wood characteristics information

[Ron Bott]

I'm looking for an online source of information for details on both domestic and imported wood species. Things like weight per board foot, workability, strength, etc. I have found infor on several sites, but much of the information is conflicting. Is there a standard accepted 'official' source for this kind of information?

[Gerald Eberhardt]

Try the links below, there is a lot of info there

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/strength_defs.htm

[Richard M. Wolfe]

As far as I know there is no accepted standard for any particular wood species. There might be....if there was only one sample per species. But as I've said many times Mother Nature is pretty slack many times in the quality control department. Some woods, notably softwoods like pine, are pretty uniform. But many hardwoods show quite a bit of variability. Some has to do with climate and soil where the tree grows but a lot is simply variability from tree to tree. Some characteristics, like color, seem to be more differing than others. For descriptions of trees and wood in the U.S. you might check the forestry service websites of individual states.

[Wayne Cannon]

"Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material": http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Handbook-Engineering-Material/dp/1892529025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209307448&sr=1-1

Hoadley "Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology": http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Handbook-Engineering-Material/dp/1892529025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209307448&sr=1-1

Peters, "Woodworker's Guide to Wood": http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Handbook-Engineering-Material/dp/1892529025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209307448&sr=1-1

The Hardwood Council's "American Hardwood Information Center": http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/display_main_category.asp?mainID=6

USDA Forest Service publications (has American and worldwide woods, hard and soft). In particular, see "Hardwoods of North America" and "Softwoods of North America"): http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/publications/index.html

[Jeff Bratt]

The Wood Handbook - http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm

[Jim King]

I can tell you with all sincerity that the information available is quite contradictory to say the least. 20 years ago all was in order and accepted that we knew everything.

Then, came the internet and the huge international exchange of information. What we now know is that we dont know much. One person 1n 1790 discovered a wood in one country and another a few years later the same wood in another country etc. etc. many times over and noe way to publish internationally the data and as a result one wood can have 50 scientific names.

If you look at the USDA site for tropical woods you will find an absolute disaster not only to names but to mechanical properties. We have many woods here such as red oak and white and I will use Quinilla as an example . It comes in several varieties including red, yellow, white and black plus others but all arer lumped under on name as the USDA and many other agencies are without funds to do a study of the Amazon or other areas. You have to give the USDA credit that they admit they dont know even as they are the biggest and best in the world in wood ID.

A typical example is Virola which is listed as a strong structural wood. I had an arguement with the U of Missouri for months until I finally sent them some for testing. You can break a 2 x 4 over your knee, they finally beleive me.

The story could go on for pages but the fact is we dont know much.