Flat Sawn Grain	Quartersawn Grain	End Grain

• General Information:  Redbud trees are typically small ornamental trees found in urban landscapes.  They are especially easy to find in early spring, when the trees produce thick growths of bright purple flowers.  When this wood is available, the trees are typically less than 8" in diameter.  Larger specimens may be found, but rarely produce as much usable wood as the smaller specimens do, due to the likelihood of defects occurring in these larger, older trees.

• Common Names:  Redbud, Eastern redbud, American redbud, Judas tree

• Color:  Sapwood is typically a white or slightly off-white color.  Heartwood is a mixture of white, black, dark green and dark brown.  Excellent colors which are comparable to some various types of exotic rosewoods.

• Density:   40lbs/ft³ - Moderately dense (Similar to black walnut)

• Hardness:     1150 lbft - Moderately hard

• Specific Gravity:  ~0.64

• Drying:  Dries somewhat slowly due to its high density, but does contain a relatively low moisture content. Drying does not require any additional time compared to most native hardwoods.  Checking occurs occasionally if the end grain is left exposed to free-flowing air for extended periods of time during drying.  Warping is only slight to moderate.

• Turning:  Turns very easily, with very little tearout occurring along end grain sections. 

• Sanding:  Sands very well.  For removing tool marks, 120  grit sandpaper is recommended.  Will sand to a high luster, usually requiring grits no higher than 600 to achieve satisfactory results.

• Finishing:  Readily accepts most stains and finishes without need for any special pre-treatment of the wood surface.

Over the next few months we will be covering proper cutting techniques for a variety of different types of turning projects.  This month we will begin by taking a look at one of the most popular types of projects...side grain turning such as bowls and platters.

With side grain turning projects, the grain of the wood runs perpendicular to the bed of the lathe, as shown in the photo above.  What many turners do not realize is that they may or may not be cutting the wood in the proper direction in order to improve the quality of the wood's surface which they produce using their tool of choice.  Let's take a look at how it should be done.

The most important thing to remember is that wood fibers need to be supported from behind in order for them to be cut cleanly, rather than broken off.  When cutting the outside of a bowl, the tool should begin its cut at the smallest diameter, and end at the piece's largest diameter.  The inset red circle shows an example of what the wood fibers would look like if greatly enlarged.  By cutting in the direction indicated by the orange arrow, each wood fiber is supported by another longer fiber directly behind it.  This will produce a smooth cut.  If the cut is made in the opposite direction, then each wood fiber is not supported by another fiber directly behind it, causing the fibers to be broken or torn, resulting in a much rougher surface.

When cutting the inside of a bowl, the tool should begin its cut at the largest diameter, and end at the piece's smallest diameter.  Again, by cutting in the direction indicated by the orange arrow, each wood fiber is supported by another longer fiber directly behind it.  This will produce a smooth cut.  If the cut is made in the opposite direction, then each wood fiber is not supported by another fiber directly behind it, causing the fibers to be broken or torn, resulting in a much rougher surface.

Heavily curved surfaces present a more unique set of challenges.  In the photo above, the proper cutting direction is represented by the arrows.  The same principles apply in this situation, but require a bit more thought.  Just keep in mind that each cut on the outside will move from the smallest diameter to the largest, and that each cut on the inside will move from the largest diameter to the smallest.

Learning to cut wood properly, by making cuts where each wood fiber is supported to facilitate cutting rather than tearing or breaking, will greatly improve the quality of your wood's finish directly from the tool and reduce the time you'll spend later in sanding.  Over the next few months we will be covering the proper methods for turning spindle projects, hollow forms (both end and side grain), and will also cover more advanced techniques for heavily figured and/or twisted grain patterns (special case situations).

This month we've decided to include some links for our subscribers which we think you might find interesting or useful.  This month we have some links to web sites where you can find out more about the woods of the world.  Each site has its own unique set of strengths, and all are worth checking out:

• History of Forestry - Collection of photos of domestic woods, including enlargements for all photos

• Hobbit House Wood ID Site  -  Hundreds of thousands of photos from all sorts of woods from around the world

• The Wood Explorer Database  -  Tons of information about woods from around the world.  This site contains far fewer photos, but has much more detailed written information and is fully searchable.