Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

Table 2.1 Representative woods found in furniture
Common and systematic Key identification features Average Typical strength properties b Shrinkage
names related/similar species relative (%) c
density a
Oak – Quercus spp. – Red
oaks
(1) Q. rubra – Northern red
oak
(2) Q. falcata – Southern red
oak
(3) Q. coccinea – Scarlet oak
(4) Q. kelloggii – Calif. Black
oak
(5) Q. palustris – Pin oak
(6) Q. velutina – Black oak
Oak – Quercus spp. – White
oaks
(1) Q. alba – White oak
(2) Q. prinus – Chestnut oak
(3) Q. lyrata – Overcup oak
(4) Q. robur – European oak
(5) Q. petraea – Sessile oak
(6) Q. stellata – Post oak
Chestnut – Castanea spp.
(1) C. dentata – American
chestnut
(2) C. sativa – European sweet
chestnut
Elm – Ulmus spp.
(1) U. rubra – Slippery elm
(2) U. americana – American
elm
(3) U. procera – English elm
(4) U. glabra – Wych elm
(5) U. alata – Winged elm
Macroscopic Microscopic C|| C|- MoR MoE SH S t S r
Heartwood light brown, usually with flesh
coloured cast. Ring porous. Up to four
rows of large solitary pores in early-wood.
Late-wood pores solitary in radial lines, few
and distinct (‘countable’). Tyloses absent or
sparse in early-wood. Largest rays
conspicuous; tallest less than 1 in. Latewood
pores are the most reliable method
for separating red and white oaks
Heartwood light to dark brown to greyish
brown. Ring porous. Up to four rows of
large solitary pores in early-wood. Latewood
pores small, solitary or in multiples,
in spreading radial arrangement, numerous
and indistinct (‘uncountable’), grading to
invisibly small with lens. Tyloses abundant.
Largest rays conspicuous; tallest greater than
1.25 in
Heartwood greyish brown or medium to
dark brown. Ring porous. Early-wood pores
several pores wide; pores oval, surrounded
by lighter tissue. Late-wood pores very
numerous in radial dendritic or wandering
patches. Tyloses present. Rays barely visible
with lens
Heartwood light brown to brown or
reddish brown, except (1) red to dark
brown or reddish brown. Ring porous.
Early-wood varies with species: (1) 2–6
pores, (2) fairly continuous row of large,
uniformly sized evenly spaced early-wood
pores, (3) and (4) similar, (5) early-wood
pores small and indistinct in intermittent
row. Late-wood pores in wavy bands.
Narrow rays,
uniseriate or in part
biseriate. Late-wood
vessels thick-walled
Narrow rays,
uniseriate or in part
biseriate. Late-wood
vessels thin-walled
Rays almost
exclusively uniseriate
(1) Rays
homocellular, 1–7
(mostly 4–5), seriate.
(2,3,4) Rays
homogeneous, 1–7
(mostly 4–6), seriate.
(5) Rays
homogeneous, 1–7,
seriate
(1) 0.63
(2) 0.59
(3) 0.67
(4) 0.57
(5) 0.63
(6) 0.61
(1) 0.68
(2) 0.66
(3) 0.63
(4) 0.62
(5) 0.62
(6) 0.67
(1) 0.43
(2) 0.54
(1) 0.53
(2) 0.50
(3) 0.49
(4) 0.60
(5) 0.66
46.6
42.0
44.9
51.3
45.5
36.7
38.0
8.61
7.44
7.92
7.37
12.1
5.24
5.86
98.5
75.1
95.8
105
90.9
59.3
81.3
12 500
10 300
11 300
12 300
10 400
8480
9230
8.6
11.3
11.1
10.5
12.7
6.7
9.5
4.0
4.7
4.4
5.6
5.3
3.4
4.2