Free "Wood Handbook" US Forestry Service [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

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Mark Hulette

11-10-2010, 10:08 AM

Alan Schaffter

11-10-2010, 10:22 AM

Saw this link is a free-bee from The Forest Products Laboratory- it might not be completely 'free' as our tax $$ provided for it but it doesn't cost anymore out of pocket-

Enjoy!

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/products/publications/several_pubs.php?grouping_id=100&header_id=p

Most USDA FPL pubs are online. They are a great resource for all things from trees. If you are a sawyer or routinely get a lot of green wood they have a ton of info on air and kiln drying, from small solar kilns to industrial size. Some of the stuff is a bit out of date, but they do a decent job trying to keep it current.

Dan Hintz

11-10-2010, 11:46 AM

I believe they update this every year... I have the 2010 edition.

Neal Clayton

11-10-2010, 11:55 AM

Most USDA FPL pubs are online. They are a great resource for all things from trees. If you are a sawyer or routinely get a lot of green wood they have a ton of info on air and kiln drying, from small solar kilns to industrial size. Some of the stuff is a bit out of date, but they do a decent job trying to keep it current.

not to mention adhesive performance, species selection help based on parasite/weather resilience, etc.

for all of the things that have been forgotten about building wooden structures, the forest service has become a library of sorts of good information that we still do know ;).

Logan William

11-10-2010, 1:55 PM

It is an excellent book and incredibly cheap if you buy the hardback version and is one of the nicest books out there in terms of binding/paper/colors etc as basically all the money goes to publishing costs, highly recommended.

Dave MacArthur

11-10-2010, 3:22 PM

Dave Lehnert

11-10-2010, 5:05 PM

Looks like a good book to have, but I can't figure out how to order it?
Browsed around for 10 minutes, didn't find a link to purchase or order one... It's probably right in front of me, but does anyone have a link to get to an order page?

May be available via another source but I have this one from Lee Valley. I believe it is one in the same.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=45997&cat=1,46096,46109

I purchased it some time ago and don't remember paying $36 bucks for it.

Howard Acheson

11-10-2010, 9:10 PM

The lastest edition was just published. It's called the "The Centennial Edition" and is dated 2010.

Lee Valley will probably supply the latest edition but you best check before ordering.

Bob Falk

11-10-2010, 9:22 PM

The FPL just published the 2010 Centennial Edition of the Wood Handbook in June of this year (FPL is 100 years old). At this time it is only available as a PDF download (for free!) from the FPL website (www.fpl.fs.fed.us (http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us)). The 2010 edition has been completely reedited and has two new chapters.

The FPL is a federal research lab who's mission it is to make available the best available technical information on wood and wood use. We hope you find the information understandable and useful.

Bob Falk
Research Engineer (and Wood Handbook co-author)
Forest Products Laboratory
Madison, Wisconsin

Dave MacArthur

11-11-2010, 2:31 AM

Ok, now that's just cool... Thanks Bob for the info ;) Where else can you find an actual guy from FPL to just chime in within a day of FPL coming up. Love the creek!

Dan Hintz

11-11-2010, 7:01 AM

Hey Bob, if I email you my copy, will you sign it? :D

Will Overton

11-11-2010, 7:15 AM

Thanks to Mark for bringing this to our attention, and to Bob for his input.

Jack Ganssle

11-11-2010, 8:28 AM

This is a stunning publication. Does anyone know when, if ever, it will be available in book (i.e., "dead tree") form?

Neil Brooks

11-11-2010, 9:48 AM

I've hit that site for a LOT of species-specific, technical issues, in the past.

Great site. Phenomenal reasource.

Didn't know LV had a hardcover copy of the older edition. NEAT !

Thanks for your work, Bob !

Hoping the new one will come out in a bound edition. Pretty darned expensive to print out, at home :o

Marc Pelletier

11-11-2010, 10:17 AM

This is a stunning publication. Does anyone know when, if ever, it will be available in book (i.e., "dead tree") form?

I've never done it but you could send the pdf to Lulu.com, or others, and have a hardcopy produced. Its pretty affordable.

I'm not sure, though, if there are copyright issues.

cheers,

Marc Pelletier

Steve Schoene

11-11-2010, 10:31 AM

No copyright issues with U. S. federal government produced documents.

Thomas Delpizzo

11-11-2010, 5:21 PM

Thanks for the info!!