| "World of Wood Tour" -- Introduction |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-407 |
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Selecting the wood for a fine woodworking project is like an artist selecting paint and canvas. This program explores the natural palette of the woodworker's craft: wood. In this episode, DIY Wood Works goes on location -- to a lumber mill and wood-supply store in Sonoma Count, California -- with host and master craftsman David Marks. This special gives woodworkers useful information about the various woods that are available, what to search out and what to avoid, how to uncover great grain, and how to test for water-content in wood stock. Viewers also learn about tools they should have on hand when they shop for fine hardwoods. - Aside from his woodworking shop, David Marks has a large wood-storage shed where he keeps selected rare and large pieces of wood (figure A).
- Fine woods need to be stored where they are protected from both rain and sun. David's shed is a simple structure -- concrete slab floor, plywood siding and a tin roof (figure B). There's a 1-inch gap between the top of the walls and roof to allow for airflow.
- He has spent years purchasing and collecting distinctive pieces of hardwoods from which he carefully selects pieces that can be ideally showcased in handcrafted furniture pieces. He buys many of his pieces of wood based on their unique grain patterns and figure.
- David inspects and grades his wood based on its grain pattern and consistency of color (figure C). As he creates his furniture designs, his first consideration is how best to display the grain and texture of the wood itself.
- Some of his prize pieces include:
- Rare Brazilian pernambuco, used primarily for violin bows.
- Hawaiian koa wood.
- Big-leaf quilted maple, with a "bubbly" grain pattern and dramatic 3-dimensional texture in its bark (figure D).
- Quilted mahogany, his finest and rarest piece. This is the rarest mahogany in the world, and came from a single tree that was cut down in Belize around 1965. The large tree fell and was wedged into a ravine, and couldn't be removed by the loggers at the time. Twenty years later it was removed, cut into sections, dragged 70 miles through the tropical jungles and floated down river for 100 miles. It was ultimately milled into lumber, and produced from 3,000 to 5,000 board-feet of lumber. The spectacular, three-dimensional quality of the grain (figure E) is among the world's finest. A wood this fine will be used only sparingly, primarily for making veneers to make the greatest use of the grain.
- When selecting fine hardwoods, it's a good idea to bring along a few essential tools (figure F):
- Steel brush for removing surface dirt.
- Flashlight for inspecting wood in the backs of bins and dark warehouses.
- A moisture meter that indicates whether the wood is dry enough to be used.
- Tape measure.
- Small hand-plane, used for removing small amounts of the surface layer to reveal the grain pattern.
- Spray bottle with water for helping the figure of the wood become more visible.
- The moisture meter works by passing a small current between two electrodes, through the wood. The resistance indicates the percentage of moisture in the wood. Wood that's in the 8 to 10-percent range (figure G) is suitable for woodworking.
David Marks' hardwood samples shown in this segment: Zircote
Macassser ebony
Yellow satin-wood
King wood (a type of rosewood)
Redwood burl
Claro walnut
Pernambuco
Olive wood
Big-leaf quilted maple
Quilted mahogany In the segment that follows, David Marks visits a unique wood-supplier in northern California that specializes in large slabs of locally-grown woods, and burls that are not commercially available. Sponsored Resource
> Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
Woodworker's Guide to Wood: Softwoods, Hardwoods, Plywoods, Composite, Veneers
Model: 080836878
Author: Rick Peters
(2000)
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
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