# Choosing Types of Wood



## blakeluby (Dec 22, 2018)

The type of wood you choose determines the beauty and strength of the finished piece. Many types of wood are available, from Oxford Wood Recycling, and each has its own properties. Here we’ve tried to explain the wood product making and buying process and what you can expect from some common types of species.

The way that the original log has been cut at the saw mill determines the strength and use of the final product. The main 3 types of milling processes are Plain , Quarter and Rift sawn.

Hardwoods are usually Plain or Quarter sawn and construction softwoods are generally Rift sawn. In a modern computer driven saw mill a softwood log will be processed in many different ways to maximise the yield from the log.

Plain sawn is for the large wide slabs that can be used for tables and furniture and flooring. Quarter sawn is the daddy of milling techniques and is expensive therefore usually used for furniture.

Quarter Sawn hardwood timber is the most stable and has attractive patterning. the growth rings are generally at 60 to 90 degrees to the face of the board.

Rift sawn softwood is used in construction for decks, framing, posts, flooring, fencing, beams , landscaping and barn timbers. The linear grain pattern is achieved by milling perpendicular to the logs growth rings on angles between 45 and 75 deg.

Construction softwood is mainly sourced from cold countries such as Canada, Nordics, Baltics and Russia, to keep the growth rings tight for strength and stability. Several other species of tree such as spruce and hemlock are also used but rarer. It this wood is intended for first fix use i.e. domestic woodwork that will not be seen when the project is complete such as timber frames and stud work. Scaffold boards and the majority of pallets are also made from whitewood. It may have some splits & stains and some warp.

The big DIY sheds sell a lot of whitewood that has been planed all round (PAR) so it is uniform and graded therefore being easy to transport, minimal splinters and gentle to the eye when buying.

Timber is still widely bought in imperial sizes, while being sold in metric. For example 4×2 means 4 inches by 2 inches. Retailers will supply 48mmx90mm, which is near enough identical. Metric sizes are also sold that don’t correspond to the popular imperial sizes but close enough!

In DIY sheds timber is sold in various lengths, common are 1.8m, 2.4m & 3m (apx 6′, 8′ & 10′). At OWR we stock a wider range of lengths including very short pieces. Please come and see us as we can cut to length and match your cutting list more accurately than a high st retailer.

Grading is an assessment of the structural strength of the timber. Key features assessed in grading are splits and knots, especially large knots at the edge of the wood. Graded wood is stamped with the grading details. For new floor joists and roofing requires use of graded timber To comply with building control. For most diy shed, decking planters etc there is no need to use graded timber.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Thanks,Blake, good to know, now if I can just remember all of that.
Herb


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

blakeluby said:


> The type of wood you choose determines the beauty and strength of the finished piece. Many types of wood are available, from Oxford Wood Recycling, and each has its own properties.


The only woods I buy any more are wood that grows in my state. This includes plywood. My preference. However, I also use all the free wood I can get, and I don't care where it was grown, the point is it is FREE. And the type of wood I use is determined by what I will make from it. Right now I have a banjo in progress using pallet wood (unknown type), plywood, and several other types of wood. 

And where might Oxford Wood Recycling be located? I'm thinking the shipping cost would not be worth buying from there for most of us.


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## smitty10101 (Oct 15, 2004)

@JOAT


Oxford Wood Recycling
Unit 4, Suffolk Way,
Abingdon OX14 5JX
01235 861228
[email protected]

It's "just" over the pond!!


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

smitty10101 said:


> @JOAT
> 
> 
> Oxford Wood Recycling
> ...


And likely shipping would be killing. If you are in the US, why post a wood recycler in the UK? They do have them here, so why not an address or two here?


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

@blakeluby Thank you for the tutorial. It is nice when someone in the business posts using their expertise to teach. Every once in a while, someone abuses that by being promotional. But your post is not at all. I hope our British members will check you out.


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## smitty10101 (Oct 15, 2004)

@JOAT

The intent of my previous post was to answer your question as to their location---as a heads up.

My intent was NOT to start a controversy.

Sorry if I offended anyone.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

No offense taken Smitty. Looking for a USA address is a good idea to me. I hope Blake will post an address in the US (and elsewhere) if available. And I'd like for him to add more information about the qualities of differernt woods to help us learn about selecting the right material for different projects.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

smitty10101 said:


> Sorry if I offended anyone.


Didn't offend me, just made me curious as Hell.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

JOAT said:


> The only woods I buy any more are wood that grows in my state. This includes plywood. .
> 
> Just curious, Theo, what does a plywood tree look like?


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

thomas1389 said:


> JOAT said:
> 
> 
> > The only woods I buy any more are wood that grows in my state. This includes plywood. .
> ...


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

For those not aware,
I started a new job in May for a saw mill equipment company in Quebec city. I am the technical rep for the forestry and mining industries and I have been to many saw mills already and haven't left the province of Quebec yet. WOW is the first comment that comes to mind. I have seen some mills that are SO BIG and others that are Ma & Pa outfits. Pulp and Paper mills are also big and soon I will be visiting panel mills for OSB and plywood. I knew that the Forestry Industry was a key player locally but I am in AWE ! If you have a minute, look up Resolute Forest Products, or ARBEC, or one mill I saw this week was Barette Lumber in Chapais Quebec. This week I went around the Lac St Jean area and north to Chibougamau and Chapais.2233 Kilometers (1388 miles) this week ! I love my job ! I have been looking at the Ford Explorer as a change of vehicle because I am often in remote areas and gravel roads. Anybody have one ? looking for some feedback.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Danman1957 said:


> I have been looking at the Ford Explorer as a change of vehicle because I am often in remote areas and gravel roads. Anybody have one ? looking for some feedback.


I haven't, but my older son did once. Dunno if it means anything, but right now he is driving a Chevy Suburban, 4X4. 

Where I live you would never think there are sawmills in the area. But I have found out that there are at least 7 within 10 or 12 miles of my house. Most of them you can pass by and never known there is one there. There are at least 2 within the city limits of the county seat, but the only indication of them are a small, very small, sign at the entrance.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

JOAT said:


> thomas1389 said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure, never been on a plywood tree plantation, but as far as I can determine, they look similar to pallet trees. Not seen one of those either. I don't know if there are any pallet tree plantations in the US, or not.
> ...


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

thomas1389 said:


> JOAT said:
> 
> 
> > I had read somewhere that pallet tree plantations were becoming fewer and fewer. The last remaining are just hanging on by their nails. The workers are board.
> ...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Taste Like Sawdust*



thomas1389 said:


> JOAT said:
> 
> 
> > I had read somewhere that pallet tree plantations were becoming fewer and fewer. The last remaining are just hanging on by their nails. The workers are board.
> ...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Danman1957 said:


> I have been looking at the Ford Explorer as a change of vehicle because I am often in remote areas and gravel roads. Anybody have one ? looking for some feedback.


piece of junk w/ worse CS...


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

I have seen so far 2 customers that start from logs and end up building pallets. There are several plants that buy cut lumber and just make the pallets but to start from logs is a complete operation. They even have large kilns to dry the wood first then make the pallets.


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

I am also looking at the Hyundai Sante Fe. Locally the Quebec provincial Police our version of State Troopers; are using the Explorer and everyone I have spoken to so far claims they love it ! I'm usually a Chevy man, I'm on my 4th Impala, but the GM full size SUVs are all V8s. I want a V6 and no turbos. My boss has a Ford Edge with the twin turbo Ecoboost engine and he has to use premium gas at a much higher cost. I want just a regular V6 that can run on regular gas. I also looked at the smaller SUVs but again they almost all have 4 cyl. with turbos. The amount of mileage I do I don't want the turbos for when they break the cost is usually high !


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Danman1957 said:


> I am also looking at the Hyundai Sante Fe.


My younger son has a Hyundai. A week or so ago the serpentine belt broke. It is a V6, with overhead cams. And now all the valves are bent. Gonna cost whether he gets the heads repaired/replaced, or another engine. So, he got a VW with a Diesel. I'm thinking the new Chevy SUVs have V6s, but being as I'm not in the market, don't know for sure.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"...he has to use premium gas at a much higher cost"

I know we've had this discussion before. The claims I've seen state that the highest octane non-Ethanol fuels are up to 20% more efficient. ie they use 20% _less_ gas to accomplish the same work.
So, bottom line, it's not really more expensive. Or so they claim.

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/ethanol-free-fuel-vs-higher-octane-fuel.2331111/#post-35268595


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Danman1957 said:


> I am also looking at the Hyundai Sante Fe. Locally the Quebec provincial Police our version of State Troopers; are using the Explorer and everyone I have spoken to so far claims they love it ! I'm usually a Chevy man, I'm on my 4th Impala, but the GM full size SUVs are all V8s. I want a V6 and no turbos. My boss has a Ford Edge with the twin turbo Ecoboost engine and he has to use premium gas at a much higher cost. I want just a regular V6 that can run on regular gas. I also looked at the smaller SUVs but again they almost all have 4 cyl. with turbos. The amount of mileage I do I don't want the turbos for when they break the cost is usually high !


I've got a Hyundai Santa Fe and I love it, but I think my wife's Subaru Forester has it beat. Of course, neither of us has to drive in winter conditions or on any type of rough roads. Well, that's not entirely true. Our Louisiana roads keep getting worse and worse.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

DaninVan said:


> "...he has to use premium gas at a much higher cost"


If you mean my son's Suburban, it uses regular.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

JOAT said:


> If you mean my son's Suburban, it uses regular.


Nope; I was quoting from Quebec Dan's comment.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

DaninVan said:


> Nope; I was quoting from Quebec Dan's comment.


Ah, missed that one. In your position I don't know if I would want to go with a full size SUV, or a medium size. I'm guessing you could be a choice of V6s in the mediums. Medium should get better gas mileage, even if the same size engine. I'm with you on no benefit for premium, if you can get something uses regular instead. You seem to want 4 wheel drive, which is a wise move. Personally I'd be willing to settle for a medium, or even smallish 4 wheel drive pickup, with a camper shell, preferable one I could stand up in. But either way I would stock up the back section with a propane or cataletic heater (crack a window), a cot or pad, sleeping bag or blankets, some drinking water, and a stove to heat up food (possibly MREsiI) and water for tea or coffee. I'd toss in a composting toilet too. All this for just in case you got snowed in for a few days. I read once about a hunter that got snowed in while hunting way down a dirt track. He would get up, eat, then shovel snow, move truck, repeat until noon, noon meal, then shovel, then supper, relax a bit, then sleep. Repeated this for I can't recall how many days, but do recall over a week. They had given him up for dead, then he showed up. Which reminds me, might want a shovel too. You've likely already thought of all this, but I'm a firm believer in just in case, so told you, just in case.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> thomas1389 said:
> 
> 
> > Not helping with the Global food supply though. I heard they're unpalatable. >
> ...


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

Gaffboat said:


> I've got a Hyundai Santa Fe and I love it, but I think my wife's Subaru Forester has it beat. Of course, neither of us has to drive in winter conditions or on any type of rough roads. Well, that's not entirely true. Our Louisiana roads keep getting worse and worse.


you'll lose your fillings on some of our roads in the spring when the frost comes out of the ground. It's a full time job for a few weeks for the city crews in Toronto to fill pot holes. A few of them get deep but they've never yet found a homeless person living in one.


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Tom,
I hear ya, but there are apparently no sawmills in TO ! I am anxious to do Northern ON. and the Algonquin areas. Some parts of Northern ON. will be easier to do by flying to Winterpeg and renting a vehicle there to backtrack, then go west from there.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

Danman1957 said:


> Tom,
> I hear ya, but there are apparently no sawmills in TO ! I am anxious to do Northern ON. and the Algonquin areas. Some parts of Northern ON. will be easier to do by flying to Winterpeg and renting a vehicle there to backtrack, then go west from there.


Yes, it's a lot of ground to cover. Vast amount of forest but stay out of it in the springtime.


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## David Bradford (Sep 12, 2019)

Gaffboat said:


> I've got a Hyundai Santa Fe and I love it, but I think my wife's Subaru Forester has it beat. Of course, neither of us has to drive in winter conditions or on any type of rough roads. Well, that's not entirely true. Our Louisiana roads keep getting worse and worse.


I loved my Santa Fe then one December day I drove it into the forrest and that was the end of it.


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## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

thomas1389 said:


> JOAT said:
> 
> 
> > I had read somewhere that pallet tree plantations were becoming fewer and fewer. The last remaining are just hanging on by their nails. The workers are board.
> ...


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## Frank Kerman (Feb 2, 2020)

Great explanation for different types of wood. thanks for sharing this very informative post.


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