October 1, 2008
'Lumber from Hardwoods' provides resource to wood industry
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - In an industry where valuable information can be hard to come by, Dan Cassens, Purdue University professor of forestry and natural resources, has helped create the new "Lumber from Hardwoods" CD aimed at helping woodworkers and sawmills of all sizes.Featured on the disc are 35 hardwood species used for lumber, including detailed photographs that can be enlarged for printing.
"Every hardwood species has unique characteristics making it better suited for different tasks, but there are very few resources available with easy to understand technical information to help woodworkers decide which species are best for the project at hand," Cassens said. "This CD can help them make those decisions and ultimately avoid the losses and frustrations of having to start projects over."
Cassens, who personally owns and manages hardwood forestland with his Woodmizer sawmill, has known those frustrations too well at times. He used his more than 30 years of research-based and hands-on practical field experience to compile the information for "Lumber from Hardwoods."
"People can use this information to learn the types of wood that best fit their needs, and suppliers can use it as a tool to educate customers about appropriate wood types for projects," Cassens said.
Information provided to help determine species selection includes decay resistance, mechanical properties, the production process, purchasing and selling hardwood lumber, shrinkage of lumber, steam bending, understanding lumber, and wood machining properties. Bar charts and tables compare properties of one species to another.
"Lumber from Hardwoods" can be ordered for $25 from the Purdue Extension Education Store at https://www.ces.purdue.edu/new/ or by calling (888) EXT-INFO.
The CD was sponsored by the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association and Woodmizer Products Inc. The wood panels pictured were sponsored by Cassens Trees, Cole Hardwood Inc., Crone Lumber Co. Inc., Dubois Wood Products, Forest Products Mfg., Indiana Hardwood Specialist, Koetter Woodworking Inc. and Landmark Wood Products Inc. The panels are on permanent display in Pfendler Hall on Purdue's West Lafayette campus.
Writer: Jennifer Cummins, (765) 494-6682, cumminsjs@purdue.edu
Source: Dan Cassens, (765) 494-3644, dcassens@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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