Analyzing Wood Species, Grain, and Sawing Methods Here's a long and complex (but very informative) thread that starts off with a wood identification problem, moves into a discussion of wood pore structure, and then takes off on an interesting tangent about quartersawing, flatsawing, and other methods for piecing out a log. March 22, 2013
Mahogany Versus Sapele for an Outdoor Structure A long discussion about different flavors of Mahogany, their sources and qualities, and how they compare with Sapele for durability and quality. March 26, 2010
Mixing African and Honduras Mahogany A long discussion of the woodworking characteristics of various Mahogany types and substitutes, and the practicality of combining different woods in a single door. June 29, 2008
"Water Oak" Versus "Pin Oak" Locally common names for Oak varieties can cause confusion. Here's a discussion of some Oak tree varieties and some information on their characteristics. February 9, 2008
Rotted siding Gene Wengert helps a homeowner with a question about decaying siding. 1998.
Parenchyma Cell Rings and Wood Grain Info about parynchyma cell rings, a structure similar to growth rings that can affect the appearance of sawn lumber. October 1, 2009
"False Acacia" (a.k.a. Black Locust) Black Locust is known in Europe as "False Acacia." Here's some info about the species and the lumber. October 15, 2010
Woods for outdoor furniture A manufacturer of outdoor furniture consults the Wood Doctor for help with choosing a species to replace beech. 1998.
Laminating different species In a triple lamination, it's OK to use two species of lumber, given a few conditions. 1998.
Relative densities of various birches The Wood Doctor offers resources for information on the relative densities of birch lumbers, and offers an opinion on plastic laminate. 1998.
Another Wood Identification Puzzle Sycamore? Beech? Mulberry? The forum takes a look at some old wood found in a barn and destined to be made into guitar bodies. January 28, 2013
What Does "Old Growth" Mean The sawing and drying forum discusses what "old growth" means when used to describe lumber, and what qualities "old growth" wood may or may not have. May 14, 2006
Another Wood Identification Mystery The Woodweb detective team works on another wood identification case (probably Maple, this time). March 28, 2010
A Wood Identification Puzzle No solid answers for this mixed selection of antique boards, but an interesting lesson from the Wood Doctor on the step-by-step method of identifying wood based on end grain. January 12, 2015
Common Names for Tropical Woods Woodworkers help compile an extensive list of common names for Central American wood species. February 15, 2009
Telling Hard and Soft Maple Apart The two types of maple have different densities and different end grain appearance. There's also a chemical test. December 6, 2006
Cottonwood Facts An assortment of trivia about an under-appreciated wood species. October 2, 2005
"Mahogany" One Name, Many Species Here's a rundown on the official species names of the many different trees whose wood is sold as "mahogany".March 29, 2006
A Butt Log Identification Puzzle Are these logs American Beechnut, Red Elm, Butternut, or what? In this long and detailed thread, sawmillers discuss the characteristics that could be clues. November 16, 2011
Aging yellow cedar Attaining the look of naturally aged yellow cedar. September 2, 2002
Types of Mahogany Here's a little in-depth info about the various wood species that are labeled "Mahogany." March 13, 2014
Wood Identification Puzzle Once again, the wood detectives try to identify some boards from pictures. Elm, Hickory, and Ash are the likely suspects. February 15, 2009
Alternatives to Honduran Mahogany A discussion of the qualities of some of the woods used as substitutes for Mahogany, plus an attempt to clear up some of the confusion around the much-misused "Mahogany" label. February 5, 2007
"China Cedar" -- What Is It? "China Cedar" is a separate species grown in the Far East. However, Cedar logs from America do get sent to China and come back to North America as lumber, complicating the picture. December 30, 2007
Sawing Dawn Redwood A discussion of the characteristics of lumber sawn from Dawn Redwood. March 28, 2010
Yellow Cedar Characteristics Not a true Cedar, Yellow Cedar grows mainly on the northern Pacific coast of North America. Here is some info about its useful properties. April 2, 2013
Mahogany Supply and Varieties More info on what "Mahogany" really means, and information on the availability of various types. April 6, 2007
Identifying Black Locust A woodturner tries to figure out if the wood he's using is Black Locust. February 15, 2009
Uses for Yellow Poplar Yellow Poplar makes excellent paint-grade cabinetry and trim, and can even be stained to resemble Cherry. April 27, 2007
Deodar Cedar -- What's It Good For? A little information but few answers about an ornamental Cedar variety that sometimes finds its way to a sawmill. December 30, 2007
Red cedar vs. white cedar siding The differences between the two woods, specifically, their suitability for use as siding. October 17, 2000
Qualities and Uses for Sweet Gum A small sawmiller sees his first load of Gum wood, and gets advice about its value and how to handle it. June 22, 2005
Iroko Wood Tearout This tropical hardwood (a good substitute for teak) can be tough on saw blades and moulder knives. December 1, 2005
Pecan vs. Hickory A wealth of information on these two very closely related wood species. July 5, 2006
Hard vs. soft maple Can these maples be mixed, and what are the differences? January 21, 2002
Pecan Versus Hickory Wood What's the difference? The tree species are from related groups, and the wood is often considered interchangeable. April 24, 2006
Birch Varieties Explained The Wood Doctor lists the various species of Birch tree in North America and relates them to lumber for sale on the market. July 12, 2013
Burmese Versus Plantation Teak A quick discussion of Asian and South American varieties of wood marketed as "Teak" July 13, 2010
Heart pine, defined Forum contributors define heart pine discuss differences between heartwood, sapwood and pith. August 12, 2001
Harmful saw dust Steering clear of cedar dust, and what could happen if you don't. January 16, 2001
Black ash uses White ash, black ash, and their various uses. July 26, 2000
Bur oak, a.k.a. white oak Information about various types of white oak, of which 'bur oak' is one. August 23, 2000
Chestnut Horse chestnut, and why it's the only live type of this wood available. September 6, 2000
Budget Alternatives to Teak A search for "poor man's Teak" evolves into a discussion of customers, their tastes and motivations. December 30, 2005
American Chestnut Log Identification The Woodweb detective team tries to determine if one of the group has found a large American Chestnut log in a firewood pile. March 9, 2010
Guess the Wood Another wood identification mystery leaves the Woodweb forum guessing. What species is this highly figured, iridescent, almost glowing orange/yellow burl in a unique table. April 20, 2011
American Chestnut Versus Chinese Chestnut A discussion of the American Chestnut and the Chinese Chestnut, with regard to wood appearance and blight resistance. May 16, 2008