How “The Wood Database” Got Started
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At the time of this writing, I checked my computer’s hard drive, and I’ve still got the original “Woods.rtf” document that I created back in April of 2007. I had recently checked out some wood identification books at the library, and I wanted a way to organize all of the most helpful data into a single reference file. What I wrote down was: the wood’s common name, along with its scientific name, weight, approximate cost, and any other notes or observations that I thought were unusual to that species of wood. I printed the file out and used it as a reference guide in my shop.
Over time, I found myself referencing this chart so many times, and I had made so many additions and alterations to it, (adding my own observations, density readings, etc.) that it became almost indispensable. Many times when a project would come up, I would consult the chart as a guide to help me use the most appropriate wood possible. For instance, follow this thought process through on a recent project:
I’m turning a segmented flower pot, and I need a veneer to contrast with the nearly black Katalox that I’m using. I don’t have too many light-colored veneers on hand; let’s see, I’ve got: Maple, Anigre, Poplar, and possibly Cherry. But since it could potentially get exposed to the elements, it also needs to be durable and at least somewhat resistant to decay. Hmm, that leaves only Cherry. It’s not quite as light-colored as I’d hoped, but it’ll do!
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| Katalox with Cherry veneer separations |
As you can see from the picture at the left, the project turned out well. With the help of this first wood “database,” I was able to find woods that would be able to stand up to the elements if need be (though I still applied a spar varnish to the pot). I used White Oak, Sapele, Katalox, and of course, Black Cherry.
But the possibilities of such a database are much broader than my one example! By looking and learning about different woods, any woodworker or crafts-person can quickly and easily ascertain which woods to use for which projects — whether your selection criteria is based on color, grain pattern, strength, dimensional stability, or durability.
The key lies simply in knowing how to interpret the data. If you’ve got a project, and you’re looking for the right wood; or if you’ve got a stash of lumber, and you’re looking for a suitable project, The Wood Database can help. If you’re new to this site, I’d recommend taking a look at the section that explains all of the different terms that are used throughout the database. This will help you make sense of the data, and guide you into using the right wood for the right job — making your project a success!
How “The Wood Database” Grew into an Online Project
Eventually, I realized that all of the data that I found in most wood identification books available to the public was just too vague and limited. Concerning mechanical properties of the wood, many times it would read something like this: “moderately hard and heavy, with good strength properties. . .” But I was left wondering: how hard, how heavy, and how strong was this wood? What were they using as a standard, and where exactly did it measure up?
It wasn’t until I found a great resource called the “Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material,” produced by the United States Department of Agriculture. This helped introduce me to new terms and methods, such as Janka hardness testing, and modulus of elasticity, which gave an even clearer picture of the woods that I was working with. This manual, along with “Tropical Timbers of the World,” by Martin Chudnoff, (again being produced by Forest Products Laboratory: a division of the US Department of Agriculture), form the foundation and the bulk of the data used in this wood database.
With the addition of these new sources, along with a few other smaller ones scattered across the internet, I was able to expand my original small wood database started back in 2007 into a much larger and more comprehensive online database. By adding high-resolution scans of woods when/if I had them available, and making a clean, easy-to-read user interface with informative links, I could take full advantage of the online medium.
Being online, I could not only integrate my own experiences as I go, but I also chose the option to give readers a chance to add any further data they might have on a given wood species by allowing comments to be added for each wood profile. This would allow an almost limitless amount of data to be presented on the material we all know and love: WOOD.
If you have any questions or comments about the site, please use the contact form to reach me.
-Eric Meier
