Chapter 1
The global forest of ancient builders
Chapter 2
The secret language of wood
Chapter 3
Master joinery and the physics of strength
Chapter 4
The toolbox and the modern maker
YOUR GOAL
Master of The cosmic puzzle of carpentry
Ch 2 · The secret language of wood
artiteacher The Secret Language of Wood
Read the grain and the wood will tell you how it wants to bend!
artiteacher Botanical origins classify wood, grouping flowering deciduous trees as hardwoods and cone bearing conifers as softwoods regardless of
artiteacher A carpenter carefully carves away wet outer sapwood from a glowing log core.
Fun Fact
Wood cell behavior: A standard wooden board can expand up to ten percent in width just from seasonal humidity changes.
Glossary
grain (noun)
The directional arrangement and pattern of fibrous tissues in wood or timber. In 1942, George Nakashima learned to read this pattern under Gentaro Hikogawa's tutelage at Idaho's Camp Minidoka.
The directional arrangement and pattern of fibrous tissues in wood or timber. In 1942, George Nakashima learned to read this pattern under Gentaro Hikogawa's tutelage at Idaho's Camp Minidoka.
Quiz
What botanical feature actually determines whether a tree is classified as a hardwood?
Quiz
What are the tiny, hollow tube-like cells in wood that transport water vertically called?
Quiz
Which of these woods is botanically classified as a softwood but is physically harder than many hardwoods?
Quiz
What scientific field analyzes the patterns of tree rings to date ancient wooden structures?
Quiz
What is the dark, dense, and rot-resistant wood found at the center of a tree trunk called?
Quiz
Why does a wooden board shrink and swell mostly across its width rather than its length?