Wood Description 8

Definition of Terms:
Weight: the number given to a wood is the average weight per cubic foot. The larger the number the denser and harder the wood is. The denser the wood the more brittle it becomes, making it harder to bend and carve. Advantages to hard woods are that finer detail can be achieved and the wood can be polished to an ultra smooth finish. Balsa has a weight of 8, Oak is about 45 and Ebony weights in at 80.
Figure: the term is often confused with grain. By definition, the figure of a wood refers to the pattern caused by color differences in the wood. The figure is also the pattern created by different types of grain.
Grain: is the direction in which the fibers of the wood are running. Types of grain are: straight, wavy, irregular, spiral, curly, interlocking and birds-eye. The fibers of interlocking grain have a weaved structure, thus making the wood strong and less apt to split and suitable for bending. Irregular grain is caused by an interruption in the growth of the tree by branches or crotches. For ship building irregular grain is used for natural curved members such as knees.
Texture: a woods' texture is directly related to the suitability for carving and the fineness of detail which can be achieved. Texture ranges from coarse to medium to fine and to ultra fine. In ship building, coarse and medium textured woods are suitable for heavy timbering such as hull framing and deck beams. Fine textured wood is used for planking, moldings, rails ect. Fine and ultra fine texture is for carving small fittings and delicate parts. Texture is also uniform or uneven. An uneven textured wood has different size cell cavities giving the wood hard and soft spots. When machining or carving a piece and it suddenly breaks, it is because you hit a large cell cavity or a soft spot. Uniform texture is like cutting a soft plastic like material.

	Pernambuco Color: burnt orange color. Detail Description
	Poplar Weight: 30 Grain: straight, sometimes with a slight wave. Figure: heartwood has a greenish tint, sapwood is an even light yellow with an occasional streak of darker color. Texture: moderately fine and uniform with a close tough texture. Properties: easy to work and suitable for carving. Capable of a smooth surface but a non-lustrous finish. Stable and fairly strong. Use: hull timbering and framing, deck beams and deck framing.
	Purpleheart Color: an even royal purple. In time, turns to a darker purplish brown. Detail Description
	Red Gum Weight: 34 Grain: straight. Figure: the wood varies from an even reddish brown to variegated streaks of charcoal gray and dark brown. When cut into small timbering the figure is lost. Texture: uniform and moderately fine, similar to soft Maple. Properties: an all around excellent working wood. It takes a smooth lustrous surface. Machines and carves with good results. The wood is strong and can be cut down into delicate parts. Use: a good wood for hull timbering, deck beams and framing. The wood makes nice decorative planking.
	Sitka Spruce Weight: 32 Grain: straight. Figure: is a creamy white with a pink tint. The grain pattern appears as narrow lines. Texture: the wood is soft with a moderately fine to medium texture. Properties: a tough strong wood, stable in use. When cut, the surface tends to be a bit fuzzy, but careful sanding will bring the surface to a smooth finish. The wood works well with both hand and power tools, sands easily. Use: use for masting and spars. The wood can also be used for heavy timbering, bulkheads, structural members and framing.
	Snakewood Color: shades of maroons and browns. Detail Description
	Swiss Pear Weight: 46 Grain: straight to sometimes wavy and/or irregular. Figure: The wood has been steamed to produce an even pink color with little to no distinguishable figure however the wood will vary from board to board, from a very pale pink to a deep dusty rose. Texture: the wood is remarkable for its extraordinary smoothness and evenness of texture. Properties: excellent for carving, turning or milling. It can be cut with a sharp edge in any direction. Finishes to a polished surface. Pearwood can be stained black to resemble Ebony. Flexible and suited to bending. Use: this is the classic wood of ship modeling and it is used for everything from the finest carvings and fittings to hull timbering.