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· Flat Slicing also produces a variegrated figure. The log is cut in half (lengthwise). This is called a flitch. The flitch is then mounted against a guide plate and slices are cut parallel to the log's centerline. · Quarter Slicing produces a striped grain. This cut is made roughly at right angles to the annual growth rings. In some species the stripes will be straight, in others, varied. · Rotary Cutting produces exceptionally wide veneers usually having a bold variegated grain. The log is turned in a lathe which comes in contact with a blade. The cut follows the annual rings. · Rift Cutting is unique to oak. Oak has rays in its log. The cut is made at right angles to the these rays, producing a rift or what some people call "comb" grain effect. |
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AILANTHUS: Originally from southern china, now grows throughout the east central US. Known as the "tree of heaven," this fast-growing tree originated in Asia and was introduced into the US around 1750. The wood is ring-porous and moderately soft, with figure and color similar to ash. works well, but has relatively poor stability. ALDER (RED): Oregon and Washington. Lightweight for a hardwood, but has a fine texture with relatively good impact resistance. Heartwood pale roseate, sapwood lighter, with fine machining, staining and finishing characteristics. Figure is similar to birch to which it is related. Poor decay resistance. ASH (WHITE): Central states, Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. Heavy, hard and strong. Open grained, tough and elastic. Very susceptible to powderpost bettle infestation. The lumber trade typically mixes and sells both white ash and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) as white ash, because of their similar appearance. Green ash is slightly softer. BALSA: Central and South America, West Indies and Ecuador. Lightest wood in commercial use. Sapwood of fast grown trees is selected for export. Very soft yet strong, considering its weight. Odorless, good insulating and acoustical properties. BASSWOOD: Eastern U.S., Great Lakes states, Appalachians and Canada. Light, soft, with very fine, even texture, easily worked, good strength for its weight. Experiences high shrinkage when seasoned, but is stable once dry. Color light tan to nearly white. Wood is odorless and tasteless. One of the best carving woods in the world. BEECH: Eastern U.S., westward to Wisconsin and Texas. Heavy, hard and strong; stiff with good shock resistance and wear properties. Medium luster, finishes well. Heartwood light reddish brown, displaying fine medullary ray flecks. Experiences considerable movement in use due to high shrinkage. BIRCH: Northeastern and Great Lakes states, Appalachian and Adirondack regions, and Canada. Heavy hard, stiff and strong. Close-grained, light reddish brown heartwood; sapwood pale to nearly white. Figure and color similar to maple, but slightly coarser textured. Architect's delight due to fine finishing capabilities. Sweet birch tends to be slightly darker in color, heavier and harder than yellow birch. BUBINGA: Tropical West Africa, Cameroon, Gabon. A hard, heavy wood with characteristics similar to the rosewoods. Color and density varies by species, but the heartwood is typically medium reddish brown or purplish brown with darker veining. Relatively hard and dense; can be machined smoothly; takes a fine finish. BUTTERNUT: Eastern U.S. and Canada. Narrow sapwood nearly white; heartwood light tan with pinkish or amber tones, sometimes with darker brown streaks. Lightweight, coarse texture, machines easily, but sanding may cause a fuzzy surface unless fine grit abrasives are used. Finishes well. Figure is virtually identical to walnut, to which it is closely related. Used in light duty furniture applications, cabinets, paneling and trim. CEDAR (AROMATIC RED): Eastern U.S., principally Tennessee area, extending to Eastern Texas. Very fine textured and moderately hard for a softwood species. Shapes and carves exceptionally well, but it is brittle and splits easily when nails are driven close to the end of the board. Strong cedar scent. Its volatile extractives may prevent some finishes from curing. CEDAR (SPANISH): All Latin American countries except Chile. Generally straight grain, medium to high luster. Machines and finishes easily. Color is deep reddish brown. Density and gum content varies among the half dozen or so species marketed as Spanish cedar. Texture somewhat coarser and more ring-porous than mahogany, to which it is related. Light in weight and moderately soft. Strong "cedary" odor makes it a favorite liner for humidors. CEDAR (YELLOW): Pacific Coast from Alaska to southern Oregon. Pale yellow in color. Strong odor when freshly cut, becoming faint upon drying. Stable, moderately strong for a softwood species, stiff for its weight. Works easily, taking a good finish with hand and machine tools. Due to its strong decay resistance, it is well suited to the manufacture of boats, oars and paddles. CHERRY (BLACK): Eastern United States. Close, firm texture, machines cleanly, superior finishing qualities. Pale pinkish color, sometimes with greenish highlights when freshly cut, turns reddish brown with age and exposure to light. Stability excellent. The bright red color of cherry production furniture is produced by dyeing. CHESTNUT: Eastern U.S., from New England to northern Georgia. A coarse, soft, ring-porous wood that resembles ash. Machines and finishes easily. Chestnut's color is tan to grayish brown, becoming darker with age. Nicely suited to furnituremaking. Once the most plentiful hardwood in eastern forests, practically all American chestnuts were wiped out by a blight that began in the early 20th Century and still affects living chestnuts today. Standing dead timber is still found in the Appalachians. One of the best sources of chestnut is from reclaimed barn timbers. COTTONWOOD: Eastern, central and northwestern U.S. and Canada. Moderately light and soft, but strong for its weight. Tough and fibrous. Works easily, abrasive to tools. Color light with light grayish or brown tinge. Low decay resistance and often unstable in use due to the presence of reaction wood. CYPRESS (BALD): Southeastern U.S. and Gulf Coast states. A moderately strong softwood known for its decay resistance. Sapwood nearly white; heartwood varying in color from light yellow to reddish tan or brown. Old growth logs are often salvaged from bayous and bogs. Somewhat brittle, but easy to work. Used for exterior and interior woodworking. FIR (DOUGLAS): Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain states. Moderately strong, hard and heavy for a softwood, moderately coarse-textured but easily worked. Heartwood varies with conditions of growth from pinkish-yellow to reddish-brown; sapwood lighter. DOUGLAS (WHITE): Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain states. Soft. Light in weight, low in density and rather brittle. Machining properties good, texture fine to moderately coarse. Color nearly white or with pale tannish cast. GONCALO ALVES: Southern Mexico through Central America into the Amazon basin. Dense, strong, durable wood that takes a high polish and is used mostly for decorative work, turnings and furniture. Heartwood marked by irregular shades of brown and red. Color and density vary by species and growing conditions. The primary species available is Astronium graveolens. GUM (RED): Southeastern U.S. Moderately hard and strong. Density and appearance similar to cherry. Machines cleanly and finishes well; stability only fair. Heartwood reddish brown, sometimes beautifully figured with dark pigmented markings. Sapwood a rather non-descript off-white. HICKORY: Eastern U.S. Color varies by species, but all species are very heavy, hard elastic and strong. Experiences high shrinkage as it seasons, susceptible to blue stain. Toughest and strongest American wood in common use. Machines, burns and steam-bends well. Heartwood light reddish-brown, sapwood white. KOA: Hawaiian Islands. Hard and strong. Heartwood light to dark brown with distinct golden luster, sometimes with irregular darker streaks. Grain wavy to rosy. Becoming scarce and expensive. LAUAN: South East Asia, primarily Indochina, Philippine Islands. The lauan genus (Shorea) contains about 70 species and their woods are extremely variable. Some are as soft as basswood while others are harder than white oak. Color may also vary from ash gray to dark reddish brown. The lumber industry markets these woods by their appearance and density characteristics rather than by species. The denser, dark red merantis have good decay resistance and are relatively stable. Most of the lauans are coarse textured and have poor decay resistance. Some have high silica content and may dull cutters, while others are exceptionally gummy. MAGNOLIA: Southern states, ranging into eastern Texas. Fine textured, Moderately dense. Excellent machining qualities; turns very smoothly. Heartwood pale to light brown, sometimes with a greenish cast, displaying occasional mineral spots. It is closely related to the wood we know as yellow poplar. MAHOGANY (CUBAN): Caribbean islands and Caribbean rim localities. Denser, richer, and finer-textured than Honduras mahogani. Heartwood medium to dark reddish brown, darkening upon exposure; sapwood lighter in color. Durable and an excellent water wood. Unsurpassed working and finishing qualities. Long the favorite wood for fine furniture, Cuban mahogany has been nearly logged out and is now protected by law in its native habitat. Smaller plantation-grown trees and windfalls account for much of current production. MAHOGANY (HONDURAN): Southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela into the Amazon basin to northern Bolivia and eastern Peru. Usually moderatley soft, but density varies with growing conditions. Good strength to weight ratio. Heartwood light reddish brown or amber brown, darkening quickly upon exposure; sapwood lighter in color. Very stable, durable and an excellent wood for marine uses. Unsurpassed working and finishing qualities. MAPLE (HARD): New England, Great Lakes states and Eastern Canada. Heavy, hard and strong. Close-grained, polishes to high luster, wears evenly. Heartwood very pale reddish brown, sapwood virtually white. Experiences high in-use movement with changes in humidity. MAPLE (SOFT): Eastern U.S. and Southern Canada. Density varies among the half dozen or so species marketed as soft maple. The densest and strongest of the soft maples is red maple (Acer rubrum, with a specific gravity of 0.49.) All of the soft maples are close-grained, with excellent turning and shaping characteristics; heartwood pale reddish-brown, sometimes variegated with other pale colors, sapwood nearly white. MYRTLE: Oregon and California. Orange brown to dark brown to almost black in color. Figured with fine black lines. Submerging freshly cut wood in water produces highly prized "black myrtle." Machines and finishes easily, but tends to be unstable due to the high differential between its tangential and radial shrinkage. Polishes to a very high luster. Sometimes found with cluster burls and sliced for veneers. Moderately hard and heavy. OAK (WHITE) Eastern United States, Central states and Appalachians. Outstanding resistance to wear and abrasion. More pronounced and longer rays than red oak. Occasionally available with crotches, swirls and burls. Pores are angular and very numerous, filled with glistening substance called tyloses, which makes wood suitable for water-tight containers. OAK (RED): Eastern United States, particularly Appalachian states, Ohio and Kentucky. Slightly coarser texture than white oak, with smaller dark colored rays and large rounded open pores. A little easier to work than white oak. Uniform in color with reddish tinge. PADAUK: Nigeria, Cameroons and the Congos. African padauk is bright red in color, deepening in time to a very deep red. Usually fairly dense and heavy, coarse textured, with prominent open pores. Density varies as a result of growing conditions, generally machines well regardless of density, but the fine dust can be irritating. PECAN: Eastern and southern U.S. Very hard, stiff and resilient. The hickories provide the toughest, strongest wood in common use. Pecan is a trifle deeper in color, and not quite as dense as other hickories, but it is next to impossible to positively differentiate the various species in this genus. PINE (PONDEROSA): California, Oregon, Washington and other Western states. Compact structure, moderately soft, easily worked considering it is a yellow pine; good dimensional stability; sapwood is nearly white to creamy yellow in color, often with a reddish or tan cast to the heartwood. PINE (SUGAR): California and Southern Oregon. Light, soft, easily worked, dimensional stability very good. Heartwood pale brown to pale pinkish brown in color with dark brown flecks caused by large resin canals; sapwood usually off-white. Very pleasant scent. One of the genuine white pines. POPLAR (YELLOW): Eastern U.S., Appalachians and Southern states. Fairly light in weight, fine textured, fairly soft and usually straight-grained. Enjoys a good reputation for dimensional stability. Heartwood has a greenish cast, sometimes with dark brown steaks; sapwood usually off-white. PURPLEHEART: Cental and South America. Brown when freshly cut but oxidizes to a violet purple. Hard, heavy and finely textured. Grain usually straight, often with a fine, curly figure. Considerable variation in color, texture and density among the species. The purple color is fugitive, changing to a dark brown patina with age. Moderately hard to work but takes a glossy, lustrous finish. REDWOOD: Central Coastal region of California, into southern Oregon. Light in weight, soft, moderately fine textured; heartwood is extremely durable. Easily worked, good dimensional stability, but somewhat brittle. Heartwood red, sapwood off-white to pale red. SASSAFRAS Eastern half of the U.S. Fairly soft, with long and rather stringy fibers. Light weight, coarse texture, but rather straight grain; Figure resembles ash and chestnut. Color is light brown or tan, sometimes with yellow-green cast; sapwood creamy white. Pleasant spicy scent. Easily machined, but brittle. Splits easily. Grain may lift in hand tool operations. Used in boat building, for wall paneling and drawer parts, because of its excellent stability. SYCAMORE (AMERICAN): Eastern United States and extreme southern Canada. Largest hardwood tree in the U.S. Moderately soft, but strong. Excellent turning and shaping characteristics, but rather unstable in use due to high volumetric shrinkage. Quartersawn stock is more stable and displays an attractive ray flecked figure. Pale, reddish brown in color, sometimes nearly pink. SYCAMORE (ENGLISH): Europe, including the British Isles, and western Asia. Lustrous white to pale yellowish white, occasionally with a tight fiddleback figure. The preferred wood for violin backs. Works easily with hand and power tools. Takes stains and finishes well. English sycamore belongs to the maple family and is not closely related to American sycamore. WALNUT (ENGLISH): Western and central Asia to Western Europe. Variable in color, with a grayish-brown background, often with irregular dark streaks and wavy grain. Also available as highly-figured veneer. Works easily and takes a high polish. WALNUT (BLACK): Eastern U.S., principally central and Appalachian states. Moderately hard, strong, durable, excellent shock resistance. Heartwood rich, dark brown, sapwood when freshly cut nearly white. Universally esteemed for superb technical properties, including stability, and generally regarded as the most beautiful and most valuable cabinet wood in North America. WENGE: Central and Eastern Africa. Dark brown to black with fine black veining. A heavy, coarse-textured wood with bending and shock-resistant properties similar to ash and hickory. Hard and heavy. Used for tool handles and carving. Also called Pallissandre. ZEBRAWOOD: British West Africa, Gaboon and the Cameroons. Highly decorative, light gold color, with narrow streaks of dark brown to black, visible by quartering. Heavy and hard, it can be polished to a high luster, but it is rather coarse in texture. | |