The Art and Science of Wood Identification
Woodworkers should know as much as possible about wood. It’s very valuable to know how to spot different species of living trees, how our wood is cut from the tree, the various working characteristics of different woods, and some of the techniques for identifying specific types of wood. All this information helps in selecting the right wood for various projects. Precise wood identification depends largely on the characteristics of wood cells observed under a microscope, making this work better left for qualified professionals with the right tools and years of training. Thankfully, most woodworkers can learn to identify species quite successfully by familiarizing themselves with some of the more common characteristics of wood.
Identifying Species – The Job is part Science & part Art
Learning to identify a particular specie of living tree can be helpful if you have ever considered logging your own wood. There is a whole bunch of literature, including books and journals, that provides detailed information on specific species. However, it must be kept in mind that the job is part science and part art. Even seasoned loggers and arborists are often fooled by certain trees. However, there are some basic techniques that you can use to distinguish various species in the wild.
Overall Shape of the Trees During Winter and Early Spring
One approach is to study how trees look in the dead of winter or in early spring when the buds are beginning to form. Try taking a walk in the woods in winter when the leaves are down. Not only will individual trees be easier to spot, but the entire forest opens up to the eye, offering hints as to the variety of trees that live there. Important characteristics to look for, include the direction and shape of branches, the texture and color of a tree’s bark, and the overall shape of the tree.
Leaves and Flowers During Growing Season
During the growing season, leaves provide a good way to identify various species. However, it takes a trained eye and years of study to become familiar with a great variety of species. A tree’s flower, bud, or fruit is also a good indicator of its species. In the spring, you can easily look up to see buds forming on branches. Later in the year, look to the ground under a tree for fallen nuts.
Identifying Cut and Dried Lumber – Tips and Tricks
Once the lumber is cut and dried, identifying its specific specie could prove to be challenging. Scientific investigations with highly specialized equipment are usually out of the reach of an average woodworker, but there are several other techniques for identifying specific woods. Honestly, it is hard to tell what the wood is. If you have been working with the wood for a while, you might have some good ideas but there are other things you need to do in order to identify the wood.
Exposing True Color of the Wood – Scaling the Dusty Surface
Most of the time we come across various woods that have aged in dusty old barns or sheds, or we find them laying on shelves for years. As a result, they become dark and mostly dirty. In order to find out if the wood is special or to simply identify it, clean a portion by giving it a firm wipe with a rigid brush to remove the debris and then slice or scrape the surface with a small knife until fresh wood is exposed. This will reveal the true color of that wood. It is almost always lighter and brighter that mostly gives a sound indication of the specie. For example, cherry wood will appear as pink-toned to medium red toned as compared to the color of most of the other woods.
Testing the Wood for Hardness – Indenting with Fingernail
Another trick is to test the hardness of the wood with your fingernail. It is very easy to tell the difference between hard and soft maple with this test. You can easily tell whether you are dealing with Walnut or its much softer match, the Butternut. These two wood types often confuse even experienced woodworkers. The relative softness of two similar kinds of wood can be tested by indenting them with a fingernail. For instance, Butternut will accept an impression while the Walnut will resist marking.
Odor
Most woods have a unique odor, and some are so distinctive that you can spot them easily with a sniff. Naturally, all woods have a stronger smell when they are green or freshly cut. But there are few species that have a strong aroma even after the wood has been properly dried. The scent of dry wood is emitted particularly during sawing. For instance, the spicy aroma of Spanish Cedar, used for lining humidors, and the smell of Yellow Cedar could easily be identified. Oak and Walnut both have their own specific and quite pungent aromas, which are sometimes strong enough to make some woodworkers turn up their noses at these woods. On the other hand, there are some wood species that have a sweet, tangy scent that attracts woodworkers to hand-plan it, just to catch a whiff of its fragrance; for example, Sassafras.
The odor of certain woods is quite distinctive, so it pays to familiarize yourself with the various scents of the woods. However, these smells are particularly detectable if the wood is green or moistened. In order to improve the scent of dry wood, it is recommended to wet it with water before sniffing. Wetting a piece of wood will boost its aroma so your nose can detect its signature smell.
Blowing Bubbles – Checking for Tyloses
Another method for identifying certain species is to check for Tyloses, a natural material unique to some hardwoods. Tyloses are balloon-like projections that fill the vessels. When they are fully formed, the vessel can no longer conduct water. This stuff blocks the pores of certain woods, such as Chestnut and Ash, and is most prominent in White Oak and Black Locust. Determining the presence of Tyloses is one way to distinguish White Oak from Red Oak. You can determine it by blowing through a split sample of the wood held in a bowl of water. If you can blow bubbles, the sample is most likely to be Red Oak. If you can’t, that means the pores are blocked and you are possibly holding White Oak.
The absolute best way to find out about different types of woods and get to know their different characteristics is to use them. Until you actually use the wood and you work with it, you know what it feels and smells like, you know what its characteristics are, and you will never be able to tell the difference between most of the lumbers out there. In a lot of the trees, there is a big gray area where it is hard to distinguish them and you will never really know because you don’t have leaves the bark, and other things to look at. Therefore, the best way to find out the specific wood is to work with different types of wood, and the more wood you work with, the more you start identifying them. If you are really confused, try visiting our website for various wood species or you can meet us directly at Wild Edge Woodcraft in North Carolina. We provide information and guidance along with selling hardwood lumber, sawing logs, kiln drying, and heat sterilizing wood.
