May 2020 - www.woodhappiness.com

The properties the errors and the enemies of wood is a primitive knowledge , attached to the first "step" , the humans made on our astonishing planet . Wood is "Alive" , woodworking knowledge is endless !! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm6YLa7NQsc As i've ve said to you many times , wood is an "alive" material . It isn't plastic , metal , karbon or something like that , which their molecule structure is stable . You can have the exact same wood part from the exact same tree and log , taken from the same tree-spots and still these wood parts can be different . Woodworking "recreates" maths . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5SUUr4GmM4 The place on earth the trees live , the quality of the soil and the many times this soil quality changes from several reasons , affecting the tree . Because one year the place can have dozens of animals , enriching the soil and the other year not . The quality and the amount of rain , affect the trees . The quality of the moisture during the hole day hours , affects the trees . The energy of the sun , the hours which "boils" or not the atmosphere , affects the trees . The inside soil waters - fluids , are affecting the trees . The soil elements affect the trees . The quality and the type of the general flora of the place your tree lives , affects the tree and its wood quality and properties . The bees and whatever else of the nature's bugs , affect the trees . The place the tree has in the forest , affects the tree . The general orientation of the tree , affects it . The age of the tree , affects your wood part . If a tree has many "wounds" in its peel , affects the wood and i'm sure , that if a tree is "happy" or not , affect its wood quality and properies . Haven't you heard that the flowers have "feelings" and they interact to music , dangers , et.c . I'm sure the same applies for the trees . The tree mass , has fibers and depending the specific spot you "examine" , this spot "behaves" accordingly . The tree's mass isn't homogeneous and depending the direction you apply actions on it , you get the proportional "answer" . And of course the existance of wood "errors" and general problems , affect the quality of your tree and your wood piece . But how all of these and the variety of the wood properties , affect your woodworking activity ? The Wood Properties are very complex . The properties and the general "behavior" of the wood , affect your wood projects in so many ways and i'm sure that you've experienced some in your wood "life" . If you try to combine wood which has big differences concerning their properties , your plan can go very wrong . If you want to create a wooden bed , the pieces of wood you sould choose , must have the same properties in the biggest grade possible . If you mix "hard" wood with "soft" wood , or wood with big mechanical differences , at the end of your project , you may end up sleep in the floor . Wood's properties list : 1) The density of the wood . It's the bulk of wood mass and the bulk of air , we have in a specific part of wood . If we have more mass than air , our wood is more solid and strong . It's how "sparse" or not is our wood's mass . Of course we have different sparse areas of wood in the same tree . 2) The weight of the wood . It is the weight of the wood material we have , for a specific bulk . It's like the density of the wood , but in here we can , measure the weight more easily than the density . It's how many molecules - fibers - mass of wood we have in a specific area . As you can imagine , moisture and water makes the wood heavier , than the correct dried wood . That's why you should buy your fireplace wood , when it's dry enough and usually we buy wood on summer months . Wood with high moisture is heavier . 3) The hardness of the wood . It is the ability of the wood , to resist anything which tries to enter its mass . Nail , ax or whatever . The density and moisture affect the hardness of wood . Low moisture , makes the wood stronger , but not so flexible . Always , different wood pieces , even from the same tree , have different hardnesses . 4) The Mechanical properties of resistance . In here , we have the ability of wood to resist to the external powers , which applied to wood in general . These powers are the :1) Crushing powers .2) Traction powers .3) Benting powers .4) Penetrating powers . 5) Twisting powers . 6) Cutting powers . 7) Drilling powers . 8) Ripping powers . All the above external powers affect the wood , depending of the direction these powers are applied to the wood , compared to the direction of the wood's fibers . Sometimes when you are ripping your wood logs with your ax and you aren't "following" the "waters" of the wood , haven't you experienced how hard is to rip the log , into pieces ? This happens because you are trying to rip your log , in the "wrong" fiber's way . As heavier and harder is a piece of wood , the more resistance to these powers , is . As drier the wood is , the more strong it is , but not so flexible . The primary "factory" errors of the wood , like a knob , affect the resistance and power of the wood . 5) The Elasticity and Flexibility of the wood . You apply a power ot wood and let's suppose it bents . If you stop this power the wood will "return" to its primary form . This is elasticity . The easiness of this "return" shows us how good is the wood piece . In here too , the whole "work" is done by the wood's fibers . The level of moisture , affects the elasticity of the wood and the green wood has more elasticity . Flexibility is the ability of wood to take a specific shape and remains there , without braking . 6) The Hygroscopicity of the wood . As you already know , wood absorbs and expels away the moisture it has inside . This ability of wood , is a basic one and it gives to it the so many properties . This retrogression of the moisture makes our lives "difficult" in many cases , making the creation of our woodworking projects a "sneaky" puzzle . The ups and downs of moisture , changes the shape of wood . 7) The Electrical properties of the wood . As you already may know , wood doesn't "let" the electric power to pass throw it . I suppose this wood property , won't be in your top priorities but you may need to inform , how your wood piece "reacts" to electricity if you are going to do a woodworking project , concerning electricity . 8) The Thermical properties of wood . If you are going to make a plan , in which you wood will be near fire or something like that , you need to know how easily or not , wood is burning and how handles fire . If you want to make a wooden blower to start your fire in your fireplace , you should choose to take your wood from a tree , which has resistance to fire and burns , slower . The olive oil wood and the yew , resist much to fire and it's very suitable for this "job" . You should avoid to make a wooden box , from the "wrong" wood for your fireplace's wood , if its position will be near the fireplace . If a small spark falls on it , many bad things will happen . If you make material and you use electrical equipment , which use high heat or a small (or bigger) blowtorch , you should create your woodworking bench from boards which don't get burned very easily . The log houses are built from specific tree logs and the thermical "behavior" of them , is a very significant factor . 9) The Acoustical properties of wood . Most of musical instruments are built from wood as their main material . If you are active in this so "sensitive" area , the acoustical properties of your wood is colossal serious . Even the tiny "mistake" , during the drying process , cutting process or the general treatment of the wood , affect to the acoustical "result" for your instrument . 10) The Glossiness of wood . The glossiness of your wood , affests to your general treatment , to it . How smooth is and how its surface "reacts" to painting with several materials .How much time it needs to dry completely after the painting and how it looks after the painting . 11) The Hereditary properties of wood . Yes even the trees have properties which are inherited from one generation to another . The place the tree excists in the forest , the general properties the entire forest has , the soil issues , the bad "communications" or not the forest's tree have and so many other factors , affect the tree . Many of the wood's "errors" , are caused by hereditary factors . If you want to choose our wooden parts and avoid bad "surpises" , you should try to use as many of the above info and try your wood to combine as many of the characteristics you need , for your wooden plans . Not every wood is suitable for all the wooden projects . Choose the most appropriate "balance" , of wood properties , which suits your needs and you'll eliminate the "mistakes" and ruined projects . I've written an article for the quality of the wooden and which wood is expensive and you can read it , HERE . The "Errors" of wood . As all materials in life , wood has advantages and imperfections . Some of them are from physical factors and some of them are caused by the interaction with the environment . 1 ) Knobs . Knobs are small or sometimes bigger circular wood spots , which appear in the surface of a wood . They are created by the tree branches , inside the tree mass . As the tree branches inside the trees are growing they "interrupt" the tree's inside fibers , because they are taking their own "road" to the outside , becoming branches . They are attached to the tree mass and if the branch from which they come is a green branch , they are strong above the surface . If the "mother" branch" is rotten or isn't so "healthy" , the knobs aren't so stable to the log . If you have noticed sometimes when you push with not big power a knob , you can snap it out form the tree log . Knobs aren't something we want for our wood pieces , because they "interrupt" the surface of the log - board , et.c and don't look good . Try to choose wood parts without knobs if possible , or with small ones . Imagine while finishing your project , a "weak" knob to fall down and leave in its position a hole . Complete disaster . 2 ) Not straight grain - texture . If your wood piece has inside grain ( waters) which aren't straight , don't choose this wood part for your plan . The askew texture is the factor number 1 , for disortion to your wood piece . These askew grain during the drying of the wood , will "pull" the wood to several random directions and you won't be able to do something for it . Nobody can do anything . You just avoid to supply this kind of wood . 3) Wood Cracks . Sometimes in countries and places with very cold temperatures , some trees may freeze in their inside(their fluids) , even if nature adapts to every external conditions . As you know , freeze means expansion . When the inside of the tree will expand , it will need more space and this fact , makes the tree crack . The outside cracks are made most of the time , by the incorrect drying process . If the tree log / piece dry out very quickly , the cracks in the outside/peel of the tree , are unavoidable . 4) Eccentric Core - Heart of the tree . If you cut a log and you take one slice of it , to see it , you'll see that inside there are wood "rings" . I mentioned it in a previous article , that for each year of the tree , you add a "ring" . So if you want to see the tree's age , you count the inside rings and you know the age . In the center of these "rings" , you'll see the core of the tree (which is the driest part) . In general the core of the tree is in the exact middle of the rings . If the tree has grown in a sideways place (like the mountain slopes) the core won't in the exact center of the log . This is a serious tree "error" , because it affects the fibers in it . It will make your life difficult and the log will dry awry . Avoid these kinds of wood logs/parts . The general looks of the tree/wood is also a crucial factor of its quality and avoid wood pieces which are rotten , or about to be rotten . Your wood should has good appearence , must smell nice , and doesn't have holes from bugs and other factors . Sometimes a small hit by the tree's tranportation , can damage and cause serious themes to your wood . See it , touch it , inspect it , smell it and be very cautius to identify any sign you don't like . The transportation damages , can be one of the tree's "enemies" and they can harm it . But the trees have more "enemies" and let's see what they are : "Enemies" of Wood . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsPXrRBLoOY 1) Freeze weather . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqCAG6RfTCA As you've read before if you leave in a place with extreme low temperatures(and sometimes not so low) , the inside fluids of the trees are freezing . That situation causes , expansion and the cracks are unavoidable , no matter what you do . One characteristic example is the lemon tree . It let's its fluids on its branches and doesn't "withdraw" them in the log , so the fluids are freezing and the branch is destroyed . The lemon tree is extremely sensitive to the cold weather , that's why you should choose the place to plant them very carefully . You should avoid the northern places and keep it protected the cold winter nights . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg6zG3-03Ns So be very careful to protect your trees from freezing weather and inform if you can , from where the wood you'll buy , came from . 2) Fire . I don't have many to say in here . Fire burns wood and it's the number one "enemy" for it . No matter what , if a wood piece falls into a fireplace or something like that , it will burn . What can you do ? Have your wood projects away from the fire . 3) Bugs & Fungi of any kind . The tree's inside fluids and its inside material are very good and delicious(!) food for all the bug types , outhere . At first they "drink" the fluids and than they proceed to the main "dinner" . You won't understand anything , till it's too late and your wood starts to smell , very badly . You'll notice a white tiny dust in the place you've left your wood piece and if you let it as it is your wood will be destroyed , completely . Read HERE my "newbie" bug story . Always check for this white tiny dust , in the places you leave your wood and if you see something "strange" act immediatelly . In the wood markets there are many(and very effective) bug medicines , you can apply to your wood . These medicine are penetrating inside of the wood and kill the bugs . 4) Moisture . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5XMH0yWX9s One of the most "sneaky" and "silent" enemy of wood is the moisture and water in general . The fluctuation of your wood's moisture , changes the wood's mass and shape and creates cracks and many other problems . If you cut a wood piece/log from a tree and you try to create your woodworking plan without dry it , your projects will be face very serious problems , with 100% certainty . The remaining fluids inside it , they'll start to decompose and your wood piece will bent for sure , as it dries out during time . So never use a wood piece for the "job" you want , before you dry it out in a very good grade . The moisture fluctuation of wood is also loosen the bonds between the wood's fibers and make it rotten more easily . As you see the moisture and the water are very important factors to your "precious" wood and they can ruin very easily your projects . The control of moisture is a colossal factor , for your woodworking projects success . Keep woodworking and happiness will be there for you always .