Sources of technical info about various woods

[Leviathan]

Stickman just posted a question about mersawa, and purpleheart came into the discussion. The USDA Forest Service publishes info about many of the tropical woods used in cuemaking online. For info about mersawa, try

http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/Chudnoff/SEAsian_Oceanic/new_pdf_files/anisop1new.pdf .

For info about purpleheart, try

http://www.nordisklumber.com/purpleheart.pdf .

For info about other tropical woods, I'd try a Google search with this combination of key words:

[the wood name--for example, bocote], USDA, Handbook 607, Chudnoff.

More info about the physical and chemical properties of woods is available at the web site of the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory. I'd check out the online Wood Handbook, at

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/FPLGTR/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm .

Hope this is helpful.

AS

[stickman]

Thanks for the info. It's pretty technical, but I can compare woods and get an idea about weight, grain, stiffness, ect. I plan on buying tapered shaft blanks. I only have a mini-lathe. I don't know if I can use square shaft blanks, and I'm pretty sure that my mini-lathe isn't up to handling spliced butt blanks. Someday I may own a real lathe. /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ajrack]

tHERE was a book published about 20 years ago called "Great hardwoods of the world"..good book, descriptions of moisture contents..density...types of glue...great photos of the woods ..and other details.
lost my copy but the book is worth getting, if at all possible!