American Wood Source

If you find yourself with a few minutes in between projects and would like to brush up on your knowledge of interesting wood facts, take a few minutes to look over the top 81 most interesting facts about wood and trees.

Facts About Wood & Trees — compiled by Johnny W. Morlan

1 * The oldest workable wood/lumber on earth is Ancient Kauri {Agathis australis}. The trees from ancient forests on North Island, New Zealand have been buried under peat moss since the last ice age. They are well preserved and are now being dug up from the tundra. They have been radio carbon dated to approximately 30,000 – 50,000 years old. Of coarse, 50,000 years is the ultimate limit of radio carbon dating so it is quite possible that these trees could be older!

Read the rest of this entry »

The chart below shows the 8 hardwood lumber grades used most frequently today. FAS is the highest grade, No3B Common, the lowest. The grading system established by the National Hardwood Association applies to all species of wood with a few exceptions.

• FAS: First and seconds, long, wide cutting, fixtures and interior trim.
  F1F: FAS 1-face, Select lumber that is 6 inches or wider, lumber is graded from better side. The better face must grade FAS, back grades not below No 1 Common.
  Select: No. 1 Common lumber, poorer side grades No. 1 Common, better side grades FAS. Different from F1F only in width and length minimums.
  No 1 Common: Standard Furniture Grade
  No 2 Common: Standard grade for uses requiring medium to short lengths: cabinets, millwork.
  No 2B Common: Similar to No. 2 except defects such as stains admitted. Paint grade.
  No 3 Common: Grading based upon sound cutting rather than clear cuttings. Used for pallets and crates.

Read the rest of this entry »

Converting Fractions to Decimals

Router lifts and dial indicators often show measurements in thousandths of an inch (.001″), but woodworkers tend to think in fractions, not decimals. To find a fraction’s decimal equivalent, simply divide the top number by the bottom number (1/8 = 1 dividedby 8, or .125″). To save you scrounging up a calculator for every adjustment, here’s a handy conversion chart to keep by your router table and tablesaw.