; 4. Materials and Methods A WOOD AND ITS SELECTION Stickley’s Notes on Wood “The world hes never found any substeute for wood in its many wees and its nat- tural Beary. Time and the forces of Na- ture have wrought ost the many wonder ful fers and extures, and the almost endlexs varies of bearifultraceties in the grains and che intresting age-matk rings which keep the record of che Birth. days of che forest tres, ‘Writers innumerable have expaiaced, 20d justly too, wpon the beau ofthe trees the trunk, the branches, the leaves, che shadows they case and che shelter the branches and leaves afford co the bitds. The mystery of the was forests; leven the cutting down of trees, che rate ing of thei down the sreams 0 the mill and, evenly, the singing ofthe {Saws that divide chem into lumber, have been subject for writings and poems that move and str the soa In this arccle | ‘ish sith all earnestness to comment {upon the beauty ofthe rces when cut up iio lumber, Thece is a chacra as individ Uliscic ang ag marked in the wood itself 2 5 that f the eoes in che forest, This beauty lies in che geo, or markings; she texture, or surface pearance; the nati {al shades, o colors, the marvelous varie~ fies in grain and excare; the readiness swith which they yield themseves 0 color treatment, andthe results so acained Many a worker in #008 loses mach of the joy he might have in his work by noe making a stody of these beautiful dels Is ie moe evideae that he who loves to Took at the wood upon which he is en- seged will enjoy bis work for moce than De who sees no Beaty in i? ei 0 help house this joy that i one of the essen {ial coraitions of artic work —thacL svish bitefly ro comment upon the special beauties cerain woods possess, and how 60 best in the finishing processes to bri these imio prominence and retain chem. ‘And, ia addition, there exists in wood 1 quality so satisfying thac the proper use of ie ia the structural features of 2 house produces an effecc of completeness which + does away with the need of elaborate farnishings or decoration, I believe chat cone reason why so many people pile wa- necessary furniture, pictures and brica bac into their houses is because the nee: essary furnicare, the woodwork (or other treatment) ofthe walls, aod the color scheme a6 a whole are aoc interesting oough. This is a point thar can hardly be {co strongly emphasized in ies besring pon the creation of beautifl and restful Surcoundings in che home. TE the woodwork of your house is finished so thatthe natural beauty of the ‘woods is enhanced; ifthe same ching svere done inthe fraicure; and you then See that the color scheme of woodwork, furnicure and hangings harmonize, you cannot fail to secure in exch rom a harm and beauy tha isa great step ac ‘complished cowards che simply and festfless tha cis so desirable ro gain, For let it never be forgotten tac if a room is pleasing 2nd restful, one of the hrighesc and best of results has been. acaines. ‘ln the American Museum of Natucal History in New York is one of the Ine est and finest collections of woods in ‘Ametica, possibly ia the world. A variety of trees from all pats ofthe world i shown, snd each specimen, as 2 cule, €on- Sists ofa portion ofthe crunk, just a i grew, a samed section vpolished, and a Section polished. For decades, and in Some instances foe centuries, these trees have been absorbing from the soil and atmosphere the elemonts necessary 10 theie life. Slowly, so slowly thc che eye alone could not record it, cng by ring has growth, the proper coloring matter absorbed, and the pact cles of stich they are composed depos- feed in never failing arrangement, Year afec year, century after cencury, he same plan of structure was followed, until now When 2 tree is cue down and its cexcore and color revealed, ee find it harmonious ‘with its species, yet individual in its pos session of distinctive and personal qusli- ties, Ic is this personal quality thac gives such delight to che observant wood: ‘worker. There is absolutely as much difference between the personality uf woods as there is in human beings “This peculiar charm of geain and tex cure in woods is owing (0 the way che tce builds up ies cell structure. Each «ree does this after its awa fashion, and wwe fs called hard, soft Fight, heavy. tough. porous, elastic or Otherwise according 10 these cells. All are more or less familiae swith the citcular rings that appear shen the teee is cut dawn, of as 2 log is sewed across. These cings or layers are depus ited, one each year, on the outside. So it apparent the oldest portion of the tree ie fon the inside, This old portion is w known as the hearewood, and is toucher, heavier, and stconger than she younger ‘wood of sap wood. Growths materially differ in spring and summer, and these differences ace marked in che cings. 19 the Southern pines, for instance, the spring and summer geowths are shown by solid bends. ‘As @ rule these cell structures and che! corresponding markings are vertical. bur there is a lesser system of cells equsily inportane co the life of the tree, which extend horizontally, These are the cells that form the peculiar wavy lines seen iv quartec-sawn oak, which ecoss the vert cal rays, and are called medullary rays, “These transverse rays are what bind the cree cogether. When one thinks of the hundreds of cons of weight the eeunk of tree is compelled to bear he cannot helswundering a its strengel cis these me- allay rays cha bind the perpendicular fibers together and give this amazing seength, Were it not for them the eee ‘would “telescope,” as we someximes see Inthe case of 3 ere of which the lower part of the crunk has decayed. “All hese mater, which ac Bis sight say seenstiaimportant, have a practical beating upon the ac of eabinet making. ‘The young worker should know thas, ow. ing 10 the difference in density in the ol and new eings, sd also i the growth of Spring and summer, some woods when ut have a serong cendency (0 split or check,” Others incline © warp badly and stil others, of softer fiber, if placed where there is much wear will “sliver” dnd s00n present an uncven and unpleas- ing surface. To avoid this checking, w2rp- ing and slvering some logs, when cot jnto boards, instead of ring cut the ‘whole width of the eeunk are quaztered Tod then save, as showin by the lines in the accompanying diagram [see figure 4- I]. This is clled quarter sawing, There ate moods that, in cheie very nature, do nt warp easily, such 28 chesenet pie. Sd mahogany, ete These, for general purpose, therefore, are usually pln Tec us now fora few moments, con sider ve question of wood sawing; why the diferent methods are followed on certain wads, and the objects tht are Scained “The quarcersawing method of cutting uk that the making ofthe cur paral il with the medullary rays and chu lepe- Ir preserving cher, instead of exting dross the ape thus destroying thet binding properties, renders quarter-sawn ck seucturally stronger, aso finec in fain, and, 1s before shown, les liable 0 Check and warp chan when sawn ia any other way." Is cost, however. i largely increased om aucourn of the greater waste in sawing ‘On the other hind pla sawn wak is + an entitely diferent wood. Ie presents 2 mrorked courseness of texture that rele tes ics use to purposes that do noe de- frand finer and more pleasing qualities This of course, makes 2 diference whed i comes eo making lrge panels, able rops, oF Sosthinglse hac shows 2 lage plain setae, And for these uses quaetersae oak is prefer- ble mecely Because ie "stands" becer [Sticks e's note The long wide markings that are dis- ernie in che accompanying illustrations [figure 4-2] are called “flakes.” These are ‘caused by che saws cucing through the more solid portions of che yeaely rings ‘which extend the whole length of che «crunk from bottom to top. To make lester what J mean: If one holds in his hands a piece of wood of any of the kinds named, he ean observe by looking, at the ‘ends, that these long fiakes are portions Of the yearly rings exposed by the cut of the saw. To distinguish these perpendic: tlar flakes (that band the whole eree C2 Gy 41, Quarter-sawing method of cutting boards Beenie 4 42. Quarter-sawn white dok Materials and Methods trunk) ffom the horizontal medullary ray fakes,” I shall call chem “ring fiokes"—from the yearly rings thac cause 1 in fucure when I speak of “ying fakes" and “ray fakes ing adjective will denoce the kind of fiekes meant, ‘When wood is sawn in the ordinary sway, that i, with the “lay” of the yearly rings, the wood is called “plain saw.” ‘The ting fiake is produced only by plain sawing, while the eay flake is produced only by quarter sawing. “The drying of woods is nota thing co 4.3, Plain-sawing method cof cuccing boards, 61