Wood Types & Local Materials
Wood is more than just a material;
each species tells its own story through its grain, color, and density. In my workshop, I primarily use local woods from neighboring gardens – from the characterful apple tree to the elegant walnut. Discover the unique properties of the woods that give my handcrafted pieces their soul.
If we talk about oak we usually talking about ethe English oak (Quercus robur) and the sessile oak (Quercus petraea). The properties of the two timbers are nearly identical, so we generally only speaks of oak.
The difference between heartwood and sapwood is clear. The sapwood appears off-white od and the heartwood is yellow-brown to medium brown. The wood will darken considerably. The heartwood contains a lot of tannic acid.
The wood is medium to high and harmonized and has excellent strength and elasticity properties and high wear resistance. It is densely fibred and moderately tight. It is easy to divide and easy to work well, but it tends a little to the formation of cracks.
The wood should be dried slowly, otherwise it tends to crack and discards. It shrinks moderately and often it gets a darker color on drying.
When oiling it must be noted that the sapwood is to osak well and the heartwood is very difficult. Heartwood is submerged almost indefinitely. Sapwood, however, is more susceptible to weathering.
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The Olive (Olea europaea) is a characteristic evergreen tree of the Mediterranean region and is among the oldest cultivated plants in human history. Some specimens reach ages of several hundred, and in exceptional cases, over a thousand years.
The tree grows extremely slowly, reaching heights of approximately 10 to 20 meters. Olive wood is exceptionally **dense, hard, and durable**. Especially in old, gnarled trees, the wood exhibits a spectacular grain, often characterized by interlocked grain. The texture is very fine and uniform, with a color spectrum ranging from pale yellow to deep dark brown, often permeated by dark, cloud-like patterns.
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Padauk (Pterocarpus) is a genus of deciduous trees native to the tropics of South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa. Various species are traded under this name, the most significant being:
- Manila Padauk (Pterocarpus indicus) – Southeast Asia
- Burma Padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus) – Southeast Asia
- African Padauk / Muninga (Pterocarpus angolensis) – Central and East Africa
- African Padauk / African Coralwood (Pterocarpus soyauxii) – West and Central Africa
The wood is famous for its vibrant heartwood, which varies from brilliant coral red to deep violet-brown. It possesses high natural durability and is **resistant to fungal and insect attacks**. Once seasoned, it exhibits **excellent dimensional stability** and undergoes minimal warping.
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The wood of the birch (betula) is mainly sapwood, the heartwood is more dark, not very often violet. The wood is hard, heavy and elastic.
Overall, it is a brightly colored, rather simple wood. The annual rings are separated by narrow strips of latewood. Depending on the fiber orientation very beautiful patterns could emerge.
The wood is easy to carve and to work well. It can also be polished very well and is also very popular with woodturners.
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The wood of the Plum (Prunus domestica), often referred to as Plumwood or Damson, is an extremely heavy, hard, and dense precious wood. It is characterized by a fine structure that allows for very clean carving; however, due to its significant hardness, it requires precise tool handling and exceptionally sharp chisels.
Seasoning plum wood is considered notoriously difficult and "stubborn." Due to frequent **spiral grain** and a high shrinkage rate, the wood is extremely prone to **cracking and warping**. It necessitates a very slow, controlled drying process over several years to obtain usable dimensions.
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In the timber trade, the term "Rosewood" typically refers to the wood of the Tulip tree (Dalbergia decipularis) or other rosewood species. In contrast, the objects described here are crafted exclusively from the genuine wood of the Rose (genus Rosa), derived from the massive, woody root burls of old rose bushes.
Harvesting this wood is extremely laborious, as only very old plants develop sufficiently dimensioned rootstocks. Compared to tropical hardwoods, the wood of the genuine rose is **relatively soft**, but it captivates with an exceptionally vivid and often flecked grain pattern that rivals the complexity of burl woods.
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The Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum) is native to China and has been cultivated in Europe as a robust ornamental shrub since the beginning of the 20th century.
The heavy and remarkably hard wood emits a characteristic, somewhat unpleasant scent when fresh. In terms of color, it can be divided into a narrow, whitish to reddish-white sapwood and a clearly distinct yellowish-brown heartwood. The annual rings are only faintly visible in the wood's grain, indicating a very fine and dense structure.
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The staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is actually more like a bush, than a tree.
Its wood is rather light and soft - rather brittle. It can be carved very well. It is very decorative because of its color.
The wood has a very light, almost white sapwood. The core is striped green, a very very decorative clearly visible grain that makes the wood very popular especially for wood turners and other artists.
It is said that the wood had floureszent properties, it is highly luminous neon yellow under UV light. Sorry but I could not yet check this by myself.
In general, all parts of the plant are considered to be slightly toxic. You should wear a dust mask when working with it, especialyy while sawing and sanding. Even the wood should not be used for children's toys.
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The Cherry or Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium) is a very finely structured, fine-pored wood. It is moderately hard and medium-weight, and is considered strong and tough.
The sapwood and heartwood of the cherry tree are quite distinct: the narrow sapwood is yellowish-white but can also be reddish-white. The heartwood has a yellowish-red to reddish-brown coloration. The annual rings are clearly visible, resulting in a typically fine grain pattern.
Under the influence of light, it can darken significantly, taking on a reddish-brown to bright golden-yellow hue.
The wood is primarily used in furniture manufacturing, as well as for woodturning and carving. It is easy and clean to process and carve. It also polishes exceptionally well.
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