76 – Wood Identification

Wood Identification is in the End grain

We've all held that unknown wood species in our hands and wondered what it is.  This episode hopes to give you a process to follow to help you get you a wood identification.  I give you some resources in both books and the web and you need to use both to narrow down the field.  The Wood Database is THE site out there and specifically the wood filter and the advanced hardwood and softwood filter that you have to click to open up.

Make sure you examine a lot of different woods and start to understand the types of parenchyma, pore sizes and arrangements, as well as ray shape and grouping.  At first you will have no idea what you are looking at but over time you can develop your own understanding of what is small, medium, and large in pore size, etc.  

Another great method is to look at known species and use the Wood Database to determine what kind of parenchyma is present and all the nitty gritty details of the internal structure.  This goes a long way to helping you know what you are looking at when staring at the end grain of an unknown species. 

Wood Identification Resources

By the way, the featured image for this episode exhibits diffusely arranged, large pores that are both solitary but in radial pairs. Vasicentric or lozenge parenchyma and closely spaced, fine rays.

...and here is that video on Notre Dame's restoration I mentioned at the beginning of the show.