One of the most important natural materials widely used by man in various sectors of economic activity is wood. The properties of wood of a particular species determine the possibility of its use in a particular production. The final type of product, its quality and durability depend on the correct choice of material.
Timber: properties of hardwood
Hardwood is characterized by an expressive structure and an almost complete absence of smell. It is felt mainly directly after the cut, as well as during processing. Most often, wood is used as a decorative material. Distinguish ring-vascular (oak, ash, elm, etc.) and diffuse vascular deciduous species (birch, beech, walnut, aspen, linden, etc.). They have a different nature of the location of the vessels in the annual layer. Let us consider in more detail the properties and structure of wood of some hardwoods.
Oak
Oak wood has an expressive structure and beautiful coloring. The breed is sound. It has well-visible annual layers, a narrow sapwood, significantly different in color from the core, which can be light brown or dark brown.
Oak wood is characterized by high strength and bending ability. Due to the presence of tannins (in large quantities) it has the highest resistance to decay compared to all hardwoods.
The properties of oak wood contribute to easy processing of the material, good tintability and polishing. It is widely used for carving, decoration and furniture. Thanks to large vessels, the material is characterized by good bendability without breaking fibers. The mechanical properties of wood allow the use of oak for the production of bent furniture.
A valuable finishing material is stained oak, which, as a result of prolonged exposure to water, acquires very high strength and, in most cases, is almost black in color.
Beech
The breed is coreless. The wood has a beautiful texture, white with a yellowish-red tint. Annual layers are well visible. Beech wood is similar in some physical and mechanical properties to oak. It is strong, dense, solid, bends quite easily, is cut, processed with varnishes and paints. However, when dried, it is prone to warp, and is also unstable to decay, due to which it is practically not used for the manufacture of furniture.
Beech wood is more in demand in the manufacture of musical instruments, during some finishing work, in carving, etc.
Ash
It has a dark brown core and a light yellow broad sapwood with a beautiful pattern of fibers. Wood is characterized by high strength and toughness. It has a good ability to bend when steaming, slightly prone to cracking, practically does not warp when dried. Resistant to decay.
Ash wood is equal in value to mahogany in value . Used for decorating furniture and musical instruments. Valuable crafts are made from ash growths (burls).
Birch tree
The most widely used in industry is warty birch. The breed is non-nuclear, has white wood with a yellowish or reddish hue. It is characterized by good strength and toughness. Hardness and density are medium.
It is convenient to work with material. It is well cut, drilled, and also easily polished, glued and painted. However, despite all the positive properties of birch wood, there are some of its disadvantages. It is practically unstable to decay, dries out strongly, warps. But this does not affect the demand for this material for finishing work, since the properties of birch wood allow imitations of various valuable species. Also, the material is used for the production of a number of other products (carpentry, veneer plywood, pads, skis, etc.).
Karelian birch wood is distinguished by a very unusual texture. Broken heart-shaped rays, wavy annual layers and sleeping buds in the form of dark stripes in combination give a beautiful mottled surface. The material is used for the manufacture of art products, furniture veneering.
Elm
It has a dark brown core and a yellowish-white sapwood. The material is durable, solid, dense, viscous. During drying, it does not crack or warp. However, due to the too dense structure penetrated by small pores, the processing (in particular polishing) of this material is greatly complicated.
It is used in carpentry. When steaming, it lends itself well to bending, due to which it is used for the manufacture of curved parts. For turning crafts, flows of elm are especially valuable.
Walnut
Wood has a rich tonal range, as well as a variety of textures. Color varies from light brownish gray to almost black. Freshly cut wood is light, gradually darkens over time. It is characterized by strength, moderate hardness, high resistance to decay. Keeps its shape, does not warp, is easy to handle. It is well polished, cut, glued and soaked.
It is mainly used for decoration of premises, furniture, hunting rifles, for the manufacture of carved products.
Aspen
During storage, the aspen wood acquires a white color with a slightly noticeable greenish tint. The heart-shaped rays and annual layers are practically invisible. A distinctive feature of aspen wood is the almost complete absence of knots. It has high resistance to moisture, does not warp, practically does not crack. Aspen is easy to work with. It is soft, supple, well cut, pricked, easily polished, glued securely. A drawback of aspen is its quick drying.
The properties and structure of wood determine its application for the production of plywood, the manufacture of matches, dishes, toys and other small items.
Alder
The natural color of alder wood varies from white to pale brown. After a log house as a result of interaction with air in a short time changes to red-brown.
Wood is not particularly durable; it can warp during drying, but it has a number of positive technological properties, as it is characterized by lightness, moderate hygroscopicity and softness. It can be cut, polished, glued and painted without problems. It is odorless and does not absorb foreign odors. It is characterized by strong resistance to decay, due to which it is often used for equipment of wells, as well as pantries. In addition, it is used for carving and decorating. The physical properties of alder wood make it possible to simulate some tree species (for example, mahogany and ebony).
Linden
The wood is white with a slight pinkish tint. Annual rings are practically not visible. It is characterized by a homogeneous structure and strength. Such properties of linden wood as lightness, softness and viscosity enable easy processing of the material in all directions, both manually and on a lathe. It is well stained, glued, keeps its shape. The wood is resistant to decay; during drying, it does not crack or warp.
Due to its strong structure and low deformation, linden is used for the manufacture of large parts of carved furniture. Also made of this material are drawing boards, pencils, dishes, and so on.
Pear
The wood has a reddish white or pinkish brown color. The younger the tree, the lighter the color. The texture is uniform in density, core rays and tree rings are weakly visible. The material is solid, dense, heavy, characterized by high impact strength, as well as compressive strength. The mechanical properties of pear wood are superior to oak and ash. In the process of drying, it practically does not warp and does not crack. It cuts pretty well in all directions. Easy to polish and stain.
Often used as a material for decorating furniture, for carving, mosaic works. The physical properties of pear wood make it possible to make imitations of ebony from it.
Apple tree
The wood is pink in color with bright red veins, solid, heavy, rather viscous, has a uniform structure. It is characterized by high strength and wear resistance. Apple tree wood is prone to severe drying and warping, so it is better to use it in dried form. The material is well polished, polished, painted. When impregnated with linseed oil or linseed oil, it acquires a dark brown color. It is mainly used for the manufacture of threaded and joinery products.
The main properties of coniferous wood
Coniferous wood is characterized by a specific resinous odor, a more clearly manifested macrostructure and greater biostability compared to hardwood. These properties of wood of various species related to conifers contribute to their widespread use in the construction and production of various consumer goods. Conifers include pine, spruce, larch, yew, fir, cedar and juniper.
Pine
The color of sapwood in a pine tree can be from pale yellow to reddish yellow, and the core from pink to brownish-red. It is characterized by a rather pronounced striped texture. Core rays are not visible. Tree rings are clearly visible on all sections.
The wood is strong, soft, light, very prickly. Due to the large amount of resin, it is characterized by increased resistance to decay. After drying, it does not warp. It is easy to process, is well sawn and cut, glues relatively well.
The high technological properties of pine wood and its wide distribution make it the most frequently used of all conifers. The material is used in construction (both in civil and industrial), in furniture, carpentry and parquet industries. In addition, musical instruments, plywood, barrels and so on are made from pine.
Spruce
Spruce wood is characterized by softness, lightness, good stickiness. A distinctive feature is the extremely uniform fiber distribution. Physico-mechanical properties of spruce wood are inferior to pine in a number of ways. It has less strength, as well as resin content, which makes it not so resistant to precipitation and other atmospheric influences. Due to the less pliable structure and the large number of knots, spruce wood is more difficult to process.
The material is mainly used in the manufacture of furniture. String instruments (in particular, violins) are also made of spruce, since no other tree is capable of producing such a resonance.
Larch
It has a narrow light sapwood and a reddish-brown core. Hard, elastic, resinous, extremely resistant to rotting wood. The properties of larch wood, both physical and mechanical, are quite high. Distinctive features of the material are strength and durability. It is also characterized by a high density, which increases significantly with drying (to such an extent that a nail does not clog into it).
Due to its high physical and mechanical properties, larch is widely used. It is an indispensable material for construction work. Parquet made from larch wood is highly durable and has a very long service life. Beautiful texture and high resistance to warping make it a valuable material in the manufacture of furniture.
Siberian cedar
Pinkish wood with a beautiful texture pattern. Growth rings are clearly visible on all sections. Differs in ease and softness. In terms of technological properties, cedar is inferior to pine, but outperforms spruce. The material lends itself well to processing, but is not very resistant to decay.
Cedar wood has resonant properties, making musical instruments (guitars, harps, pianos) made of it. In addition, it is used for the manufacture of furniture, in the manufacture of pencils and so on.
Fir
The structure of fir wood is close to pine. It is quite durable and dense, easy to process. But it contains few resinous substances, which is why it is characterized by low resistance to decay and requires additional processing.
Fir wood is often used in the construction of houses for the production of window and door blocks, flooring. Also, this material is widely used for carving.
Yew
Has a narrow yellowish-white sapwood and brownish-red core. Annual layers are characterized by a sinuous shape, are clearly visible on all sections. Yew is included in the list of species called "mahogany." Hard, heavy, dense wood. The properties of wood are mostly positive. It has a high resistance to decay. Good in processing, polishing and staining. It is considered one of the best materials used in finishing, turning and carpentry. Mouthguards, often formed on the yew trunks and used mainly as a finishing material, are very valuable.
Juniper
Shrub wood is characterized by sapwood. pinkish-white in color and a yellowish-brown core. Has wavy annual layers that are clearly visible on all sections. Heart rays are not visible.
The wood is strong and heavy. It is resistant to decay, almost does not lose volume during drying and practically does not swell when interacting with moisture. The more dried the material, the more beautiful the cut. It lends itself well to processing, polishing and painting.
The use of the material is somewhat limited due to the small size of the shrub trunks. Most often, juniper wood is used for carving, manufacturing decorative products, small crafts, toys, turning products, etc.