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by: R. Bruce Hoadley
Topics include: terminal parenchyma, negative clearance angle, porous growth rings, pores solitary, radial multiples, white pine block, transition from earlywood, growth rings distinct, crossply construction, tangential shrinkage, growth ring boundary, sectional disks, average specific gravity, dual bulb, pith side, heartwood extractives, flatsawn board, maximum crushing strength, drying defects, tangential grain, ray fleck, compression shrinkage, resin canals, peripheral milling, shrinkage formula
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Essential material for beginners and experts -- This book takes you from qualitative to quantitative understanding by means of accurate, readable explanations and a minimum of fuss. For instance, after explaining why a house settles, Hoadley shows us clearly how to estimate how much it will settle and what a knowledgeable builder could do about it.
Or take this simple woodworking situation: you are building a towel rack from two side pieces of white pine drilled to accept a maple dowel. Exactly how much wider should the hole be than the dowel so that expansion and contraction due to moisture changes in the bathroom won't split the sides?
A little time spent with this book will give you the ability to answer questions like these, quickly, exactly, and with authority. No more guessing about the effects of moisture, temperature, finish, and loads on wood: just look up the data in the clear and handy tables and graphs Hoadley provides and do the simple calculations (it's multiplication and division, folks, with nothing harder than an occasional exponent).
Almost every chapter contains revelations for the newcomer to woodworking. Early on we learn not only that wood changes size with moisture, but by how much (according to species), in which directions, how this affects its shape, and what are the common and best techniques to compensate for or design for these changes when building anything with wood. Later we learn how to relate these moisture changes to humidity--there's a clear and handy chart, as well as an easily memorized rule of thumb--and how to build and calibrate a simple shop hygrometer. In another chapter Hoadley applies this information to a discussion culminating in valuable information on sanding and finishing wood.
The many applications to an understanding of all things wooden make this book stand out for the casual reader, while the detailed, systematic explanations of the whys and hows make it ongoingly useful for anyone who crafts quality things from wood. It is the ideal supplement to an entire library on the how-to's of woodworking, because with the information given here, you will be equipped to make intelligent choices of how to select, cut, assemble, and finish a project of any size and complexity.
The only nit I have to pick has to do with the presentation of mathematical formulas: it's miserable. For instance, in one place the expression "D/O" stands for a single quantity rather than a value "D" divided by a value "O". Potentially confusing, yes; but what compensates for it is the clear descriptions and examples in the text: these are so good, you can totally ignore the formulas and not miss a thing.
Overall, Hoadley's long, thoughtful experience with all aspects of wood, from the engineering through the creative, shine through consistently. That's why I give this one five stars and I'm buying more copies for friends.
Revised, but not so new -- This second edition is "completely revised and updated". This does not go for the text: of the text of the first edition better than 99% is present here, only minutely altered. A six-page new chapter (#16) on Engineered Wood has been added. The chapters on panels and boards are somewhat revised as is the chapter on Finding Wood. In the other chapters text has been swapped around, but has not been changed.
The "revision" is mostly in the layout and pictures. The line drawings are substantially unaltered, but of the photographs most were replaced by color photographs of a generally very good quality.
As a wood anatomist my attention was drawn to the chapter on identifying wood. Since this subject is covered in much more dept in "Identifying_Wood" (same author, same publisher) there were two ways to go, either 1) eliminate the overlap by replacing this with a presentation of woods by pictures of longitudinal grain (as in "The_Good_Wood_Handbook") which would have been user-friendly and would have had my preference or 2) upgrade this book to the level of its companion. The latter strategy has been chosen and the black&white end grain pictures of the 1st edition have been replaced by pictures found in "Identifying_Wood". These are reproduced here at a higher magnification, allowing more detail to be seen. The selection of woods has been altered, with more tropical woods included.
Summing up: although this is a lot more attractive book than the first edition it is only worth replacing that first edition if the book is to be used frequently (for example as a teaching aid). For those who think this is a fairly expensive book I can recommend "The_Good_Wood_Handbook" by Jackson & Day which although much more modest in every respect is good value-for-money, and is a more accessible book.
The theory of woodworking --
I can honestly say that this book is for everyone who works with wood, from the occasional home whittler or handyman to the professional creating engineered lumber.
It covers every aspect of the material, starting with the way a tree's growing environment affects the lumber product. Hoadley gives a variety of different points used in identifying the wood's species. He then discusses the effects of cutting green wood in different ways, drying it (how-to, how long, when it's done, etc), and machining it.
Hoadley doesn't discuss woodworking machines per se, but gives a lot of attention to the interaction of blade and material. He shows the details of how cutting tools affect the visible surface of the wood, and the problems that can come from poor edges, blade angles, pressure, and other factors. He also discusses joining pieces of wood, gluing them, and finishing them.
There is so much here that it's omissions are more noteworthy. It discusses glue joints, but says very little about specific adhesives. That's fair - there are so many, for so many purposes, that the topic deserves an encyclopedia of its own. Also, the adhesives and bonding techniques used commercially are very different from the ones available to home woodworkers or small shops. Any detailed discussion of adhesives would have missed someone's needs. Ditto finishes - the topic is mentioned only briefly. Hoadley's most surprising advice about finishes is the idea of skipping them altogether. He's passionate about the wood itself, and a "least is best" approach shows the material to its best advantage.
With it's profuse and beautiful illustrations, this could be a coffee table book. The information around the pictures is the book's real strength. I find something new in it each time I come back.
Reviews:
Not perfect but overall great -- This book covers a tremendous amount of information that the general woodworker needs to know but would likely take 20 years to learn on his own. So why isn't it sold in my local wood working specialty store? Because it has a weak first chapter that can be confusing and slightly incomplete. Other parts of the book are better written. Don't let the first chapter scare you off just keep reading, it gets much better and quite thrilling at times. By the time you finish you will feel as though you've taken a college level overview course on woodworking. The information gets deep but is decently written for the non-engineer most of the time. I feel lucky to have found this book.
This is THE book on WOOD -- This is THE authoritative look into wood. I have been searching high and low for a book that covers the theory of wood and how it reacts with moisture. Most books throw in basic wood-working information that I don't need, or some "project" samples. This book only had the good stuff: It gets technical, but at an understandable level. It covers the basic cellular level of the tree, on up to how that effects your cut board. Topics include, cell structure, reaction to moisture, how wood dries, how it reacts to changes in moisture, Moisture Content levels to be expected in different regions in the USA, how to store wood, and on and on...
If you're interested in wood and how moisture affects it (and you SHOULD BE!!) than this is THE book.
A Lifetime of Knowledge Isn't Gained in a Single Sitting --
This book may appear overwhelming to the person who is new to woodworking, and just wants to make a simple project. As you grow deeper in your skills, this book is a must read. It is fascinating for all levels. Hoadley starts off with looking at wood on a cellular level. The different types of wood, have different cell characteristics. If you look at it scientifically, reducing a substance to its cellular level gives you a cross comparative basis, in which to make relational references. Seeming too technically specific for the person, more interested in router techniques, than a science class. But that is just the beginning. He soon goes into the figure in wood, wood identification, water in wood, coping with wood movement, strength of wood, and other properties. He also covers machining wood, joining wood, and finishing wood. Finishing up with modifying wood, the woodworkers raw materials, and Forests past and future.
I would advise someone who is interested in woodworking, to use this book in addition to the others they may have pertaining to woodworking technique. When you get into the building of projects, and see wood "behavior" then this book will all the more make sense. The relationship of how it was sawn and cured, and in what section of the tree it came from, and be relational to why the wood did what it did. It is the easiest to learn that way.
I found it to be a fascinating read. It is like fine art. At first you say, wow that is great. Then as you see it more and more, you come to appreciate the layers of laws that apply to the medium, and gain all the more from it over time.
For example you may marvel at being able to make a perfect fitting mortise and tenon joint, but do you know what the best possible orientation of growth rings in that form of joinery. One way it is apt to split, another way, it will last 100 years. It may not be as much fun as whether Bosch or Makita makes the best router, but inevitably it will result in a long lasting product. It is a fascinating read. Something that should be put on the shelf as a reference source. Read it ahead of time, and read it afterwards to explain, why this thing did that.
Is this the science of wood? Sure it is, but it is done in such a way that, if you don't mind digging through learning the terminology, so you can understand the higher laws of wood joinery and the like, resulting in knowing what may have taken an old master a lifetime to learn. Parts of it are an easy read. Everyone will glean valuable experience from it. It is not so simple that you can have a beginner explain every sentence, but the learning curve is rewarding.
I find Hoadley to be a technician, as opposed to a salesman. Technicians are interested in purely the scientific understanding of the fundamentals, and the relationship of behaviors to bring about the desired result. A salesman is interested in the excitement and appeal of the project, but not the depth from which Hoadley covers the subject. I must admit, that at times it is a dry read. It can best be described by taking a small amount of text from the book. Here is two sections on mortise and tenon joinery. He starts out with this: "Fastening of end grain to side grain joints can be accomplished with a high level of success using mortise and tenon joinery" Later in the same subject he states, "The improvement in mechanical advantage obtained by increasing height is offset by increased dimensional conflict between longitudinal and transverse grain orientation." There you have it. If we knew the terminology that he uses, we could better understand the meaning of the second sentence. What it means is that if you increase the height of the joint, you create a wider surface area, and that creates a stronger joint, but that is offset by the additional expansion and contraction movement in a wider piece of wood. Since the boards in a mortise and tenon joint are typically joined together with grains running against one another, this is a major consideration. We knew that! :-) I had to read that sentence and ponder it before I knew what he meant. At times it reminds me of learing the computer. At times it is frustration, but with understanding, which is a breakthrough, come elation. This book will take you to higher laws and levels.
I guess I am getting wordy. I am excited about this book. As Woodenboat states it on the back cover, "Clearly the best book available on the subject."
I highly recommend you to buy this book. It is an easy read, and it is a complex read, all wrapped up in one book. Each time you reference it, you will derive more and more information from it. It is like fine art. A lifetime of knowledge isn't gained in a single sitting. No matter how many years you spend in woodworking, this book will be right there with you, ever unfolding the true relationship of the product we have come to love; Wood!
A must for anyone interested in quality --
I really recommend this book. It deals with a host of issues which can make your woodwork efforts shine or fail in a relaxed style that is simple without being simplistic. There are also plenty of illustrations and colour photos, which for me is a must.
If you are an amateur woodworker with an interest in creating durable, quality products or just interested in how and why wood behaves like it does, this is a good purchase.
What it is (and is not): The book deals with types of wood, wood identification, stresses, how wood dries, that type of thing. It is not a "how to" book - if you want a book with techniques in it, this is not the one for you.
Understanding Wood 2nd edition
R. Bruce Hoadley
A craftsman's guide to wood technology
The first edition of Understanding Wood was published in 1980 and has since sold more than 130,000 copies. It is widely held as a definitive reference work and the cornerstone of every woodworker's library. Now, Bruce Hoadley's comprehensive guide to wood technology has been revised and updated in this 20th-anniversary edition of a classic.
New information on composite materials, adhesives, and finishes brings this book into the 21st century, while more than 300 photographs bring important visual information to life. This edition covers the nature of wood and its properties, the basics of wood technology, and the woodworker's raw materials. Understanding Wood was written for woodworkers by a scientist with a love of woodworking. It will be sought after by craftsmen and collectors alike.
"The truly serious woodworker needs a knowledge of his material and the best place to get it is in Bruce Hoadley's Understanding Wood."
-- UPI, WIRE, Chicago Sun-Times
"Not one craftsman in 100 could know a quarter of the information Hoadley has collected in this handsomely illustrated volume."
-- American Forests
Understanding Wood 2nd edition
R. Bruce Hoadley
A craftsman's guide to wood technology
Part One: The Nature of Wood and Its Properties
1. The Nature of Wood
Growth rings
Grain
Sapwood and heartwood
Structural arrangement of growth rings and rays
Density and specific gravity
Systematic classification
Cellular structure
Softwoods
Hardwoods
2. Figure in Wood
Knots
Abnormal wood
Fungi
Insect damage
3. Wood Identification
What to look for
Physical properties
Identification techniques
Macrophotographs
4. Strength of Wood
Compression parallel to the grain
Compression perpendicular to the grain
Tension perpendicular to the grain
Tension parallel to the grain
Shear perpendicular to the grain
Shear parallel to the grain
Bending theory
The carrying capacity and stiffness of beams
Factors affecting strength properties
Compression failures and brashness
Structural grades
5. Other Properties of Wood
Thermal conductivity
Effect of temperature on wood
Burning of wood
Fluorescence
Psychological properties
6. Water and Wood
Free water and bound water
Equilibrium moisture content
Green vs. air-dried vs. kiln-dried
Dimensional change in wood
Estimating shrinkage and swelling
Uneven shrinkage and swelling
Part two: Basics of Wood Technology
7. Coping with Dimensional Change in Wood
Preshrinking
Control of moisture sorption
Mechanical restraint
Chemical stabilization
Design
Monitoring moisture
The moisture "widget"
8. Drying Wood
How wood dries
The dry kiln
Drying your own wood
Storing lumber
9. Machining and Bending Wood
Machining wood
Bending solid wood
10. Joining Wood
The elements of joints
Basic types of joints
Worked joints
Fastened joints
11. Adhesives and Gluing
Adhesive joints
Gluing fundamentals
12. Finishing and Protecting Wood
Surface condition
No treatment
Coating treatments
Penetrating finishes
Combinations and compromise
Slowing moisture exchange
Evaluation of finished surfaces
Preservative treatment of wood
Part three: The WoodworkerÕs Raw Materials
13. Lumber
Lumber measure
Lumber classification and grading
14. Veneer and Plywood
Plywood
Classes of plywood
15. Composite Panels
Particleboard
Wafer- and strand-based panels
Fiber-based panels
16. Engineered Wood
Finger-jointed lumber
Glulam
Structural composite lumber
I-joists
17. Finding Wood
Trees
Recycling used wood
Local sawmills
Lumberyards
The woodworkersÕ retail outlets
Industrial arts teachers
Magazines
Specialty woods
The Yellow Pages and other listings
Internet
Lumbermen
Afterword: Forests past and future
Appendix 1: Commercial names for lumber
Appendix 2: Finding the specific gravity of wood
Glossary
Bibliography