Help with Tannin content

[Dewey Torres]

I am in the process of creating inlays for a Morris chair and will be going with the traditional craftsman style fumed finish.

Is there a web or other resource for determining tannin content in different woods. I don't want the entire chair including the inlay to be chocolate when fumed and finished. When I am in a jam I turn to the Creek!

[Steve Schoene]

There is a lot of variability even within a species. If you want to ensure a consistant coloration make all the portions of the same wood from the same tree, and all heartwood. There are woods that have much less tannin, such as maple and holly, but I don't have a source for a broader index. I would try the web pages of the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison Wisconsin.

[Doug Shepard]

I dont know that there's info here but this is the first place I would try looking for info on tannin content of various woods.
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/
There's a HUGE amount of info there though, so finding something specific sometimes takes a while.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

In general the light woods have little tannin content, if any. I tried fuming sycamore and had no color change. I also tried fuming some birch and had very little change. Unfortunately there was just enough change to make the wood look dirty. Species like walnut, mahogany and especially oak are noted for tannin content. As Steve noted there is variability among species and even in trees of the same species. If possible I would try fuming samples of wood beforehand that you are going to use in construction of the piece.

[Dewey Torres]

Man... Doug wasn't kidding. That site is huge. Still looking

[Marcus Ward]

When I got into fuming I fumed most everything to see how it'd affect it. Nothing responds like oak, which is to say you can get away with almost anything in an inlay and be fine.

Walnut - slightly darker
Cherry - no change
Coffeebean - no change

There were a bunch of other ones I tested but after 2 bottles of wine I'm good to be able to type in English. :)