what is grain in wood course hero

What is wood grain?

A craftsman selects a certain type of wood for a project because of a number of reasons. Grain is one. Yet that word has many meanings. Technically, the word grain refers to the orientation of wood-cell fibers. That's quite different from figure, which describes the distinctive pattern that frequently results from various grain orientations.

What is the difference between open grain and closed grain wood?

So open grain wood is also called large diffuse-porous wood due to the sheer size of its pores. Well, the most obvious difference between open-grain and closed-grain wood is the size of their pores. The sheer size of open-grain wood pores is large enough that they can be seen without any magnification.

What are the disadvantages of wood without a straight grain?

In structural applications, such as home construction, lumber (mostly softwood) with other than straight grain loses some strength. And hardwood boards without straight grain require extra care in machining to avoid tearout and other reactions.

What is the grain of hickory wood?

Hickory has a versatile grain that ranges from straight to pattern grain, unlike poplar and cherry with straight, fine grain. Pine is one of the most popular wood with straight grain, making it a unique choice for flooring and furniture. Research shows that hardwoods come with closed or open grains.

What is grain of a wood?

Technically 'wood grain' refers to the alignment, texture and appearance of wood fibres, whereas it's 'figure' describes the pattern created by the grain orientation. Basic grain descriptions and types include: · Straight-grain: this runs in a single direction along the cut wood.

What causes the grain in wood?

Wood grain is created when longitudinal cells align with the trunk, root, or limb axis. The process occurs when a tree cambium grows, generating two types of wood cells. Remember, most of these cells have a longer, narrower, and longitudinal structure.

Which direction of wood grain is stronger?

direction parallel to grainWood is strongest in the direction parallel to grain. Because of this, the strength and stiffness properties of wood structural panels are greater in the direction parallel to the strength axis than perpendicular to it (see Figure 1).

Why is wood stronger parallel to grain?

The wood cells are made for long, tough cellulose fibers, bound together by a glue-like substance, lignin. The cellulose is a lot tougher than the lignin. Consequently, it's much easier to split a board along the grain (separating the lignin) than it is to break it across the grain (snapping the cellulose fibers).

Why is it called wood grain?

Grain Means texture, too It's the cells and how they're arranged in bands called rays, and the size and distribution of pores, that make the difference between fine-textured wood and coarse-textured wood.

How do you tell the grain of wood?

1:443:12Reading Wood Grain Direction - 2 Minute Tuesday - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou would look at the side grain. So you can see here that the grain goes off like this you're goingMoreYou would look at the side grain. So you can see here that the grain goes off like this you're going to want to pet the cat this way. So you're gonna run your plane. This way on your face of the barn.

How many wood grains are there?

three different typesThere are three different types of wood grains depending on the way to cut and slice the wood; flat grain(F), straight grain(S), and curly grain(C). Therefore, even within a same wood species, the grain types will vary depending on how it is cut and sliced.

What is wood grain finish?

Available in a broad range of color selections, the standard is a textured finish which closely resembles “real wood” or an optional smooth coating finish that is glossy and shiny. Unlike any other finish in our industry, woodgrain redefines beauty and elegance.

What is grain direction?

As the fibers travel through the machine on a vibrating mesh, they tend to line up in the same forward direction, parallel to the direction of the web or side edges of the paper. This is called the grain direction. The grain direction of the paper is important when binding books, because paper is scored and folded.

Why is wood grain direction important?

The grain is the arrangement of wood-cell fibers. The fibers are placed in a longitudinal direction and any piece of wood is easier to cut with the grain and the cut will be cleaner with fewer splinters.

How does the grain of wood affect the strength?

When you split wood with the grain, you're breaking lignin bonds (easy); when you break across the grain, you're snapping cellulose fibers which is much harder. To take full advantage of a wood's strength, pay attention to the grain direction. Always orient the grain so the fibers support the load.

How does grain give wood its strength?

GRAIN DIRECTION AND STRENGTH Wood is a natural polymer — parallel strands of cellulose fibers held together by a lignin binder. These long chains of fibers make the wood exceptionally strong — they resist stress and spread the load over the length of the board.

What does grain mean in wood?

Grain is one. Yet that word has many meanings. Technically, the word grain refers to the orientation of wood-cell fibers.

What does it mean when wood finishes are open grained?

When wood finishers refer to a hardwood as open-grained or close-grained, they're talking about the relative size of the pores. This determines whether or not the surface requires application of a filler to get a smoother finish.

Is straight grain a blessing?

All grain types except straight grain can be a blessing or a curse. Because wood with anything other than straight grain may be sawn to produce sometimes exquisite figure, errant grain becomes a blessing.