Hasta La Ideas

This Wood Species series of entries comes to us from guest writer Rob Wilkey, an Atlanta-based woodworker and industrial designer whose expertise is in small home goods, furniture, and large installations.

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In this continuation of the Material Matters: Wood series, we’ll start talking about the specific properties of different wood species, and the terminology used to discuss those properties. Those of you who were paying attention during the previous MM:W entries will recognize some of the terms, but a little review never hurts.

Over 100,000 different species of trees have been identified worldwide. Many are endangered, many are inaccessible, and many more aren’t suitable for use as lumber. In fact, only a very small portion of these species is harvested and dried for use, but that ‘small portion’ still comprises over 500 species.

Woods we see in everyday American life—pine, oak, and maple—make up a small and comparatively uninteresting group of species. Around the globe, however, woods vary widely in appearance and physical properties. Colors can range from pale yellows and grays to vibrant hues of purple, red, and green, and from rich browns to pure, solid black.

Density can vary from unbelievably light—balsa is less than 1/6th the density of water—to heavier than concrete. For example, the South American species Lignum Vitae is so water-resistant and dense that it is commonly used in bearings for large naval craft and hydroelectric dams.

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