The wood is a natural, alive material and of a great longevity if it is correctly maintained. There exists almost as many uses as of gasolines.

Trades

Many trades as the manufacturers of Fits with body, the cartwrights or the Sabotier S disappeared, with the appearance of new materials.

Here a list of the current trades, in relation to wood:

• the Logger, in charge with the demolition and the cut of the trees in forest;

• the Pit sawyer, charged to output the barks. Role often filled by the Sawmill;
• the Carpenter, which works wood to manufacture frames;
• the Carpenter of navy, which works parts intended for the Naval construction;
• the cabinetmaker, which renovates or manufactures pieces of furniture. Nowadays, the cabinetmaker is often brought to work as carpenter (preponderance of the pieces of furniture to assemble oneself of the department stores, old pieces of furniture to restore increasingly rare);
• the Violin maker, which manufactures Musical instruments with Caisse of resonance (Violon S, Contrebasse S, Guitare S…) ;
• the Carpenter: out of building, which deals with all the wood works of building (frames of Fenêtre, Escalier S, Boiserie S various), or “traditional”, which manufactures kitchens, bathrooms, wall cupboards…
• the Tonnelier, which manufactures barrels and barrels for the conservation of the Vin and certain alcohols;
• the wood turner, which makes it possible to create parts generally of revolution.

Techniques

Wood intended to be implemented answer certain conditions (resistance, conservation, protection). For reasons of resistance and conservation, the trees are cut down in Automne and in Hiver because, during these periods, the tree is “at rest”, i.e. the Sève circulates very slowly. Wood are known as then “except sap” and less prone to fermentations and the attacks of the insects. It is also recommended to cut wood to the the downward Moon, at the moment when the Sève is concentrated in the root S; this must further increase the effect “except sap”.

Shot down, they are pruned and are then called barks. The bark is output in sections, one distinguishes it into two or several parts: the but log (low part) and the surbilles (left where the branches pushed).

On the transverse section, one can observe (while going from outside inside the bark):

• the bark.
• sapwood: imperfect, unusable wood.
• perfect wood: implemented and sorted according to its properties.
• the heart: part to be eliminated for certain work.

Classifications of wood

According to the use which one wants to make, wood are classified according to various criteria. The classifications given here are inspired by the French architectural standards, but one will find many similarities in the adjoining countries.

Catégoriel classification (according to the gasoline)

One distingue :

• the wood of north (Russian or Scandinavian)   ;
• wood tropical.

In each category, one will separate timber broad leaved and coniferous timber.

The density of wood also returns in this classement :

• wood very légers : the Balsa, the Poplar, the Willow, the Lime, the pine, the Okoumé   ;

• wood légers : the Alder, the Birch, the Trembles, the Cyprès, the Sapin, the Acajou   ;
• wood half-lourds : the Charm, the Chestnut, the Oak, the maple, the Ash, the Beech, the Wild cherry tree, the To drown, the Elm, the Plane tree, the Pear tree, the Iroko, the Niangon, the Doussié   ;
• wood lourds : the Boxwood, the Holm oak, the Dogwood, the Sorb, the Ipé, the ebony, the Wood of iron.

This list must be relativized, because it depends on the exact variety of the tree and even of the piece on which it was cut down.

Density = Density of the product/Density of water

The unit of the density is expressed according to the applications in kg/dm ³ or t/m ³ but the legal unit is kg/dm ³. The density does not comprise a unit because it is the relationship between two identical units.

One thus notes as comparison the densities of the Plomb (11,4), of the Acier (7,8), of the Reinforced concrete (2,5). One considers wood hard (oak, doussié) for a density ranging between 0,75 to 0,90, and normal (fir tree, mahogany tree) when it lies between 0,55 to 0,65. Certain wood (ebony, the iron wood) have a higher density or equalizes to 1.

Classification of aspect

This classification is done according to the imperfections of the bois :

• related to its structure (quantity of nodes, anomalies of growth)   ;

• related to the flow (depressions)   ;
• related to the withdrawal due to drying. The deformations due to drying are different according to the position from the board in the bille : during drying, wood more withdraws side bark (younger wood) than side heart (perfect wood). Drying gives also place to slits, cracks. There are several techniques of dryings (drying ovens, natural drying - quasi non-existent -,…)  ;
• related to imperfections or deteriorations (resin pockets, blueing, hard rot, rot, gélivure, rolled edge, lunate defect, wound).

Mechanical or structural classification

It sticks mainly to the resistance of wood, for example the capacity of mechanical resistance to the inflection.

Mechanical properties

• Compression: axial (wire of vertical wood). Good resistance for a wood a length of less than 80 cm, if not risks buckling (curve).
• Traction: axial, very strong resistance; transversal (wire of horizontal wood), very low resistance.
• Inflection: average resistance according to qualities of wood and the height-width ratio.

These data are especially valid for the Menuiserie and the cabinet work.

Water content

The water content of wood determines also its use:

• Content water from 18 to 22%: constructions exposed to moisture.
• Content water from 16 to 20%: constructions in open covered room (platforms of sport, hangars…).
• Content water from 13 to 17%: constructions in closed covered room not heated (frames).
• Content water from 8 to 12%: constructions in heated closed covered room (joinery of building, pieces of furniture).

Determination of the water content:

Value of the rate (H%) = Weight in an initial state - dry matter Weight /Po * 100

The leafy trees generally have a better resistance than the coniferous trees.

One also takes into account the concept of durability of wood according to the use which one wants to make.

Tools

Electricity revolutionized the tools used by the craftsmen of wood.

Measuring instruments

The measuring instrument more used by a carpenter is a Mètre ribbon, by a carpenter one measures ribbon and a reglet (30 to 50 cm), by a cabinetmaker a reglet and a small reglet (15 to 20 cm). They use also the Slide caliper. The compass also is very much used for the reports/ratios of dimensions.

Saws

• the Circular saw. When it is portable, it is made up of a powerful engine turning a toothed blade, it goes to the hand and makes it possible to carry out rather coarse cuttings. On table it allows very precise rectilinear cuts.
• the Scie hand saw (manual or electric) has a universal use, since the cut of branch until precise cutting to make assemblies. It is the traditional saw.
• the Band saw, it is a blade saw (in the shape of ribbon), assembled on two wheels supported by a frame, which allows very precise cuttings. Contrary to the jigsaw, portable, it is the wood which one moves on a plate at the time of cutting. A large band saw allows the flow of the balls in boards and the délignage. Smaller the délignage allows and chantournement, there exist several blades for this saw according to its use, a fine blade and not very broad allows to jig-saw.
• the Jigsaw has a small engine which causes movements upwards of a blade (pendular motion). According to the blade used (more or less narrow), it allows long right cuttings or very precise round-offs.
• the Miter saw (manual or electric), it makes it possible to cut cleats according to a very precise angle, in order to carry out an assembly. The manual saw is often more precise.
• the Saw to level: manual, is used to put level two pieces of wood or cuts fines.
• saw to be jig-sawn: allows to make alambiquées cuttings. The finest blades (without pins) make it possible to make lace on wood.
• the Slicer: it is used to cut up. Used by the loggers, often equipped with an engine running on the gasoline, it is provided with a chain which carries sharpened teeth. One cannot really put it in the category of the saws although it serf also to cut wood.

Scissors, chisels and planes

• the chisels: tools made up of a handle of small size (15 cm length approximately) prolonged of a rectangular metal bar sharpened with the end (length: approximately 20 cm - new, thickness approximately 0,5 cm), their width generally goes from 0,8 cm to 3 cm. Used by all the trade associations working wood but more particularly by the cabinetmakers than they use for delicate work (dovetail, rabbet, groove…).
• the Chisel S: tools made up of a handle as the scissors but whose blade is a square metal bar of section, the widths go from 0,5 cm to approximately 1,5 cm, the chisel is used to make Mortaise S.
• the Rabot S: composed of a blade and a body out of rectangular wooden or an iron body; the blade fits in the body and can position in order to have more or less the “corrosive one”, the planes out of wooden often comprise a sole of wood harder than the remainder of the body, there exists about it of all the sizes, one uses them for various kinds of work and in all the trade associations of wood.
• the paring chisel: even principle which the chisel, only difference, the handle is out of steel. This tool is in only one block. especially used in the cutting of frame to carry out the mortise of the assembly.

Others

• the Défonceuse is a tool which makes it possible to machine a part. It rotates a strawberry positioned with a preset depth.

Completions

Sandpapering

The sandpapering of wood is made using abrasive paper Silex or Corindon of which there exist several sizes of grains. Each size of grains is defined by a figure corresponding to the number of grains per cm ². The finer the grain of paper is, the more the figure registered with the back of the sheet of paper to sandpaper is grand :

• 20 corresponds to a very coarse grain;
• 80 corresponds to a coarse grain;
• 120 corresponds to an average grain;
• 220 corresponds to a fine grain;
• 280 corresponds to a very fine grain.

There exist papers with grain even finer, but they are usually not used for wood but in body or for the composite matters.

The choice of the size of the grain of paper to be sandpapered is made according to the degree of completion that one wants to obtain (aspect granulous, smooth, very smooth). When paper with fine extra grain like 1500 or of the 2000 is used, it is only for the final sandpapering of the wood of which the density is equal or higher than 1 such as black wood, iron the wood, the wood of blood…

Oil tung tree: oil coming from trees of the areas Eastern and being used mainly to manufacture finished for wood.

Certain interesting characteristics:

• is posed with a brush or a rag and essuie approximately 5 minutes after the installation (requires several layers, easily up to 5 or 6)   ;
• dries easily and complètement  ;
• very gives one finished between chechmate and shining, depend on the quantity of thinner or on sealing that one adds to it. Up to 1/3 of sealing one gives finished chechmate more; no addition of thinner or sealing gives one very finished luisant  ;
• always gives one finished hard and impermeable.

The varnish

In the section of the oil of tung tree, the following formula gives also one finished harder and silkier. The formula is the suivante : part of varnished for three parts of oil of tung tree. It is necessary to sandpaper between each layer and three layers are necessary.

It is preferable to use a gun with painting rather than a brush to varnish wood.

External bonds

• Resource center and of Information Techniques

Simple: Woodworking

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