1. What Wood Is That?
Wood Identification

2. Hardwood or Softwood? Hardwood
When you look at the end grain of a board you can see small holes called “pores” that softwoods don’t have.
The wood strands are usually shorter than those of softwoods (about 1/32”)
Trees have broad leaves
Trees were named “hardwood” because the first loggers in New England logged sugar maple trees which were extremely strong and hard.
Not all hardwoods have hard wood!

3. Softwood Softwood Softwood trees have needles instead of broad leaves.
Resins or “sap” are usually visible before the lumber has dried sufficiently.
Softwoods don’t have pores in the end grain like hardwoods do.
The wood fibers in softwoods are longer than hardwoods (about 1/8”)
The term “softwood” also came about in New England because loggers used this term to describe the light wood of the white pine.

4. Sawing Techniques Plain or Flat Sawn Quarter Sawn More economical
Provides the widest boards with the least amount of waste.
Doesn't require as much time and effort as quarter sawn lumber does.
Quarter Sawn
Quarter sawn lumber is expensive.
Less economical.
Used for fine furniture.

5. Quarter Sawn Flat Sawn

6. Types of Wood Most Common to Our Area
Hardwoods:
Red Oak
White Oak
Maple
Black Walnut
Cherry
Poplar
Softwoods:
Eastern Red Cedar
Southern Pine

7. Red Oak Hardwood species The heartwood is reddish unlike white oak.
When the wood is freshly cut it has a bad odor.
Often used in cabinetmaking.
Isn’t as easy to work with as white oak.

8. White Oak Hardwood species
The heartwood of the white oak doesn’t have the reddish tint like the red oak.
Doesn’t have an unpleasant odor like red oak when it is freshly cut.
Dominates in the furniture industry.

9. Maple
Red Maples and Silver Maples are grown in much of the eastern U.S.
have softer wood than the sugar maples of the northern United States.
They are used in the furniture industry for because of the ability to bend the wood easily.
Close grained wood

10. Black Walnut Hardwood Species
Grows in the central and eastern United States.
The sapwood is a light yellow color and the heartwood is a deep chocolate brown color.
Has an odor and even a distinctive taste.
Grain can be strait, wavy, and curly.

11. Southern Pine Softwood species The heartwood has a yellowish color.
Used mostly for framing and dimensional lumber.
Lumber is usually knotty.
Board grain is fairly strait.
Warps easily.

12. Eastern Red Cedar Softwood species
The heartwood is a bright red color and the sapwood is almost white
The wood has a very strong recognizable smell.
Used to line closets and chests because the smell repels insects.
Resists decay

13. Cherry Hardwood species
One of the largest supplies of the timber is in the Appalachian Mountains.
Cherry lumber is usually a dark reddish-brown color.
Has a distinct odor.

14. Poplar Hardwood species
Wood is a light color and has a soft texture to it making it easy to work with.
Lumber resists warping
Lumber is used a lot in plywood, exterior trim and as a veneer core.