Tree Anatomy In woodworking, we’re generally concerned about the sapwood, heartwood, and annular rings (which is what we see as “grain pattern”). The slower a tree grew, the tighter the…

Normally we cover solid wood in the Wood Encylopedia, but we thought it might be useful to discuss a versatile material for everything from jigs to drawer parts and scroll…

This laminated material comes from Germany, and is made of hundreds of layers of European beech. As woodworkers, we have an affinity for hardwood. Cherry, walnut, maple, poplar and oak….

Scientific Name: Quercus macrocarpa Other Common Names: Blue oak, Cucharillo, Encino, Mamecillo, Mossy overcup oak, Roble, Scrub oak Growing Regions: Throughout North America. According to Woods of the World, bur…

Scientific Name: Prunus serotina Other common names: Black cherry, cabinet cherry Growing regions: The Eastern half of the United States, plus Arizona and New Mexico; and Mexico and Canada Tree…

Scientific Name: Juniperus virginiana Other Common Names: Juniper, aromatic cedar, pencil cedar, Tennessee red cedar Growing Regions: Maine and southern Ontario to South Dakota, south to eastern Texas and east to…

Improve your results by understanding wood characteristics. Each species of wood has unique finishing characteristics, both positive and negative. To help you determine how to choose the right wood and…

Scientific Name: Swietenia macrophylla Other Common Names: Honduras mahogany, Belize mahogany, Bigleaf mahogany, Mara, Acajou, Caoba. Growing Regions: Mahogany is found in Central and Latin America. The trees grow mainly…

Scientific Name: Peltogyne venosa Other Common Names: Amaranth, Guarabu, Nazareno, Palo morado, Pau roxo, Purperhart, Saka, Tananeo, Violetwood Growing Regions: Purpleheart grows in Central and South America between Mexico and…

Scientific Name: Quercus rubra Other Common Names: Northern Red Oak Growing Regions: Canada and the United States. Size Characteristics: Grows to 70 feet tall, with a trunk up to 39…

Scientific Name: Acer rubrum Other Common Names: Carolina red maple, Drummond red maple, Red maple, Scarlet maple, Swamp maple, Water maple. This wood is often found in the same bin…

Aromatic and rich, the wood of Cedrela Odorata is a joy to work with and is a staple in Central American logging operations. Scientific Name: Cedrela Odorata Growing regions: Central…

Scientific Name: Juglans nigra Other Common Names: Black walnut, American walnut, American black walnut. Growing Regions: Throughout the eastern United States and Canada. Characteristics of Tree: Walnut trees attain a…

Scientific Name: Fraxinus americana Other Common Names: Canadian Ash and American White Ash Growing Regions: Canada and United States Characteristics of Tree: A small- to medium-sized tree, about 50 to…

Scientific Name: Quercus Alba Other Common Names: Swamp Chestnut, Chestnut Oak, Overcup Oak. Growing Regions: USA, Canada and Mexico. Characteristics of Tree: A moderate- ly sized tree, it can reach…

Scientific Name: foundus paletus Other Common Names: Sloof lirpa, common crate. Growing Regions: Worldwide, particularly industrial areas. Characteristics of Tree: A barkless, leafless, short scrub tree of varying height, but…