furniture-quality particleboard and medium-density fiberboardalsomake goodsubstrates for veneering. Since these materials have no grain (theyaremadeof woodparticles pressed together with an adhesive), you may arrange the veneer on thepanels anywayyouwish.But the lackofa graindirection is alsoa disadvantage: Neitherof these productsis as strongasplywood, andanyjoints cut in them must be reinforced with splines madeof some othermaterial. Brittleveneers mustbeapplied overa thickerunderlay veneer suchaspoplar. Alwayscut the veneer largerthan the actualsizeneeded, allowingan overhang of aboutlz nchall thewayaround.The overhang is trimmed offlater. If you arepressing down veneer the traditionalway-with a veneer hammer-use hideglue, whichis reheatable. Otherwise, whiteglueisyourbest choice. Whichever adhesive you employ, it will beeffective onlyifthe veneer is flat,clean and dry. Asshownin thissection, veneer can alsobe pressed down in a veneer press. Newercommercial vacuumpresses feature a pump that sucks the air out of a plasticbag that surroundsthe substrate andveneer, allowingatmospheric pressure to hold theveneer in place.

Specificallydesigned for cutting veneer, a yeneersaw is usually usedin tandem with a guide block or a straightedge to ensurestraight cuts.

VENEERING TOOTS
Veneerpreaa For preeain7 veneerdown on a subatrate paneLfeaturea a base,pipe clampe,pipe ClamPgaddlea and veneer preaa clampa.Componenta are bouqht.aaa kit and aaaembled by uaer to auit dimenaione of panel Veneeraaw For trimmin4 and cutting veneer;ite curved blade, offaet handleand thin, eharp-tipped teeth enaureclean

Veneertape A thin, etronq, perforated tape ueed forjoinin7 pieceo of veneerbefore qluin4 Veneerhammer For preoeing veneer down on a subatrate paneLpuahedalonq the aurface likea equeeqee. Featurea three workin4 aurfacea for veneeraof varyinq widtha

Hand roller A hard rubber roller uaed to apply edqe bandin4to the edgee of eubetraLe panele

63

AND MANUFACTURED BOARDS VENEERS

APPLYING VENEER
banding Gluing down edge fortheedges I Cutfourstrips of banding from veneer thesame ofthesubstrate oanel youwilluse Make thestrips forthefaces. % inch, overlap thepanel edges byabout w i l lr u na l o n t g he t h e ig r rain a n db es u r e them.Secure edges, rather thanacross in a vise, then apply a thinbead thepanel brush to Use a small of glue to anedge. evenly, then center the spread theadhesive theedge. Lay a stripof wax banding over paper andthen, using over thebanding pads theedge andfaces, wood to protect down withthree-way clamp thebanding hem at6-to8-inch clamps s,p a c i ntg theglue dries. Tighten each intervals, until a thinglue bead clamp in turn(right)until banding squeezes out.Trimtheexcess (step fortheother edges. 2), thenrepeat 'l

rll1 llllllljillt llllilIl lll llllljlllllllll lllllll r]I1 IIJ llll llllilI]
r") Trimming excess banding L Once theglue has dried, hold the panel surface. Butt on edge on a work saw against thefar theback of a veneer withitsteeth onthe endof the panel Firmly draw thesaw toward banding. youto,trim away theexcess banding sure theback of thesaw hbovd.Make f lush of the remains against theface panel thecut.Turn thepanthroughout ontheother side. el around andrepeat beremoved Excess banding canalso (page 68). witha laminate trimmer

gHO?TI?
Cutting edge banding *..o.si Tocut severaleNriVe of S\ in one veneer edgebandinq slack Lhemone operaLion, alop Nheobher, edqeo aligned, beNween Lwopieceo of l/+-inch plytwo plywood wood.Tackthe pieceo wilh finishinq nailoplaced Noqebher alonq be sureihe nailNipedo not pertoIhe edqeo; rale trhebandinq or ?aeeLhrouqh the boIbom piece MarkcuLlinqlineo for lhe banding of plywood. on the Loppiece of Vlywood,Ihen cut alonq Nhelinee on a Nable eaw or bandeaw.be carefulnol lo cul alonalhe lineof nails.

64

VENEERS AND MANUFACTURED BOARDS

Edging theface veneer

T h ee d g e s of adjoining sheets oj

veneer mustbe perfectly square if the twopieces areto butttogether properly. youwillneed Tosquare them, a shootpieces ingboard. Cutthree of 3/rinch plywood slightly longer than theveneer. 0 n ep i e c e should b ew i d e e n o u gth o hold theother twopieces ontopand thewidth of theplane lying on itsside. Place thetwopieces of veneer face to faceandsandwich them between the pieces toptwoplywood sothat the edges of theveneer arealigned andprotrude \/einch. byabout Setthesandwich on topof thethird, wider board and clamp theentire assembly to a work surface. Run theplane along theshooting board fromoneendto theother to trim off the projecting you veneer. Make sure keep thesole of theplane flush against theedges pieces of thetop plywood during the cut (left).

Taping veneer sheets together your lf youarepressing down veneer sheets glue witha veneer hammer, them (step in place individually 5). lf youare applyrng more thanonesheet of veneer to a panel faceandusing press a veneer to hold themdown, tapethesheets together andglue them down asa unit. Align the sheets edge-to-edge on a work surface, good-side arranging them upto produce pattern. a visually interesting lf there are gaps between adjoining sheets, trimthe edges ona shooting board, Thecombined l e n g ta h n dw i d t h o f t h ev e n e e srh o u l d exceed thedimensions of thepanel by r/zinch. youhave aboul Once a satjsfactoryarrangement, moisten a fewlengths of veneer tapewitha water-dampened sponge. Tape thesheets together across joints their at 6- to 8-inch intervals, then joint apply a strip of tapealong each (right). Press thetapef irmlyin place witha hand roller,

65

AND MANUFACTURED BOARDS VENEERS

JIG VENEER-TRIMMING to widthquickCutsheets of veneer on a router table ly andaccurately jig shown at right. wiihthetrimming forsuggestRefer to the illustration ed dimensions. of thejig from%Cutthebase from incfiplywood andthetop piece with a Choose a board hardwood. if possibow forthetoppiece, slight pressure near clamping ble;applying willflatten it, of the board theends pressure producing uniform against Thetop piece should be the base. longer veneer sheets slightly thanyour 12 inches andthe base at least wood blocks to the longer. Screw willfit snugly base soihe top piece a toggle between them.Thenscrew wood block. clamp to each To use thejig, install a flush-cutguide tingbit witha bearing on a router, thetoolin a router andmount Place theveneer to betrimmed table. between the base andtop piece of when trimming thejig asyouwould (page 65).l{ake witha shooting board protrude fromthejig sure thesheets thetoggle by 7s inch,thenpress to clamps down on thetop piece to thejig. secure theveneer sheets Position the fence to seta cutting widthof 7einch.(Caution: Guard for clarity.) Turn removed andfence ontherouter andslide thejig across below), trimming the thetable(right, veneer flushwiththeedge of thejig. to keep thejig butted against Besure throughout theoperation. thefence

Toppiece 11/2"x4"x30"

66

VENEERS AND MANUFACTURED BOARDS

down theveneer f, Gluing panel r-,1Setthesubstrate faceupon a work surface andspread ona thinlayer of glue witha small brush or hand roller (right). Donotapply adhesive directly jt curl. t o t h ev e n e e g r ;l u ew i l l m a k e glue Remember to use white if youare (step press working witha veneer 6); glue you choose hide if areusing a veneer (step hammer 7). Handling theveneer gently, center thesheets over thepanel. lf youtaped veneer sheets together, set them taped-side up.Make sure theveneer overhangs theedges of thepanel evenly.

Pressing press theveneer in position witha veneer you press, lf areusing a veneer assemble thedevice followingthemanufacturer's instructions. Make sure thespacing between thepipe clamp saddles is slightly longer thanthe length of thepanel. Setthepanel onthebase of thepress,

veneered face down witha strip of waxpaper between theveneered face of thepanel andthebase. Protect theupper face of thepanpads. el withwood Tighten thepress clamps oneat a time(above) until a thinglue bead squeezes outfrom under thepanel.

67

VENEERS AND MANUFACTURED BOARDS

theveneer in position I Pressing / witha veneer hammer panel lf youareusing a veneer hammer, settheglued veneered faceup on a work surface. Buttwood scraps against theends of thepanel asstop blocks, then screw themin place. Holding withboth hands, work thehead of thetoolback thehammer pressing andforth over theveneer, down f irmly andfollowing Toeliminate orto smooth thegrain. bubbles outsections that properly, notstuck melt have thegluebyrunning a household iron over theveneer, thenpress down again withthehammer. Trimming theexcess Once thesluehas cured-2hours i s t h et y p i c a w l a i t i np ge r i o d - t r i m se y o ntd t h ev e n e e tr h a tp r o l e c tb he
f:np n f tLh ' ro u n:npl
lJuilur.

l]li ilfl llll t]l] I]Il lllt firl lllt ilIl Ir] llfi lll1 lll] ilIl u[tll] rll] llll
5HO?TI?
Veneering a aurvedsurfaae
Tn nraaa \raAaar

RL p el r v vu t rr

h^ ^^^^l .^ + LllC
Pdlltrl

downon a conloured surface, suchas the drawer fronLshown nere, uoeSanabaqoor pillowcaeeefilledwiLh sand,ForbesL reeulNe, etarE layin4 the baqe on Nhemiddle of your wayto Nheende.7ince workinq Nheeurface, moderateheal accelerales lhe qlue-curinq ?roceee, job. keep lhe baqoneara healerao you ?re?are for Nhe

veneered-face up on a work surface, positionin sg top b l o c ka s sy o uw o u l d (step when using a veneer hammer 7). F i ta l a m i n a t r ei m m e w r i t ha f l u s h c u t t i nh s i t .t h e n r e s t h em a c h i no en thepanel with thebitjustclear of the e x c e sv se n e e r H . o l d i ntg h et r i m m e r withonehand andsteadying thepanel w i t ht h eo t h e rt,u r no n t h et o o la n d guide i t f r o mo n ee n do f t h ep a n e l to the other(/eff). Repeat for the other three edges of thepanel. Lightly moiste n a n yv e n e e tr a p ea n dr e m o vte he strips witha scraper.

DECORATIVE MATCHING
some [pes ofveneer,like Q incecertain r.J burlsandexotic species, areavailable onlyin smallsizes, pioducing a sheet of veneer largefor your project sufficiently joining several will ofteninvolve smaller pieces together, with some cuttingand taping glue-up. before Whenever veneers arejoined,you mustpayattention to grain,figureand texture to avoidclutpatterns. teredor haphazard But as shownbelow veneers carefully matched with decorative effects in mind canyield results unmatched by wood in its natural state. Veneer sheets thatareintended to be matched shouldbe cut from the same log in successive passes. The resultis a series ofsheets thatareessentially identical. The type of match you achieve depends on both the figureand grain orientation ofthe veneer andthesize of thefinished pattern you intendto create. Straight-grained woods, suchaszebrawood and sapele, for example, yield veneers that areexcellent for diamond, reverse-diamond andherringbone patterns.Burl, crotchand stumpveneers can be butt-and-book-matChed into Iarge, elaborate circular andovalpatterns idealfor creating interesting tabletops. Recognizing grainpatterns suitable for decorative matching takes practice. You haveto know what to look for: A little swirl at the edge of a sheet, for example, mayyield a beautiful design. To geta quickideaof what an end-toendor a diamond match wouldlooklike, place a mirror at a right angle to thesurface of theveneeri usetwo mirrorssetat 90o to each otherto preview a butt-andbook-match. Onceyou have settled on yourpattern, stack thesheets ofveneer so thattheirgrainis aligned, tapetheedges andcut thepieces for thematch.

Artfully matching veneer s cancreate eye-catching effects. Thistabletop a features center diamond match.

End-to-end A mirrorlike ?attern featurinq flat-cut veneerewith prominent landacapefigure

Eutt-and-book-match Commonlyuaed with butt, crotch and etump veneere to create an unfoldina, circular effect

Reverse-diamondmatch FeaLures four aheetEof veneer that appear to converqeat their center

1lip matah Often ueed to produce dramatic effecta: reducea dratorDion cauaedby liqht refraction problemawhen book-matchinq maple

Eook-match A repeating pattern where adjoininqsheeta of veneer appear to radiate from Lhe joint betweenthem, like the paqea of a book

Herringbone Veneerawhoeefi4uree run diagonallyoff the aheet, creattnq a ztqzag effecL

69

PLYWOOD
it maynotbeasglamorous I lthough A or assteeped in woodworking tradition assolidlumber,plywoodoffers several advantages to the cabinetmaker. First,it comes in a wide range of standardthicknesses andsizes. Second, it is dimensionally stableand is unlikelyto warp or showsigns of checking or splir ting.Third, it is available with just about anycommonlvavailable veneer on its faces. And fourth, it is easyto cut. Indeed,plywoodis a good choicefor almostanydesign that does not involve joinerysuchasdovetails. intricate Although veneerhas a venerable history andplyr,vood is a relatively modern development-first produced commercially in themid-1800s-thetvvo are closely related. Plyuood,afterall, is a layered wood materialmadefrom thin sheets, or plies,of veneer. Decorative plywoodis often facedwith matched veneers madefrom high-grade hardwoodssuchascherryor walnut.The veneerusedin construction-grade plywoodis peeled on a rotary lathe from eight-foot-long logsof poplar, pine or Douglas-fir. As shownopposite, both decorative and construction-grade plywoodare manufactured with an odd numberof plies,givingthe sheet a balanced construction. Threepliesareusually the minimumnumber. Beneath theface and backveneers ofa typicalsheet arelayers knownascrossbands. Thegrainofeach crossband runsat right angles to that of pliesto counter adjacent wood movement. The resultis a warp-resistant boardthat is equally strongacross both dimensions. Someply,voods are also available with reinforced cores. As with solid lumber, plywood is available in both hardwoodand softwoodvarieties, although thetermsrefer strictly to the faceand backveneers. Hardwood plyr,vood is a stable andcostefitctivealternative to solidwood,andis usedin woodworking applications where appearance matters, suchasfor cabinets, drawerfronts and furniture. Softwood plywoodis generally usedfor carcase construction, bookcases andshelving. Not all pliwoods arecreated alike. Morethan70woodspecies areusedin its manufacture. Plywoods aregrouped according to strengthand durability; both softwoodand hardwoodvarieties areavailable in fourgroups or categories that areusually stamped on the sheet. Group I (softwood) and Category A (hardwood) species arethe strongest andmostdurable;Group 4 andCategory D arethe poorest grades. Referto the chart(below)for thespecies thatmakegroupings. up thevarious

COMMON W()()DS USED IN PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION

SOFTWOOD Group I Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 r American o PortOrford o Red r Biglooth Beech Aspen Cedar Alder r Yellow r Quaking 'Cypress . Paper Birch Aspen . Balsam Fir Birch . Douglas- . r Alaska . Basswood Lauan fn Cedar r Red . Black o Western . Eastern Cedar Maple Larch Hemlock r Western r Virginia l Rrro:r o Bigleaf Cedar Pine Maple Maple o Cottono r Longleaf Yellow . Jack wood Poplar Pine Pine . Sugar r Black . Shortleaf o Ponderosa Pine Spruce Pine Pine o Balsam . Sitka o Southern o Redwood Poplar Spruce Pine o White . Tanoak Spruce HARDWOOD Category A o White Ash r Bubinga . Hickory

Category B Category C Category D r Black Ash o American o Bigtooth

Basswood Aspen o Avodir6 . Butternut . Q u a k i n g . Black e American A q n p n Cherry Chestnut o Western r Red Oak o Rock Elm . Hackberry Cedar . White r African . Fuma 0ak Mahoganyo Silver . Black . Pecan o Honduras Maple Willow o Rosewood Mahoganyo Eastern White Pine . Teak r Qanalo r Western o Black White Pine Walnut o Black Tupelo

70

VENEERS AND MANUFACTURE,D BOARDS

()F TYPES PLYWOOD

T h eb a s i c s t h es a m ea design o f a l l p l y w o o dis : c o r ec o v e r e d on bothsidesby layers of crossbanding anda faceveneer. The plywoods mostcommon type hasa veneer core.All softwood a r em a d et h i sw a y ,a n dt h e ya r es t a b l ew , arp-resista an ntd sa na l s ob e m a d e i n e x p e n s i vH e, a r d w o op dl y w o o dc w i t hs o l i d rd lumber o r p a r t i c l e b o ac o r e sT . h em i d d l ep l yo f I u m b e r - c o r e

plywood consists narrow of several strips of solid wood-usupoplar allymahogany, or basswood-edge-glued together. plywood Particleboard-core hasa solid core of particleboard or plywood medium-density fiberboard. Lumber-core holds nails andscrews best andis preferable when additional strength andflatness arerequired.

VENEER CORE

Dack veneer

Croaabande

TUMBER CORE

Lumpercore

PARTICTEBOARD C()RE

TarDicleboard core

Eack veneer

71

PLYWOOD GRADING
tl- h. wide array of plywood types Theirface andbackveneers arecut from I available makes choosing theappro- a relativelyweather-resistant wood. priate one for a project more involved Interior plywoodis madewith a waterthan simplyselecting a particularthickresistant adhesive and is usuallyproness. Bothhardwood andsoftwood olvducedwith an appearance-grade face wood panels arerateddepending veneer on and a lesser-grade backveneer. how theyshouldbe usedand on the For mostinterior applications, woodappearance of their face and back generally workers choose Exposure I or veneers. They are alsoavailable in one interior-grade panels. of threegrades, or durabilityratings Thethreehardwood ply,vood grades dependingon the gluesand veneers areTypes I, II and III. TypeI includes usedin the construction of the oanels. fully waterproof exteriorpanels while Softwoodplywoodcomesin eiterior TypeII is aninterior-grade plywood able andinterior grades, and a category called to withstand some moisture;Type III is Exposure L a moisture-resistant interiorplr.wood. Exterior-grade and Exposure I plyTypes II andIII areyourbestchoices for wood areusuallymadewith a water- mostcabinetmaking projects. proof adhesive, creating weatherproof The appearance ofthe faceandback panelsthat are resistant to moisture. veneers is anotherfactor that distinguishesdifferent plpvood types.As shownin thechartopposite, both hardpanels woodandsoftwood areavailable in sixgrades. Ifyou aiebuyingsoftwood plywoodyou candetermine its grade, plusadditional information abouta particularsheet, by reading its grade stamp (below). Hardwood pliruoodis generally not stamped; if you needa particular grade, you have to askfor it andtakethe suppliert word that you aregettingwhat you want. Plywoodis manufactured in a range of sizes. plywoodranges Softwood in thickness ftomlE to 7ainch,whilehardwood ply,voodis available from yato I inch thick. The standard panelsizeis 4 by 8 feet,but special orderscanbe placed for largersheets.

DECIPHERING A SOFTW(|(ID PLYWOOD STAMP AND EDGEMARK

Reading a grade stamp and edgemark grade Most plywood, stamps on softwood such astheoneshown at left,contain s i xb a s i c e l e m e n tIs . a d d i t i otn n othe (APA) American Plywood Association trademark, thestamp identif iesthemill thatproduced the board andthe product publicatron standard thatcontains the grading rules. Thehyphenated lettersin thiscase A-D-designate thegrades of thefaceandback veneers respectively.Thedurability classif ication may be either exterior, interior or Exposure 1, group andthespecies number indicates thewoods thatmayhave been used in (See themanufacture of thepanel. the chart on page 70.)In order to avoid marringa plywood withtwogood faces-A-A grade, forexampleanedgemark, such as theoneshown at lower left,is used. Panel edges sometimes car. APA.0Q0. PS1- 93 ry color E X P OSURE1 stripes to designate thegrade.

ExPosuR et--

2'':f;::

. Gr1.

72

VENEERS AND MANUFACTURED BOARDS

PLYWOOD FACE VENEER GRADES

HARDWOOD PTYWOOD Premium Face veneer withwell-matched seams andsmooth; made of specific hardwood, such aswalnut or mahogany. Free of contrasts in color andgrain Face veneer similar to premium, but notaswellmatched. Free of sharp contrasts in color andgrain Face veneer smooth, butnotmatched forcolor or grain; defects only on back veneer. Generally intended forpainting grain Veneers have rough andmay have knotholes upto 3/d inch, aswell assome discoloration, staining and slight splits. Notmatched forcolor or grain Mayhave larger defects thanutility grade, panel butnone thatimpair strength. Notmatched forcolor orgrain Made to order to meet specific panels requirements, such asseparate grain patterns withmatching SOFTW(IOD PIYWOOD Sanded smooth; cantake a clear finish; face veneer matched forgrain andcolor, freeof open defects Sanded smooth; cantake a natural painted finish, butis more often Smooth andsanded; mayhave minor solits Smooth; may grain, have some broken sanding defects andknotholes up to % inch C Plugged Sanded; similar to C grade, butknotholes andsolits aresmaller plies D Used mainly forinner and back veneer; mayhave knot-holes upto 2% inches

Good

Sound

Utility

Back

Specialty

lllllllt lllltlll lllllll fill lllt llllfilt lllllll lll lllt lllliltl l1ll illt
?HO?Tt?
A plywoodaarrier particleboard eheele of plywood, or hardboard can beheavy and awkward Nocarry.The carrier ehown herewillmakethe load eaeier Nobear.RouL a |-inch-wide rabbeL alon7oneface of a 12inch-lonq board. Cut a nohch outr of oneend of a piece of plywood, Nhen screwa woodblock acroee the endof Nhenolch to serveae ahandle. ALIachLhe otherend of fhe plywood pieceNothe rabbebed face of Lhe board.Io use lhe carrier, eimply hookit, under lhe lower edqeof the eheeN and yourarm. it up under Vull

73

PLYWOOD EDGE S CONCEALING

plywoodhas or all its advantages, one major drawbackfor cabinetmaking: The multi-plycomposition of is clearlyvisible on theiredges thepanels Fortunatelv and ends. therearea number of simple options for concealing the unsightlyplies.Pressure-sensitive canbe wood-graintape,for example, pressed in place by hand.Or, asshown edge bandingcan below,self-adhesive with an iron. Bothproducts be applied widths and comein several standard wood species. The illustration at right showsseveralmoreinvolved edge treatment alternativesideallysuitedto customwork. Wth thesplined miterjoint, for example,the miterededges of two panels are gluedtogether and reinforced with solid wood splines. The other methods involve cutting strips of hardwood them banding or moldingandbonding for to the edges of the panel. Thesteps types-tongueapplyingone of these molding-are shown and-groove edge on the followingpage.

EDGE TREATMENTS FOR PTYWOOD

Tongue-and-4roove edqe moldinq )olid wood edqe banding

BANDING SELF.ADHESIVE
Applying self-adhesive edge banding (without Seta household iron on High steam) andallow it to heat up.Meanwhile, secure thepanel in a vise onedge or with clamps, asshown, andcuta strip of bandingslightly longer thantheedge to be covered. Setthebanding adhesive-side l d g eH down o n t h ep a n ee . o l d i ntg he b a n d i nig nplace w i t ho n eh a n dr,u nt h e pressing iron slowly along thepanel edge, thetrimflat. Theheat of theiron willmelt theglue andbond thebanding to thepanel. Keep theironmoving; resting it onone spot formore than a fewseconds will leave scorch marks. Flatten outthe banding b yr u n n i na g s m a lh l and r o l l eb r ack and forthalong the length of the panel edge. Shave off anyexcess banding witha lami(page nate trimmer 68).

74

VENEERS AND MANUFACTUREDBOARDS

T()NGUE-AND-GROOVE EDGE MOLDING

rlll l]Il ]llr lrJ illr liltlll l]ll llll illuil tlll lllt illJ lllt ull illt ll]l
5HO7 Tt?
thop-made edgebanding Cutthin eNripe of edqebandinq from a boardon LheNable eaw.l./take the etriVo:,'i a l i q h Nl o y n q etrh a n Lhepanel and aNleael as wide ae trhepanel'e Lhickneee. 1ecure the panel uVriqht, in a viee, then aVply a Lhingluebeadalonqito edqe. Tlace the bandinq in Vlace and tape it firmlyat 2-inchinlervale.When the qlue io dry ehave off any exceo;banding wiI,h a laminate (paqe6B). trrimmer

Making a n da p p l y i ntg h em o l d i n g I n s t a la l combinatio bn lade onyour so t a b l es a wa n d m a k es e v e r ap l a s s et cuta groove o n et h i r da s t h i c k a s t h e panel. Nexty , o un e e d to cutthematchingtongue; it should be sawn in the edge of a hardwood board the same thickness . d j u st h e b l a d e a s t h e p a n e lA height sothat it equals the amount of stock remaining on either s i d eo f t h e g r o o v e . C u tt h e w a s t e f r o mo n e s i d eo f t h e t o n g u et,h e nt u r n t h e b o a r d over and e r e p e a t h e p r o c e d u rt o complete the tonguef ; i n i s he a c hp a s s w i t ha p u s h sltck (above, left).Cut the pieceof moldi n gf r o mt h e b o a r d F . inish t h ej o b b y s e c u r i nt g hepanel uprighi t n a v i s ea n d s p r e a d i ns go m eg l u e i n t h e g r o o v e and on the tongue. Fit the two pieces togeth) n dc l a m pt h e m i n p l a c e e r ( i n s e ta with three-wa cy lamps.

75

PARTICLEBOARD
suchasparticleood composites area popboardandfiberboard for carcase drawer ular choice backs, Made bottomsand concealed oanels. fromblends of woodparticles andsyntheticadhesive bondedtogether under i n t e n sh ee a t eo , mposite a n dp r e s s u r c boards areasstrongand asdurable as less most solid woodsand generally exoensive. Thevarealsomoredimensronallv staDle. Particleboard wasfirst developed in wood the 1930s asa wayof recycling flakes. chiosand sawdust dismissed as wiste.Today, manymillsfocus sawmill production, mainlyon particleboard processing softwood andmedium-denparticles sityhardwoods into composite rvithmachines called drum flakers, chipandhammer mills. ners Particleboard is manufactured by two methods: extrusion and mat-formins. pro..ri, In the less corlmon extrusion woodparticles andadhesives areforced together througha small, thin opening to form panels. Thegrainorientation of theparticles isperpendicular to thefaces of the panels. With mat-forming, the particles and adhesives are squeezed into a mat in a press. With thismethod, the grainof the fibersis parallel to the faces. oanel Mat-formed particleboard in comes ( rigl gurations three confi t ). Single-layer features woodparticles particleboard of paruniformsize andshape. Multi-layer ticleboard hascoarser shavinss at the core of thepanel arrdfinerorreis on the partioutside surfaces. Graded-densitv cleboard issimilar to multi-laver oaiticleboard, but with a moregradual'charrge from coarse to fine particles. Standard particleboard sheets are 4 by B feet, panels although 5-by-10 areavailable; thicknesses range from 7+ to 2 inches. TYPES OFMAT-FORMED PARTICLEB()ARD

Made from a mat of aimilarlyetzedand evenly distributed coar6ewoodparticleo

Featurea a core layer of coarae woodparDiclearetnforced by two ouLer layere of fine, high-denettyparticlee

Gra ded -d enaity pa rti cleboa rd CharacLertzed by a gradualtransttton from coareewood woodparat Lhecare to veryftne,htgh-denetLy parbicleo ticlee on the outer eurfacee

FIBERBOARD
is pressed or hardboard, f, iberboard, I' into matsmuchlikeparticleboard, but because the wood oarticles are reduced to individualfibers. the result is a thin, hard and dense sheet with smoothsurfaces. Hardboard comes in threegrades: standard, tempered and service. Tempered hardboard is harder, heavier and morewater-resistant than the two other types.Thicknesses range from 1Az to s/a inch.Anothervarietv. called medium-densityfiberboard (MDF), features a fine surface texture with faces andedges almostasworkable assolidwood.MDF is available in thicknesses from 1/+ to IV+inch and canbe boughtwith veneered surfaces.

HARDBOARD STAI{DARD

Hardboard Made of individualwoodfibera; commonlyuaed in furni|ure and cabinet work becaueeof ite fine. amooth aurface

WORKING CHARACTERISTICS OFMANUFAGTURED BOARDS

BOARD TYPE Plywood
WORKABITITY Easy fine to work; faceveneers need little sanding FASTENING Face holds fasteners well,butedges often pilot Bore holes; split. screw diameter should notexceed one-quarter of panel thickness Hold on fasteners poor; pilotholes. bore Use finishin n g ails and drywall screws VENEERING plywood Softwood canbeveneered

Frl{tsHrl{G

Particleboard Difficult to work; use ofcarbide tipped recommended; tools wear a dustmask when working Hardboard

Premium andgood grades of hardwood plywood need little finishgrade ing; sound canbe painted; plysoftwood grades wood N andA can bepainted or finished particleboard Multi-layer and Multi-layer graded-density par- accepts most finishes; ticleboard excellent other types notsuitable forveneering forpainting orfinishing. Tempered hardboard canbe veneere0 Accepts most finishes

Edges easy Face hardto rout, of tempered shape or groove; holds well. board screws (other sanding of faces notaswell) types pilotholes n o tr e q u i r e d U.s e Bore anduse o f c a r b i d te ipped sheet metal screws tools recommended Medium-density Edges easy to rout, Hold on nails excellent; poor fiberboard snape 0rgroove; holdon screws not sanding of faces required. Use of carbide tipped tools recommended

Canbecovered withthinveneer

Can befinished or painted

77

STOruNGWOOD

DRY]NGAI.{D

vYmarenar:"uo'o,l:r'll!!firri' '"1?,1lo'inl",TffiYil' :?T:*::'"*.p-T*-Y ,s.i-.:,,,'l E -

ple,yourjoinery methods should allow for woodmovement. If thevdo nor.

separate layers of lumber in apile,allowingair circulation around theindivid-

ofawood A resistance moisture meter like cent moisture level issufficient f"#r, finishmayslowdimensional change theone shown , above isa cylinfurniture projects. Whichever drying nothingcan stopit. drical device with twopinsihoto* method y* .iroor.,y*iun ur. u rp.Freshly cut lumber, or green wood, pressed intoa board. Themeter cialmeter liketheone shown in thepiro has, a relatively highmoisture content, measures electrical resistance, to above to measure moisture content. which forhardwoods can range from,60 which witl varydepending onthe Apartfrom controloverthewood, percent percent to 100 of thedryweight. amount ofwateiin thewood. theprincipal U.n.nt of atyinliun'b., Thischapter focuses on ways of reducin theshop iseconomic. Thefewer oper1 ^ < ingthatto a level suitable for cabinetmaking, around 8 to l0 ations performed on 1 nl.ank Uefor"y""U"yii-ru.n u, arypelc:lt' depending on theclimate.and species. ing andsurfacing-thiless it costs. Forlarge quantities of unless youbuygreen woodwiththeintention ofdryingit luirber-say,t,060board feet or more-theiavings canadd yourself, yourlumber isalready either air-dried or kiln-'driid. up to hundreds of dollars. Air-dried wood. may.have up to 25percent moisture conProper storage is asimportantasdrying.Driedwood tent.Kiln-dried lumberhasa loweilevel, 6 to 8 percent. .*por.dto theeiements carire-absorb some of themoisture Although.kiln-dried woodis generally preferable for furni- thatwas extracted fromit. There are several ways to ,ioi. r"ooa, turebuilding, purists some avoid it,contending tlalttrgprocess depending on the.kind gf G. youhave andthewoodyou subdues thenatural colors of certain woods and,in thi short workwithl-froq longpia-nlis-io short stock toopi..i*, to U. term,caninduce internal stresses in thewood,making youcan it consigned to thekindiing box. design y6uio*n tun'difficulttoresaw' berraik,usingth.o*rtlio*ninthischapteias'startingpoints -L_--_-, r , r , industrial kilnshouse hundreds of ptafl15 at a time, or install a coirmercial lurnberruil.Iid;;;;;rlir.rn.n, . Large butthere areanumber of.do-it-yourself models thatare rela- to store wood, consider installing adehirmidifiJr to rejuce the tivelysimple to built,including a small-scale solar-powered highrelative humiditylevel.o.111on in such anarea.

p i e c e s o f f u r n i t u r e c a n l i t e r a l l y s e l f - _ ; - . f - - : . . - - . ^ v . 5 v r v v r ! u r r r \ v ! whitepine'air-dryingtoa l0to l2perAao+q,n+ \^/l^il^+L^^'-'.ri^^+j^^'^-.-^^r * destruct' whi]e the.pnlication

Kilnsprovideafast and ffictive wayof drying woodto a moisture levelappropriate for cabinetmaking. Here,stacks of hardwood planks areloaded byforklift into an industrialkiln.

79

WATERANDWOOD
in woodcancause oisture changes for a piece of [urniture, problerns quiteseriothers merely annoying, some water A freshly cutlogcancontain ous. madeinto equal to twiceits dry weight; it canturn stone a oiece of furniture, to hold different diy. This capacity r,rnder different of moisture amounts wood to swelland causes conditions is not considIf thisproperty contract. a drawer that ered by thecabinetmaker, in the deadof winter smoothlv oDens andjam shutin thehumidity cin swell carcase A perfectly square of summer. apartashumidity canpull itself cabinet from season to season. levels chanse of The am6untof waterin a piece asa percelrtage woodisoften expressed weight. or water-free of its oven-dry if a 50-pound blockof For example, afterovenwood dropsto 30 pounds water-20 of theshed drying,theweight pounds-divided by the wood'sdry weight-30 pounds-is the rnoisture in thiscase, content of theoriginalpiece: 66 oercent. Wood holds rnoisture in twoways: as and asbound freewaterin cellcavities As wooddries, free waterin cellwalls. first.When this is all wateris exoelled what is discharged, the wood reaches point(FSP). termed itsfibersaturation At this point, thecellcavities are empty, water remairts, butthebound Dermeatingthecellwalls. Formostwoods, the FSP 23 percent and 30 occurs between percent moisture content depending on with 28percent theaverage. thespecies, isthatat the Thekevoointto remember isno dimenfibersaiuration ooint.there in wood from its freshly sionalchange It simplyweighs less. However, cnt size.

How wet is wood?Thisf'e*ly cut log of Eastenthemlockcontains 1.5gallonsof water or sap Conrpletelydry, the log wotld ns its weighone-haf ns rrruch green weight.

content MoiaLure above30% (no chanqe)

Moiature content aL F9?-26% (no change)

Moisture content at 17% (1/+' ahrtnkaqe)

content of a plain-sawn Asthemoisture plank lumber drops softwood of 2-by-10 (FSP), point saturation below thefiber At 17 across thegrain. shrinks thewood
nercpntthe hoardis l,/a tnch narrower another i t s F S P . l t loses i t w a s a t than r/qinch o an 8 o f w i d t hw h e nk i l n - d r i etd p e r c e nlte v e l S ee p e n d p s artly . h r i n k a gd
n n u a c n o e i o c ' du a ncitv. J v v L, v J v , , J , LJ , v ,, oonpr:llv doncpr

MoisLurecontent
^+ lzo/

(3/a"ehrinkaqe)

MoieLure contenL at B% (1/z' ehrinka4e)

woods shrink a n ds w e l lm o r et h a n l i g h t e r to change S a p w o oa dl s ot e n d s ones. q u i c k l y t h a nh e a r t w o o d . m o r e dimensions

80

DRYING AND STORING WOOD

if thewooddries further, falling below theFSB it loses boundwater fromits cellwalls. Thecells shrinkandsodoes thewood. Astheillustration onpage 80 shows, themoreboundwatera board loses themoreit shrinks. Theonlywayto prevent woodfrom shrinking is to treatit with a chemical (PEG such asPEG-1400. isanabbreviationofpolyethylene glycol; 1400 isthe chemical's molecular weight.) PEG1400 diffirses intothewoodandreplaces the bound water, keeping thecell-walls fulIyswollen. Thetreatment issuitable only for green wood, however, andis most popular for use withturning andcarvingblocks. Wood gains andloses moisture asthe relative humidityin theair around it changes. If therelative humidity rose to percent, 100 apiece of wood wouldreach

its fibersaturation pointandbeat the hold a largeamountof moisture.But same size aswhen it was milled. If rela- whencooledindoors,it canhold much tivehumidity fellto 0 percent thewood's less.The resultcanbe fairly high relamoisture content woulddropto 0 per- tive humidity. Both extremescause cent.Because relative humidityfalls changes in the moisture levelof wood between those extremes onlya portion and in its size. of thebound water islost.Realisticallv, You can takeseveral precautions to themoisture content range of most stock counteractthe effectsof changing is5 to 20percent. humidity levels.If you storelumbei Fromseason to season, therelative indoors,tryto keepthe relative humidhumidity in agiven location can vary80 ity fairly constant, usinga dehumidier, percent or more. Thisisbecause relative for example, whenttrelevels gettoo high. humidityandtemperature areclosely And althoughyou may not be ableto intertwined. Warmair canholdmore controltheenvironment your furwhere moisture thancoldair.Asaresult, when niturewill endup,you shouldbuild the coldwinterairisheated, asit isin homes pieceto compensate for wood moveandworlshops, itsability to holdmois- ment.Whencuttinga panelfor a frame, tureincreases dramatically. Ifthere isno for instance, leave a t/s-inchgap in the added moisture available, therelative grooves thatwillhouse thepanel. Theextra humidityplummets to extremely low space will allowthe panelto expandand levels. In contrast, hot summer air can contractashumidity levels riseandfall.
Relating a wood's equilibrium moisture content to relative humidity Whether wood is in theformof a log, a kiln-dried board ora finished oiece of furniture, itsmoisture content varies withtherelative humidity of theair around it. Ashumidity rises, sodoes thewood's moisture content, expressed in percent in thegraph shown at left. Themoisture level of a piece of wood eventually reaches itsequi librium (EMC) moisture content after thehumidity stabilizes. TheEMC also varies depending onthetemperature. The band shown in thegraph covers EMC values for most woods at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Those values decrease slightly at higher temperatures and Increase marginally withcooling.

s
= =
C' tJ 2

30
2
I

e 2 0
.E = l
o
7

b
7

'=
E lrt

=
6

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

(%) Relative Humidity in Atmosphere

81

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

SHRINKAGE W(IOD
and radial shrinkage Tangential asshown by notcontract uniformly; Lumber does at left,tanredlines in theillustration thedotted gential rings-is to thegrowth shrinkage-parallel which occurs shrinkage, about twice theradial forthe Thisdifference accounts across the rings. expands and andpanels aswood warping of boards in moisture content. withfluctuations contracts is usually of a board along thelength Shrinkage r/zinchin A 2-by-i0plank thatshrinks negligible. lose less than%oinch forexample, might width, its8-foot length. along

(lFDIFFERENT WOOD SPECIES VATUES SHRINKAGE

stable wood dimensionally Finding of shrinkthetypical amount at right shows The chart and in both thetangential species age of various green is dried to zero when wood radial directions (Values in percent; areshown moisture content. for column, value in thetangential a 10 percent would board thata 10-inch-wide means examole, Although wide.) to 9 inches bythatamouni shrink in radial contraction exceeds shrinkage tangential bythesame shrink case, notwospecies every tangentially anc is 8 percent Theaverage amount. is Thekey column of thechart 4 percent radially. of indicates theproportion TheT/Rratio thethird: theratio, Thelower to radial shrinkage. tangential of between thetwotypes thedifferential the less Species stable thewood. andthemore shrinkage (i.4) and likemahogany lowratios, withrelatively (1.8), to warping than susceptible teak areless (2.2). asbeech ratios, such woods withhigher
SPECIES Ash, White American Basswood, Beech, American Butternut Cata Ipa yellow Cedar, Alaska Western red Cedar, Cherry, black Douglas-f ir Elm, American Hackberry Hickory, shagbark American Holly, Madrone Honduras Mahogany, Maple, sugar 0ak,red white Oak, Persimmon Pine, Eastern white ponderosa Pine, Sassafras American Sycamore, Teak Walnut, black Willow, black (%) TANGENTIAL 7.8 9.3 11.9 6.4 4.9 6.0 5.0 (%) RADIAL 4.9 6.6 5.5 3.4 2.5 2.8 2.4 3.7 5.0 4.2 4.8 7.0 4.8 5.6 4.8 4.0 5.6 7.9 2.7 3.9 4.0 5.0
z.t

T/RRATIO 1.6 1.4 2.2 1.9 2.0 2.I

2.r
1.9 1.6
2.5

7.r
7.8 9.5 8.9 10.5 9.9 12.4 5.1 9.9 8.6 10.5 II.2 6.1 6.2 8.4 4.0
t.6

1.9 1.5 2.1

z-z

1.4

2.r 2.r
1.9 1..4 2.9 1.6 1.6 I.7 1.8 7.4 2.6

5.5 3.3

8.7

82

DRYING AND STORING WOOD

MEASURING THEMOISTURE CONTENT IN WOOD

"lII "ffi ill'lllf"llf lfil'1ll-fl1-lllf-lll'llf' III fll-fll-fiI" ill llll lll

5HO?Tt?
Re ading moist ure aontent in thick stock Themelal pinson commercial reeisIance-Iy?e moielure melero are lypicallyabouL 1 inchlong. 9inceLhepine ehould ideally : :: reachlhe middle of a boardwhen .: takinq a readinq,they Lend Nobe inadequatefor slocklhat ie thickerlhan 2 inches.You can exNend Lhereachof lhe pineby drivin7Iwo finiohing nailo into the woodunLilIhe Lipe reachthe middleand Lhe headsproNrude trom Ihe eurface. Thentouch Lhe meLer pineLo the nailheadsand t akea readina.

Using a resistance-type moisture meter Todetermine themoisture content of your stock, usea moisture meter. Set thestock on a work surface andpush pinsontheendof themeter themetal intotheface of theboard asfarasthey willgo.Twist thedialontopof thebarreluntil thelight turns onandtake a (above). reading points Repeat at several andaverage theresults. Alternatively, crosscut theboard 12 inches fromeither endandtakea reading fromthefreshly cut end grain(photo, page79). MosI meters arecalibrated forwood at room temperature-about 68' F. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to adjust your results if youareworking in temperatures significantly above or below thislevel.

83

WOOD AND STORING DRYING

KIU{ sotAR

patio glass paris, asused reusing such you witha roofand below, Thekilnshown wish windows, may doors orstorm glass, provides to base frontwallof tempered thesize of the kilnandits During theday, framing cycle. a natural drying onthedimensions of therecydries; thewood warmed bysunlight, Thekilnshown below cledmaterial. in thewetter at night, the moisture is 5 feetwide,16 feet andopposite toward board long of thestock migrates core andabout 8 feethigh. location forthekiln, Choose a sunny more even drying. ensuring surfaces, gravand spread thenlevel thesurface to the Build thekilnaccording blocks at 2to el over it. Layconcrete youplan to dryandthe of wood amount foundation. then 3-foot intervals asa youhave lf youare available. space

frame of pressure-treated builda base Therest 4-by-4s ontopof the blocks. andrafters areconof the framing thefloor, with2-by-4 stock; structed wallsanddooraremade of 3/+-inch plywood. exterior-grade frame is in place, 0ncethe base nailthefloor on topof it, thenconfor thefront struct a studwallframe of the kiln.Cutthestuds to length andnaila sole olate to theirbottom

FRONT VIEW

Topplate

Faecia board

Lumberaupport

Glaea atop Concreteblock 1ole plaLe Baee frame

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

stDE vtEw

)tick

D'*

ends anda top plate at theirtopends, Recess thefrontedges of thestuds aboulVt inchfromthe frontedge of the plates to provide a ledge forthe glass panels. Make thegapbetween thecenter of thestuds eoual to the widthof the panels, spacing themno more than4 feetapart. Setthewall plate frame upright andnailthesole to thefloorandbase frame. Repeat theorocedure wall to make andattach frames forthe back andsides of the kiln, thistimewithout offsetting the studs fromthe plates. Cutthestuds fortheside walls sothatthe roofwill (4 inches have a 4-in-12 slope of

risefor every 12 horizontal inches). Cutthe roofrafters to allow a few inches of overhang at thefrontand back, thennailtherafters to thetop plates, spacing themto fit theglass panels to be installed on the roof. Tackfascia boards to bothendsof therafters, leaving a small lip above thetopedges of therafters to holdthe roofpanels. Cover theopening between thefascia andtheback wallwitha 1-by-4 board asa soffit. 0n thefront of the kiln.thissoace should be left ooen. Next nailthewalls to theoutsideedges of thestuds on the back andoneside, installing hinges and

haso locks on oneside wallto convert it intoa door. panels To install theglass onthe roof,setthemon adjacent rafters, leaving ample space between the panelsfor screws. Then fasten downl-by3 wood strips thatoverlap the edges of the panels to holdthemin place. panels Toaccommodate theglass in thefront wallof thekiln,cut notches in the bottom edges of the rafters, s p i n t ot h e t h e ns l i d e t h e p a n e lu notch, resting the bottom of the panplate elsonthesole ledge. Screw 1by-3wood blocks to thefrontedge of plate thesole to support themiddle glass panel. of each Tokeep theairin thekilncirculating,fasten a piece of plywood as a baffle to twoadjacent studs on the back wall,leaving anopening between thebaffle andthetopof thestuds for airto enter. At floorlevel, construct a frame onthefrontof the baffle for an exhaust fan.The fanwillpullwarm air down through thebaffle andcirculate it through thekiln.Install theswitch forthefanonthe baffle, along witha thermostat to startthefanwhen the airtemoerature reaches 80"Fanda timer to turnthefanoff at night. To keeo the lumber stack off the pieces floor, naildown 2-by-2 support spaced 16 inches about apart. Pile thelumber asyouwould forair-drying, leaving adequate space between adjacentboards andseparating the layers of stock with1-by-2 stickers. lf youcannot supply electricity to the kiln,leave additional space between the boards to ensure adequate aircirculation. Drying of thewood may take several months; usea moisture meter (page 83)tocheck onthe lumber's periodical moisture content ly.

85

ESTIMATING WOOD MOVEMENT

to buildallyourfurJ J nlesyouplan \-/ niturefrommanufactured boards you andplywood, such asparticleboard should expect thewoodyouworkwith Thisshould to swell andshrink slightly. not cause anyproblems aslongasyou for thechange compensate of dimenwhen youbuildyourpiece. sions is to measure A goodfirststep the moisture content of thelumber(page how muchthis 83).Thendetermine moisture level will change asrelative humidity fluctuates in ttrelocation where the finishedpieceof furniturewill (page Finally, try to estibeplaced 81). mate theamount of woodmovement of thewood's A thin lineof unfinished woodis a telhale signof woodmovement thatwill occur asa result in this photograph moisture Asa ruleof closeup ofpart of a frame-and-panel changing content. door.After thefinish plain-sawn lumber will move wasapplied,the humidity levelin the roomwherethecabinet thumb, was per- stored graduallydropped, inchperfootofwidthforevery causing the woodto contract. 0.04 A similar in itsmoisture The amountof movement in a carcase cent change content. construction mighthave threatened wood is.025 inch. thepiece's structuralintegrity.Theframe-and-panel value forquartersawn design, however, (Thedifference a allows naturalswelling andshrinking. ThepanelJloats between thetwogives inside for wood's goodindication of whycabinetmakers afixedframewith room horizontally. for % inchof movement quartersawn choose overplain-sawn lumber whentheywantto limit wood youuse movement.) If, for example, plain-sawn whitepinewith anequilibrium moisture content of 12percent in whichdries to an EMCof 8 summer percent youcancounton as in winter, inchofmovement inwidth much as 0.16 M akin6 a m oiet"ure indiaalo r per foot between the two seasons. Keep thio moiolureqauqein your ehoVae a reminder of the in length negligible Changes are enough relationehip belween humidityand woodmovemenl,To make to bediscounted. the qauqe,'cuN a

1HO?Tt?

len7bh of wood from Nheend of a alued-uo oanel. or bonda tew wood blocke Noqelher edqe-to-edqe. Nail a melal oointerto oneendof lhie arm, then altachbhe arm'eotherendto a pieceof plywood. Drivea screwthrough the pivot, holeof rhe eo lhat the poinlerio parallel pointerinlo lhe plywood io Lhe end of the arm. Leave the ecrewlooeeenouah to allowthe As Ihe relative humidity pointerto pivof,. flitctuaVes and lhe arm swells or shrinks,lhepoinber willewivel to eilher side.
f L l

86

AIR.DRYINGWOOD
"l- h. illustrations wood,between on page 88show vent fungi from causing blue stain.It differentlayers of stock green lum- will also help guarantee a minimal exposes I wo simple ways to stack the top andbottom surfaces of proper drying. Asshown amount of warping of the boards. the boardsto the sameflow of air. berto ensure Lumbercanbe air-driedindoorsor dryingtimes vary Placingstickers, or narrow strips of in thechartbelow, To avoid outdoors, but for bestresults, for different woods. youshould of start different batches theprocess outconfusing of each side or in anunheated wood.markthe ends building likea barnor garage. In a heatboard with thespecies andthe youstacked it. It is also a ed indoor location,where date good humidityis typically low and idea to treat theends ofthe temperatures boards with animpervious coatarehigh, green woodmaydrytoorapidly, ing suchashot paraffinwax, which promotes glue varnish, diluted or a comchecking. Outdoors, mercial endsealer. Otherwise, thelumbershould becovered with a sheetof plywoodto the endsof boardsmay dry more quicklythan adjoining serve asprotection fromtheelements. Asthewooddries, checks to form surfaces, causing check periodicalIfyou are working itsmoisture content in thewood. will ly with a meter, keeping notes withlogs, coating theirends for futurereference. increase theamount of usable Wooddestined for outdoor lumberthelogswill yieldby as use need muchas20oercent. onlybedriedoutside. Forindoor or location furniture, Whateveithe size thewood shouldcomplete its drying air must of yourdryingstack, preferably Logsfor carving can be storedin a pile one atop the inside, circulate evenly aroundall the at a humidiThiswill other,provided their endsare not in contact.The ends ty levelsimilarto that in the surfaces of thestock. should be coatedwith a sealer, however, soonafter the location where ensure thatthesurfaces ofthe the furniture logsare bucked to ensureeven drying of the wood. will eventually stay dry enough to prebeused. boards

F(lR VARIOUS W(l(lDS APPROXIMATE DRYING TIMES

HARDWOODS DAYS Ash, white Basswood, American Beech, American Butternut Cherry, black gray Elm, Hickory Maple, sugar red Oak,

s0nwo0Ds DAYS
Douglas-f ir Hemlock Pine, Eastern white Pine, sugar Redwood red Spruce,

60-200 40-150 70-200 60-200 70-200 50-150 60-200 50-200 70-200 30-150

20-200 60-200 60-200 15-200 60-365 30-120

These charts indicate thedrying timefor green a stack of 1-inch-thick boards outThelowendof therange doors. foreach is for lumber species stacked in spring or summer-prime drying weather. Thehigh endis for lumber stacked in autumn or winter. Thefigures assume thatthelumb e ri s d r i e d ina regiow n i t ha c l i m a t e similar to thatwhere thewood was cut.

Sycamore, American black 70-200 Walnut,

87

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

TW()OPTIONS FOR AIR-DRYING LUMBER

quantity your Toair-dry a large of lumber, start stack withtwo4row of stickers withplywood, topped witha pair of concrete blocks (above). toapply by-4 supports equal in lenghto theboards pressure to bedried uniform onthestack andprotect it fromrain. place Rest thesupports onconcrete blocks. Then quantrties 4-by-4 bolsters Stack smaller of lumber in support frames made from (below). your at 3-foot intervals across thesupports. Begin stacking lum- fourpieces of 2-by-4 stock nailed together Build a frame berat right angles to thebolsters, leaving a space between each for each endof thestack andonefor every 3 feetof board piece equal to theboard thickness, Separate each layer witha 1- lengh. The frames should beslightly wider andhigher than the by-2 sticker as long asthewidth of thestack; cutthestickers stack. Arrange theboards asyouwould fora larger stack, sepafromdryheartwood. Thinner stickers willslow thedrying timefor rating each layer withstickers. Space thestickers at 18-inch difficult like species white oak. Align thestickers withthebol- intervals, aligning one witheach frame andalso centering them place if youaredrying sters; thinstock, thebolsters pressed andstickers between theframes. Tokeep thestack down firmly, insert closer together to prevent thewood from warping. Cover thetop wedges tightly between theframes andthetoprowof stickers.

88

STORINGWOOD
hether you wishto store lummanufactured ber, boards, dow"shorts"-all elsor those odd-sized pieces youcannot affordto toss outyou should find a storage optionto suityourneeds on thepages thatfollow.Thedimensions provided in the illustrations are given strictly as guidelines. Each design canbeadaptedto anysituation. Theonlydesign youcannot element skimpon is adequate support for the rack. planks A dozen l0-foot-long of6l+ whiteoakcanweighasmuchas400 pounds. Rack supports should besecured directly to wallstuds or to thejoists above theceiling atnomore than40-inch intervals. In mosthomes with 16-inch oncenter framing, thismeans tyinginto everv other stud or ioist. If thewalls and ceiling of yourshop arefinished, use a stud finder to locate these framing members. Some racla,like thecantilever tlpe shown on page 91,mayneed footings, joistsupports or both. If space isatapremium in yourworkshop, youneed to consider thedesign placement and ofyour wood storage systemcarefully. Theend-loading typeof rack used atmost lumberyards isimpracforstoring tical longstock in most home shops. You are farbetter offwithafrontloading system, which makes it easier to loadup newmaterial andto shiftwood around plank to findtheparticular you want.Avoidusingtriangular-shaped brackets to support lumber; theywaste preclous space.

Commercial lumberracks areavailablein various sizes and canbeadjusted to dffirent heigh*. Thetypeshown canbescrewed to a concrete wall or to wall studs. Four brackets will hold morethanonetonof lumber.

'fil"ill' ffi llf"'ul"'III".lll""lIl" lll* IIf

1HO?TI?
Storing wood to preaerveits moieture aonient lf you are in the middle of a project and haveNoleaveitrtor a you may find Vrobleme couVle of weeke onceyou return,A change in humidity-a suddenperiodof humidwealher, for examplemaycauoetrhewoodto ewell or shrink.You can eolve the problem by etoringLhewoodin a plaetic qarbaqe baqor in vinyl, oealing any loooe endewith trape. Wrapping Nheboardwillkeep Nhemoislurecontent of lhe woodconelant,prevenlinq any dimenoional chanqee,

89

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

(lFTUMBER A TRIO RACKS

rack Building a pipe storage Thestorage rack illustrated at leftfeatures vertical supports bolted to wall three-piece pipes, Thesupports buttress thesteel studs. which You willneed one carry thelumber. at each endof therack, withan support one every 32lo 48 inches along additional 2-by-6 forthemiddle thewall. Use stock forthe strips of thesupports and2-by-4s pieces; pipes side thesteel should beroughly 20 inches long witha 1 inchinternal diameter. Mark cutting lines ontheedges point of themiddle strips at each where youwantto locate a pipebracket. Make brackets in the same horizonsure all the willbeat thesame height. Saw the tal row middle strips forthebrackets, angling the cutsbyabout 3" above thehorizontal so (below) the pipes wilI tilt up slightly to prevent thelumber from sliding off. Once a l lt h em i d d l s et r i p a sre c u t ,n a i o l nt h e sidepieces, forming brackets withevenly notches forthepipe supports. Bore spaced pilot holes intervals into thewall at 24-inch holes through the studs anddrillclearance supports for%-inch lagbolts. Secure the withbolts vertrcal brackets to thestuds that penetrate 2 inches into thewall, then slip thepipes into their notches.

90

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

13/+"x51/2"x

Making a cantilevered storage rack Therack shown above andat rightis anchored in theceiling to thejoists to keep it from toppling forward. Mark lines workshop onyour floor directly under each joist. Toprovide a sturdy base fortheposts, nailshort lengths of 2-by-6 to thefloor as footings, centered on themarked lines. 4-by-4s Use fortheposts, then cuta joist post anchor foreach andasmany arms asyouneed from2-by-6 Angle stock. the topedge of thearms slightly to tilt the lumber in toward thewall. Cuta mortise post at thetopof each forthejoistanchors, point andat every along thepost's front youwant edge where to locate an arm. Make sure a l l t h em o r t i s e s t h es a m e in horizontal row areat thesame height. Cut tenons at theends of thejoistanchors andarms, thenbore holes through the sideof the posts for 3/q-inch dowels: two joist holes foreach armandoneforevery anchor I. n s e rtth et e n o n a s n dt a ot h e dowels in place. Toe-nail theposts to the footings. Bore clearance holes through theanchors andpilot holes into thejoists forcarriage bolts, thensecure theanchors (above). in position

Arma 13/+" x 51/2"x 20"

9I

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

rack wall Fastening a lumber-and-plywood to anunfinished made entirely of 2-by-4 stock, is attached to exposed Therack shown below, joists. plywood Lumber canbepiled onthearms, while wall studs andceiling You willneed at least 8% feet isstacked onedge against thesupport brackets. panels. in plywood Begin space at one endof therack to beable to slide offree (nghf). them to thestuds thetriangular-shaped brackets andscrewing bycutting andnail them to theshop floor. Cutthefootings, slipthemunder thebrackets their ends to thefootings andthe Next, saw theuprights to length andtoe-nail joists. aligning thefirstrow withthetapered Cutasmany arms asyouneed, to fasten thearms to thestuds endof thesupport brackets. Use carriage bolts in thesame row Therack inthe making sure thearms arelevel. anduprights, features arms soaced at 18-inch intervals. illustration

9upport bracket
11/2"x31/2"x41./z'

WallEtud

)ole plate

Footinq 11/2"x31/z"xB"

92

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

PLYWOOD RACKS

Leq 11/2"x31/2"x36"

11/2"x31/2"x36"

rlll lm illl llll iltl fill ull illt tlll I]t] lllt lllt fiIl llll I]l1 ilu llll illt
5HO?TI?
Holdingplywoodpanelo a4ainet a wall Treventplywood panele etackedon edqeaqainel a wallfrom fallinqover wiNh someropeand a eash Vairof window weiqh|o.)eNtwo 20inch-lonq 2-by-4eon the floor in fronLof Ihe wall. Thenecrewlwo eye hooke into wallebude abouN 41/zfeet,abovethe floor.Cut,two 7-foot lenqlhoof rope,and Nieoneend of eachNo a h o o ka n d t h e o N h ee r ndlo a weiqht wrapVed in pipeinsulation. eland NheVanels on lhe 2-by-4oand leanthem aqainoN the wall. OraVe the weiqhlooverNheplywood to keep Ihem in Vlace.

plywood Making a freestanding rack Therack shown above canholdplypanels wood onedge without anywall support. Cutthebases andlegs from 2-by-4 stock andnailthepieces together. Toreinforce therack, nailtriangular plywood braces of t/z-inch to the outside legs andthebases; use solid lumber braces to support thelegs in themiddle row. Toconnect thethree sets of legs, cut rails from1-by-4s and nail themin place: onehalfway upthe legs andanother at thetopof thelegs. youcanslipthe Setuptherack where panels in andoutend-f irst.

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

Furrtnqetdp
3/+"x21/2"x5'

plywood rack Building a vertical plywood storage, stacking Forlong-term from keeps thepanels onendnotonly precious f loor shop warping; it also saves shown at rightis built space. Therack threaded rods and fromfurring strips, twofurring wingnuts. Start byscrewing wall, 2 and 5 strips to thestuds of one Then screw tworods feetfromthefloor. 4t/zfeelapart intothetopstrip.Cuta through strip andbore a hole thirdfurrrng a notch it 2 inches from oneendandsaw openings oI 4VzfeeI.Both at an interval beslightly larger than thediameshould pads on Place twowood terof therods. the therods andstack thefloorbetween plywood Place upright onthem. sheets stripacross theface thethirdfurring panel, rod slipptng one through ofthelast into theslot. Slide thehole and theother nuts onto therods and washers andwing pulling thefurring strip tighten them, (inseD. fo tightly against the plywood fromthestack, loosen remove a sheet strip thewing nuts andswing thefurring down andoutof thewav.

Woodpad 3/+"x31/2"x12"

illr lllllll lllllll lIllll llllilllilllfill lllllllllllt lltllfl lllt ill]

1HO?TI?
Atemporary plywoodpallet, ForehorN-Nerm etoraqe . of ply' of a few eheeLe make wood, a palleLfrom four ueedcar Lires,Tlacea Lire at eachcornerof a 4-by-B-foot sheels on area;sNacklheplywood top.lhe Lireswillkeep Nheeheete level and elevaled above anv moieLure on top of the on Ihe floor.Do noNeLackanyLhinq eheeLe:Lhe addiLional weigh|maycau6e Nhem Nobend.

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

STORING DOWELS
Wrapping dowels withrope Dowels tendto rollaround when theyarestored flat.Stacking them upright is a better alternative, butthen theproblem is to keep them from sliding down orfalling over. 0neanswer isto loop them togetherwith a lengh of rope, asshown at left.Drilla hole t a nj u s tb e l o w t h r o u ga hp a i n c t h er i ma n dt i e o n ee n do f t h e rope to it; forma loop at theother end. Drive a column of nails, spaced a fewinches apart, intoa wallstuda fewfeetabove the c a n .S t a n d t h ed o w e l is n t h ec a na n dl o o p t h er o p e around t h e mt w i c e . P u l lt h ec o r dt i g h ta n dh o o k t h e l o o p ee d n do n o n eo f t h e n a i l s t h a ta l l o w t sh er o p e to hang t a u t .M o v e the loop up ordown asthesize of thedowel bundle changes.

Storing dowels intheceiling joists Thegaps between exposed in a shop ceiling areoften considered wasted good space, butyoucanmake useof them to hold dowels. Screw a couple of 1-by-3 furring strips across thebottom of thejoists andthenrest thestock ontopof strips. This method is particularly useful forlong dowels, which can clutter a workshoo.

95

DRYING AND STORINGWOOD

STORING SH()RT STOCK

a rack witha mobile base Constructing pilein a a jumbled wood Sorting through for a piece of short corner of theshop size canbefrustrating. stock of theright pieces stores short Therack shown at right is Thebottom section according to size. pieces ideal forstoring a box withdividers, with%-inch of plywood; theboxis made plywood, whilethe dividers aret/q-inch plywood. from Thetopsection, built %panel, consists of a back inchplywood, plywood sides andr/q" triangular-shaped according to thediameter shelves spaced youplace between them. of thecontainers features S-gallon cans Therack shown shelf andplastic tubes below the bottom Keep of varying sizes ontheother shelves. in thecans andtubing. Cut short stock cutouts near thetopof thesides triangular mobile, dowels flat.Tomake therack to hold withcasters fasten it to a shop-built dolly (below). to the Cuta pieceof plywood asthebase of therack, same dimensions to one side. Attach then screw corner blocks to each corner block. a heavy-duty caster

96

DRYINGAND STORINGWOOD

Making a combinatio wn orkbench andshort-cut bin I n a w o r k s h ow p ithlimited space, b u i l da w o r kt a b l ew i t h s h o r t - c u t s t o r a gs ep a c e underneath s, u c ha s t h e o n e s h o w na t r i g h t .C u t 2 - b y - 4 s to length f o rt h e l e g s ; s u p p o rtth e m w i t h 2 - b y - 4b r a c e s - o n es e t n a i l e d a fewinches above t h e f l o o ra n d a second s e ta t t a c h e d f l u s hw i t h t h e t o p o f t h e l e g s .C u t t h e t o p a n d t w o " l y w o o dt,h e n n a i l shelves f r o m3 / q p t h e mt o t h e b r a c e sS . a wn o t c h e s outof the corners o f t h e s h e l v e tso fit around the legs. M a k ed i v i d e r s f r o m r / qi n c h p l y w o o d and attach thembetween the shelves using q u a r t e r - r o um nd olding strips nailed i n t ot h e s h e l v e s .

Front brace 11/z"x5t/2"x36"

Stacking stock between wallstuds Store short stock between thestuds o f a nu n if n i s h es dh o p w a l lT . ok e e p thewood fromfalling over, screw spring clips to thestuds andinsert d o w e lis nto t h ec l i p s t os p a n the gaps (/eftl. between adjacent studs To stand shorter lengths of stock h i g h eu r p o nt h ew a l l c , u ts h e l v e s andsupport cleats fromscrap wood. Screw thecleats to thestuds and rest theshelves ontopof them.

97

WOOD DIRE,CTORY
for more landscape . rees have formed a partof theEarth's first before dinosaurs i',, than 300nillion vears- since developed a rernarkin thattimetheyhave roamed theulanet. tnolethan i,000varieties nurrbering able diversity of species, Tiees comein manysizes andshapes, in theUnitedStates alone. to thesublime, fiorn thestunted spruces of northernCanada Wood's diversiti' giantsequoias. of California's torvering stands andgrainpatterns is also apparent in thewidearrayof colors from thebold vermiiionhueof to theu'oodworker, available to theintricate, swirling padauk of ebony ancl theinlyblaci<ness designs of rvalnut burl. werechoof woodshownin thisdirectory The 78 species foremost of thecabinetmaker senn ith theneeds andinterests woodsarehere-species in rnind.The basiccabinetmaking a number andash. Butthere arealso suchasoak,pine,cherry to ziricote. woods too,from afrormosia familiarexotic of less you maybe seeothers you mayhave only readabout; Some thephotos andinformaing for thefirst time.In eithercase, in your upcoming tion may inspireyou to nervadventures projects. woodworking to a alphabetically according The directoryis arranged a woodmay mostcommonly used name. Sometimes wood's you mayneed llames; to avoidconfusion beknown by several namewhenbuyinga particular species to usethe botanical ("spp."indicates species from several that the wood comes werephoto that genus). Thewoodsin thischapter belonging with a clearlacquer finishto highlighttheir colorand tographed of the inevitable variafigure.For this reason-and because wood that you buy may tionswithin species-theunfinished different. look somewhat with an (H); softwoods with an (S). Hardwoods areindicated do not takethe termstoo literally.Somesoftwoods However, For moreinformaharderthansomehardwoods. areactuaily page 24. the two groups, see tion on the differences between gives informationaboutthe ease Theworkabilitycategory species or difficulty of workingrvith a particularwood.Some you reduce of theblade, theangle maybetoughto planeunless for nailing. while othersmayrequireyou to pre-bore cost perboarcl fbot-rvhiclr Rather thanproviding trspecific priceislisted on a relatit'e scale, rvood, canfluctuate-foreach thc priciertvoods are to expensive. Usuallv, from inexpensive of a piece of funtiturc.\btr nrisht chosen for a specialpart pull, for exalnple, to make a tlt'atvt'r a piece of cocobolo, select touch to a chailleg. to adda decorative or an inlayofebony in North All thewoods shown arecommercial\'available rvooc'lfind iocally, check for species you cirnnot America; Howeter, soure ivorking magazines fbr nrail-order sources. rare, anda tbrv tropicalharclincreasingly species arebecoming is Iradein matty'sPecics lvoods arein danger of extinction. woodrvorliers oftetr and for this reason, restricted, severely u,oods. Fortunatcll', traditional mustseek alternatives to using have long Some aremany, andtheirnumberis growing. there pauferro, for exampie, rvhich isstrikingll'sirnavailable: been Braziiian roservood. Othersendangered ilar to the costly, "good with a vietvto grorvn woods," andharr,ested so-called growth-are recent arrivals in conservation and sustainable imported priThese lesser-known species, North America. America at present, originatc marilyfrom Centrai andSouth as from sources that aremonitoredin orderto be certifieci in thisdirecwoods arefbatLrred well-managed. Fourof these andtornillo.(You chactacote, chontaquiro amarillo tory:bayo, to buy them woodsand rvhere canlearnmore aboutthese Protectioir Alliancefor Rainforest throughtheWoodrvorkers in NervYork;or theRainforest Alliance in CoosBay, Oregon; in Oaldand, California.) Scientific Certification Systems building Youmaywantto avoidtheproblerns of scarcityby with more plentifulwoodsor pl1nvood, then your projects veneer. Anotheralternative is themrvitha beautiful covering crates wood,scavenged from old buildings, shipping rec,vcled you can transform With effort and imagination or pallets. pieces. itemsinto handsome manyworkaday

N)

This symbolindicates a species that in at least oneof is rare or endangered whereit is harvested. thecountries

\\roo I) I )tI{E(.TOl{\'

trl{o{tNioslA ,.,
t i

AGBA
(H)
gOtaniCal Naffie: i,r1r,,r,",,.,r.iii'ril',.ir:ri t ,-ijrr' : .; ,1 t i1 rt,i. r trir, . ,.' ] . . . : tr 1 1 1 : 3 9 i i : . i 1 i 1 ; 2 ' bj i q ( a . a . f . y ' 1 : 1 . 2 l r i r , , , , i i ai I t r r, I I ';: O i l 2 l ) , e t : t , . a O , l a i t , L . n . . ) 6 t , t t . :):',..,): fi r . r ' r irti :.:.. ,::,lracr,tt,e .' . , r L , A u r a i e a t J : i q i t l ' , , ' t e r , , l . ti .: ., r ' - ' ! r a i . r , . ' ' : -.1 , - , , m r r i c a n f f i a l c q e a . i a r , ) | : a : ' , i f : r [ ] r ' a , : i i n r . r '-rn ..'r | r:,,,r.' = - , , r e l q i . l , ,a . .ca:t,ora 0 aa.a:a a ) ? \ i L ' aa : :i.;f.ri|i !' rri i:. :' i qt:ir1a|\t. fna<ilq ii aaaa.ta.)2t',1 i.a :)t:-a-.i.)i:i-::rr,' .-,|i"

i o l a n i c a l N a r n e :I

qrain: moder' lo tl.t:rloc',F.t:d ovtn,c)arKart-"oa rich qci)aen

boa*' btl C nq. caDi-

a ! ) t t a a zV a l \ \ \ l e 1 )

',vaen +"h;,:t oe:ecLtr'q t,mber. i,.,,i..: i -rr,i Other Names: I o:a 17 ;;irtit i ::t:.t it ;.,r::'. :1,. | /',,nqc a): lliaeriar,r;:l;:r Lll.i... l; nili2 I.i-..;,;..4; t; "ri....,r.:ir.,i rnantbc r: ( I'tiler:: ). ?ource: Troptca \t"ieel,ltir ca. t;,','., Characterietice: 5tr ai4itt ia a ) r"r. a',ntl 1 i 1; ; i.f i:1'1:1 qratn:moderat.ei,1 finei.a'tt,t.)ra: ...:i trr:r:.j\', ti.-r,,,N.,r1'1.1'l a V t n ll.: t L . lL)raiaq,? :lrooa, l;it:i: I; : l.:lil'rrl. Uaes: i-:Lrniltre., rr :rl.rlf rlr. pare tnr4 and occaairlna '! ror \t',ttrt-.r:t'::. W o r k a b i l i t yO : e n e r a l l , lr , e r yd o o ) : : : ti q ' r ' , | L r r t r r . , lril lo'n Denitna pro2erlter,: aJftl t',!{,'arar..J al.1l',er5', ittr! aarae aeN bladeaL.obntr.t. Finiehing:l\c,:;eg-'"z fintel.,ee we.i,l trltet i tt:t1. Weight: 32 1v.lc'1. f-v. ?rice: l,/oderaf,e.

\A/OOI)DIITECTORY

ALDER, RED
(H)
bolanical Name: ,r',iiti'srtibra -,a cfv o.a iL LakeEfinieheevery we)|, ?..ea a der ie eao'1 e e 2 e c i ay i f a , t , a e h c o e L o l r . a t n n . de A e a c i e a p V i e d L a l a ei n b e i o r ea i a i n i n q .T h i ev t c o dc a n b e o f e i q n i f i c a n v \,taca\Narki.q. ite re atrively nodeel repuT,ation. despir-,e z-vert aelective alder eAcaldnoL be geqqedlor lirewood. ) e f e c L z .a l c i a e b u d e a n d e l a i n s , c a n p r o d t c e b e a t f i ' ft ,ig.n"rru. a1der, areqon a der. Other Names:\"leer"ern 9ource; Tacfic CoaeLof Nor"thAnter'tca. Cha r a cle rieti c e : G ene r aily eLraiqht' qr ai n; fi ne, eve n Lo readieh-brown. lexltiret paieye:iovt r e. c arvinq, plyw f ',-t r niLu ood and veneere. Ue es: I ur nin,2, Workability:Generaly qood: reduce bladeanqle when p)anrrqLo prevenl LearouL:only oliqht bluntinqof cuL' r er-.. 'ot b.r d r q ?-o?e-! e4. ee vtell, Finishing: l,c c epLefi nieh WeighhSS b,lca.tr.. ?rice: lnexgeneive.

AMBURANA
(H) 6ot anical Namer Lm b ura na c. a r. n.ii. qf,. amo,Lrarta :s a qr::::t) KelaLt'tely alranqfcr tLe v,te c h o t c ef o r l o i n e r y .l L e i r r e q u l a ra r a n E . r a y e 2 r c l t o e -rrat)aa T o a n Am a i r ' y : r - , " h e a L L r a c l i v ev e n e e ( a . , cr',\ :.t: reqione of SouLh An:enca.the NreeeciLer',.otver' 1 a a f e e t . I h e v t o o dc a n p t a t e L i e e e n e e ew t l l : a n c a , : r of vaniJ a. .uffiare. cumart. rajada Other Namea Cerejeira, ( 3 r a z i ) : r o b l ed e l p a t e .V a l ol r e b o ( , A r 4 e n t i n a l ' . i e h p i n E( o7 e r u ) . 9ources: Cenlra and SauLh /tmer'tca. Characterislice: lnteriockecand irreqt)ar qrain: rqettt r, -vexture: *vopale brownw)Ll a eJb::, ye)iow e: ta coaroe v'ti",h darkeninqeiiqhLly ex2ceure. oranqe r.inr., joinery,boal butdinq ani var,aero. Uses: FurniLure. Workability:GooA;aulla culti.q edqeo nod,erately. irre4tlar r e d u c ec u L L i n q a n q l eo f b l a d ew h e np l a n i n 4 qrain; ?re-borefor nailinq:moderaLebendinqprogert'iee. Finiohing:t',ccepteftnieheewellwhenii )ed.. Weight 37 \b.lcu.ft. ?ricet Moderale.

100

WOOD DIRECTORY

ASH,BLACK
(H) bolanical Name: Fraxtnuentqra OiLen k.nown aa ewall? ar waLera",h,blackaeh qrov'te mainiy tn lhe wellande of eaeNernl')orth America.Ae +,.1e solLeat y',mericanaeh, it, te more ik.e1y Lo be lound in interior i n e p o r L ee q u i p 1 on e r ga n d c a b t n e L w o r k t h a n m e n L ,w h e r ev , r h t t a ,e oh io common)y used.lt aleohaea eiqniltcan"v hieLoryae a weavinqwood for many Lygeeol bael.eLe.31ac ak s h ' a r a L a r yc J t a n d e l i c e dv e n e e r z are hiqhrydecoraLive and much oouqhtr afler. Other Namee; 3r own aeh, hoog aoh, owamp aeh, waLer ' - ' . ' o - ?e ' n b r o n na o \ . 1ources: l,).3.4,. and Canada. Characteristics: 1LraiqhL qrain: coaree,eventext ure: dark, qrayieh brown. Uees: )oinery, cabiner.work, glywoodand,veneere. Workability:Generallyqood; blun|e cultero moderaNely: .,cel er beadi"q 2-o2ertiee. FinishingA : c c e p t e f i n i a h e sw e 1 l . tNeight:35 lb./cu.fL. ?rice: lnexpeneive.

ASH,WHITE,
(H) 9otanical Name: Fraxinue amencana V'lhite aeh can beconoidered L h e a l -f , m e r i c a n Jeietrc wood.SLronq and very ehock-reaielanf,it. le ueed Lo make oare, pool cuee and baaebaI bala. lt ie a eo Lhe wood of choicefor qarden-I.ool handles,aeed exten"tive y in boaLbuildinq a n d ,c u t i n L o d e c o r a t i v e v e n e e r 6 t. o f L e n hae a hiqhlyvarieqated hearfwood,k.nown a., olivea""h o r c a ) c oa o n . Other Nameei A\rnerican whiLeaah, Canadianael . A m e r i c a na e h , Souraes: Canada and U.3.A. Characterielicat 3lr aiqhL qr ain; coa rae LexLur e: liqh-vbrown hearLwoodwilh almoeL white eapwood. Usea Saeeballbats, pool cuee,oare, f,oolhand ee, boat. q , f u r n i X ue bu i d l ,in r a nd ve nee re . Wo rkability : 3 aLiof a cLo ry : mod, er aLe b)u nti nq of c ut Lero:excellenlbendinqproperLieo; pre-borefor nailinT. Weight: 42lb./cu. ft. Trice: Inexpeneive.

101

WOOD DIRECTORY

AVODIRE, N (H)
9otanical Name:Tu rreanLh ue afr tcanua Considered t's beoneof Lheworld's beoL qualitybloni wooda, rarelyie available avodird in lar7equant"iLiee. II; normally cameg to North America ae veneer, which poeoeoeee an aLi.racLive molLledoall,ern.LhaI ie ueedin finecabinef,makinq and, Vanelinlq. Olher Names:African satinwood. Africanwhite mahogany, apeya(Ghana): apaya(Niqeria): enqan (Cameroon); (Zaire): lueamba aqbe(lvory Coael): eeu (Conqo): AfricanfurniLure wood, olon, )ourcea WeeI and Equat orialAfrica. Characterialica:LighL, elronq wood;mainlyebraighL grainbuLcan bewavyor inLerlocked: medium lo fineNext"ure; qolden yellow. Uges:Cabinetwork, veneere, marquetryand plywood,. Workabilityt Fair:increaae bladeanglewhenVlaninq ae qrainlende to causeLearout; intrerlocked Voorbending prop errieo'. pre-b oreI or nailinq. Finiohing :e n ea O r l l yq ood . Weight:36lb.lcu fr .. TricetExoeneive.

BALSA
(H) 9otaniaal Name:Ochroma pyramtda le Saleahaethe ltghLeoL weiqht of any commercially ueed hardwood,.Thie properLy has madeiL a keyinqredient. of life rafLs and a widevariely of eafeLy and buoyancy ll.ln facL,thewordbalsameane devicea ainceWorld,War rafLinSpanish. A,lthouqh iria difficulltodry,onceiLaoeo it ie a relalively elableand sLronq wood for iLeweighL. Oiher Names: Guano(TuerloKico,I'ondurae): lanero ( C ua b ): po la k ( 3e l i z eN ,c i a raq ua ) ' N , o pa ( ?er u ): I a m i (Solivia). ?ources: Weer" lndiee, America, Central Lroeical 7ouLh (Ecuadoi. America Charaal,erieticaz 7traiqht,qrain:fine,velv ety t exture: whiteLo oaf,mealbrown wiLh tint. a pinkieh Ueea:\/todelmakinq,toye, watere?orteequipment and proos, Nheaf,rical qood, Workabilityt ExXremely bladee are kept Vrovided veryeharV: willnot bendwithoutbucklinq: little blunlinq of culNers. Finiehing: Acceptefiniehea well: absorbsa qreaLquanNityof finiohing malerial. Weightt 6-16 lb.lcr'. fL. TricetModerahe.

102 .

WOOD DIRECTORY

BASSWOOD
(H) 9olanical NametTtlia amencana hae been conLiqhrweiqht and eaoyto work,basewood foremoeN wood,e for eidered oneof the world,'e carvinq cenNuriee. cl a L nb e e h a p e d t o r e m a r k a bfl iy n ed e l a i l . lI ie odor-free for d,omesLtc and hae beenused, exLeneively qood,e euchae kiLchen ulensilo andfoodconf,ainere. ie coneiAered for ouLd,oor Saeewool, uneutLable d,uLy bec au"e i16e21116o poorly. A,merican linden, linn, lime f,ree: American Olher Namea. l i r r e( U . K . ) . 5ourcea EaeternCanada and U.9.4. qrain: Characberistics: Straiqhx finelerturei creamy whitedarkeninq lo creamybrown. Turninq, toyo,pianokeya, Ueea: carvinq, ?attern making, match eplinto, boxeo and, cratee. ly; poor WorkabilitytVery qoo d: blunf,s cutLeroeliqht bendinq proVerDiee, qoodwiLh Finiohing: all finishee. Generally W e i g h t t2 6 \ b . / c u . f L . ?rice:lnexpeneive (eliqhl;ly htqher f or thick 12/+ kilnand 16/+ driedcarvinq efock).

BAYO
(H) 9olanical Name:Aepido epermac ruenLu m A wondertd, eaey-workinq Limber, bayote a "lesoerhardwood in larqe known epeciee" Lhaf,iEofLen available sizesand, someLimee cul inlo veneere. Noi orly aL|ractive, bayoio alooverydecay-reliotant. 3 oubh frelize, I ondur 5ouraes: eaot Mexico, as. qrain', interlockinq Charaaterislicot Slraight lo eliqhlly medium Lo fineLexLure: heartwood'. brownieh eappink; waod: a Vinkioh blueh throughouL. creamwiNh Lurninq, framinq, furniLure decoUsea Cabinebwork, and, raLive veneere. qood:doeenoLLakenailEwell: Workability: Generally good, properLiee. bending Finiohing: AccepLo finiohee well. Weighu37-46lb./cu. ft. ?ricetModerate.

103

WOOD DIRECTORY

BEECH, AMERICAN
(H) OotanicalNamerFaquaqrandifolta leavy, hardand eLronq, American beech ie uaedfor everythinq from floorinq Lo woodenware. Althouqh coneidered leosallracLivethan European beech, American beech h a e2 r o m i n e n rta inyporee,lt ia r y ea n dv i o i b lte hiqhly fiqured when quarlereawn. Other Name:1eech. 5ourceq EaeternU.3.A. and Canada. Characteristicot Straiqht qrain: fine,even Lexture; reddieh brown Lo liqhl brown hearLwood witrh almoel whiLe eapwood. Ueee:7enlwood furniNure, turninq,handlee and cabineLmakin4. Workabilifyt Satiefactory: qoodwif,hmoettoole bu| may burnwhen croescutor drilled: may bindon aawe: exc ellenL turninqwo q properLi od;excellenl ben d,in ee., hiqhohrinkaqe makesiL unelable in use, Finiohing: AccepLe finiahee well. Weight:46lb.lcu.fL. ?ricetModerate.

BIRCH, PAPER
(H) Dolanical NametDeLula papyrifera 7aperbirchio a Louqh, heavy wood, a)Lhouqh iI.ie eolLer Lhanolher birches. lIe barkwaeuaedby lr)ative Americane to faahion wigwame and canoee eo thaL manypeop)e "canoe eLill referLo it ae birch." Thewoodpoeeeeeea an atLracLive figure, ie aometimee and, eliced into decoraT,tve veneere. Other Namea WhiLe blrch. eweeL btrch. American birch. 5ouraesz Canada, U.A.A. Charaaterietica: grain; SLraiqht finet exture: wide, pale-brown creamy whileeapwood: hearLwood. UeeetI urninq f or d, omeeIic ulensila, dow ele, Loothpi cke, eVoolo, bobbine, hooVo and, toye, plywood and decoraf,ive veneerg. Workability: qood;moderatedullinq Generally of cutfere:unueual curlyqrairtmaypick. up in planinq; oatief q properLi acNory ben din ee. Finiehinq Acceptefiniehes well. WeighV39 lb./cu. fr. Trice:lnexpenoive.

rr

: 104

WOOD DIRECTORY

BOCOTE,
(H) 9otanical Name:Cordta aop. A beautifuleubstiLuLe for roeewood. bocoteie oneof LhemanyLypee of cordia-a qroupof hardwoode found Lhrouqhout lhe West lndieo, LroVical America, Africa and Aaia.frocotre'e LexLure ie similar Noteak-although it, ie eomewhaL harder-and iXewildfiqurepal\erno produce eNunninq cabineLwork.fhe woodie available only i n s m a l ls i z e s . Other NametCordia. Souraes: Mexico, Selize, I'ondur as. Characterielica; 1traiqht, grain:moderat elycoaree qreenLo qolden LexLure; yellow wiLhblack fiqurepaLterne. Usea Furnif,ure, cabineLe, interior joinery, turninq and decorative veneerg. WorkabiliNy: qood;bluntocu|tinq edqes Generally qoo oliqhLly; d ben dingprop erLieo. Finiohing: Accep|ofinieheswell. Weighh4b lb./cu.fL. TriaetExpeneive.

BUBINGA N (H)
1otanical name:Guibourtiaeoo. A rosewood eubetibut e, bubinqa'o loqeoflen weigh morethan 10 tons:they can becut into exlremely wide Kevazinqo, a veneer from irreqularly peeled Vlanke. qrained loqe, a wild,,flame-like fiqurethat io Voeeeooee et work. eopular f or cabin Olher Namee:African roeewood, eseinqanq, kevazinqo \r otary cut veneeronly). Souraee,Equatorial Alrica (Cameroon, Gabonand 7_aire). Charaat,eriatiasz Verydenee; finegrain: purplieh pink lo ealmon red,wiLh dark Vurple veining. QuarLereawn boardeofLenehowveryatlracf,iveblackmotlle fiqure, UeeetTurninq, f urniture, cabin etwork a nd ven eere. Workabilityz qood:irregular Generally grainNende to tear when hand-planed: pre-bore for nailinq. Finiahin1 Excellent. Weight:55 lb./cu. fr,, ?ricez Expeneive.

\,\rOOl)t) I ll.HCTC)ItY

BUTTERNUT
(H) ctnerea bolanical Name: Jt.rqlane i , m:rrtberof "vle 'ua rtaLf amily.br.ftfernfi haa aeeumed olLen ciosen lor cAurcA a r.) .tc.: of l tono; ae lhe vtr:od eli.ar.r'.fhielree tr' lrea"'tred for more LAan i-"ewood: '.'1. a rich. deiic aro nJ-,ane ?roducea ?a....a.6 -vltat e used, t o mal.ea eweeLeyruV simi ar a aag 1.., me? . t'!rn?. vtalnuL, oi nt,ti. Other Namee: V.lhfie . 1ourcee: a+od'.0.1.tCharaclerietica: Straiqlt qratn;eofl but coaree lexI . ' .- e , m a ' l b ' o * r . Ueea: 7lrnir.lre. inl,etor Lr'tmon boate, int eriorjo nery. aaf"/n4. venaafa. WorkabilitytGenerallyqood: becaueewood ie eofL, it ie imgorLantto keepct)ttera eharg: willfuzz uV when a a n d e d ;g o c r b e n d i n 7 progerLiee. Finishingz Accepl,efinieheevery well. fl. Weight 2b lb.lc',t. Price: ModeraLe.

CATALPA
(H) 6ot anical Name: CaLa Ipa apt:c rt:t a /,, co7r, at.lracltve vtor:d.oaLal2a t:' a l,n,':aatit',e-;",'rt:r:,:i orj ia i a eLi't.:: aa ey ta rvork with a vtavy I qt;re. I Ite't't,:: J\' y. Le c:ptn inerpertei,,,e. btL olLen di+Jictt to lini ctcal a lor qrain and exceear'ie aaflnea'afial.e tl L)1a.t-iar r.r, fr.trnilure Lhal wtllraae:e aeaq '.pe. F.r:ai'"lanl decay, iL ie tdea for r:tldor:r oar\'flQi. a q e - ; r c e . n d i a n - l t . a n t. r : r L r t ' O t h e r N a m e e :C a t a w b a . ern caLel?a. 5ourcet 1-).3./:. aeve., wa,"" Cha r a cleri sti c s : G e ner a|ly L) 1 qr ai n: m edi t m darl.er' caarae,evenLetLrr.i Iigl:f tan wii,ha 2ro':ninent qrowilt nnq fiqure. iremeeand qen' L.t r n i n q ,p i r : L t r e U e e e :C a b i n e l m a k t n q e r a lo r n a m e n l a u a e a . Workability Generally very qcod: may fray til'tencrr:ee' c t t : d u l l ec u L t e r s o n l ye l i q h t l y . t',cce2Lo finiaheevtel. Finiohingz Weight: 2b-32 lb. I cu. tL. ?ricezInexpenaive to moderale.

106
i: I It I

WOOD DIRECTORY

CEDAR, ALASKA YELLOW

(e)
b otanical Name;Cha maecy pa rie nooLkaLe nete A'taeka yellow ced,ar ie etableand remarLably reeisLanl to aecay, Likemoet, members of the cedarf amily, iI hae a dJeLincLive odorthat,f adeeae Ihe wooda4eo.Thie woodia not, abundantly available. TheIreee qrowtro60 lo ba feel;in heiqhtin Lheforest,e of Lhe?acificnorLhweef,, an) if,can take up tu ZaO yearefor them to reach marketable eize. Olher Names:Yellow cedar,?acificCoasLyellow cedar, nooLka falee cypreoe, yellow cy?re6e. Source:TacificCoasLof Norfh America. Characterisliae; SLraiqht, qratn; fineLerture;paleyellow. joinery. Uses:Furnilure, boat build,inq and veneers. WorkabilitytVeryqood:lowdullingof cutLere. Finiehinq: Acceptefinishee well. Weight:31 lb./cu. ft. TricetModerale.

CEDAR, AROMATIC
/.q\

OotanicalName:J uniperue virqiniana "cedar," Like mosLol,her Lreee known ae aromaLic cedar "cedar" ie nol boLanically a at,all.ln f acr., the Lreefrom which thie softwood comee ie a iuniper. 7uLIhe timber conNaine cedaroilandqivee offihefamiliar"cedai' ecenl that, is eaidto reVel moLhe.fheae two characleriettca are f,hereaeon whyLhewoodis frequently usedIo line cloeef,s and chesLe. Other Namee: Kedcedar, eaeLern red cedar,fenneeeee juniper, red cedar, SourceaCanada and eaEtern U.9.A. Characterielicsz 7Lraiqht,qrain;finetexLureireddiehbrowni boa rd e ofLen have knoLe and ba rk incluaione, Uaeo: Cawing,lininqo of cloeeLe and cheete, veneero and pencile. Workabilityt good,but briXtle: Generally may breakor chipwhen drilled,; mayeplit in nailinq. Finishin7: Acceplefiniehes well, except, for LurpenlinebaoedVroducf,e, WeighttSO lb./cu. fL. ?rice:lnexpensive.

'f ' 1 .'t :ll

':,\.1;iiF '.'..''

r i

WOOD DIRECTORY

RE,D WESTERN CEDAR,

(e)
botanical Name:Thujaplicata Lree, weet ern red, ced,ar can qrowLo ffiore A qrand-eized lL l nd x h a n1 5 O feetinheiqhL . i a o n eo l t h e l t q h t e ea for ouLdoor makinq it ideal mosLdurable eofLwoode, nngli4ureand, alLraclivecolor uoe.lte dielinct qrowLh veneer. value for panelinq and, aleoqiveiI eiqnificant, "knotty Thie are eoldae cedar." Eepecially knolty pieceo levele ie elow currenNheavy of epeciee lo reqeneraLe;if coneumpf,ion do noLabate, weelernredcedarcould become a rarewoodin Lhe21el Century, (U.3,A.); red, ced,ar Other Namea Gianl arborviLae (C ar (U.K.) eh Columbi a red,ced, anada): 9 ribi ; canoe-ceda r. 1ourceetCanada, l.e.A. qrainicoareelexLure. Characterietice: Straiqhf, exLerior millwork. furniture, boat buildinq, Ueesz Outd,oor qood:keepculLeroaharp. Workabilityz Generally well. FiniehinqAccepLe finiehee ft. Weiqht:23 lb.lcu. ?rice: ModeraLe.

WHITE CEDAR,
/41

B olanical Name: Thuja occ td enta lie Whtte cedar ie oooular in NorDhAmerica for if,e reeia' Lance lo decay. lt is ofl.en ueed far canoea,ehinqlee a n d o t h e r e x L e r i oa r p p l i c a t i o n e . W h i ln eo l e e p e c i a l l y etronq, the wood ie eaey Lo work and is wellauited objecle. Smal er Lreeeare ueed Lo out door d,ecoraLive f o r p o l e ea n d p o e t e . T h e w o o d i ee e l d o m f i q u r e d and, neverubea a9 veneer. almo1T, Other Names: Arbowilae, eaglern whiLecedar, ewamp cedar. Sourcea Canad,a and,U.3.4. CharaaNerielicezStratqh| 7rain: even terLure; liqht brown hearlwood; eapwood ie white; many knol,e commonly ?reoent,. fencinq. poele and d,ecoraLtve Ueea; 7oai, buildinq, Workability..Good. Finiohinq Accepte finieheewell. Weight;23 lb.lcu,ft. Tricet lnexpenoive.

i 108

WOOD DIRECTORY

CHACTACOTE
(H) 9otanical Name: 9ickinqia ealvadoreneie ChacLacote,a hardwoodlrom wellmanaqed eourcee, q r o w oi n l h e Y u c a t a n a n d C h i a p a i o reqiono of eoutheaef,ernMextcoand Selize.Seau|iful and eaoy f,a work, iL ie a wood, of inlenee color and olLen poeeeeeee a qorq e o u ef l a m e f i 7 u r e . l Li e r e c o m m e n d , e Ld o u e ea f i n i e h wiLh ulLravioleL ray proLecLanN, since iLe incredible hue fadee wiNhex?o6urelo f,he eun. Other Namea Chacahuante;Kedwood(Selize\ 9 ources: 9 out\ eaar, M ex'co, 3 elize. Charaateristiae: Fairly irreqularqrain;fine LexNure: hearLwood,: brilllanl crimson red; eapwood:crearn, Ueeq FurniLure, cabinelworkand Lurninq. WorkabilityzVery good, FiniehinryAccepf,efinieheswell. Weight: 40 -45 lb./cu. tt. ?riaet Mod,eraLe.

(H) OotanicalnametFrunueeeroLtna Extremely eLable when il camee Lo checkinq and warpinq,and excepLionally beautifu|black cherryia oneof NorLh America'e fineet, cabinef, woode, However,Nhere to a ?ronaunced, variance in colorbeLween ite eapwood and hearlwood, which can somef,imee be problemaNic. lf Lhetwo are ueedoide-by-eide, finiehed workmaydieplaya discrepancy in color, which willinNeneily ae the wood agee. A goodportionof black cherrywoodcont ainequrndeVoeiLe Lhrou7hout. AlLhouqh thie doeenot. eignificanr.ly affecI the lumber, it showe on veneero;1oqe wiLh qumare avoided exceaeive for veneers. Other nameat American cherry, rum cherry,whiekey cherry, wilA cherry, fruitwood. 5ourcee; Canada, U.9.A. CharacterislicetFineqrain;omooLh lexture; reddieh to deepred hearLwood. brown Us ea FurniLu re,f,u q, ca winq, joi r nin nery,mueical insf,rumenLo, boat interiorsand decoralive veneer.. Wo rkabil*y: Very good, : blunte cutli nq edqee moderat ely:qoodbendinq properLiee. Finiehing; Acceptefiniehes wet| Weight:36lb./cu. ft, TriaetModeraNe.

CHERRY, BLACK

WOOI) DII{EC'I'ORY

AME,RICAN CHESTNUT,
(H) Ootanical Name: Castanea cenlta[a dieeaeeknownae by a fun4t-te i'irt.ra ;r er.r"erninaLed -vle ma)onL'1 of chesLnul .ow corie. clteelntfi b tE6*', f r o n b a r n ea n ) ' o t h e r b u i l d i n q c i r o m r e , c y c l eL dt m b e r e the b qlL. )l hae a eo beenavailable ll,a-v Stre-dale irorr eLandtnqdead treee t'hai have beenaLLacled by "wormy :.naecle, eaE cheeLnut" is noneLhe Ihe ree,-t Ltrq s an atLreclive wood Lhat' retaine cAeaI'nut, cor,eidered for or,tldoor uee and makeeit' excellenL .eL.Nradurabt|Ny Or.her Namee: !\torrry cheeLnut',oweet cheaLnuL. ?ourcee: Canada ana Eaelern U.3.4,. Characterislics: Toroue qrowth rinqe reeulNin promipale brown. rtenLfiqure;coeree t,ey.rilrei lJseez Itc;1e o L a k e e ,g i c t u r e l r a m e s , f u r n i L u r ea n d ,e veaeera. deacraLlve WorkabiliNy Generally ea6y Lo work: ferroue mer.ale rnay otatn lhe wood blue:eplir'oeaeily;medium bendinq properLiee. finieheevery well. /^,ccepte Finishing': fL. Weighr,: 3a b.lct-t. \.e. ?rice: "loberaLe ta P\ ?c4a"

AMARILLO CHONTAQUIRO
(H) g o t a n i c a l N a m e z) . 1 | t , c ' | | amariio ie iot:nd:.t chonLaquiro t hara,f'eavy Limber, , tA l:razi. i n l l e t r o g i c a if o r e s l " o i 7 e r t .a abunaance wood,wiil a atrikinq fiqlre or boLr: t ie a beatft,ift-t I u m b e rU . .aA aca \l aa a and qaarLereawn platn'eawn ri 5p. ci. a |) es s er - kno\N e, Lhie 1 mah o4 a ny e obst tLr-tt fcr tae into l loft'h l'.merica to be exporr,ed beqinninq i n f t n el u r n i i u r e a n d c a b i n e L m a k i r : q . . al-tl c. O l h e r N a m e s : 3 t c u 2 i r oc S o u r c e : 3 o u L hA m e r i c a . rncaer' Characteristico: )LraiqhL to intedocLea4ratn', at ely coaroe Lo coar6e lexLLrei iqht t o dark.brout'n y ellowieh cr earn eapwood. hearLwood: aq nd a raaq. al con, abinet'maLtn U s e s :F u r n i t u r ec eLrucLionusee. doee naL t)r. or ehape tve)i. Workability:Generally,qoo,): vr ell. F i n i o h i n qA : c c e p t el t n t e h e e Weiqht: 5B lb.lcu.tL. ?rice: \,4oderate.

110

WOOD DIRECTORY

v(H) 6olanical Name:Dalber4ia retuea A durable, hardwood, cocobolo someinler?ae6egee6 eelinqworkinq properLiee.lN conLaina a nal,ural oilyeubof,ance f,haI noLonlywalerproofe Ihe wood,but makee iNveryeaeyto workand finieh.However, ile fine eawdueL may caueeitchinqand eneezing and, ofLen temporarily d,yeo t h e e k i no r a n q e . l t , i s r e c o m m e n d eN d oc o v e r expooed ekinwhen working with cocobolo. Other Nameo Granadillo (Mexico): Nicaraguan roeewood, qrendill. Source:WeeN coaeL of Cenbral America. Characterietico:Heaug, deneewood:otraiqhtlo irreqular grain;medium Lexlure: purple, oranqe, ruel and yellow colorwifh blackmarkinqe, d,arkening with exVosure Lo a deepred,d,ish oranae. Ueeo:Turning, knifehaidles, bruehbacke, t oolhanaws, inlaye and veneerg. galief acilory:eiqniticanL Workabilityt dullinq of cuttersi blad,ee ehould be exiremely eharp:reduce blade anqle for planing: verydifficult f,o qlue. FiniohinqAcceptsfinishes verywell. Wei1httOB lb./cu, ft. ?riae:Expenoive.

COCOBOLO N

(e)

C.YPRESS, BALD N)

Ootanical Name: Taxod rum d taLichum N o r m a l lfyo u n di n w e Lr e q i o n e a n d e w a m p eb ,ald cy?rees lumber io truly al homein waLer. ln f acL,iL ie ofLen usedin bridqee and docke, Old-qrowLh timber ie eignificantly moredecay-resieLant. Lhansecondgrow\hwood,thouqh bobh are coneidered ideal for o u L d o ou r e e .V a l u r e s l a n d s o f t h i e e p e c i e s are gcarce, becoming and ae gwarype are drained, iL te sufferingfrom a lose of habitat, whichwillmakeiI increaeingly rareao Limepaeeee, Daldcypreee occae^ionally yield,a intereelinq veneere and, panelinq. Olher Names Soulherncypre6e, ewam?cy?re6e, li dew aLercy?re6e,yellowcypr eoe, while cypr eee, red cypreee, blackcypreeo Source:3 ouLh eaeLern U,9.A. Charaaterietice: Straiqht,Train:oilytexture; yellowbrownto darkbrown. Uaeet chemical Joinery, vaLeand tanke,boaLbuildina. poleo, poeteand manyconetruclion applicatione. Workabilityt Generally qood:keepcutters sharp. Finiohing: AccepLa tinisheswell. w eight 2B-35 lb. / cu.tL. Trice:lnexpenoive.

111 l
l
.

. 1:

! l

WOOD DIRECTORY

DOUGLAS-FIR
(e)
7otanical Name: FEeudotouqa menzteeii ane of r,he moet wtdelyuee),woode in North America, , ouqlaa-fir a n d t A e c o n l i n e . I ' o m o e t p l e n t i l u le p e c i e eD ie htqhlyvaluedas a conetrucLionwood becauseol if'e etrenqth, eLiffneoe,moderaLewelqhl'and availabilityof wilhout't'he epelled, Iarqe eizetimbera, 1Lie f requenLly "Oouqlae iyphen ae fir," althouqh lL ie, in f acL, not' a fir or"falee hemaL all baL part of Lhe qenuo Teeudot'euqa, ock," Current ehorLaqeoof t'his umber are due more Lo if'6 prominenL loq1inqbans Nhanany real ecarc'tt'y.With qrowLh rinq fiqure, Douqlae-firaleo yieldear"traclive "/eneera ana ?tywaoa. ColumbiaVine,Oreqonpine,yellow Other Names: Srir"ieh ftr, red fir. Souraee; Canada, WeaLern U.3.4.,Europe. Characterieticat 3f,raiqhf'qrain; mediumlexLure: red' d,iehbrown:may be reeinoue. joinery, veneere ani a wide ranqe of Useet ?lywood,, c a'i o na, c o naLrucLio n a 2 p|| Workability: Oenerally qood',beLLerwit'h machine toole: aLely. blunLecuLLeremoAer finiehesfairly well, Finiehinq AccepNa

:w E,BONY
\,,^-)i)

(H)
7otanical Name: Dtoepyroo .pp. Lhefarned, e,e p e c t a l y A I e b o n yi e r a r e a n d e x p e n o i v e aI' one Iime. wae obta ned inLeneeblack ebonyv'thich, grimarilyfrorn )ndiaand )ri Lanka.Today,il e loun) in limited quantir.ieain areae ol Equatorial V'lesLAfri':a. A f r i c a n e b o n yi e q e n e r a l ye o l i d l - ) n l i kM e a c a e e a re b o n y , do N o r t h w t t h o u t e t r i p e eo r m o l L | n q . 3 h 1 p 2 e t black, iL ie uaed in the billet'e, America in ehorL hearLwooA Sawdustlrom ebonycan cauae finestwood oblecLe, reepiratory probleme. ebony,Ceylonebony, Olher Names: SaLulinau,lndian Africanebony,MaAaqaocarebony,Gabon ebonyetc., a c c o r d i " qt o c a ) n t r y o " o r q t . 9ourceq lndia,Sri lanka, Africa. Charaateristics: )enee wood with a coaroe I'exture; qrain: very d,arkbrownI'o b1ack. eLraiqht to inLerlocked, brueh backs,mueical inetrumenf'e,han' Ueee: Turninqa, ye n e e r b c u e e ,o c c a o i a n a l lv d l e o , i n l a y , b u l t ao f b i l l i a r d applicaLione. and other ht4hlydecoraNive W orkability : Diffic ulf,:dulle c ut ler s a ever ely: Vr e- bo r e for nailinq. Finiehinq AcceVte finieheewell. Weight 65lb.lcu, fL. ?rice:Very exVeneive,

Weighu,33lb.lcu.tt. lnexVeneive. ?rice:

rt2

WOOD DIRECTORY

l'ffil E,BONY, MACASSAR

(H) Botanical Name:Droepyroe opp. Macaeear ebony, unlike black ebony with iLeintenee iemulLicolore , a l lm d e e ph u e , ud e,u y o r el i q h tl h a n d a r k . in I,he 7oLhMacaeear ebony and, black ebony are ueed, fineel inlayand, work. Macaeaar ebony cabineL comee from a number of d,ifferent epeciee Nhatare all parLof Lheebony f amily: Nhere may be eomevariaLion in deneit o anor"her. Ly.Lext)reand, from onegiece a??earance wood, Olher Namea Calamander coromarlel(U.K.); qol d en e0 ony,marblew ood. 1ource3 : ot L h e a e tA a i a . Extrremely with verybrittle Characteriatica: denoe grain,buf,may be irreqular heafLwood,: moetlyetraiqhL dark brown to black, with or wawt fine,evenf.eKLurei liqht-brown ef,reaks. Lurninqo, bruehbacke, walkinq eLicke, Usea Cabinetwork, mueical inelrumenLe, inlay work, billiard cueeand deco' veneers: ral,ive saowood usedfor lool handlea. Workability:Very d,ifftcull';: exlremeblunting of cuLLere; or nailinq fe p r e - b o rfe u;n e u i t a b l or gluing. Finiahing: Acceptefiniehee verywell. Weightz 60 -bO lb, I cu.ft . Trice:Very expeneive.

ELM,WHITE

(H) 9otanical Name:Ulmue americana Whiteelmie Lhelarqeet. and arquably the moet. eLately Moreso than olher elme, elmof a1l. Lhiemajeelic lree waedevaet af,edby Dutchelmdiaeaoe ana iaaay tt i5 relarively difficultLo lind whiteelmlumber.Ihe wool,ie exI;remely eaeyto bendand ie moet,olLenueedLo make furniNure, When eliced on the quarLer, whiteelmproducee lov elyribb on-ef,rip ed veneere. Other Namest American elm,water elm,ewamp e\m qrayelm(Canada), (U.9.A.); orhamwooA, Souraesz Canada and, U.3.4. Charaaierietico: sLraightqrain,Lhouqh Uoually often inberl ocked: coa r ee f,eKLur e: lighf,,y ellowieh- brown color. boat. buildinq, o?arf,6 equipment. Usee:FurniLure, and decoraf,ive veneerS. qood:dullecuLtinqedqeemoderWorkabilityt Generally alely;goodbendinq buxprone Io warpinq. properLiee, Finiehing; AccepLo finiohea well. Weight:35lb.lcu. fL. Tricez lnexpeneive, to ecarciLy. but.increaoing d,ue

113

WOOD DIRECTORY

(H) Ootanical name: AaLrontu m 7raveolene SeauLifal, durable and etronq, qoncaloalvee eomef,imee bears a reeemblance f,o bolh roeewoodand Macaeaar ebony.II ie ueed, lor fine applicalionelikeknife handlee, billiardcue butt a, bruah back.e, and dampero in grand pianoo.SecauEeLhe tree has becomean endanqered qoncaloalvee ie difficult.Lofind in NorLh epecieo, America. lL ie availableprimarilyin veneere. Olher Name:Iiqerwood 5ourcer Srazil. Characteristice: Dense,very heavy wood; irceqular, int e rlocked,qr ai n: m edium LexLu r e: r ed dieh-br own marbled with black elreako: large variatione in color and qrain. Uses: FinefurniLure,cabineLmakinq, Lurninqand veneer6. Workability: Difficult: blunLecu|I;inq edqee moderately to eeverely; for nailing. Vre-bore Finiahing AcceVX.o finieheewell. Weight:59 lb.lcu.fL. Trice: Expeneive.

.N-; GONCALO AIVF,S Lv uv 'l>

HACKBERRY
(H) Ootanical Name: CelLtaocctdenta|te lackberry ie elaeLic, ehack-resi""tanL and eaey to bend, characf,erieLice iX eharee with elm and,aeh',iL ie ofLen uaed ae an aeh eubstitut e in Lhe farniLureindu""fry, HackberryLreee qrow to more fhan 1aO fueI Lall. All,hough moeL hackberryie ueed for conetraction, the wood'sdistinct,figure makeo if, an att racLivechoicefor g, cabineLwork veneer and,lurniLure. Olher Names: euqarberry, hack-f,ree,baeLard e m, net XleIree, beaverwood. Sourceet Eaelern U.3.A.and eouLhernCanada. Characteristics: lrregularqrain; moderalely coaree t exture: liqht brownwith yellowbande. Usest Furnif,ure, I?orlo equtpmenL, cabineAwork, plywooa and veneer?. Workability: Generally qood: dulle cuttero moderately: interlocked, qrain requireereduced planinqanqle;qood bendinqproVerLies, Finiahinq Accep|e ftniehea well:ea?eciallyaLLracLivein naLuralcolor. tNeight':40 lb.lcu.fL Tricet lnexpeneive.

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WOOD DIRECTORY

HICKORY
(H) 9otanical Name:Caryaepp. For ol;renqLh, hardneoa hickory ia the besL and flexibiliLy, commercially available woodin NorLh America. lL ie ueed for Loolhandlee, euchae axeeand, maule, eporL' and,for inTequiVmenL. iIe woodchiVe Even are ueeful: Ihey are in emokinq oflen uaed, meal. hickory, mockerOther NameetShaqbark piqnuthickory, nuLhickory, red hickory, whitehickory. A. 9 ource:Eaef,ern U.5. qrain, Charaoleristice: Normally buLcan be etraighL irreqular or wawi coaroet"exlure: brown to reddieh-brown he arlw ood; whitre eapw ood. furnilure, Ueee;SporLtnq equipmenL, benLwood chaire, handlee, eLrikinq and veneere. plywood Workability:DifficulL: blunLe cutLingedqeemoderaLely: qrain,reduce whenplaning irregular blade'e cutf,ing angle; veryqood, bendinq proVertieo. Finiohing: Acceptefiniehee wel| lb./cu. Weight:51 ft. ?rice:lnexpeneive.

HOLLY
(H) 6otanical NametIlexeoo. A clooe-qrained, whitewood, almoetr with vtrLually no viaible fiqure, holly io valued for inlaywork. Holly veneer, eubatiLulee for ebony.Very dyedblack, little of thie timberie cut,eachyear,makinq il a difficullwood Lo obtain. Spri7e of holly, however, with Lheirehinyleavee and red berries, are common Chrietmae decoralione. Olher Names:Whiteholly. Sources: Europe, U.9.4. and weelern Aeia. qrain;fine,evenlexLure: Characterielice:lrreqular whiLe Io grayioh-white; lo blueeLain. ?rane Uees:)rnaLe Lurninqe, musicalinof,rumenle, inlay, rnarquetry and veneere. Workabilit"y: Difficult:keeV cuNNing edqeovery oharV and reduce cuLbinq anqle of plane blade. Finiehing; AcceplefinieheE verywell. rN eightz35 -5O lb./ cu.ft . ?riae:Expeneive.

115

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WOOD DIRECTORY

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(H) ena ea courbaril 9otaniaal Namet Hym A etronq, hard wood, iatoba has shock-reEist'ance similarto ash and hickory, and i6 olLenueed qualitieo Althouqh a diffiin tool handleo and eporte equipment. glowwhen cult woodIo work, lat obalakee on a e?ecial lte bark is similarto that' of paperbirch it io planed, of iL are usedin canoe-makinq. and eheeNe courbaril, West lndian cuapinol, Olher Namee Amerelo, (U.9. A., U.K.); |oouet,etinkinqtoe (W eot,|ndieo): |ocuet, jut'aby, guapinol (CentralAmerica): iatai vermelho (Arazil): alqarrobo. and )outh America andtheWestlndies. SourcesrCentral qrain;medium to CharacteriEtiaaMootly int'erlocked ^almonre+Lo oranqebrownhearLwood coa?6eteKVu?ei to reddishbrown: with dark brownstreake,darkeninq oagw whiie t o oinkish ood. turnin4,tool handles, UeeetF urniiur",c)binetmakinq, froorin4, and veneero. o?ortin7equipment, Vanelinq Worl'abilityt Faia lough to sawi interlockedqrain hard moAeraNe bendinq to plane; poorfor nailinq; ?ro?erbiee. Finiehin1Accefio stains well,butdoesnot poliahto a hi7h-qlooofinioh. tNaighrz4B'56 lb./cu. tN. ?riaezModerate.

KINGWOOD SN) v(H)

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cearenaia 1ot aniaal Name; Dalberqta ie heavyand very kinqwood Likemost rceewoodo, Nhie Nimber was of ite reqalname, aLiraclive.Oeeewinq ueedin lhe finesLfurnilure built for LouieXIVand ie an endanqered LouisXV of France.Today,kingwood Thesmall e*remely ecarce. epecieo lhal is becominq find ueein reetoralionwork, amounf,o lhat are available finelurninqoand veneere. Violetwood, violetta (U.9.A.); Alher Nameez violete(brazil). 5ouraetOrazil. Characterislioez )traiqht qrain; line texlure: violel' yellow lo brown, dark violetand blacketripeeaqainet' viol d. eL-b r ownbackqr oun Turninq and veneero for inlayand marquetry. Useez qood;blunto lool and blade WorkabilltyrOenerally alely. cuthinq edgeemoder Finiahingl Aaaepto finishes well;well euit'edto a naturalwaxfinieh. 7O-75 lb. Weiglrf,r / cu. fN. ?rlcelVery expen6iv6.

,,

WOODDIRECTORY

WOODDIRECTORY

LIGNUMVITAEN (H)
Aotanical Namer Guaia cum officinale "wood ile namelor the vitae or of life"received Lignum eVecieo, oupVooedly curaf,ive qualilieeof its resin.Thie oneol t'he whichis extremely olow'qrowinq, producee timbere,and io virLually world'sheavieslcommercial This dueIo ito hiqhraeinconhent. self-lubricating and use,ao bearinqo makeait idealfor ito prinaiVal shafas,lor which there buohin7 blocksfor ehiVpropellor oubot'ilute. ie preoentlyno elfective oynNhebic Olher Nameerlronwood(U,5.A.);7uayaaanneqro,palo oanio (Cuba);bois de gaiac (Franae). 5ouraea Trooical America and Weet lndieo, Charact'erlEblaetHeavy,denoe woodi intarlocked, irrequ' to blaak. lar qrain:qraenioh-brov,n malleb heads,pulleyo and u)minqz. lJEes:Manne bearin4a, Worlability, Difficuli'; dulls autters moderawlg not ouitablefor qluinqunleaotreated frroL, Flniehing AcceVto finishes w ell. .' Weighb-77lb.lcu.ft, ?riaet,Very il?eneive. ,j,;i;l

MADRONE
(H) 9 otanical NamezArbutu a menzieeii Madrone varieogreatly in size,sometreeo reaching bnnchee somelirnee 125teeLin heiqhtwilh enormouo equarefeet.lt oLrelchinq aut overan area of IO,OOO which, thouqh diffiaultto t imber, offerea beauliful srnoothfinish.Smaller a remarkably dry,canbeqiven madronetimber often has burlqrowthoatit's baee; inf,ootunningveneers, these are frequently developed It ie also knownas one of r,he beat,sourceeof charcoal for makin1 6unpowden OhherNameal 7aoftic ma*rone,arbutuo, madrona. 9ourceat Canadaand western U.5.4. to irreqularq? aini fine,even Chalz,otnriallcet5t raigWb to deeVerred or brown. iet&urei palereddioh'yellow UeeszFinefurniture, htrninq ani decoraiiveveneero. Wo*abiltq6 9 atisf act'oryt blunto cutting edqeo r aiher eevar ely i mediumbandin 6 ?r o?efti es. FlnlehingzAcce?t o finishes well Waigltu48lb.lcu.ft. ?dcrltModerata.

WOODDIRECTORY

WOOD DIIIECTORY

HARD MAPLE,,
(H) Oolanical Name: Acer eaccharum f' denee wood, harA maple'eueea afLenLake advantaqe of ite reeiet,a.ceto wear and,abraaion.)i ie ueed in a includinq bowlinq a l l e y oa n d w i d er a n q eo f c o n o L r t c t i o n , an atlraclive liddleback dance floora. Olten poeeeeeinq lhe o r c u r l yf i q u r e ,L h i e i e a l e o l h e m a p l ew h i c hp r o d u c e e veneere. f arroue bird,'a-eye Other Names: Rock maple,euqar maple,whiLemaple m a p l e( 1 tt h e d i o t i n q u i e h i nq qr a i n ( e a p w o o d )b , ird'e-eye ie preaent). S o u r c e s :C a n a d a ,U . 3 . 4 . Char a ct'erist'i cot 3t rai7ht qrai n, o c c a eio nally c urly, wavy ia reddiehbrown: f\ne texLure:hearLwoad or bird'e-eye; eapwoodio whiLe, mueical furnilure, 6?arLo equiVment', Ueee: Turning, floorinQ, ood plyw inetrumenf,s,butcher'a block.e, and veneerg, Workabilit'y: Dttficult: blunle cutLing ed4ee mod,erately: pre-borefor nai inq:qood bendinqproVerLiea. Finiehing:Acceple finieheowe1l. Weighi 42lb.lcu.ft. ?rice: lnexpeneive lo moderaf,e, on fiqure. depend,ing

MYRTLE
(H) caltforntca botanical Name:Umbellularta for iLeclueLer and burlfiqareA wellknown Eopecta)ly lor ftnecrafLErnen myrLle io a favorif,e amonq veneerg, tt l lh ea ea e t r o n q aq n dm a r q u e L r y . W h cabinetnakin oncezeaeoned and warpin dryinq, Lendency lo check muchwear myrtleio a touqhwood, ableLo withet'and ie myrf'le turntnqwood, Aleoa preferred and, abuse. canaboticko, amanq frequenLly madeinlo bowla and, qoode. otherfine laurel, laurel, mounlain Alher Names:Californta bayrtree, epiceLree. I).3.4. 1ources; Oreqon and California, Ch aracl eristicotGenerallyoI raiqhLqrain,bul occa 5ionqol)enLanXoyellowieh-qreen, fineLexXure: allyirreqular; joinery, furniLure, cabineImakinq, panelf urninq, Uees; inq,and veneera. and quick' Fair:dullscuLtinqedqeeeeverely Workabilisyt l y :r e d u c e cutLing anqlefor p l a n t na qn d e h a V i n q . verywell. Acceptsfiniehee Finishing: ft. Weight:3b lb.lcu. ?rice:ModeraLe', burlio exVereive.

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WOOD DIRECTORY

(H) botanicalname;Quercue epp. Kedoak,l:he moEt. caffirnan oakvarieLy in North America, qrowa veryquickiy-youn q treeo olLena2rout a foot.a year.fhe wooA ia an al,lracliveand valuapte hardv,tood and,hae beenoneol Lhemoef,popularNor1h American oako' ueedin Europe eince LheearlylBLh Century. Il ie coneidered uneuiLable for exLerior work. Olher Names:NorLhern red oak,American red oak, Canadian red oak,qrayoak. Sources: Canada and eaeternU.3.A. Char acterietice; 7tr aiqht.qrain re: pink; coa ree texLu ieh-red color. Uses:Furniture, joinery, inLerior floorinq, Vlywood and veneerg. Workability: Generally qooii moderaLe blunlinqof cuLlere; moder ate ben dinq?ro? erLi ee, FiniahinqSatief actory:becauoe of openporee, iL ehould befilled, before anyfinishing or painLinq. Weight:40 lb./cu.fL ?ricet N4oderale.

OAK,RED

OAK,WHITE
(H) Ootanical Name: Quercue epp. Thie oak-a wood of uniqaeveroatility-prodacee Lhe fineeLoak veneerzand lumber,and ie very reej",t anL t o wear.Tieae qualiLiee maV.e it eiqnilicantlymore vallable Nhan red oak.7ut perhapeita moeL-valued property ie ",ublhe preeencein iLe cells of tylosee, a honeyconblike etance thaL makeeI;he wood waLerLiqhL and idealfor whiekeybarrela.Kecently,lheee barcelshave bequnLo be reuaed,red,ucinq the larqe drain on whtLeoak. for that purpoee, Other Namee: American while oak, burr oak, swamV while oak, cheotnJf,oak, overcuVoak, ewamp cheetnuL oak. Sourcee: Canada and l,).3.A, Characteriatice,t 1f,raiqht qr ain: moderately coaroe lexLure: liqhl Lan wif,h a yellowiehLint. joinery,cabinef,making, Ueea: FurniLure, boat buildinq, barrele,Vlywood and veneers. Workability: Good; pre-bore for nailinq:qood bendinqproperLiee. Finiahing;Accepte finioheawell. rNeight:47 lb.lcu.ft. ?rice: ModeraL.e.

r22

WOOD DIRECTORY

(H) Aotanical Name:)lea europaea caaot,European olivethe lr4ed,itrerranean Grownalonq wood tree,andyielde a fine,att'racLtve woodie a comely Thietree Lhat,ernitaa oweelscent.wheniL is worked,. in very for iLefruil and, oil.Available ie aleof amoua ia olivewood and prone Lo d,efecte, amallamounte, or cawedqoode emallLurned ofLen uaedto produce ie aomef imee anAiT' for salein EuroVe'e trourislmarket', veneer. cul inLo NametlNalian olivewood. Otcher Europe, Califarnia. 1ourcee;ltaly and, eouthern qraiwfiner'ex9Ir aiqhl' to irreqular Characteristicat wit'hd, arkereNr eake. f,ure;liqhL Lo dark brownbackqround work. carving and lnlay UeeetTurninq, d, t'houqhrelatively difficult' WorkabilityrGener ally goo to oaw. finiehee well. FiniohinqAcceVto lb.lcu.ft. Weight:5& TricetExpeneive

OLIVE,WOOD

(H) ooyauxii Ootanical Name: ?t;erocarpue ie exf,remely 6f,ronq, durable and slable. Africanpadauk than f,herareAndaman leeawellknown padauk, Thouqh well, is muchmoreavailable ana i6 Lrulya iL comparee ln eomeVarteof lhe handaome woodin iNe ownriqhL. ie commonly ueedfor floorinq, worldAfricanpadauk whereif,iE coneidered, of excepLional qualiNy: pad,auk for their beauty. veneera are no leasvalued camwood. barwood, Olher Namest7ad,ouk, Africa. 1ourcetWeet grain;moder' )traiqht' xo intrerlocked, Characleristiaet wif'h deepred to purple-brown alely coaroelexfrorei red et"reake. g, ha ng,joinery,lur nin etmakin Ueest Furnilure, cabin dlesand veneerg. WorkabiliNyz Good:dullscuttere eliqhlly. verywell. FiniohinyAcceplefinishee Weight:45lb./cu.tL. ?riaetModerate.

PADAUK, AFRICANN

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WOODDIRECTORY

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boLanical N a n f e : , i r ' ! I : , : r . r 1I. , :. r l - i r : t : : f ' . 1r . . : ; r ' ; : ; i i i i l l i . t i : , ' i . , ] . , , 1 r t t , i , ; . t i , " ' ' ' , ' . , . . i , r 1 . , r , : . l a f . t t : , . r , ; , t r j _ i r , L n t - ; , ' ,a 1j' l,' j a i : ) a : i ' t",,t:itt) .: r: .l ,, i, ,111,, ;,,.,,.,'i '-:i )l)a'a:t.a.t. at:' i..it,a.,.,,,',l.,fiaa: .\, ;r111t.1 ':', j t:tl' .),tft aa. l ritr f ilklti.'iitr: f ,il.al't tl't...1-lt'l.t' .j \,',,i1..: tr :r t )r - 'l.. l r a :d t . t . , : , f t , J : , . f ' , ' ' r . ' . . . : l ' : , 1 . t t - t l l.,lt , ) i t . , ' a ) \ \ t \ t ' . \ . : t 't)i:'.a)l:..\,\iaoa1 j',, ,1,,'t-rf ,al:f. ,rr,.r'a':.1i,l:-i t' l,:it--;f'a:t ,17,11 ',,;:, ,;i,i ri' ri;i../,ilf r l t , ' : a ' , , i ! : . 'l.f t l L r , r l t 1 l t e t t . ) a l a t \ , , a t . ) t : ) , . af.ii.'ia , " r . . : : i i l i r , l ' i ' l i r ' . : l f l , i - : i l : , t . , . . l , " i l - . r 1 . t - . , - , t l a : : l ] r : : aa ,,",aO'l' I ,.,.i..:,:t,.:.l , , r : . ., : - r . r . r t r a r . . l . i a : :iitl, 2 L t r r ' .^ r r : i O f l i _ r , . t t - l r c .i i . r 't i i ri ,-'1-.1. | .2t:) aari-,t qi.,t)t.il,t.. al at.i.:.ltqr.l.,. l)1..a);'tl):, i t i , : : ' . t l'lr. ; ' , [ l , t Otrher Nameg' t. .\,\aaL )a:a,aa,',^,,1Lar I : . i i . , r - \ / .i ) 'j . . ' , . t t ) i : a . 2 i . . i , ' l , 1 , fl t L t l . i t t [ . O 1 " r . i -tt)fi i).r,

PERSIMMON
(H) B o l a n i c a l N a r n e :. t.riaat1a,,'1 )1 .t , ' : , tr, ii r L , 4 r "
: . tZ t i : 1t.' , 1 , . ,r,.f i , r r i l i ' : . ' l i . , r r I . f:, -,: ril i' i ,, l r i l t " ! , : r i r r , , ' . , . ' ,, 1 : . . f i i ; , t 1 r i l 1 i , r j i ,i t ' r t : r t i l i f l t : r l - , ,i,r l : j r ' f r ' ,a.,.,, ,, it.t ii::.i Ir I -r: :.ffa t heal-1.',^,,ia,a :,t!:. . a ' ,N ) . , i J t a t ] ' : . i ' : l l r ' 1, i i r' i ' . : . : : : i '):l,' 1 i , , a i , - r ; 1 r ' , ' . a lI .n ar f, --rii']i--,'l..r rrl ir,.,i. -tt).. ': lr/]l ,i': l t 1 : i; , 1 ' 1 ,za)l'ir,i";,tina r L r ; ; l i t, ' : , i , [. . r ' r i : l ' i - l ] i r . l, t 1 , , ' , ; t ' ,. ; 1 . 1 ..,. ' . r .. I'i .l' l:ea,).. i,),:t-,a=i;r1;lly IirJLrrr. c2rt ltit,,it .ia all.,t a)aIt\.,a, r . , . ' r r . , l, 1 , I .- . r i r : . 1, .{ a"rr', . :r O l h e r N a m e g l : , o t t . , o o l , . ' r r a r ; r - ; , ; r ; , tr 1 . / . fl l / j : ': i 'j l t i f ' r , l ' ' . . ' r | i r i \ ' l . l q i f , t . a ; l ; f . c J l l 1 , L ; t r . f l.) flr:rittllfl .l' 9ourceg: i.,-'.r.";ra ;nr'i :,r-rrtlri: ,1.:p..ii. ' : i r a ' a l : i . . . rr t ' / : :I f t .r! .i!'aif il1-ri Characleristics: a t a a t i ' i l ' . t .a ir, r;ii-;'',1';. . la're lar'r. t:'of,\/N Or i:'rt:,t.|.:,'i..rt ,,k:,.,'.t),,j1)\\(.)t)) ,l-' tIi lrrr'.rjr,, U s e s : G o l ' t . . t b l ' , r a l z ,. t: '.i 1 l I oolrq atd 1't.r'r,ii,t.,r"e. .it,.,.1r'r ' r l t t t . t Ar : - . l l : - ,a , l t i1 W o r k a b i l i t y : ( i o r , t : : r a |1 . .!.a c , : . 1 r 1 r : , , , : ) a n q l t v ' , | - ' t n . } 1 t 1 a .i : ) p 5l r p r ' . ,f;r i , l ' a-ta {, radJat. ctri.r..inq n a r i n q : n , c t i i t , r ^ a - ,l.tc t i t ; \ n q ? i a i ) . i r i . . . : : . .i't, ( l ' t i , f i i . i . r - r , : r i : '...t. | . r, rr'v F i ni ohi n 6 : i', r:r: t-, 1tL.. "':,t i", t a r., !/a f r/r'

I'i

, i

tt l

' Sourceg: Characteristics: !:t.r: tt'i;. qt a -lct.li,ltoito,rt bi.:rfitl t1t t

l r.1t,'i;t;,, 4U , . . , , _ -rl fi l . i r j . , , . , a i r t,airf,.tfa: l.,r:.af )/: :,()i.)i.tta, '-::,:.t, :',.l'-) t' t )'r tl', . ),) l.rt,. a,'.i i ai r{'it it,at. :1 Uses:
' :

I l r t . , i f t r J . i ' r . ril. i I . r) t . a . i,. . ) a ) ' t i,,:.n)'te:t. rpor'l.e

I

t:.t-'f,,rta, iadtae Workability: iztr: i.:ar, )t.tt,t. eiqe!, ee',,t:rt.-lyt ,.'..';itr.,,:t,.)a t :t\A , \ , , , ) t .;.t.,l,t:.r , i r , q o r 1 | : l ; t p : n qt . r e ! ' . t a r o , r ' , ; i n " ',,a , : . : ll : t : , n ) i n q 2 r O p e i i e e . i t t ' a i - . ) . . i .i : : t r : i l t t r j ; ' , , 1 1 i1 Finiehing: W e i q h t : I ( , . ' i . , ir - ' . r : . ' i . . 7 ri c e'. i',,1 o ri : r'ial r:. r :.

:1. Wei7ht:7:2. I ct. i..

? rice: n ev.o en ai\ta I.i.) ft1odat' a i,r:).

, t

:i

,' 11

125

WOOD DIRECTORY

(e)

PINE,PONDEROSA

(e)

PINE,SOUTHERN YELLOW

OotanicalName:Finueponderoea t"heponderoea Oneof the mo6Laf,f,racf,ive pinee, qrowe acroeawegtern Norf,h America and eometimee makeo iLehome atrelevaf,ions of morethan 1O,OOO feeLin the K o c k i e eD . ecauee o f i L s r e s e m b l a n cie n c o l o ra n d texLure lo whiLe pine, ponderoea has increaeingly been usedas a eL)boLiLute for that wood, Tonderoea pineie eornetiffie. elicedinLoknoLIypineveneer, buLi|e primary ueeis in conelruclion and ae inLerior frim. Other Namee: 3iq Vin e, bir d'e-eye pin e, kn otty pin e, polepine, prickly yellow pine,weoLern pine. Sources: Canada and wesLern U,3.A. Characteristics:Wideliqhi-y ellowsapwood; darker yellow to reddieh-brown hearLwood: qenerally eilraight, qrain:eventexture. Usea Furnit,ure,turninq joinery ani cawinq(eapwood): and qen eral conelrucLi on (hearLw ood ): occa eionauy panelinq and veneers. Workability: Good;blunLs cuLLinq ed4eealiqhr,ly: ooor properl,iee. bendinq FiniohinqAcceVLo finiehee well,butdoes not etain ae well ae whibe pine. tNeighfr 32\b./cu.tL. Tricez lnexpeneive.

DotanicalName:Finueaoo. yellow 7ouf,hern pineie Lhe heavieet commercial eofLwoodand cerLainly of foremoetr im?o-ancefor the conef,rucf,ion and pulpinduef,nee. 7ut, becauee of the d e c r e a e i no gu p V l y of whitre p i n e , i l h a er e c e n t l y bequn to be usedexleneively in veneere,which are darkerand, markedby dieLinclgrowLh rinqe. Theee Lreeoaleo supVly lurVenLine p,i n eo i l a n d r e e i nu e e di n l h e c o e meNice induetry. Other Namea ?il,ch shorLleafpine,long pine, leaf pine,loblolly pineand several tree namee. of,her 5 ourcetI outhe aetern \J.3. A, Characteristics:SLraighL qrain:coareeNexf,ure; yellow-brown to reddieh-brown hearLwood. Uses: FurniNure, conetrucf,ion, plywood and veneers. Workabilityr Fair;high reeincontentwill cauaeqummy build-up on Loolo: LendeLo Learwhencrooecut.. Finiohing: AccepLo finishee fairly well;becauee of hi7hreein conhenL, finishee eomelimee bubble up,eeVecially aroundknole. Weight:3O-3B lb./ cu.lt . ?riae:lnexoeneive,

126

WOOD DIRECTORY

PINE, WHITE
(e)
9otanical Name:FtnueeLrobue workabilily WhiLe verealility, and non-reeinoue Vine'e naturemadeif,a preferred wood for both conolruclion lor cenf,uriee. EarlyAmerican seLllero and woodworking pine, puNtinq olLenhonored, Nhe whibe it,on the coloniee' f l a 4 d u r i n qI h e A m e n c a nK e v o l u t i o a nn d o n o t r h e r flaqe and coinethrouqh Lheyeare.l-)nforf"unalely, becauae of iLewideeVread uee,whitepinehae become g t r a n i ga r e qeneration ecarcera , lthouqh becona preeently maLlrinq. whiLe whiLe Olher Namee:EaeLern pine,norLhern pine, norLhern sofl pine,baleam pine, Quebec pine, Vine, whif,e Canadian pine. 1ources:Canada and, U.3.4. liqhtCharacterielicet)Lraiqht grain;even t exLure: y ellow rown he lo reddiah-b arLw ood. joinery, FurniLure, boat buildinq, Uses': conef,ruclion, plywood and veneere. Workability: Good;blunte cuLf,ere eliqhf,ly; poorbendinq propertieg; too sofLfor somefurnilure uses. Finiehing: Acceptefinieheswell. Weight:28 lb.lcu.ft. Triaet lnexpenetve.

POPLAR, YELLOW
(H) 9otanical NameszLrriodend ron tulipifera Muchof the remaininq eupply of thie wood, reqarded ao valuable oneof lhe moeL timberein Ihe eaelernU.3.4. lieein the Appalachian Mounlaine. l-)eed, in ex\eneively |,hewoodie ueed, Europe tnf,heearlyl9OOs,Loday mainly in the l-).3. for a ranqe of woodworking applicaTheeapwood ie eometimes Nione andfor Vulp. called whilewood. Olher Nam es; Ca noe wood, xuliV popla r, tuliplree. Souraet U.3.4. Characterieliaa: Straiqht qrain;fine,even LeKLorei whif,e oapwood Lo pale-brown hearLwood wiLhgreen or darkbrown ef,reake. Uaeoz ery,f urnilu re, cabin elwo rk,muei cal ineLr u' J oin rYtent7, cawingand veneerg. Workabilityt Good:dullecu+vLere onlyeltqhtly. Finiehingz Accepbe finiehee well. ft. Weight:, 30-35 lb.Icu. Trice:lnexpeneive.

127

WOOD DIRE,CTORY

(H) DotanioalName* Cybiotax donnell-emit hii, -amithti eyn.Tabebu ia donnell Somelimee wronqly referred Lo ae"whilemahoqany," "blond" ie one of the fineetr cabineL woode in Vrimavera the world. Secauee of the depleLion of oupply,however, today iNio relatively hard to geL Thewoodie wellknown for ile beautifulliqht-colored veneere. OfIenLheyare elriped or havea handeome moLLled fiqure. Olher Nameo:Duranqa (Mexlco);)an Juan (Hondurae): (G al o bl a n c o u atem al a); c rLez ortez, c o blanco V (El Salvador). Source:CenLralAmerica. Charaateristiae; qrain;medium SLraiqhtto irregular Lo coar ee tefrure: y ellowieh-white to y ellowieh-brown, Ueeq Cabinetwork, fine furnitureand veneero. Wo rkabilityt Very good: moderale bending properLi ee. Finishingl. AccepLe finiehee verywell. Wei6ht: 3O-bB lb./ cu.fL ?riaez Expeneive.

PRIMAVERA N

PURPLEHEART
(H) gotaniaal Name: Feltogyneepp. A uniquely altraclive and durable hardwood and a challenge Lo workwiLh. Cuttinqcan be hampered by qum depoeiLe, which willeeep ouLof Lhewoodif iI io heahei wiLhbluntcuttinq ed,geo. Sladee, Lherelore, mueN be keVN exlremely eharp, and woodehould be run elowly throuqhmachines. While Lhewoodie purple,lheee qum deposiLs can ranqe from coalblacktowhile,and olten etreakthewood. Ot,h er Na mee:Amaranth, violelw ood ( U. 3.A.); eakavalli, oaka,koroboreli (Guyana); roxo, nazareno (Venezuela): ?au amaranNe (Orazil): (Colombia). Lananeo ?auroxo, 5ouraeet CenLral and 9ouLhAmerica. Charaateristiaet StraiqhLqrain;moderateto coarae Lerture:deeppurVle, maburinq Lo a rich brownafLer lonqexpoeure. Uses:Veneers, turninq,indoorand outdoor,furniture, tool ehafls and handlee, and butls of billiard cues. Workabilibyt )ifficult: moderaLe t o eeverebluntin4;preborefor nailinq; propertiee. moderaLe bending Finiohing; Acceptefiniehes well:lacoruer pur?reoeNeo plecolor:alcoholbased finiEhee remove lhe color. Weightz 54lb./cu.fL. Trice:Moderate.

WOODDIRECTORY

REDWOOD, CALIFORNIA
gotanical Name: I equoi a eempervi rene ThetascinalinqCalifornia qrowoto an incrediredwood bleeize.NaIiveto coaslal California and )reqon, it io capable of reachinq wellover3OOfeex in heiqhN and oneLreemayyieldlhoueandeof boardfeet of lumber, Allhouqheuppliee of this woodhavebeeneeriouely redwood depleted, can eomelimesstill be acquiredin ertremelywideplanko. Thewoodie noted for ito stabiliIy, durabiliLy and resisLance to decay:ito larqeburle are cul inlo veneers. Olher Namet Redwood, SouraetWestcoast of U.9,A. Charaoteriatioez?traight qraini fine, eventexf,uretaeep reddish-brown. Ueea Joinery,furniture, Vooto,panelin4, ?lwood and veneere, and muchliqht ouldoor con;lruction. Workabiliiy: Good:dulls cuttera only sli4htly:moAerate bendin7 properliee. Finiehin6zAccegta fi nishee well. Wei6ht;26lb./cu.ft, ?ricet lnexpengive to moAerale,

(e)

ROSEWOOD, HONDURAS N) (H)

6otanical Name; Da Iberqi a eteveneonii Thiehard,heavy, durable rosewood ie primarily valued in lhe makinq of marimba bareand qrowsonly ln Selize, lhe formerDritishHondurae. Ao euppliee are verylimited,iLs other mainuseeare confined to fine cabinelwork, marquelry andlurned iteme.1ome epecimene are very oilyand willnottake a hiqhnaturalpolieh. Other Namet Naqaed. 5ourcet 1elize. Characteristicst3t r aiqhLIo somewhal, streaked finetexLurctpinkieh-brown t o purple 6rain:moderately with dark,irre4ular linee, 6rain Uaes:MueicalineNruments, veneero for fine aabinetworkand Lurning, Workability. Fair,toughlo machine becauee of hardnesaiseverely dullocuLtingedqee: poorbendinq ?ro?ertiea. Finiahin1z Accepto finishes well,Vrovided the wood io nottroo oily. Weight:60 lb./cu.fL. ?rlcet Exoensive.

WOOD DIRECTORY

WOOD DIRECTORY

SASSAFRAS
(H) 7otanioal Name: 7aeeafrae albidum S a s e a f r a a .a m e m b e ro l L h e e a m el a m i l y a e c i n n a m o n , ie beel knownfor it e fraqranl oil, ueed lor flavorinq and ocentinq,and Lhe Nea made from iLe roof, barK. \Nhile e t m i l a ri n c o l o r ,q r a t na n d L e x L u r e t o b l a c ka o h , aaeealrae Limber ie briLtle an), aoft and ie ee dorn in larqe aizee.ILe decay reeietanceand reaoavailab)e nance rnakeiL an alLractive choicefor eorneepeciAt z e da p p l i c a t i o n e . Olher Names: Cinnamon wood,red aasaafrae,qumbofile. Source: EaeLernU.e.A. Charact erieiice: 7Xraiqht. qrain; coar ee f,exture: ljqhL io darkbrown. Uees: Aoar"buildinq, kayak Vad,dleo, conlainere,furnitJre and,mueical ineLrarYentg. Workability: Fair: wood is briLLleand eofL, oo keep tool edges very eharV:pre-borefor nailinqLoavoid eplittinq: qood bendinqproperLiee, Finishing:AccepLefinieheewell. Weight:2b lb,lcu,ft. Tricet lnexpeneive f,o moderate.

SATINWOOD, CEYLON .,
(H) Ootanical Nam e: ChIo roxyIo n ewieLen ta Ihouqh Lhe name eaLinvtood hae beenqivent"o many world Limbero,CeyloneaLinwood le one ol very few that h a v ef o u n d o i q n i f i c a n L u a e i n N o r t h A m e r i c a .) l h a e b e e na e e d i n f i n e w o o d w o r k i na qn d c a b i n e L m a k i nf q or cenluriee, b u LL o d a y t a v a l u e dm a i n l yf o r i t e e t l n n i n q veneere-ea?eciallyIhe f amoue bee'o-winq rnot;Lle. )n aoliAforrn it qenerallyie ueed lor fine Lurned qoode euch ae brush backa,reaordereand inlay v',ark. Olher Names: Eaet lndian eattnwood.'yeltow eanAere; ( . 3 r iL a n k a ) . (lndia): billum , aahwal Ceylon oaLinwood S o u r c e s :l n d i aa n d 3 r i L a n k a . Char a cterieli cs : Inle d ocked qr ai n; f ine, eve n *'exLLl r ei liqhtyellowLo qold. U e e a tC a b i n e L m a k i nfq u,r n i t u r e ,L u r n i n qj,o i n e r ya n d decoralive veneere. Workability:)ifficult: qrain lende ta tear in planing quarLerb qood bendinggrapertiea. awn maLerial: Finiehinq AccepLofinieheewellwhenfilled, Weightt 6l lb.lcu. ft. Tricet Expeneive.

13r

WOOD DIRECTORY

J \:X (H) gotanical Names:Fiet inera7uianenoio. eyn.Droeimum 4uianenbio lLomarktnqo, which reeemble thoeeon enakeektn, qive r.hte emall, relaLively raretimberile name. Found in limiNed in Guyana quantitiee and Surirtarn, it.ie predominanlly ueedin Lurneditemsand carriesa cerLain cachel . A enakewood canear umbrella,lor insf,ance, miqhL be poeseeeion. considered a orecioue Secause of iLshardnese, ie verydifficultto work. enakewood, Olher Namee:Lelterwood, leopardwood, epeckled wooa. SouraetSouLh America. Characteristiaot Straiqh| qraln;fine,even Lextrure; deepredLo reddieh-brown wiLhirreqular, horizonLal blackmarkinqe. Fine violin Usesz turnedqood,e, bowe, knifehandlee, marquetry and veneers. Workabilityz Difficult:d,ullo cutt inq ed,qee. FiniehinqAccepr"o finiahes well. W e i g h tB ; 1lb./cu.fL. TricetVerv exzenoive.

,N SNAKEWOOD

SPANISH CEDAR

(H) Ootanical Name:Cedrelaeoo. A.lLhouqh many opecieo are markeled unAer f,hename Spanieh cedar, the moel imporLanL inLheNorLh American woodLrade, qrowein CenlralAmerica Cedrela mexicana, and Mexico. Exlremely in iLenativeregion lor ito eLabiliby, Vrized weatrhering qualitiee and relatrive eLrenqth, iNie expor1ed on "cedare," a verylimiLed, scale.Like olher this hardwood will Lhesenses arouoe witha pleaeanl, aroma. Olher Names;Srazilian cedar,Hondurae cedar, cedro, rouqe. ced,ro Mexico, Sourcesz Central and SouthAmerica. eristiae;)tr aiqht,occaeion Charaat allyinf,erl ocke d, qrain: fineLo coarse, Lexf,urei uneven pinkieh-to reddtsh-brown hearLwood, darkenewif,h expoaure lo a deeeerred,occaeionally wilh a purple Nint:eaVwood ia whit,e f,o Vink. joinery, Usea:Furniture, cabinef,work, boal building, muaical inetrruntente,lead pencile, ciqarboxee, plywood, and decoraveneere. T,Me good: Workability: Generally difficulttroboreand veneere may goodbendinq tend to bewoolly in cuLLing; properLiee. FiniehinryFaicwood conlaine oilsandqumwhich maybetroubleeome,bu|if filled, rt canbebroughtto a emoothfrniah, fL. Weightt 3O lb.lcu. Tricez VoderaLe.

N)

:ir'

i$r
il

$.1

ki

ffi*

WOOD DIRECTORY

(e)
C,iVa

SPRUCE, SITKA
Ootanical Name: Ttcea eitchenato

AMERICAN SYCAMORE,
(H) Ootanical Name:FIaLanuo occtd enLa Ite Arowing to heighle lhat tropZaO fuet,thie opeciea and f,ulip are r.helargeolhard,woode in eaelernNor|h 2oplar America.With iIE liqh|qreenleh-gray American bark, lycarAore ie a prominentr in anyforeoi,and ie ?reeence eomeLimes called the qhoallree.When quarLereawn, Lhietimber?abaeaoee fleckfiqure. a d,iolinctive Ueed, to gycaorcre a qrear eKterLin furnilure,Arnericar occa6oaallyia roLary culfor veneer6. planeNree, plane Other Nameet American buLLonwood, water beech. f,ree, 9ouraeet Easf,ern and centralU,3.4. Characterieliaa etraiqhl qrain:fine, Ueually even f,exture: pale reddieh-brown. Ueea Furnibure, buXcher's veneere, blacke, and, 1oinery, qood:may bindon eaws', Workabililoyt Generally mainlain v e r yo h a r p c u t t i n qe d g e e : h i 7o hh r i n k a q e w i a lh tendency to war?. Finiohin1AccepNo finiehee well. tNeightt 35lb./cu.fL. TricetlnexVeneive.

, - -'- a -n rr r e l h e l a r n e a l a n e e i e a a f a a . t e e r-a-n ' , row marethan ZaO feeLhighwiLh d,iametera exceed,inq eix feet,. Albhouqh it.ie probably mooL valued lor newepaper prod,ucLion becauee of iLewhiLeneee,ite etrenqthand workabiliLy rnake iLa favorilein wood,workinq an) conoLrucLion.lL io alooa veryrezonant woodand ie widely ueedtnall typeoof otrinqand keyboard inef,rumenls. SiLka eoruce ie olLenauarLereawn. Other Namesz 1ilvere?ruce, eeq,-toia eilver ep'uce, tideg?ruce, )ande2ruce, Menzies o?ruce, coael, we6f,ern g?ruce andwesl coaoLo?ruce. 5ources:Canada. U.K. and U.9.4. qrain;med,ium, Characteriaticot SLraiqhL even lexfure: whibe Lo yellowieh-brown wiNh tinge.Very a eliqhL Vinkioh qth-t o-weiqht,rabi hiqh etr en o. UaeatlnNerior muaical ineNrumenr,a, boat build1oinery, qlidero, inq,oare,rowing eculla, conotrucLion plywood, and veneers. propertiee. Workability: Good:ver! qood, bendinq FiniehinqAcceptefiniehee well. W e i g h t ; 2 bl b . l c u . f t . ?riaetMod,eraf,e.

WOODDIRECTORY

WOOD DIRECTORY

TULIPWOOD

(H) Ootanical Name: Dalberqiafruteacena Thieie an extremely valuable limber,liqhterin colorlhan normally smallcultinqo any olher rosewood, availablein it qrow6very olowly only.Likeall rosewoods, and needs r,op-qualitycolor. for the heaibwood io develoV cenNurieo 1ecauee i6 not,uoually of ita pooravailability,tulipwood for inlayon frnepieaeo. ueedin eolidform, bul ae veneer Whenit, is worked, this woodt ends tn oplinf,er antd,like qiveooff afraqirant'aroma. manyof the rosewood^, Ath er Namea b razili an pinkw ood, pinkw ood ( U. 9.A,); pau de fuoo,jacaranda rosa (Orazil), 9ourae:5outh America. t*xhure: Charao't'enetlcat lrre4ular4raint meAium-frne rich qolden-pinkioh hue with salmonto red otripeo. j;auelryboxeo, Uaeal Turnin6,brush backs,woodware, marimbakoyo, cabinztwork,inlay work,inlaid bandin1o, decorativeveneersfor inlay workand marquetry and antioLue reVaire. Workablf fty: Difficult; extreme dullinqof cuttnr6: ?re borefor nailinq. Finfahing: As6ePo frniahesvery wallicah be brouqbb w ahigh naturalpolloh. WeQltu65lb./cu.fr,

N)

WALNUT, BLACK
(H) 6otanical namet Juglane niqra Owin4to itreqreatbeauty and 4oodworkinq characlerisLice, blackwalnutr is oneol Lhemool valuable naLive woode in Norbh America, times,it e wide 1incecolonial ranqeof figureahas qracedLhefinee| American cabinetwork.Alxhouqh known for iLeworkability, walnutdoee juqlone, aontain a chernical believed to caueedermatitie in gomewoodworkerg. NameetAmericanblackwalnut,American OI,her walnul, Virqinia walnut(U.K.); walnui, walnuf. Canadian 5ources; EaeNern U,9.4.and Ontario,Canada. CharacterielicslTouqhwoodof rnedium deneity;4enerallyoiraiqht qrain:medium coareeNexlure; dark brown tn purVliahblack. interior joinery,cabiUaeotFinefurnil,ure,qunof,ocke, muoical inslrumenls, nobmakinq, t urninq, boai buildinq, and veneere. clockcaeee, carving, panelinq ?Wood, qood iiy: Good; blunts cuttere moderaNely; Workabif bendinqproperlieo, Accefio nal,uralwoodfrnishesee?ecially Flniehingz well. WeQhtl40 lb.lcu.ft. ?naezModerata

.]

WOOD DIRECTORY

WE,NGE,"..
(H) 9otanical Name: MilleLl,ta elp, t', eLronq.lteavy",laravtrtod, vtenqe offere a f amiliar combinati:n lo Lle vtoodvtorV.er. )L ie difficllL Lo work, bul A e t i q h l f ul o o o ? a . L . a r i q i n a t t n q f r o ma L r e e o f m o d e r a"te.ize, Lh e dee2 crovn and blackwood can offer distincLiveveneer. vtit"h characleriotic ItqhLetreake of a -"reelieeae involved in food eLoraqeand, 2arenchyrna, con6um?Lio..For beoLreautLe, wenqeehoula be worked V'/ia.t), very 'f)ar? Cl,Ller7, Other Namee: Dikela, mibotu, African palieander. 9 o u r c ee: 7 oru aio r tal Al ric a (Ca rner oo n, G abo n, Zair e). Characteristico: Heavy,denee wood:etratqht 7rain; coarae LextJre: dark brown wiLh blackiehveinoand, eomeliffiee eLreaked w i L hf i n e . l i q h L b r o w n1 i n e a . Uaee: Twninq, inLeriorand exLerior joinery,cabinef,rnak'.1q. ve('eerq. ear'eirq atd deco'ar.lve WorkabilitytGenerallyqoad; blunte cuLtinq edqeo rapid, 1y:pre-borelor nailinq;poor bendingproVerLiee. Finiohing:SatielacLoryt mu.JL be filledlor qood reeulto. W e i g h L : 5 5l b . l c ut ,L. ?rice: lloderaLe.

WILLOW
(H) gotanical Name:)alix ni7ra While iIe Euro2ean c o u a i ni e u e e dm o e f , noLably tn crickeL baLe, black willow i s m o e Lf r e q u e n t l y u e e di n NorLhAmericaby echool woodworkinq ehope: iL ie LAe moel commercially valuab)e of lhe moreLhan1Oatypee o f n a l i v eN o r L h American willowe . i l l o w 'e L r e n q L h W and, relative liqhtneee m a k ei t ,L h ec l e a rc h o i c e for a r t i f i c i al i m b e . Other Name:3lackWillow. Sources Canad,a, Eaef,ern U.9.A, and Mexico. Characteristiaer Liqht, Louqh wood; otraiqht, grain; fine t eKLu re; qrayieh- br own with r eddieh- brown eNr eaks. Ueea ArLifi cial limba, t oye, wicke rwo rk,ba skete,boxe e, craf,eo, decor aLiv e ven eero. Workability: SaLief actory: mainLain ehar?cLttteraf.o ent,f rayinq: poor bendinq properf,i ee: ofLenconL aine ?rev reacLion waod. Finiahinq Acceptefinishee wel| Weight:26lb,/cu f t.. ?ricetlnexpeneive.

r36

WOODDIRECTORY

ZEBRAWOOD N) (H)
9 otaniaal Name: Microberlinia brazzavi ||enaie OiehincLive in appearance, zebrawood from Lwo comee opeciee of larqeNreee foundmainly in Cameroon and Gabon,Wes| Af rica.Whil e il ie ueu ally eeena6 a veneer ir NorthAmerica, when quarLersawn lhis Nimber can givebeaulifulresulte in eolidform.kbrawood ie difficult Nowork,however, and veneers tend Nobefragile. Other Names:Zinqana(France, Gabon):Allen ele, amouk(Camercon): zebrano. Source;West Africa. Charao.t erietiaoz Wavyto interlocked grain;medium to paleyellow coa?oe teKVurei hearLwood, brownwilh lhin darkerstreaks;eapwood white. Uoeoz Turninq, tool handles, ekio,inlay, furniLure, cabineLwork and decorativ e venee(6. Workabili?y: Fair:dulls cuttinq edqeomoderately: interlocked {ain willtend to leari suffersfrom hiqh ohrinkaqe and may be unslablein use.Flal-aut boarde hardlo dry. Finiahingz Faic may be difficult,to finieh becauseof inLerlocked 6rain. Weightz45-50 lb,/cu. fL, ?ficetExoensiva.

ZIRICOTE
(H) Ootanical Name;Cordiadodecandra A ehunninq, darkwood, ziricoleio eaeytroworkanI can be broughttoa veryemooLh finieh,fhough difficulLNo dry, onceNhisie achieved it ia relabively etableand hiqhly durable. Likebocote, ziricoteie a Cenbral American member of the cordias. Thetwo woodo are,in f act, quite eimilar, differing mainly in color, Olher Name:Cordia, 5 ourcesz Belize, Mexi co. Characteristiaa: Sbraightqrain,medium Nomoderately finetexlure; black, gray or dark brown with blackebreake. Us e s t Fu rn i t ur e , ca b i n e I wo r k , in t e r io r j o i ner y and veneers. Very qood:liLllebluntingof cutLers. Workabilityr FiniohinglAccepte tinieh well. Weightz45-50 lb./ cu. fN. TricetExpenaive.

GLOSSARY
A-B Absolute humiditv: A measure of the weightof watervairorper unit volume ofair, usuallyexpressed asgrainsper cubicfoot; see relative humidity. Air-dried lumber: Dried lumberthat hasreached its equilibrium moisture contentby exposure to the air. Angiosperm:Belonging to the botanical sub-phylumor group ofwoody plantsthat haveencapsulated seeds suchasa walnut or acorn:includes all hardwoodtreespecies. Annual growth ring: Thevisiblelayer of growththat a treeputson in a single year, includingthe earlywood andthe latewood; seen in the endgrain ofwood. Bark The outermostlayerof a tree's trunk that protects the innerwood and cambiumfrom the elements; composed of the outer,deadcork and the inner,living phloem. Bird's-eye figure Figureon plainsawn and rotary-cutsurfaces ofa few species of wood-most commonly maple-exhibiting numerous small, roundedareas resembling birds' eyes; caused by localfiber distortions. Blister figure: Figureon plainsawn or rotary-cutsurfaces that lookslike various-sized elevated and depressed areas of roundedcontour. Boardfoot A unit of wood volume measurement equivalent to a pieceof wood I inch thick, 12incheswide and 12inches long. Bookmatch: In veneering, a decorative patternin which successive veneers in a flitch arearranged side-by-side in a mirror formation,like pages of an opened book. Boundwater:Moisturepresent in wood found within the cellwalls; see freewater. Bow:A lumberdefect in which a board is not flat alongits length.
Bucking: Crosscutting a tree into logs ofa desired length. Burl veneer: Highly decorative veneer taken from bulges or irregular growths that form on the trunks of some speciesand on the roots ofothers. Butt veneer: Veneercut from the area in a tree'strunk just abovethe roots; also known as stump veneer. C Cambium: A layer of actively growing tissue, one cell thick, between the phloem and the sapwood, which repeatedlydivides itselfto form new cells of both. Cant A log that has been debarked and sawn square in preparation for further cutting. Case hardening: A lumber defect resulting from drying a board too rapidly; the outer layersofa board are in compressionwhile the inner layersare in tension. Celft The smallestunit of wood structure, eachwith its own specialized function; cells include vessels, fibers, rays, and tracheids. Chedc A lumber defect in which splits develop lengthwise acrossthe growth rings during seasoning becauseof uneven shrinkage of wood. Clear: Describesa board facethat is free of defects. Common grade lumber: In softwood, lumber with conspicuous defectssuch as red or black knots and pith. Compression wood: Reactionwood formed on the undersidesofbranches and leaning or crooked stemsof softwood trees. Conifer: Any of several families of softwood trdesthat bear cones;see softwood. Crook A lumber defect where there is an edgewise deviation from end-to-end straightnessin a board. Crossband: In plywood with more than three plies, the veneersimmediately beneath the surface plies are oriented with a grain direction perpendicular to that of the surfaceplies. Cross grain: Generally, lumber in which the wood fibers deviate from the longitudinal axis of the board; seespiral grain. Cross section: A viewing plane in wood identification seenin the end grain of lumber, cut perpendicular to the axis of the tree trunk: also known as a transyerse section. Crotchveneer: Veneercut from the fork ofa tree trunk. Crown-cut veneer: Decorative veneer that is cut from flitches using the flatslicing method. Cup: A lumber defect in which the face of a board warps and assumes a cupJike shape. Curlygrain: Seewavy grain. Cuttinglish A list of the sizesof lumber neededfor a specificproject. D-E Deciduous: Any of severalfamilies of trees that shed their foliage annually; seehardwood. Defech Any abnormality or irregularity that lowers the commercial value of wood.by decreasingits strength or attectrng rts appearance;seewarp. Dendrochronology: The scienceof dating past events and changesin environmental conditions by comparative study of annual growth rings. Diamond match: In veneering, a decorative pattern formed when successive veneersfrom the same flitch, usually with a diagonal stripe figure, are arranged in a diamond shape. Diffuse-porous wood: Hardwoods in which the pores tend to be uniform in size and distribution throughout each annual growth ring.

138

GLOSSARY

Earlywood: The portion of the annual growth ring formed in the early part of the growing season;seelatetuood. Equilibrium moisture content The moisture content that wood eventually reacheswhen it is exposedto a given level of relative humidity and temperature. Extractive: Resinsand other substancesdeposited in the heartwood during a tree's growth that impart both color and resistanceto decay. F-G Faceveneer: Veneer used for the exposed surfacesin hardwood and softwood plywood. Fiber: A specific hardwood cell type, elongated with narrow ends and thick walls; contributes to the strength of the wood. Fiber saturation point (FSP):A condition in which wood cell cavities are free of all water, yet the cell walls remain fully saturated. Fiddlebadc An attractive figure resulting when wood with curly or wavy grain is quartersawn; commonly used in the manufacture of stringed instruments. Figure In the broadest sense,the distinctive pattern produced in a wood surfacebv the combination of annual growth rings, deviations from regular grain, rays,knots, and coloration. Finish gradelumber: Softwood lumber graded for appearance,not strength, seasoned to a moisture content of 15 percent or less;includes superior and prime categories. Firsts and seconds:The top or premium grade ofhardwood. Flat-slicedveneer: Veneer that is sliced offa log or a flitch with a veneerslicer. Flitch: A section ofa log cut to extract the best figure and yield ofveneers from a log; also known as a cant.

Free water: Moisture present in wood found inside the cell cavities;see bound water. Grade stamp: A stamp applied to most softwood and some hardwood lumber indicating the grade, strength properties, speciesof wood and the mill that manufactured it. Grain: Generally,the direction, size, arrangement, appearance,or quality of the elementsin wood or lumber; specifically, the alignment of wood fibers with respectto the axis of the tree trunk. Green lumber: Freshly sawn, unseasoned lumber having a moisture content abovethe fiber saturation point. Gymnosperm: A botanical sub-phylum or group of woody plants that have exposedseedslike a pine seed; includes all softwood tree species.

Hygroscopicity: The ability of a substanceto readily absorb, retain, and desorb moisture. Interlocked grain: Wood that features repeatedalternation ofleft- and righthand deviations of fibers from the axis ofthe tree trunk, usually over several growth rings; results in ribbon figure on quarter-sawn surfaces. Key: A master list of wood species used in identification, ordered by criteria such as gross anatomical features, macroscopic features,or microscopic teatures. IGln: A heated chamber used in drying lumber, veneer,or wood products where temperature, humiditS and air circulation are controlled. IGln-dried lumber: Lumber that has been dried to a specific moisture content. Knot: The baseof a branch or limb that has been overgrown by the expanding girth of the trunk or other portion ofthe tree. Latewood: The portion of the annual growth ring formed in the latter part of the growing season;seeearlywood. ksser-known species(LKS) : Woods recently introduced to the market, such as chactacote,tornillo and chontaquiro amarillo, many of which come from sourcesthat practice sustainable torest management. Linear foot A measurement referring only to the length of a piece of wood; seeboardfoot. Lumber: Logs that have been roughly sawn into timbers, resawn,planed and sawn to length. Lumber-core plywood: Plywood in which softwood and hardwood veneers are glued to a core of narrow, sawed lumber. Lumber ruler: A tool used to measure the board-foot volume of a piece of lumber with a flexible wooden shaft and a hook for turning boards.

H-r-J-K-r
Hardboard: A type of manufactured board with smoother surfaces than particleboard, made by breaking waste wood down into its individual fibers, mixing them with adhesives, and matforming them into a strong, homogenous panel. Hardwood: Generally, wood from angiosperm tree species. Headsaw: The large bandsaw or circular saw at a mill that cuts logs into large slabs of timber for resawing; also known as headrig. Heartwood: The dead, inner core of a tree extending from the pith to the sapwood, usually distinguishable from sapwood by its darker color. Herringbone match: In veneers,a decorative match createdwhen successive veneersfrom one flitch, usually with a diagonal stripe, are arranged to form a herringbone pattern. Humbolt undercut: A method of felling treeswhere a wedge is cut in the stump of a tree rather than in the upper log before it is felled.

r39

GLOSSARY

Luthier: A builder of stringed musical instruments such asviolins and guitars. M-N-O Macroscopic features: Referring to anatomical featuresof wood identification visible with low-power magnification, typically a 10x hand lens. Marquetry: Decorative inlay work done with veneers,metals or other materials. Medium density fiberboard (MDF) : A tFpe of tempered hardboard with a fine texture used in cabinetmaking. Moisture content: The amount of water contained in wood, expressed as a percentage ofthe weight ofthe ovendried wood. Mottled figure: A type of broken stripe figure with occasionalinterruptions of curly figure. Nominal sizs The rough-sawn commercial sizebywhich lumber is known and sold. Non-porouswood: Wood devoid of vessels, or pores; softwood. Oven-dried weighfi The constant weight of wood that has been dried in an oven at temperatures between 2l4o and22l" F. to a point where it no longer contains moisture. P-Q Parenchvma: Thin-walled cells in wood; reiponsible for the storage of carbohydr ates. Seeray. Particleboard: A tyoe of manufactured board made by breaking waste wood down into small particles, mixing them with adhesives, and extruding or mat-forming them into panels ofvarying thickness. Particleboard-core p\nuood: Plywood in which hardwood and softwood veneersare glued to a particleboard core for added strength.

Phloem: The inner bark. which distributes nutrients derived from photosynthesisin the leaves. Photosynthesis: A processby which plants synthesizecarbohydratesand other nutrients from water and minerals in the presenceofcholorphyll and sunlight. Phylum: A botanical group or class ofplants. Pitch pockeh A pocket found within the grain of some conifers, containing an accumulation of liquid or solid restn. Pith: The small, soft core occurring in the structural center ofa tree trunk. Plain-sawn lumber: Lumber that has been sawn so that the wide surfaces are tangential to the growth rings; also known as flat-sawn lumber when referring tb softwood; seequartersawn lumber. Plywood: A manufactured board consisting of an odd number of layers or Dliesof softwood or hardwood veneer;may also be made with a solid plywood. core, seelumber-core Pors A cross-sectionof a vesselas it appearson a transversesection of wood; see?esseL Porouswood: Wood that has vessels. or pores, large enough to be seenwith a hand lens; hardwood. Quarter-cut veneer: A veneer created by slicing a flitch to exposethe quartersawn surfaceof the wood. Quarter match: A decorative veneer pattern createdby arranging successive veneersfrom the same flitch, usually with a burl or crotch figure in a circular or oval formation; also known as fourway centerand butt.

Quartersawn lumber: Lumber that has been sawn so that the wide surfacesintersect the growth rings, at anglesbetween 45oand 90o;also known as vertical-grained lumber when referring to softwood; seealso plain-sawnlumber. Quilted figure: A distinctive, blisterlike figure found in bigleaf maple. R Radial section: A viewing plane in wood identification cut acrossthe grain perpendicular to the growth rings and parallel to the wood rays; the plane that extendsalong the axis of the tree trunk from pith to bark. Radial shrinkage Shrinkage that occurs acrossthe growth rings as wood dries. Ray: A ribbon-shaped strand of cells extending acrossthe grain from pith to bark that appearas streal$ on quartersawn surfaces:sometimesreferredto as medullary ray. Reaction wood: A lumber defect causedby stresses in leaning tree trunks and limbs; known as compression wood in softwood, and tension wood in hardwood; characterizedby compressedgrowth rings and silvery, lifelesscolor. Relative humidity: The ratio of the water vapor present in the air to the amount that the air would hold at its saturation point, usually expressed as a percentage figure; seeabsolute humidity. Resin canat Vertical passages between wood cells in conifers that conduct natural resins and pitch. Ribbon figure: Distinctive vertical bands ofvarying luster found on quartersawn boards of wood with interlocked grain. Riftsawn lumber: Lumber whose growth rings are at anglesbetween 30o and 60" to the board face;also known as bastard-sawnlumber.

140

GLOSSARY

Ring-porous wood: Hardwoods in which the pores are comparatively large at the beginning ofeach annual growth ring, and decrease in size toward the outer section of the ring, forming distinct zonesof earlywood and latewood. Roe figure: Figure formed by short stripes lessthan I foot in length, found on quartersawn surfacesof woods with interlocked grain. Rotary-cut veneer:A continuous sheet peeled from a log or flitch by rotating it on a lathe against a stationary knife. S-T-U Sap: The water in a tree, including any dissolved nutrients and extractives. Sapwood: The outer portion of a tree's trunk extending from the heartwood to the cambium; distinguishablefrom the heartwood by its lighter color. Sawyer: The person at a sawmill "read" whosejob it is to a log before it is cut and selectthe appropriate cutting patterns. Seasoning: The.process or technique . of removing moisture from greenwood to improve its workability. Selects:In softwood, defect-freelumber graded for clear appearancerather than strength, separatedinto firsts and second,C selectand D selectgrades. In hardwood, selectsis one grade below firsts and seconds. Semi-diffuse porous wood: Wood with pores exhibiting the clear distinction between earlywood and latewood that is lacking in diffrrse-porous wood, yet not so pronounced a difference as that shown by ring-porous wood; also known as semi-ring porous wood. Slipmatch: In veneering, a repeated decorativepattern createdby laying successive sheetsofveneer from a flitch side-by-side.

Softwood:Generally, species from the familiesof treesthat havea orimitive cellstructure, bearcones and for the mostpart haveneedle-like leaves; wood produced by softwoodtrees. Solarkiln: A kiln that drieslumber with solarenergy. Sound:Describes a boardfacefreeof defects that would weaken the wood. Specificgravity: The ratio of the weightof a wood sample to that of an equalvolumeof water.

Tensionwood: Reactionwood formed occasionaly on the upper side of branchesdnd leanin!br crooked stems of hardwood trees. Texture: Refersto the size ofthe cells in wood, indicatedby adjectives from fine to coarse;often'confused with grain. Tiacheid: Long, fibrous cells that conduct sap and help support the tree. Twist A defect causedby the turning or winding of the edges of the board, so that one corner twists out of plane.

Spermatophyte: Any of a phylum or groupofhigherplantsthat reproduce V-W-X-Y-Z by seed; includes almostall treespecies. Veneer: A thin layer or sheetof wood Spiral grain: A form of crossgrain caused by the spiralalienment of wood fibersin a staniing trei. Stain:A discoloration in wood caused by fungi, metals, or chemicals. 3/+Sticker:A pieceof wood, usually to l-inch thick,used to separate boards of lumber in a drying stackto permit arr crrculatron. SubstrateA pieceof plywood,softwood or hardwoodusedin veneering asa core. Surfacing: The waylumber hasbeen prepared at a mill beforeit goes to a lumberyard. Alsoknown asdressing.
Sustainable forest management The processof managing forest land to ensure future productivity and maximize the flow of forest products without placing undue strain on the physical and social environment. Thngential section: A viewing plane in wood identification cut along the grain tangentialto the growth rings;plainsawn lumber is sawn tangentially. Tangential shrinkage: Wood shrinkage that occurs tangentially to the growth rrngs. sawn,slicedor rotary cut from a log or flitch. Veneer-coreplywood: Plywood that consists of three or more plies ofveneers, eachlaid at right angles to each other with respectto graln direction.

Veneerpress:A commercialor shopbuilt pressused to apply veneersto substrates. VessehWood cells of comparatively large diameter found in hirdwoodi, set one atop the other to form a continuous tube for conducting water and sap up the trunk; when viewed in cross-section, vessels appearaspores. Warp: A lumber defect or distortion of a piece of wood; seebow, croolgcup, and, twtst. Wavy grain: Grain resulting from repeated,undulating right and left deviationsin the alignment of wood fibers from the axis 6f a tree's trunk; also known as cuily grain.

t41

INDEX
references in lralicsindicate Page an illustration of subiectmatter. in bold indicate Pagereferences a Build It Yourselfproject. 49 Gradestamps,48, PIywood, T2 Lumber: Grades; Plywood: Grading.See Grades Grain,26,28-29 24,25,33 Growth rings,.15, Gum (wood defect),5O 51 Sizes,42,48 Storage, 79 racks,89-92,95-97 storingwood to preserve its moisture content(ShopTip), 89 Surfacing/dressing, 43, 53-55 abo Manufacturedboards;Plywood See Lumberyards,4l Machineburn (wood defect),5l Manufactured boards, 56,57,76-77 SeealsoPlywood Microscopic examination, 3I-33 Mottle figure,26 National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA),46,47 Newsprint, 17

ABC

Air-dried (AD) lumber, 43,79, 87-88 American Lumber Standards Committee,48 Arno, Jon,l0-ll Aversdon, Sven,45 Bark, 15 Bird's-eyefigxe,27, 59 Blue stain (wood defect),50, 5l 42,43, 44 Board-foot measurement, 17,98 Botanical names, Build It Yourself: jigs, 39 Log crosscutting Solarkilns, 84-85 Veneer-trimmingjigs, 66 Burlfigure,27 59 Burl veneers, Butt veneers, 59 Cambium,14,i5 Cant,37-38 34 Centerfor Wood Anatomy Research, Common gradelumber, 45, 46,47, 48,49 Crotch veneers, 59 Cutting lists,44

HIIK
Hardboard,56,77 Hardwood,16,98 Grades,46-47 Identification,33 Plywood, 70,71,72,73 14, 15,25 Heartwood, Identificationkeys,34 35 InternationalWood Collectors Sociery34 figs: jigs, 39 Log crosscutting Veneer-trimmingjigs, 66 Jointing,53 Concave/convex surfaces, 55 Kiln-dried (KD) lumber, 43,78-79 Solarkilns, 84-85 Knots (wood defect),20, 50

PQRS
Particleboard,56,76 Phloem,15 Pith, 15,25 Plain-sawn lumbet 24-25 Shrinkage,24, 86 Planing,54 Grain,29 Plywood,56,57,70-71 Edgeconcealm ent, 74-75 shop-made edgebanding (Shop Tip),75 Grades,72-73 Plywoodcarrier (ShopTip),73 Storage holding plywood panelsagainst a wall (ShopTip), 93 racks,92-94 Temporaryplywood pallet (Shop Tip),94 Types,71 Poynter,Andrew, 8-9 lumber, 24-25,37 Quartersawn Shrinkage,24, 86 Rays, 15,25,31 Reactionwood,50, 52 Resincanals, 3.1, 33 Ribbon frgtre,27 Ring-porouswoods, 16,33 precautions, Safety front endpaper: Chain saws, front endpaper, 36 Sapwood, 14,-15 22-23,4l Sawmills, grade Select lumber,46,47,48,49 Sharp,]ohn, 6-7 ShopTips: Lumber carryinglumber by cat,42 checkinglumber for twist, 52 making a moisture indicator, 86 readingmoisture content in thick stock 83 storingwood to preserve its moisture content,89 straightening out an uneven edge,55

tM NO
Landscape fr9ure,26,27 Latewood, 15,16,31 Leaves, 16 42 Linear-footmeasurement, Linnaeus,Carl,17 Logs,13 Sawinginto lumber, 22-25,36-39 Squaring,37-38 jigs, 39 log crosscutting 87 Storage, Veneer-cutting,59,60-61 Lumber: Abbreviations, back endpaper Carryinglumber by car (ShopTip), 42 Defects, 20-2I,50-52 40,41,42,45 Grades, hardwood,46-47 softwood,48-49 Measurement, 42, 43 cutting lists,44 Moisturecontent,43,49,79,80-83 making a moistureindicator (ShopTip), 86 readingmoisturecontentin thick stock(ShopTip)83 its moisstoringwood to preserve ture content(ShopTip), 89 Purchasing, 42-43 Recycled,4l Sawingfrom logs,24-25,3G39 Seasoning, 43,50,7&79 air drying,43,79,87-88 solarkilns, 84-85 Selection,4l 24, 8082,86 Shrinkage/swelling,

DEFG
52 Defectivelumber, 20-21, 50SeealsoWarped stock Density.See Specificgravity Diffirse-porouswoods, 16 Dowels,95 43,50, 78-79 Drfttg processes, Air drying, 43,79,87-88 Solarkilns, 84-85 Earlywood,15, L6,37 Edgebanding: Plvwood,74 shop-madeedgebanding (ShopTip),75 Veneers, 64 trimming edgebanding (ShopTip), 64 Edge-grain sawnlumber. See lumber Quartersawn T2 Edgemarks, Endangered species, 98 lumber,46,47 FASgrade Fiberboard,56,77 Fibersaturationpoint (FSP),80 Fiddlebackfigure, 26, 27 Figure,2G27 Veneers, 59 Finishgrade lumber,48,49 Flat-cutveneers, 59 Flat-grained lumber. See Plainsawnlumber

r42

Plywood holding plywood panelsagainst a wall, 93 plywood carriet, T3 shop-made edgebanding, 75 temporaryplywood pallet,94 Veneers salvaging warpedveneer,62 trimming edgebanding, 64 veneeringa curvedsurface(Shop Tip),68 Softwood,16,33,98 Grades,4&49 Plywood, 70,71,72,73 Specific graity,27,28 Splits(wood defect),51 Stripedveneers, 59

TU
Through-and-throughsawnlumber, 24,37 Tools: Chain saws, 36 Lumber mills, 36 Moisturemeters,79,83 readingmoisture content in thick stock (ShopTip) 83 Veneering,63 Wood identification, 30 Seealsoligs Tracheids, 16,3l Trees: Anatomy, 14-15 Botanical names, 17,98 Conservation, 7,98 Felling,front endpaper, I8-22 Industrialuses, l7 Twisting. SeeWarped stock

VWXYZ
Veneers, 57-58 Application, 63-68 trimming edgebanding (Shop Tip),64 veneeringa curvedsurface(Shop Tip),68 veneer-trimmingjigs, 65 Cutting bandsaws,6l-62 from logs, 59,60-6I Decorativepatterns,69 Salvaging warpedveneer(Shop Tip),62 Warped stock,50, 5l Checkinglumber for twist (Shop Tip),52 Salvaging, 53,54-55 salvaging warpedveneer(Shop Tip),62 straightening out an unevenedge (ShopTip), 55 Woods,13 Color,26,33 Figure,27

Grain,26,28-29 Identification,7, 3035 Luster, 33 Odot27,33 Species African mahogany, 27, 120 African padauk,123 afrormosia,99 agba,99 Alaskayellow cedar,82, 107 alder, 100 amburana,100 Americanchestnut, /I0 Americansycamore, 82,87, 133 aromatic cedar,107 ash,82, 87, 101 avodir6,58, 102 bald cypress, 111 balsa,102 basswood, 82,87, 103 bayo,103 beech,59, 82,87,104 birch, 104 blackash,I0I black cherry, 82,87, 109 blackwalnut,58,82,87, 135 blackwillow, 82, 136 bocote,I05 Brazlian rosewood,I 7, 58, 98 bubinga,105 butternut,82,87, 106 California r edwood.,129 Carpathianelm,27,58, 59 catalpa,82, 106 cedar,82,107-108,132 Ceylonsatinwood,58, l3I chactacote, 109 cherry 82,87, 109 chestnut, I l0 chontaquiroamarillo, I.l0 cocobolo, IIl qpress,Ill Douglas-fir, 12, 18,82,87,112 EastIndian rosewood, 59 ebony,112-1lj e l m , 5 8 ,5 9 , 8 2 , 8 7 , 1 1 3 Europeanbeech,59 goncaloalves,.l14 grayelm, 87 hackberry 82, 114 hard maple,I2I hickory 82,87,115 holly,82,I15 Hondurasrosewood,129 imbuia, 58, 116 Indonesianrosewood,130 iroko,.l16 jatoba,1l7 kingwood,-117 koa,l18 lacewood,58, 118 lignumvitae,i19 macassar ebony, l.l3 madrone,82, 119

mahogann58,59,82,120 maple,27, 58, 59,82, 87, 121 movingue,26 myrtle, 58, 121 oak,82, 87,122 olivewood,58, 123 padavk,123 paperbirch, 104 pauferro, 124 pear,58,124 pecan,125 perobarosa,26 persimmon,35,82, 125 pine,31,82,87,126127 ponderosapine, 126 poplar, 127 primavera,128 purpleheart,58, 128 red alder, 100 redcedar, l08 red oak, 82, 87, 122 red spruce,87 redwood,87,129 rosewood,17, 58, 59,129-130 sapele, 58, 130 sassafras, 10,82,131 satinwood, 58, 131 sitkaspruce,133 snakewood, 132 SouthAmericanmahogann 82, i20 southernyellow pine, /26 Spanish cedar,132 spruce, 87, 133 sugarmaple,82, 87 sugarpine, 87 sycamore, 82,87,133 teak,82, 134 tornillo, 134 tulipwood, 135 walnut, 58, 59,82,87, 135 wenge,136 westernred cedar,82, 108 white ash,82,87, 101 white birch,26 white cedar,108 white elm, .l13 white oak, 82, 122 white pine, 31,82,87,127 willow,82, 136 yelTowcedag107 yellow poplar, 127 yew,58 zebrawood, 58, 137 ziricote,137 Texture,26 Weight,27,28 See alsoHardwood;Logs;Lumber; Manufacturedboardi; Plywood; Softwood;Trees;Veneers Wood samples,30,34 WoodworkersAlliancefor Rainforest (WARP),8 Protection

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Theeditors wishto thank thefoUowing UNDERSTANDINGWOOD Industries B.C.; Foley, Councilof Forest of B.C.,Vancouver, Machinery, Guelph,Ont.; Sheila DeltaInternational Assn.,High Point, NC; Haddon Tool, Chicago,IL; Hardwood Manufacturers fim Gundy, Appalachian Richardfagels,Dept. of ForestBiology,Universityof Maine, Orono, ME; LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont.; Doug MacCleery ForestInventory and Planning,U.S.Dept. of Agriculture,Washington,DC; Duncan McTaggert,MacMillan Bloedel,Vancouver,BC; David Mitchell, CentennialAcademy,Montreal, Que.; WV JackPitcher,National Hardwood Lumber Assn.,Memphis,TN; Woodcraft Supply,Parkersburg, SELECTINGLUMBER A & M Wood Specialty Inc., Cambridge, Ont.; LesBoisM & M lt6e.,St-Mathieu,Que.;fim Carse, Norcross,GA; Delta InternationalMachinery,Guelph,Ont.; DaveDoucette, Communication Masters, Highland Hardwoods,Brenfivood,NH; Hitachi PowerTools U.S.A.Ltd., Norcross,GA; Montreal, Que.;JackPitcher,National Hardwood Lumber Assn.,Memphis,TN; RogerLandreville, American Bob Sabastina, National Hardwood Lumber Assn.,Memphis,TN; Tom Searles, Committee,Germantown,MD.; Shopsmith,Inc., Montreal, Que. Lumber Standards VENEBRSAND MANUFACTI.]RED BOARDS Cable,Guelph,Ont.; AdjustableClamp Co., Chicago,IL; Delta InternationalMachinery/Porter LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont. DRYINGAND STORINGWOOD LeeValleyTools,Ottawa,Ont.; Bill Simpson,U.S.ForestProductsLab,Madison,WI; WOODDIRECTORY Monitoring Centre, Inc., Cambridge, Ont.; PeteAtkinson,World Conservation A & M Wood Specialty Woods and Veneers, England;R.S.BaconVeneerCo., Hillside, IL Tom Barrett,General Cambridge, Inc., Cambridge, Ont.; Iohn Curtis, The Luthier's Mercantile, A & M Wood Specialty Montreal, Que.;Jim Carse, Garandenr., St-R6mi,Que.;DebbieHammel, Scientific Healdsburg, CA; Michael Fortune,Toronto, Ont.; Rjean U.S.Dept. of the Inc., Oakland,CA; BruceMacBryde,U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, CertificationSystems, Interior, Washington,DC; Gary Meixner, Pittsford Lumber,Pittsford,N.Y; Mark Platin,Wildwoods Co., WoodworkersAlliancefor RainforestProtection,CoosBay,OR Arcata,CA; JohnShipstad, The alsoassisted in thepreparationof this book: followingpersons Adrienne Bertrand,ElizabethCameron,Donna Curtis, LorraineDor, Graphor Consultation, Maryo Proulx Harcc,CarolynJackson, LeonardLee,Ednaand William Mills, Brian Parsons, Marie-Jos6e

PICTURECREDITS
Cover RobertChartier 5,7 Mark Tucker 8,9 Bob Anderson 10,11 BobAnderson 12 CourtesyWesternWood ProductsAssociation 13 Gloria H. Chomica/Masterfile 17 Bob Anderson/Masterfile 18 Ed Gifford/Masterfile 19 Erik Borg 20 Al Harvey/Masterfile 21 CourtesyWesternWood ProductsAssociation 22 Erik Borg 23 Erik Borg (2) 33 CourtesyU.S.ForestProductsLaboratory(2) 36 CourtesyBetterBuilt Corporation a0 Philip C. Jackson 60 CourtesyDavid R. Webb Co., Inc. 78 Erik Borg

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WORKSHO GP UIDE
USEFUL LUMBER ABBREVIATI()NS AD BD BD FT CLR COM FT CU DIM E FAS Airdried Board Board foot Clear Common Cubic feet Dimension Edge LIN FT MC 0C 0G P PAD PC " RDM REG RGH Linear, or lrneal, foot Moisture content 0n center Ogee Planed Partially airdried Piece Random Regu lar Rough Ripped Random lengths Rou nd Sapwood Seasoned Square edge Select Surface foot(1 square foot) Surface measure Sq uare STD STK Standard Stock ' Foot SYMBOLS orfeet " Inch or inches x by(asin2x4)

a / q6 h . 8 h ( a n ds o o n ) ' Rough t hi c k n e s i s n f r a c t i o no sf a n i n c h

S&E SIE s2E

Qidp :nd

odop

Firsts andseconds FT Foot (infeet) RIP FT SM Surface measure GR Green RL HDWD Hardwood RND HRTWD Heartwood SAP lN JTD KD LBR LGTH LIN lnches Jointed Kiln dried Lumber Length Linea orr l i n e a l SD SE SEL SF SM S0

Srrrfacod nnc pdoo Qrrrfanod tuin pdoes

sls s2s s4s

S u r f a c eo d n es i d e Surfaced two sides S u r f a c efd o u rs i d e s

s 1 s l E S u r f a c eo dn es i d e ,o n ee d g e

s 1 s z E S u r f a c eo dn es i d e , t w oe d g e s
T&G VJ WDR WT WTH
Tnnsrrpand srnnvp

Vl o r n t Wider Weight width

REC()MMENDED MOISTURE C()NTENT FOR CABINETMAKING LUMBER

Ave"ane mniaf.t tre rnnf.enl B%

, J

Asthismapprovided bytheU.S. Forest Products Lab shows, theideal moisture content forwood used to indoo fr urnitur build de epend os n t h er e g i o fn o rw h i c h t h ef i n i s h e d a r t i c lie sintended In . t h er e l a t i v e l y drySouthwestern states, forexample, lumber should bedried to a moisture content of 4 to 9 nercent. A level of 8 to 13 percent would be better for theSoutheastern region of thecountry l liy where h u m i d i tiy s g e n e r ah gher. The national average fallsbetween 5 and10 percent moisture content.

Average moteture conl;enL 6%

Average moteLure contenL 11%