Know Your Woods: A Complete Guide to Trees, Woods, and Veneers
Know Your Woods traces different varieties of lumber from the forest to the sawmill to the craftsman's workshop. Every person interested in the broad subject of woods-their identification, characteristics, and uses-will find this book a revelation. The information is presented in clear, nontechnical style. It describes over three hundred principal woods; indicates the common and scientific names of each; shows how to recognize a tree by its leaf, bark, or berry; and features over one hundred fifty illustrations on how to identify a type of wood by grain, color, and texture.The author spent more than forty years in the trade before writing this book, which reflects his thorough and unparalleled expertise in the field. It contains much information that appears nowhere else, including commentary on worldwide forestation programs, logging and sawmill operations, lumber and veneer manufacturing methods, and other related subjects. Know Your Woods is a unique reference guide that neither the craftsman nor the tree lover should be without.Albert J. Constantine Jr.'s great-grandfather, a cabinetmaker, founded the family's wood business in 1812, which remains a thriving operation in the Bronx, New York, and has expanded to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The author, who passed away many years ago, was known for having devoted a lifetime to the study of woods.Chapters include:A Tree LivesIdentification of WoodsHow a Tree is NamedKnowing Trees by NameOut of the Forest into Logs and LumberFrom Logs to VeneersThe Physical Appearance of WoodWoods of the BiblePlanting Trees around the WorldState TreesDrugs from TreesCollecting Woods of the World as a HobbyAnd more