This refers to the removal of water in the freshly cut wood without the use of artificial heat. Wood dried in this manner is normally stacked in neat piles separated from each other by sticks of dry wood and allowed to season. The rule of thumb is that it takes one year per inch of thickness plus a year to dry boards. So, for example, a 2 inch thick board takes three years to dry. And 'dry' is relative. In this context it means that the wood is in equilibrium with the surrounding air.
The standard unit of measure for wood is the board foot. A board foot is a square of wood 12 inches on a side and 1 inch thick OR THE EQUIVALENT VOLUME. A board foot is 144 cubic inches. So a board 1 inch thick, 4 inches wide and 36 inches long also contains one board foot of timber. Domestic woods currently (2004) are priced in the $3.00 to $8.00 range per board foot. Foreign species, or 'exotics' as they are called, range up to $150.00 per board foot for some snakewood boards.
A burl (or burr) is a growth on the side of a tree or sometimes on a root. These burls are characterized by wild grain swirls and 'eyes' that are dramatic and quite attractive. No one really knows what causes burls but some think that it is similar to a cancerous growth. But burls do not appear to harm the tree. Domestic burls are moderately priced - as woods go - ranging from $10 to $30 (2004) for a board foot.
This refers to the pattern in the wood that is a result of the annual rings and other features such as knots and rays.
This term has nothing to do with color. Instead, it refers to wood that is freshly cut and which has not been dried.
Woods are grouped into two groups: those that have leaves and those that have cones. Woods that have leaves are referred to as hardwoods. Woods that have cones are referred to as softwoods. It is to be noted that some softwoods, such as yellow pine, are very hard whereas some hardwoods, such as balsa and basswood, are quite soft.
This term refers to the wood that surrounds the very center of the tree, called the pith, and which extends out to the living and growing wood on the outside of the tree called the sapwood. This wood is not alive and does not conduct water and nutrients; that function is performed by the sapwood. Heartwood is usually darker in color than is the sapwood.
This refers to the removal of water in the freshly cut wood via the use of artificial heat. Wood dried in this manner is normally stacked in an 'oven' separated from each other by sticks of dry wood and allowed to season. Wood up to three or four inches thick can be seasoned quickly this way, but the resulting wood is not pleasant to turn and the chemicals used in the process to prevent the growth of mould are not good for a turner's health in my opinion.
Quarter sawing is a technique where a log is cut into quarters. Boards are then cut such that the surfaces of the boards are along a radius of the log. Cutting lumber in this way provides boards with the annual rings perpendicular to the surface of the board. This arrangement minimizes warping in the lumber. With the surface of the board along a radius, the rays of species such as oak and casuarina are displayed to their maximum effect.
These are ribbon-like structures within the wood. They can be very short to quite long. Rays are quite pronounced in the oaks and casuarinas. When oak or casuarina is quarter sawed, the rays are quite striking and quarter-sawed lumber from these species makes beautiful panels and furniture. On turned work, the rays will be visible on the side of a vessel that is parallel to the rays.
This is the wood just under the bark of a tree. It is the wood that is alive and growing. It is this layer of wood that transports water and nutrients up the structure of the tree. Sapwood is usually lighter in color than heartwood. It is also much more susceptible to attack by insects.
Woods are grouped into two groups: those that have leaves and those that have cones. Woods that have leaves are referred to as hardwoods. Woods that have cones are referred to as softwoods. It is to be noted that some softwoods, such as yellow pine, are very hard whereas some hardwoods, such as balsa and basswood, are quite soft.
Spalting is the term for the patterns in wood that are caused by fungi. Fungi cause the wood to rot, but if spalting is caught early, the wood can be salvaged. Spalting causes some extremely beautifully colored patterns in what would normally be a ho-hum wood.
Some woods, such as spalted woods, are too soft to turn. These woods must be stabilized in some manner. The process currently used is to place the wood in a vat under high pressure and moderate temperature along with a resin such as methyl acetate.
The pressure forces water out of the wood and that water is replaced by the resin. When the wood is removed, the resin hardens making the wood quite hard and easy to turn. A dye can also be added to the mix and some dramatic and gorgeous effects can result. Wood that has been stabilized is impervious to changes in humidity and will retain its original shape. Unfortunately, this material is very expensive. For example, maple costs about $3.50 to $6.00 for a board foot. Stabilized wood costs about $100.00 for a board foot. See photos of stabilized woods at
I frequently use this material in high-end pens and pencils. And this site is where I get my kits and materials!
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