What are the types of wood and their features. What is the most durable wood in Russia

The tree contains unlimited possibilities for creating forms designed for relief, silhouette, movement, spatial composition. When making wood products or wood carvings, it is important to choose the type of wood praline to better convey the character of the craft. The following are properties and characteristics of various types of wood.

CONIFEROUS TREES

Pine. Belongs to soft breeds, wood is straight-grained with a yellowish tint, dense and durable, moderately drying out. It is easy to process, if not very resinous, sticks together relatively well, but does not finish and stain well. Not very suitable for fine-relief carving. Often used for carved home decorations.
Spruce. The wood is soft, light, shiny, has an exceptionally even distribution of fibers, and splits well. It is lighter than pine, less resinous and inferior in strength. Violins and other stringed instruments are made from spruce wood, because no wood gives such a resonance as spruce.

Larch. Its wood is unmatched. It is very heavy, strong, difficult to handle, but durable. In Germany, Poland and other European countries, buildings made of larch logs have stood for more than 500 years. The valuable quality of larch is that it does not rot from dampness. City buildings on the water were erected on larch piles in the Middle Ages and still stand today. Larch also goes to parquet - durable, beautiful, naturally reddish, it does not need coloring.
Yew. Sound rock with a narrow yellowish-white sapwood, sharply limited from the brownish-red core; annual layers are sinuous, clearly visible in all sections. The wood is dense, hard, heavy, almost does not rot. Well processed, painted and polished. This is one of the best materials for joinery, finishing and turning works. Yew wood is surprisingly beautiful in color - pink, red, crimson-purple to deep black. Due to the color and waviness of the annual layers, it has a beautiful texture on tangential sections. Yew is one of the hundreds of trees that are called "mahogany". On the trunks of the yew, burrs of large sizes are often formed, the wood of which is highly valued as a finishing material and for the manufacture of small plastic.
Common juniper (shrub). Sound rock without resin passages, having a narrow pinkish-white sapwood and a light yellowish-brown core, often delimited from the sapwood. The annual layers are wavy, noticeable in all cuts: the early wood gradually turns into the late one. Heart-shaped rays are not visible. The wood is heavy, durable, hard, dries out little, resistant to decay, retains a pleasant smell for a long time, is well processed with a cutting tool, can be easily tinted and polished. The cuts are clean and shiny, with a very nice texture. Dried juniper - trunk, branches, roots - excellent material for carving, turning and joinery work. Such wood is much more beautiful when cut than a living tree. It does not need to be specially dried, since it has already been aged in the forest for years. Juniper wood is successfully used for very fine and various art products, ornaments.
Wood cedar, fir its structure is close to pine wood and is widely used for carving work. The striped texture of coniferous wood looks good on smooth polished surfaces: panels, background boards and panels in the form of an oblique saw cut, vases, plates, lamps made of boards with, in other products with contour carving, when the decisive shape is not the relief, but the silhouette.

Deciduous tree species (ring-vascular)

Oak. The wood is strong, dense, has an expressive texture, dries out moderately, cracks and warps little, practically does not rot. Oak, aged for a long time in water, becomes black and becomes very hard. In the past, expensive furniture was made of stained oak wood. Oak lends itself easily to dyeing and toning in mordants, finishing with mastics. Processing oak wood requires great strength and perfectly sharpened tools. Oak is widely used for carving, turning, veneering, mosaic work.
Ash. The wood is distinguished by high strength and toughness, low tendency to cracking, good bending ability. It is easy to process, slightly changes in volume when dried, perfectly polished. The wide sapwood has a wonderful light yellow, beautiful fiber pattern. In combination with a dark brown core, it looks very impressive. Ash wood is valued on a par with mahogany. Ash plywood is used to decorate furniture and musical instruments. Ash growths - mouth guards - are used to make small-sized, but valuable crafts.
Elm. Its wood with a yellowish-white sapwood and a dark brown core has a beautiful structure, is strong, hard, resilient, lends itself well to bending, knitting and durable. It is used in joinery works. Slugs on elms - mouth guards are highly valued for turning crafts.
White acacia. A sound breed with a very narrow yellowish sapwood, sharply demarcated from the green-gray or yellowish-gray core. The early wood zone is occupied by a ring of large vessels; small vessels in late wood form groups in the form of dots, dashes, or short winding lines. Wood with beautiful texture and color. In terms of physical and mechanical properties, it is significantly superior to oak and ash. Resistant to decay.
Mulberry. Wood with a very narrow and yellowish-white sapwood, sharply separating from the reddish-brown core; darkens in the light and becomes dark brown. Vessels form groups of light dots on the cut, the medullary rays are narrow, but clearly visible. The wood is hard, heavy, with a beautiful texture, color and luster.
Apple tree. The wood is hard, heavy, uniform in structure, rather ductile, has high strength and durability. It is not easy to dry it, as it dries out a lot, but the product then never cracks or warps. The wood is well colored, perfectly sanded, polished and polished. Soaked in linseed oil or linseed oil, it gains greater strength and deep dark Brown color... The original texture is distinguished by the wood of apple trees growing in a spiral manner, the butt of the trunk and roots. Cutting tools leave a smooth, glossy cut on the wood. Apple wood is especially good for fine carving of miniature sculptures.
Rowan. The wood is reddish-brown in color, difficult to process, but has high strength, heavy, hard. Freshly cut mountain ash should be dried carefully, in a gentle mode, as it dries out a lot. Rowan products are well colored, pickled, polished and polished, acquiring a beautiful silky shine. Dense and homogeneous rowan wood is an excellent material for turning and carving. Rowan wood, strong, with an expressive twisted texture, was previously widely used for carved and slotted products (loom parts, bowls, spoons, buckets). Rowan root is an excellent material for sculpture, branches are flexible enough for weaving.
Bird cherry. The wood is heavy, strong, dense and flexible, it is afraid of moisture and does not warp or crack when it dries. It can be easily etched, painted, polished. Young wood white, the old one is red-brown, has the smell of almonds. Although bird cherry wood dries out a little, it should be dried carefully, then it will not crack and warp. Due to the homogeneity of the structure, it is excellently cut in all directions, when polished it acquires a vitreous luster. She always enjoyed success with joiners, turners, woodcarvers.
Hazel. It has long been used for small turning, carpentry, carving works. Chess, pencil cases, pencils, shuttles, pipe shanks, tool handles were turned and cut out of it. Thin, flexible whitewas were used for weaving, hoops, rods.
Lilac. Wood with a beautiful texture, when stained with a weak solution of hydrochloric acid, acquires a purple color.
Wood buckthorn, honeysuckle, hawthorn hard, bone-like, does not crack, polishes well.

Deciduous tree species (diffuse vascular)

Linden. The wood is soft, light, rather viscous. Due to the uniformity of the structure, it is excellently processed in all directions by hand and on lathe, keeps its shape well. It is widely used for the manufacture of objects decorated with embossed openwork and sculptural carving (however, they try not to make fine linden carvings). Linden does not crack, sticks well, stains, polishes satisfactorily.
Aspen. The wood is soft, light, not straight-layered, but it is easy to work with, it bulges up when planed. It is well cut with a chisel, easily polished across the fibers. Wet wood is difficult to cut along the grain. The color of aspen is pure white or greenish, which is important when making mosaics (marquetry) and inlay (intarsia). She is not afraid of moisture, does not warp and does not crack. Does not prick from impact, peels well, sticks reliably. Light toys, dishes, and other small objects are made of it and decorated with carvings. Aspen, aged for several years, is excellently ground and polished.
Alder. The wood is light, soft, moderately drying, gives a slight warping during drying, it is well cut, glued, painted and polished. Used for carvings, as well as for imitation of ebony and mahogany, walnut. The natural color of alder is from white to pale brown; in the air it quickly changes to reddish brown.
Poplar. The wood is light, soft and form-stable, well processed and glued, satisfactorily finished. Low resistance to decay. Color - from whitish, yellowish-brown to red-brown. The texture is beautiful, coarse. Of all the poplar varieties, the silver poplar is valued.
Willow. Sound breed with a wide white sapwood, not sharply delimited from the brownish-pink core. The wood is loose and therefore light, fresh, very soft, used for small outbuildings. Willow is good for weaving baskets, furniture, mats. Talnik, red, white, black, willow, willow, willow, shelyuga - this is not a complete list of popular names different types and you.
Common birch. Wood of medium density and hardness, homogeneous in structure, strong, rather tough, easy to cut in all directions, very well drilled, glued, polished and painted. Disadvantages - susceptibility to cracking, warping, severe shrinkage, wormhole damage and decay. The wood of warty and fluffy birch is distinguished by its high strength, in terms of hardness it stands on the border between soft and hard species.
Karelian birch. By appearance does not differ from ordinary wood, but its wood is completely different: it is light ocher in color, it is densely "painted" with small dark inclusions, which create a moiré overflow against a mother-of-pearl background. The combination of broken heart-shaped rays and wavy annual layers gives a beautiful speckled surface in section. The wood is viscous, it is well cut, almost does not crumble.
Beech. Nuclear-free breed. The wood is white with a yellowish-red tint; annual layers are clearly visible in all sections; the heart-shaped rays are wide and narrow. Differs in high strength, beautiful texture on a radial cut, but not resistant to decay. By mechanical properties - density, strength, hardness - beech is close to oak. When steamed, it lends itself well to bending. Due to its beautiful texture, it is used for the production of sliced ​​veneer, parquet friezes, musical instruments, in mosaic work, carving, imitation of pink and mahogany, walnut.
Walnut. One of the few breeds with a rich color and tonal range and a variety of textures. Color - from light brownish-grayish tones to gray-brown, almost black. The wood is moderately hard, does not dry out much, keeps its shape, is easily processed, it is perfectly cut in all directions, it sticks well and gets off well. It is used for various carvings, in mosaics, for veneering.
Hornbeam. The wood is white with a grayish tint, shiny, heavy, strong, viscous, often twisted, difficult to chop, cut, poorly polished, but easily colored, imitating ebony. It is used for making musical instruments and for various crafts.
Sycamore. The wood is light, moderately hard, but the irregular structure makes it difficult to work with. It is one of the most decorative. Wide and fairly frequent beams on a cut of wood form an unusually beautiful texture, so well-polished products look very elegant. It is used for the manufacture of parquet, furniture, valuable handicrafts.
Pear. The wood is dense, durable and solid, practically does not warp or crack, it is well processed, glued, painted and finished. After toning, it imitates ebony. The pear is used mainly for fine and medium carving with complex relief, for overhead and openwork carving, mosaic work.
Maple. The wood is not only dense, durable and hard, but also beautiful. Its structure is thin, and white heart-shaped rays shine, especially on a longitudinal cut. It is difficult, but even pricks, it is well processed, glued, painted. Mainly used for carving work (especially for applied carving). Bird's eye maple is good for inlaid decor in marquetry and for facing. Also highly valued are "streaked" maple wood with wavy grain and burl.
Red tree. A number of tropical tree species (mahogany, sango tree, etc.). Wood of red, red-brown, light cherry or light pink color, with a red texture, very durable, well polished. It has long been used for the manufacture of high quality furniture. Sometimes mahogany is called the wood of yew, black alder, sequoia.
Ebony. Several types tropical trees eu, mainly of the ebony family. The wood is dark or black in color, very dense, heavy, durable, easy to work with. It is used to make valuable furniture, carved and turned products, and musical instruments. Hornbeam, boxwood, yew, plum, birch wood is easily finished under ebony. Bog oak has black wood.

The strength and hardness of timber is determined by several methods. Experts have long compiled a list of all trees by density. Thanks to the results of this check, the craftsmen use the timber strictly for the intended purpose.

Durability of wood species

The first line of this list is occupied by the white acacia, which is widespread in Europe. Brazilian cherry, or jatoba, ranks second in hardness. Products from this tree have a beautiful structure. Amaranth can be found in Central America. Timber is characterized by dense and flexible wood. The raw material has a red-violet hue and an interesting structure. The strongest amaranth wood is difficult to process, but it is from it that elite pieces of furniture are produced.

Next in the list is an ash tree, followed by an oak tree. These types of lumber are very heavy and durable. In our country, the Schmidt birch is distinguished by the greatest hardness. Bullets fly off from it, in the water it goes to the bottom in a few seconds, it is distinguished by the property of self-preservation. Products made from it do not rot and are stronger than cast iron.

Hard varieties timber products are used in various fields. For example, Brazilian cherry is an excellent material for creating walking sticks, furniture, and parquet. The strength of acacia parquet is higher than that of oak and acquires a more beautiful texture over the years. After steaming, the raw material can be easily bent, which is why it is so popular when making Viennese chairs.

Nails and bearings are made from "iron trees". These include: Schmidt birch, Amazonian tree, azobe and several others.

Lightweight durable wood

Balsa is a tree with a very light and durable wood that grows in South and Central America. Many believe that the lightest wood is cork. However, they are greatly mistaken - almost 2 times lighter than balsa. The density of the boards of this tree is 120-160 kg / m3, and the density of cork is over 210 kg / m3. Balsa products are 9 times lighter than water, and 6 times lighter than oak.

It is worth noting that a freshly cut tree is quite heavy, because timber contains a lot of fiber cells, which are filled with cellular sap. If the wood is not dried immediately after felling, it will rot within a few days.

These trees are distinguished by a colossal growth rate: six months after germination of seeds, they reach 3.5 m in height and 25 cm in diameter.

Felling is done at the age of 6-10 years. At this time, the tree grows 25-30 meters in height, and the trunk diameter is 1 m (sometimes up to 6 m).

After felling, timber is dried in an upright state. During drying, the fiber loses moisture and deforms, the cells shrink. Balsa timber is very porous, spongy, but not fragile - 6% moisture remains in them.

Another plus of such raw materials is the ease of processing. Craftsmen appreciate it for the fact that, with a low weight, the structures turn out to be quite tough - harder than that of oak or pine. The spongy structure allows this material to be successfully used as a sound and sound insulator. The tree got to the territory of Europe relatively recently. Mass exports began during World War II when they were replaced with cork.

Today, balsa is used to make:

• wind turbine blades
• sport equipment
• decorations, layouts
• aircraft models
• stuffing pillows from fibers.

Tensile strength of wood

It is known that certain qualities of sawn timber are manifested under the effect of mechanical work. It:

• strength
• deformability
• technological and operational properties.

The parameters of the mechanical properties of timber are calculated using:

• stretching
• compression
• bending
• shift.

Strength - the ability of timber not to collapse under the influence of mechanical work. It is directly proportional to the structure and physical condition of the raw material. Strength testing is carried out by standard methods on healthy and small (section 20X20 mm) specimens under static loads on special devices. As a result of most of the processes, the maximum strength is recorded, which is the maximum stress that does not destroy the raw material.

Compressive strength is calculated on specimens of a prismatic configuration. The specimen is slowly loaded until it shows signs of degradation. After that, the force meter of the test apparatus is calculated according to a special formula. The average value of the maximum compressive strength along the fibers for all Russian varieties with a raw material moisture content of 12% reaches 50 MPa. In the course of testing timber for static bending, specimens in the form of a small bar are used. The average value of the maximum strength reaches 100 MPa.

Mechanical strength of wood

During short-term loads, mainly elastic destructions appear in lumber, which disappear after the load is removed. This indicator is also calculated by specialists using special formulas.

Due to the fact that polymers with elongated chain molecules prevail in the composition of timber, their deformability is directly dependent on the load time. The study of the mechanical properties of lumber is the science of rheology. She studies the general patterns of timber destruction under loads, taking into account the time factor.

The strength factors of timber under long continuous loads need to be studied because they are used in building structures. Experts call the maximum of long-term resistance a characteristic of this quality. For almost all types of load, it equals 0.5 - 0.6 levels of maximum strength for short-term static loads.

In the course of drawing up a project of building structures from timber, craftsmen in their calculations do not use the maximum strength of small specimens of timber, but much smaller coefficients - the design resistance.

Specific viscosity is a characteristic of the ability of a raw material to absorb work during impact without collapsing. It is determined during bending tests. This indicator for coniferous timber is two times weaker than that of deciduous timber.

Hardness is the limit of the resistance of sawn timber to indentation more than solids... To determine the hardness, an apparatus with a punch is used, the tip of which is pressed to the depth of the radius. At the end of the procedure, a trace remains in the raw material. The size of the track is used to determine the hardness. Impact hardness is calculated by dropping a 25 mm diameter metal ball from a height of 50 cm onto a specimen.

The property of lumber to resist wear is called durability. It has long been known that the wear of the side portions is much higher than the end cuts. With increasing hardness, wear decreases. Wet timber is more susceptible to wear and tear than dried timber.

Perhaps the most unique quality lumber can be called the ability to hold fasteners such as nails, screws, staples. During the driving of a nail into the raw material, elastic destructions are created, which provide the necessary friction force. It is she who interferes with pulling out the nail. With an increase in density, the resistance of the timber to the pulling out of the fastening material increases.

Oak and ash lumber is much easier to bend than, for example, beech. Coniferous varieties are characterized by even less bending ability. Bending timber is much easier with steam. Such conditions make the raw material more malleable and make it possible, as a result of the formation of frozen destructions with further cooling and drying under load, to fix new form sample.

To compare the qualities of different types of timber, experts use the specific coefficients of mechanical properties, i.e. coefficients of their mechanical properties, proportional to the unit of density.

These indicators of lumber are very important if an object or structure requires increased strength at a low weight. All this must be taken into account in transport engineering, structure aircraft, shipbuilding.

In the areas of construction and manufacturing, technological plastics in various designs are replacing traditional consumables. They are distinguished by high technical and physical qualities, which allows them to confidently replace both wood and even metal. Nevertheless, wood raw materials have many advantages due to low procurement costs and environmental friendliness. The weak point of this material is considered strength. To increase this indicator, manufacturers use special processing methods to increase rigidity, density and, in general, resistance to mechanical damage. But, hard rocks wood initially have these properties, often eliminating the need for special heat treatments.

Features of hardwood

Usually, the qualities of such rocks are evaluated according to three indicators - density, Brinell hardness and cross-cut stiffness. On average, the density of such wood is about 1200-1400 kg / m 3. As for the Brinell hardness, this value can reach 3.5 kgf / mm 2, and the transverse cut stiffness is 80 MPa. Again, these indicators are typical for trees familiar to Russian conditions, and exotic species can have significantly superior characteristics. What types of wood are considered hard in the temperate zone? Usually oak, beech, ash and some types of hornbeam are distinguished. It is important to consider that along with positive quality in the form of hardness, such trees also differ and negative properties... It has already been said that in order to improve performance, lumber can be subjected to additional processing. Sometimes, to obtain special physical characteristics, solid wood is also subjected to similar operations. And here a serious problem manifests itself, since many rocks, due to their high density, do not tolerate the processes of grinding, impregnation and especially drying. Cracks, chips and other manifestations of structural deformation are often formed.

Hardwood classifications

There are breeds that grow in the temperate zone, and exotic trees... There is also a classification for deciduous and coniferous species. Although most hardwoods are still deciduous, among the needles there are also varieties with increased characteristics of density and hardness. As for the breeds temperate zone, then these include maple, boxwood, briar and the aforementioned hornbeam. Coniferous hardwoods are also the most widespread here. Which of them have the most pronounced hardness indicators? In this case, larch, yew, juniper and lawson deserve attention. Hardwoods are also found among the usual fruit trees - in this category, the forest apple, oxalis, pear, mountain ash and some types of walnuts stand out. As for exotic rocks, they show the highest indicators of hardness and density. Here, of particular interest is red and lemon eucalyptus, etc. Now it is worth considering in more detail the hardest species of trees.

Red tree

In Russia, this breed is the most popular, since it can be purchased on the free market. This is a tropical tree, which is characterized by high hardness, as well as an original texture on the cut. Freshly sawn wood has a yellowish-red hue, but over time it is replaced by darker tones, which gives the material nobility. Accordingly, the consumer appreciates not only the technical, but also the decorative properties of this tree. It should be noted that from the point of view of pronounced decorative qualities, bakout and boxwood also belong to hardwood. Moreover, these rocks are used not only as finishing materials, but can also replace individual decorative details in jewelry and technical devices. But mahogany is also distinguished by the ease of machining. The density of this breed is not so high in comparison with many solid materials of tropical origin, therefore, this raw material is in great demand in furniture factories.

Iron tree

If ultra-strong plastics can replace iron due to their strength, then this breed is not only able to take the place of an element resistant to mechanical stress in some areas, but at the same time meet increased requirements in terms of environmental resistance. The concept of ironwood includes a whole group of species that mainly grow in the countries of the Asian region and in Australia. The classic representative of the group is the Persian Parrotia. This type is widespread in relict forests, where locals have been making handles for knives and axes from it since ancient times. Today, the "iron" hardwood is under the protection of UNESCO. This breed, in particular, also has aesthetic value, which leads to a great interest in it from the market.

Merbau

It is not the hardest, but in terms of the totality of other performance characteristics, one might say, the most practical breed. Previously used in the construction of marine vessels. This is due to the fact that the material is resistant to moisture and, moreover, does not dry out. Therefore, merbau can be stored for a long time, after which it can be heat treated and used in construction. As already noted, hardwood trees, such as hornbeam or beech, hardly tolerate additional processing. But the merbau endures traditional ways impact in order to improve individual performance.

White acacia

The hardest breed in Russia, which is valued not only for its strength, but also for its resistance to biological destruction processes. In addition, acacia of this species is well polished and does not crack during long-term use. Subject to preventive treatment measures, the wood is also not exposed to minor mechanical damage. By the way, in terms of technical characteristics, this species is superior to such hard woods as oak and ash.

Lignum vitae

The hardness index of this tree is one of the highest in the world. Suffice it to say that the material does its job optimally when used in the form of bearings, bushings and brackets. In the navy, wood of this species was often used as a material for the deck. But as lumber, bakout is valued for other reasons as well. It does not lend itself to deforming processes under the influence of third-party negative factors. It can be both chemical and physical effects that do not have a destructive effect on the structure. There are other hardwoods that can also withstand extreme loads. But the unique quality of the bakout is the balanced combination of high mass and density.

Application of hardwood

Most of this material is used in construction. Wood in one form or another can be used as a basis for structures, and as a decoration. Separate breeds are also used in the fields of mechanical engineering and instrument making. Of these, individual functional elements are made with the expectation of long-term use - and these can be both temporary consumables and durable parts of structures. These are the main, but not all, areas in which high-strength wood species are used. Soft, hard rocks, as well as with medium density indicators can be used in medical purposes... In this case, hardness is not so important. The fact is that many exotic breeds contain resins that are unique in their qualities. Preparation of medicinal mixtures for internal and external use, in particular, allows you to fight diseases of the joints, respiratory organs, etc.

Conclusion

Manufacturers of building materials are perfectly familiar with the rule that an increase in one technical and operational property almost always entails a minimization of other qualities. In part, this law also applies to hard wood species, which in some characteristics are inferior to soft types. Biodegradation processes, physical deformation, and distortion of texture are the main disadvantages of soft rocks used in a long-term format. But on the other hand, such wood has the advantage of being susceptible to additional treatments. Of course, both categories have their exceptions, but the soft structure, due to its low density, is still more inclined to the formation of new properties artificially.

Acacia is the hardest tree growing in Russia. Its color is yellow or olive-green, the layers are straight and sharply visible. It is processed well only in its raw form, while in dry form it is difficult to process with cutting tools; does not crack or warp; remarkably firmly resists friction; almost insensitive to atmospheric influences; under the influence of light, acacia slightly changes its color and becomes very beautiful over time.

Strong, hard and at the same time elastic acacia wood is used by furniture makers. Among other things, they make an excellent veneer for veneering MDF boards or products from low-value wood species.

Acacia wood is an excellent material for flooring. Their service life is comparable to that of ash or larch parquet. In addition, excellent doors are made of it, which are stronger than oak ones (an 80 mm thick acacia door cannot be shot from a PM pistol from a distance of 10 m).

Thoroughly dried and varnished parts retain their shape and dimensions better in dry conditions. Acacia wood behaves perfectly in glued and screwed joints. Both paints and varnishes based on organic solvents and water-soluble varnishes and paints are equally well suited for finishing products from it, but the natural texture and color always look better.

One of the difficulties in working with acacia is due to the fact that it is initially prone to cracking, so it needs gentle drying modes, which increases the time. Another difficulty is that acacia has a multidirectional texture - the fibers in the wood are located towards each other, like mahogany - which makes processing much more difficult. But the result is worth it. Acacia wood is a sophisticated interior decoration material that creates a beautiful contrasting backdrop for dark furniture.

Birch is the most common finishing material in the northern part and partly in middle lane Russia. Its wood is the lightest, homogeneous, fine-structured, dense, hard, well cut. Sharpening, pricking, sawing and planing is excellent. It is convenient to use it for small crafts, since birch reacts to temperature and humidity and can warp in large items. Dries up slowly and hard; does not rot quickly, especially in a dry place, but it is highly susceptible to a wormhole. A very beautiful veneer is cut from the smelts. The best birch tree gives in the period of 40-50 years, and then the good qualities progressively decrease. Older wood is easily identified by its darker color.

Beech (red beech) - In Central Europe, this is the most common type of wood. But the beech wood growing in the mountains is of better quality. In some conditions, especially in underwater structures, it is not much inferior in strength to oak. Beech is a champion among other common ornamental wood species in terms of its peculiarity to chip well, be processed on a lathe, bend in a steamed state (in this it is second only to a nut). Resistant to splitting, but not resistant to cracking. Is beautiful ornamental material for interior decoration, it is cut very well, although dry wood crumbles and splits in fine carvings across the fibers. In everyday life, it is used to make drawing rulers and squares, shoe blocks, parquet, furniture (especially cots and playpens). These items, which have served their life, can be used for carving. Beech is not suitable for house carving, as it is extremely hygroscopic and warps when wet, prone to wormhole and decay. To prevent the attack of worms, finished beech products are fumigated or steamed. To make the tree less warped, it is cut down in the middle of summer, and then, after a year, it is sawn into boards, which are placed in water and kept in it for several months.

The color of the wood is reddish-brown with many large and darker glitters; in old age it darkens and turns into brown, and therefore is not at all used for elegant products. Steam-treated beech bends easily. This feature is used in the furniture industry in the manufacture of Viennese chairs - the famous curved Viennese furniture for which there is no more suitable wood. But even in this case, the beech is pickled and painted in order to change the nondescriptness of natural wood. When steamed, the beech bends easily, and after drying it retains its shape for a long time. The damp the wood, the easier it is to handle; it is very poorly polished, but it accepts color well and is especially good for imitating a walnut.

White beech, or hornbeam, has a whitish-gray wood that is very hard and strong, with lighter sheen on a smoothly finished surface. Annual layers in cross section have an irregular wavy shape. The sapwood is as hard as the hardwood. While the wood is damp, it warps a lot; but after thorough drying, it almost completely does not change its shape from atmospheric influences; as it dries, the hardness of the hornbeam increases so much that the hornbeam requires the sharpest tools. With cutting tools, the hornbeam is almost equally processed both along the fiber and from the end.

Thanks to these qualities, the hornbeam is used in carpentry and machine and model business.

In the joinery and furniture business, the hornbeam has no use, since it is ugly in appearance and too heavy, moreover, it is very poorly polished. Hornbeam accepts color perfectly, and therefore it is sometimes used for fake ebony. This is most often done by turners, since the hornbeam is sharpened very easily and well.

Cherry - in Russia, it is distributed in the south and in the middle lane. The wood is dense, strong and resilient, but works well and is cut in all directions. In structure, a mature tree is surprisingly elegant and decorative. When dry, cherry wood is strong and solid, prickly and planed easily. As a finishing material, cherry is one of the most valuable and decorative species, and since the early Middle Ages (according to the interior items that have come down to us) it has been used to decorate works of art and architecture. Musical instruments, stairs were made and are made from it, famous Turkish shanks are prepared from some varieties of cherries, growths and root nodes are valued by turners. It is used exclusively for the manufacture of expensive furniture. Cherry furniture is notable for its special aristocracy, even relatively recently created items look like rare antiques. It accepts varnish and paint perfectly, it is especially well stained under mahogany. In house carving, the use of cherries is limited, in particular, by the small size of the blanks. But using the decorative texture of cherries in small panels or rosettes is perhaps tempting.

Elm (elm, birch bark, elm) - varieties of the same tree species... The most common species is the common broadleaf elm, characterized by its heavy, light wood that darkens over time. The wood of old trees is dirty pink in color, dotted with many veins and lines. Despite the distinctness of annual layers, the tree is very dense and slightly spongy. It does not crack at all and very little warps. Resilience and flexibility are wonderful; Elm is used to make wheel hubs and rims, sleigh runners, wooden screws large sizes, as well as all kinds of products that require endurance in shock and impact, but do not require a smooth surface and graceful finishing. The ability of an elm to bend (yes, taking into account its light tone) is used to make curved contours and framing in decorative panels, ornaments of house carvings. All trees of this family, due to their viscosity and fine fiber, are pricked, planed, smoothed and polished extremely poorly. As a result, they are used very rarely in the furniture business.

Hornbeam - the wood is light, grayish-white, shiny, heavy and hard. It cracks and shrinks a lot when it dries. The extraordinary hardness of the hornbeam, resistance to abrasion and splitting from impact (in this only white acacia is ahead of it). Due to its good staining with black dyes, high strength and hardness, hornbeam wood is used as an imitation of ebony. Long and careful drying is required to avoid deformation and cracking.

Pear - wood is obtained mainly from wild, due to the thickness and height of the trunk of a forest plant, which a garden pear usually does not reach, although the latter has wood just as well. The color of young woods is yellow-white and old woods are brownish. The structure of the wood is dense, without noticeable pores and annual layers. The pear is planed and cut equally well in all directions. From soaking in water, and then slowly drying, the pear tree noticeably hardens and turns brown. In the modeling business, it is used to make expensive carvings, and in the manufacture of expensive furniture it is used to fake ebony, which pear is much superior in strength. The pear is perfectly polished. Its only drawback is its tendency to wormhole.

Oak is a hard and sturdy brown-yellow tree with strong, noticeable annual layers, in the spring part of which there are many pores. A special characteristic of oak can be the frequent and thick core rays. The wood of young trees is hard, flexible and grayish brown in color. In older trees, the wood is yellower and more fragile. There are many varieties of oak, but we will divide them only into two groups: The first includes varieties that grow in the south and differ in appearance in that their acorns sit directly on the branches, as well as the fact that the leaves turn yellow in autumn, but only fall from the tree in winter or even in spring, when young ones appear. This variety is called winter oak and its wood is more valuable than the other group. It goes mainly for parquet floors and characteristic wooden furniture decorated with carvings. The best wood is produced by oak in the period of 80-150 years of age, taken from the black forest, i.e. from dense forests... Pure oak forests do not produce good trees, since their trunks are squat, thick and knotty.

Another group of oaks is known as spring oaks and differs mainly in the fact that their acorns sit on long stalks, which is not the case with winter oaks. The wood of spring oaks is somewhat viscous, knotty and grayer - in general, it is lower in quality than the wood of the previous group.

It is rather difficult to plan and saw oak, it pricks easily, and it accepts polish very poorly due to its nostriliness.

Oak is especially resistant to water, where it takes on a completely black color, raising its value as a material for expensive furniture.

Spruce - in appearance somewhat similar to a pine tree, but differs from it in greater softness, pallor of annual layers and big amount small knots. Spruce does not differ in especially good qualities, and it owes its wide distribution to its cheapness and similarity to pine.

In products directly affected atmospheric changes, the spruce quickly decays. Little warps up and this is almost its only good quality. Spruce is planed, sawn and pricked easily.

Karagach (elm, elm, birch bark) are varieties of the same tree species. The most common species is the common broadleaf elm, characterized by its heavy, light wood that darkens over time. The wood of old trees is dirty pink in color, dotted with many veins and lines. Despite the distinctness of annual layers, the tree is very dense and slightly spongy. It does not crack at all and very little warps. Resilience and flexibility are wonderful; Elm is used to make wheel hubs and rims, sleigh runners, large wooden screws, as well as all kinds of products that require endurance in shocks and impacts, but do not require a smooth surface and graceful finishing. The ability of an elm to bend (yes, taking into account its light tone) is used to make curved contours and framing in decorative panels, ornaments of house carvings. All trees of this family, due to their viscosity and fine fiber, are pricked, planed, smoothed and polished extremely poorly. As a result, they are used very rarely in the furniture business.

Chestnut (wild / horse) - gives a very beautiful, almost completely white, but unfortunately very soft tree. The wood of old trees loses its whiteness and turns yellow or red. Chestnut is processed very easily, but soon it rots and loses its strength. It is also painted well and at the same time it remains longer from damage. Due to the above reasons, he plays a role only in haberdashery and amateur art works.

Edible chestnut gives a tree that is completely opposite in properties to wild chestnut. It is hard, brown (similar in color to oak), very durable, not warping or cracking. Accepts polishing very well. Its appearance is not particularly attractive, and therefore is rarely found on sale.

Cedar is a type of pine (Siberian pine). The tree is soft, prickly, pinkish-brown in color, with a pleasant smell. Since ancient times, it has been used for the manufacture of furniture, in construction, as well as pens and pencils - sometimes called pencil - does not warp and is not at all susceptible to a wormhole.

Maple - Gives a whitish wood with many small glitters giving the wood a silky look. The tree is dense, dense, of medium hardness and almost never cross-layered, as a result of which it pricks and planes beautifully. If we add to the above that maple shrinks a little and resists damp well, then it becomes clear why it is so highly valued by carpenters. Expensive models of carved jewelry are prepared from it. Maple takes polish very well; it is painted in different colors too, because it is used to counterfeit acacia and boxwood, to which it is close in structure (but not in density).

Mahogany (mahogany, amaranth) is the most common and well-known of all tropical trees, under the name of which the most diverse and heterogeneous species are sold, having a common color and partly an appearance of texture. It is easy to process, and although redwood is quite soft, it still belongs to the category of the most desirable joinery materials. The reason for this is not so much in its beauty as in its persistent resistance to atmospheric influences and the perfect immutability of form. Therefore, it goes into the manufacture of expensive furniture, grand pianos and upright pianos.

In Russia, there is not even half of all varieties and varieties of mahogany, so it makes no sense to set out the details of its commodity research. Most often we have a bad yellow-orange variety, known as the sugar, or chestnut tree. Its smell is weak and rather pleasant for humans, fatal for insects. Therefore, the best chests and wardrobes are made from the sugar tree. This tree is called sugar tree because American sugar was transported from it in boxes, and these boxes were then sold as carpentry material.

Linden - gives a light, white wood with barely noticeable annual layers. It works well, especially with cutting tools. Very little warps, is not afraid of dampness, but, unfortunately, is prone to a wormhole. The best tree is the southern linden; mainly foundry models and all different products with gilding are made from it.

Little is used in turning, except for handicrafts and children's toys. Typical furniture under a white colored varnish is good from linden. Linden is stained very poorly, as it is distinguished by its remarkable impenetrability. Honey, for example, flows out through the walls of any wooden vessel - one linden tree does not let it through.

Larch - belongs to the category of the best trees both in construction and in joinery. Its wood is reddish in color and has remarkable durability. It is much more resistant than oak and is equally hardy both in water and in air. The reason for this should be sought in a large amount of resin. Larch is processed very smoothly and well; hardly warps or wormholes.

Juniper - grows everywhere in the middle lane, but it is very rarely tree-like, and its ordinary shrub never gives thick pieces of wood suitable for larger products. Young plants give almost white, while old ones are whitish yellow, not too hard, very fine-layered, dense and flexible with wavy growth rings and very hardy. One of the rare properties of juniper wood is its pleasant sandarac smell, which persists in products that have lain in the ground for thousands of years.

Alder - the wood of this tree is rather heavy and resilient; the layers are hardly noticeable, the structure is dense; the color is dirty pink or dirty orange. Yellow or brown oblong spots are a sign of decay or deterioration; under water and in dampness, the tree is very strong and resistant, in a dry place it soon rots and worms. It lends itself to any manual processing very well, it also polishes well and takes all kinds of colors, it is suitable for making models of various products, since it is easy to cut. In the count's estates, there were always headsets or individual pieces of furniture made of alder.

Common walnut (Persian) - grows in the Caucasus and is brought to us in large quantities. Young trees give soft and white wood, while the old ones - the well-known dark brown, speckled with darker veins, sometimes taking completely dark color... The older the tree, the more beautiful and better its wood. The walnut is processed well and perfectly accepts polishing and coloring. Lighter woods are sometimes successfully imitated as mahogany.

Aspen (quivering poplar) is a very common tree in Russian forests, which reaches a solid size and sometimes lives up to 150 years. The wood is white, soft, easily pricked and cut, but it warps strongly and is not expressive at all, and therefore is practically not used in carpentry. The tree often rots at the root, but dry and seasoned aspen becomes unusually resistant to decay, even in dampness. It was used to make plowshares, which were used to cover the domes of wooden churches with their unique silvery shade, and benches and shelves in the Russian bathhouse are made from it.

Rosewood is a violet tree, or yakaranda, brought from the hot countries of South America and Eastern India, is valued as an excellent material for making expensive furniture and items. Its wood is very hard, dense, fine-grained and porous; its color is difficult to determine because of the various shades that make up it. In most cases, a brown color with a purple tint is dominated, speckled with lighter veins, forming a beautiful pattern. Without careful polishing, which is difficult to achieve, over time, rosewood darkens to black. Shabby with a cloth, it gives off a pleasant scent, reminiscent of the scent of Parma violets.

In terms of strength, rosewood is inferior to mahogany, and surpasses it in beauty; in expensive finishes, it is used together with metal, which emphasizes natural beauty wood.

Pine - known to everyone in its own way widespread use wood of yellow-red or pale yellow color, not particularly hard, but easy to work, persistent and durable in various products... In dense northern forests, pine trunks are quite long and are distinguished by remarkable straightness and straightness; both of these qualities, together with barbness, are very important for construction work.

The pine is planed along very easily, but across it is difficult and uneven; sawn well, glue holds tight.

It is used for all kinds of crafts, which would be very difficult to list. Cheap furniture, doors, window frames are prepared from it, and absolutely everything is built in Russia - from a barn to exhibition pavilions.

Cherry - in appearance it is very similar to cherry, but reaches such a thickness that it can be cut into boards. Its wood is denser and harder than that of cherry, and therefore its use is preferable. This tree is highly susceptible to wormholes. Smelts have a beautiful curliness of the fibers.

Ash - achieves under favorable conditions gigantic growth and up to five feet thick. Its wood is not particularly beautiful, yellowish with alternating light and dark stripes. During finishing, annual layering is strongly manifested due to the many pores clogged during grinding and polishing. Ash is quite hard, dense and heavy, and most importantly elastic; dry enough strong, especially after drying with steam. But in its raw form, it is easily exposed to a wormhole and is very sensitive to atmospheric changes.

In carpentry, ash is used for the manufacture of doors, furniture for lobbies and shops. In turning, it is not particularly used, since products made from it have a clumsy and heavy look. Ash smelts, which are distinguished by their hardness, density, beautiful shades and fiber pattern, are very much appreciated by turners.

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The hardness of the wood depends mainly on the type of wood. In this article, we'll take a look at different types of wood and find out which wood is harder than others.

The hardness of timber is their ability to resist the introduction of harder bodies, for example, nails, screws.

The hardness of wood differs in different cutting directions. The following types of hardness are distinguished:

• end. This type of hardness is determined by indenting a metal rod that has a hemispherical end with a diameter of 11.28 mm. The rod is pressed to a depth of a radius of 5.64 mm gradually over 2 minutes. The size of the print is 1 square centimeter and, therefore, the hardness is measured in kg / cm2
• radial
• tangential.

The lateral hardness of coniferous timber is most often 40% lower than the end hardness, and of deciduous varieties, by about 30%. The tangential type of hardness, for example, of oak, beech or elm timber, is higher than the end one by almost 5 -10%. Most types of wood have approximately the same tangential and radial hardness.

In order to create a high quality product from wood, it is necessary to determine the hardness of the type of wood used. Most often, the Brinell method is used to determine hardness. The meaning of this method consists in pressing a metal ball with a diameter of 10 mm into the surface of the workpiece with a force of 100 kg. By the type of deformation and the diameter of the resulting depression, the value of hardness is determined.

In addition, experienced craftsmen must take into account the changes in hardness that can occur when working with workpieces. For example, the hardness of timber varies depending on the type of cut.

The hardest wood is the Jatoba tree, which grows in wet rainforest South and Central America. The hardness of the wood of this tree is 7 on the Brinell scale. Timber is rather light, with a grayish sapwood. In this case, the core is colored red, red-brown or dark orange. The cut of the trunk becomes darker over 6-7 days, after which it acquires a brick-red color. The tree grows up to 40 meters in height. Timber is used to create furniture, parquet flooring, as well as decorative elements of interior decoration.

The second place in the rating of hardness is taken by sucupira. She has a hardness index of 5.6 points. This tree grows exclusively in the Amazon rainforest. A mature tree is about 30 meters high. In the center of the trunk there is a reddish-brown "dull" wood. Towards the edges, the wood brightens and becomes whitish. When sawing, yellow stripes of parenchymal matter are clearly distinguished. The texture of such timber is quite peculiar. Due to the large amount of oily substances in the wood, the products are resistant to damage by woodworm beetles and microorganisms. Such wood is used for making floorboards, parquet boards and furniture. Timber is very difficult to saw, but it is well sanded and polished.

The hardness index of Amazonian jarra is almost 6 points, it grows in South America... The wood is dark red or plum in color at the core. At the same time, the sapwood has a light yellowish or brown tint. The timber of this tree becomes darker when exposed to moisture and air. Amazonian yarra is difficult to process, but it is perfectly polished and bends. This material is used to build boats and buildings, create various pieces of furniture and souvenirs.

In tropical rainforests West Africa the turbidity tree grows, reaching 60 m in height. Its hardness level is 5 points. Turbidity timber has a brown color, very similar to Walnut, olive with a brownish tint. The unique attractiveness of the wood is given by the "rays" of violet color. Such a tree is used to make floorboards, furniture and interior decoration elements.

European walnut or walnut grows in southern Europe and Asia Minor. The hardness of this tree is also 5 points. The walnut has an expensive wood; amateurs value it very much. natural materials... The structure of the fibers is even and parallel, sometimes wavy curvatures are observed. Expensive furniture, parquet and veneer, as well as souvenirs are made of wood. Finished products are affected by the woodworm beetle.

Merbau timber has a hardness of 4.9 points on the Brinell scale. This tree grows in the humid tropics of Papua and New Guinea, as well as in the forests of southeast Asia. A tree grows up to 30 meters. Timber is quite dense, one cubic meter of such material weighs about 800 kg. The core is light orange or yellow in color. The sapwood is light yellow in color. The wood becomes darker over time, acquires a bronze or brown hue, with a silvery overflow. The wood has an attractive texture due to the presence of straight and curved fibers. Merbau is not afraid of moisture, it can be used in bathrooms.

Ash has a hardness index of about 4. It is very common in Europe and Asia, as well as in America. A mature tree reaches over 35 m in height. Timber from young trunks is homogeneous, light, slightly grayish. And mature trees have a brown, brown core. Several types of ash are distinguished by a reddish core. The structure of the wood is similar to that of oak. Growth rings stand out well, they form a striped pattern. Planks of different sizes, plywood sheets, pieces of furniture, veneer are made of these timber. Several centuries ago, ash was used to create weapons, hunting tools, and catapults.

The hardness of oak reaches 3.8 points. There are about 600 species of this tree. Timber does not rot under the influence of moisture. Wood of white, yellowish shades. The growth rings are well defined. The sapwood has more light color than the core. An oak that has lain for a couple of centuries at the bottom of the reservoir does not rot or decompose. On the contrary, it becomes more durable and solid, acquires a dark brown tint. Oak is enough valuable breed... Oak barrels and vehicle parts made of this material are very popular.

Larch is the hardest of coniferous timber. Its hardness is 2.6 points on the Brinell scale. The wood has a dark red core. The sapwood has a lighter yellowish-red color. The sapwood is separated from the kernel by a clear border. Buildings made from such wood do not rot for hundreds of years. Larch wood has a high viscosity, so it is processed slowly. The action of moisture only increases the hardness of the wood. Soaked timber can be compared to stone in terms of hardness.