With the Grain A Craftsman’s Guide to Understanding Wood

Description

With the Grain: A Craftsman’s Guide to Understanding Wood

by Christian Becksvoort

Knowing about trees can really improve your woodworking.

You don’t need to be an expert in tree science to build a desk, but it’s important to know how wood grows and how it changes after it’s cut and dried.

When you understand wood, you can shape it the way you want and make sure your furniture lasts and looks good over time.

The third revised edition of “With the Grain: A Craftsman’s Guide to Understanding Wood” by Christian Becksvoort is full of practical tips and clear, experience-based advice that any furniture maker will find useful.

With the Grain gets straight to the point for furniture makers. It skips extra details and technical jargon, focusing only on what woodworkers really need.

“With the Grain” gives you the information you need whether you’re in the lumberyard, the woods, or your shop. It explains just enough science to help you understand how trees grow. You’ll pick up the key formulas every maker should know and learn about different North American tree species. Becksvoort also suggests using local trees and points out that even if you don’t see catalpa at the lumberyard, it can still make great furniture.

You’ll learn how to identify local trees by looking at their shape, leaves, and shoots. You’ll also find out how these woods act, including what they’re good at and where they might fall short.

Becksvoort also explains how wood changes with its environment. You’ll learn how to measure and plan for wood movement, and how to design furniture parts that move with the seasons without cracking.

There’s a chapter on how to manage a small forest, covering care, growth, and harvesting. If you cut your own lumber, you’ll learn the basics of cutting, stacking, and drying wood.

Like other Lost Art Press books, “With the Grain” is printed and bound in the U.S. on acid-free paper. The 8-1/2 by 11 inch book has a sewn binding and a green cotton hard cover. This third revised edition includes information on 10 more North American trees: tamarack, white spruce, Douglas fir, true poplar, black willow, pecan, and American hickory. The book is also available as a DRM-free PDF. Pick the format you like best and take your woodworking knowledge further. Get your copy of “With the Grain” and start building smarter today. The Grain” and start building smarter today.

Contents

Preface vi

1: Trees and Wood Technology 1
2: Wood and Tree Identification and Characteristics 14
3: Woodlot Management and Harvest 76
4: Sawing and Drying Wood 89
5: Working with Solid Wood 104

Bibliography: Christian Becksvoort spent 38 years designing and building furniture as a professional. He began in the mid-1970s and had the chance to help restore the last Shaker community in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. Christian retired in 2023, but he still makes smaller pieces for himself and friends, and he continues to write for Fine Woodworking.ine Woodworking.