Birdseye maple is one of the world’s most distinctive woods. The first time you see it, it catches your eye. Its a tiny eye shaped dots over a pale creamy background. As light shifts, the wood appears to shimmer. Birdseye maple has been cherished…
Bitternut hickory is one of the most common hickory trees in North America. Every day, countless people walk past it without realizing what it is. This guide explains about bitternut hickory. By the time you finish this article, you will…
The Quilted maple is a wood that grabs attention right away. Light falling on the grain makes it appear as if its very surface is crawling about. It seems to go up and down, as if on the gentle waves on water.…
Property Details Common Name Port Orford Cedar Scientific Name Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Wood Type Softwood (Cypress family) Natural Range Southern Oregon, Northern California Average Weight ~29 lbs per cubic foot Janka Hardness 590 lbf Rot Resistance Very high Insect Resistance High…
Hawaiian Koa wood is not your average hard wood. When you touch it, you’re touching Hawaiian history, culture and nature simultaneously. Warriors have crossed oceans on this wood, musical traditions were formed from it, and been a symbol of strength through the…
Radiata pine is one of those woods that you’ve probably used without even knowing it. It’s in the houses, furniture, fences, shelves and even paper products. If you’ve ever worked with wood, the odds are that radiata pine has passed through your hands.…
Desert ironwood is one of the toughest trees on Earth. It thrives in where everything else grows extinct. Sun and drought, dry air, poor soil and long droughts do not stop it. This tree is evidence that nature finds a way. Its scientific…
The shittim wood is one of the best known trees in the Bible. It was solid, built to last and ideal for the desert. That is why it was selected as one of the materials to make some of the holiest objects in…
My first encounter with chestnut wood came when I was assisting in the restoration of an old barn. The boards were a warm, golden brown with straight, bold grain that caught our eye immediately. I didn’t know what it was then. That’s chestnut,” said…
If you ask the common folk about “wood decay,” most will assume that it’s a bad thing. Something weak. Something useless. But in the world of woodworking there is one gorgeous exception: spalted maple. Spalted maple is evidence that nature can turn…
