Q.
I recently acquired a large lot of random lumber. I'm having a difficult time distinguishing what species some of the lumber is. Picking out the common material is fairly easy (oak, ash, cherry, black walnut) but beyond that it is getting a little difficult.
To further compound things, some of the material appears to be quartersawn.
Is there is a good reference manual or web site that will help me identify this lumber?
A.
The best book (nothing else is close in my mind) is R. Bruce Hoadley's "Identifying Wood: Accurate Results with Simple Tools" (Pub. info.: Taunton Press/November 1990)
Available at Barnes and Noble.
Gene Wengert, forum moderator
