Essentials of woodworking

by Ira Samuel Griffith

—[Fig. 228]. Wood light, moderately soft, stiff, not strong, of coarse texture; the sapwood light, the heartwood darker brown. It shrinks and checks considerably in drying, works easily, stands well, and is very durable. Used in cabinet work, cooperage, for railway ties, telegraph poles, and locally in heavy construction. Medium sized tree very common in the Alleghanies, occurs from Maine to Michigan and southward to Alabama.

Fig. 228.

Fig. 229.

139. Elm.

—[Fig. 229]. Wood heavy, hard, strong, very tough; moderately durable in contact with the soil; commonly cross-grained, difficult to split and shape, warps and checks considerably in drying, but stands well if properly handled. The broad sapwood whitish, heart brown, both shades of gray and red; on split surface rough, texture coarse to fine, capable of high polish. Elm is used in the construction of cars, wagons, etc., in boat and ship building, for agricultural implements and machinery; in rough cooperage, saddlery, and harness work, but particularly in the manufacture of all kinds of furniture, where the beautiful figures, especially of the tangential or bastard section, are just beginning to be duly appreciated. The elms are medium to large sized trees, of fairly rapid growth, with stout trunk, form no forests of pure growth, but are found scattered in all the broad-leaved woods of our country.

140. Gum.

—This general term refers to two kinds of wood usually distinguished as sweet or red gum, and sour, black, or tupelo gum, the former being a relative of the witch-hazel, the latter belonging to the dogwood family.

Sweet Gum. [Fig. 230]. (red gum, liquidambar); Wood rather heavy, rather soft, quite stiff and strong, tough, commonly cross-grained, of fine texture; the broad sapwood whitish, the heartwood reddish brown; the wood warps and shrinks considerably, but does not check badly, stands well when fully seasoned, and takes good polish. Sweet gum is used in carpentry, in the manufacture of furniture, for cut veneer, for wooden plates, plaques, baskets, etc., also for wagon hubs, hat blocks, etc. A large sized tree, very abundant, often the principal tree in the swampy parts of the bottoms of the Lower Mississippi Valley; occurs from New York to Texas and from Indiana to Florida.