Great video.... however.... in one segment you say that wood moves 4% across quarter grain and 8% across flat grain. In another segment, you say 3mm over 30cm for quarter and 6mm over 30cm for plain (flat) grain which works out to 1% for quarter and 2% for flat. So which is it? 4~8% or 1~2%?
Great observation. And actually, both sets of numbers are correct. This seems confusing, I know, but let me explain the science behind it. The figures that the US Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) publishes for radial and tangential expansion and contraction are the dimensional changes they observed when wood loses its “bound” water - all of it. A freshly-felled tree has two types of moisture content - free water, which fills the cells, and bound water, which saturates the cell walls. As the wood is being dried, it loses free water first. During this phase there is very little dimensional change. And once it’s shed of the free water, it will never again re-absorb it - unless you store the wood underwater for a very long period of time. When it reaches about 26% moisture content (MC), wood begins to lose the bound water. This is where things started happening and they continued to happen until the wood reached 0% MC in the FPL ovens. During this phase, the wood shrank about 8% tangent to the annual rings and 4% radial to them. I should warn you that these are averages, and they can be wildly different for specific species. Take beech, for example. The FPL found its tangential movement to be 11.9%! The radial movement of redwood is only 2.2%. The 8% and 4% numbers are what wood engineers use for guesstimation. They also describe the maximum amount of movement for most wood species - the movement that occurs between 26% and 0% MC. In the real world, the wood we use never gets that wet or that dry. Kiln- and air-dried wood loses moisture until it reaches equilibrium with the relativity humidity (RH) in its immediate environment. Once it stabilizes, it will release or absorb about 1% MC for every 5% change in the RH. Here in my corner of Ohio, the average RH wanders between 40% and 70% during a typical year - a change of about 30%. Consequently, the moisture content of the wood in my barn wanders between 8% and 14% -- a change of about 6%. That’s 6% out of a possible 26%. So it doesn’t begin to move as much as it might if I lived in the place where the RH swung between 0% and 100%. Fortunately, there are no such places. As you can begin to see, the calculations necessary to determine how much a given piece of wood might actually move in a given year are complex - you need to take into account not just wood species, but the climate in which that species exists. And what happens if you build a table in the Arizona desert and send it to a client in a Louisiana swamp? To overcome this complexity and uncertainty, craftsmen have developed a rule of thumb that works for most cases - for every 12" (30 cm) of width, allow for 1/4” (6 mm) of movement tangent to the rings and 1/8” (3 mm) radial to them. These numbers are purposefully larger than they need to be and will accommodate more movement than the wood is likely to display in a temperate environment - once again - in most cases. I hope that clears things up.
@@WorkshopCompanion thanks a ton for that explanation (especially the last part, was already starting to type that up as I was reading and beat me to it :P ) Leaving a 6mm of room for expansion would seem like it would make for a wobble or shakiness to the construction, and when watching vids learning here it never is seems like people are avoiding clamping something firmly together, or making as exact a fit as possible. Is it just the case that the natural human inaccuracies of manual processes introduces enough "error" (so to speak) to allow for this expansion?
@@Sharkey007x Honestly, I don't believe those content makers really care about the science of it. They need to build something in order to produce the video for youtube. Once they know how to push the lumber through a table saw, or band saw, or know how to turn a router on, they don't care beyond that.....imo. They just want to make good looking content. This is honestly the most educational video I've watched in wood working, and I've watched a ton (outside the "How to (watch me) make [this]" vids).
This may be some of the best content I've ever seen on TH-cam since this information channel came into my life in 2007-2008. You're pedagogic approach, proper enthusiasm and the love for your trade is really worth a Nobel Prize in the category of YouTubing. I'm a hobbyist woodworker myself and a educated as a mechanical engineer and this is such spot on delivery of what engineering and is all about - the application of knowledge. I almost feel honored that you've spent your time making this - you have such amazing teaching and communications gifts.
I love that word "pedagogic." I honed my teaching skills at the University of Cincinnati and thoroughly warmed to the idea of a workshop as the classroom and each class as an adventure in which in which we explored the relevant knowledge and discovered how to apply it. But this vid isn't just my doing. There is a spectacularly gifted producer/editor behind the camera -- Travis Blair -- that shares this vision. Thanks for noticing our modus operandi.
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen a number of articles that address this topic, but none as clear and helpful as this. Thank you for sharing your excellent knowledge!
@@WorkshopCompanion I laughed at the brilliant way to show adding and removing moisture at th-cam.com/video/oZkYLVrTYe4/w-d-xo.html. My compliments to Mr. Blair.
Man, what a legend. I've been working with wood for years as a hobbyist but you know EVERYTHING there is to know. Further more you are a pleasure to watch. My old woodworking teacher once said in class "just think, when you cut a piece of wood in two you are gazing at something no one has ever seen before,." That blew my mind. You have same turn of phrase & are equally the best teachers ever.
Thanks for the kind words, but I can say emphatically that I know enough about woodworking to know that I don't know everything and never will. Mankind has been working wood for almost 500,000 years, as demonstrated by the oldest worked wood found by anthropologists. That's a lot of stored up knowledge to get through.
@@WorkshopCompanion Nice perspective to have. I just found your channel yesterday, and I'm plowing through videos as fast as I can absorb the information. I've been a designer/builder for most of my adult life, but I'm learning tons here. Thanks for the videos.
Woodworker for 35 years. I love the way he puts this stuff together! To the point without a bunch of jabbering. I learned something new everyday thanks to TH-cam and guys like this.
Absolutely indispensable information for woodworking ! The sad part: I must reconsider my woodworking skills ... I now know without a doubt, that I have none. The good news: I now know why my stupid doors stick in the summer and work great in the winter ! Love your presentations. Thanks from Canada.
As a former woodwork teacher, I am very bloody impressed with your density and flow of information, Nick. Thank you! With your permission, I would like to forward this video for classroom use to some teaching colleagues of mine, as a brilliant lesson or even a minor assessment task, could be planned from this video. Kind regards from Australia, Jason
Permission granted. Compliments bloody appreciated. A salient point, relative to your purpose, is that this vid is a distilled version of my opening lecture when I was teaching at the University of Cincinnati.
@@WorkshopCompanion Thank you sir! I knew you had to have taught. My colleague, a veteran of four decades in wood rooms, described this video as "One of the best teaching resources he's ever seen." I shall pass your preamble on to him. Our plan is to build an online quiz for the video and make it a minor assessment, early in it furniture making course, but really, this is adaptable to any year in high school, college, or uni, as you point out. Thanks again, Jason
@@jasondoust4935 Keep me informed. I'd like to be be involved, if I could. You are extremely lucky to be living in a country that values and teaches hands-on skills. Shop programs in my neck of the woods are an endangered educational species.
@@WorkshopCompanion my grandfather, father, and myself all went to the same highschool. We all took woodshop, I learned on the same my father did. In 2004 they tore the shop down and replaced it with computers and 3D printers. I was heartbroken. Thank you for making these videos and sharing your experience. You have the BEST content!
I have several books written by Mr Engler, about 15-20 years old. Clearly written, easy to understand, and spot on as far as accuracy. He is a genius on anything wood. Thank you.
I have made a living working with metal all my life. I know very little about wood. This honestly is one of the most informative, best presented information pieces I have ever seen on you tube. Now I know what I don't know. Thank you!
That was amazing...and overwhelming, at the same time. A must rewatch to retain the info. Thank you for this. There is so much so many of us don't even consider when wood working.
@@jeremiahbullfrog9288 Some, perhaps. But I learned blacksmithing from a farrier when I was much younger, and metalworking from a top-notch machinist when I started building airplanes. Both crafts require incredible amounts of skill, knowledge, and finesse, and most of the iron mongers that I've hung out with seem to understand this.
What a great video! The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. For instance I had no idea that relative humidity had that much impact on wood movement. Sure there is some, but to be able to calculate the amount to get an idea... That could come in handy on larger projects. I've got a lot to learn and I'm glad that Nick is here to help guide the way. Thanks Nick.
Found the discussion of effects of relative humidity very interesting. I live in Florida and have had a particular problem with outdoor projects, now I know why.
@@UnsaltedCracker267 You live in an area of the country where there are wide swings in relative humidity and the moisture content of the wood rarely falls below 12%. Sure, there are going to be problems. If you're making outdoor furniture, consider Atlantic White Cedar. Not only does it do well in humid conditions,; it's resistant to salt water.
You, sir, yes you. I like you. You bring a good dose of nutty, somewhat corny, professor vibes combined with actual, quality information, and I'm absolutely loving it. Please keep doing what you do, the way you do it, because it's a joy to watch and learn from.
I was getting a little of the vibe of Belle's father in Beauty and the Beast (cartoon version). I'd like to hear you say "pass me that dog-legged clincher..." In all seriousness though, great video.
This is the first video I’ve seen from this channel and already I’m impressed! I like the way you share your wisdom and your friendly nature. You have gain my respect and wood be more than happy to subscribe to your channel.
Been a pipe organ builder the last 24 years, we work mainly with poplar, and white oak, with some cherry and walnut, cedar. The older instruments typically had quartersawn sugar pine, spruce pipes, windchests and so forth. It's always amazing how when we do a restoration or repair on an organ built in the 1890s and sanding or cutting into the wood the scent of sugar pine etc is strong even after well over 100 years! They typically made sure to use knot-free boards, the wood pipes' boards might range from 3/16" thick" for the smallest pipes, 3/4 to an inch thick for the mid range pipes, and quite a bit thicker for the larger pipes. When we installed a new organ in NY City, the old organ's largest wood pipes came back to cut up for boards to re-use to make new pipes from, the 100 year old boards were sugar pine up to 16 feet long, 1-1/2" thick and the largesr pipes were a good 30" deep, 20" wide.
I've always been amazed at the tonal qualities of clear spruce and pine. I have a 8-foot long piece of Sitka Spruce laid up to make some stringed instruments. When struck with a wood mallet, it rings like a bell.
Thank you so much for the free wood handbook, that's an amazing resource and the woodworking world will be so much better for having that information freely available. Again, thank you.
Wow … it’s only recently I’ve started paying attention to my passions and I have discovered woodworking as one of them. I loved this video and for me it was jaw dropping… I never realised how complex it all was. I wish you had of been my school teacher sir as your passion is infectious.. I have subscribed and I look forward to delving into your channel.
This is one of the best "primer" videos on wood I have ever seen. It summarizes years of reading and experience, and summarizes them into a quick digestible format. 👍
Good Sir, thank you very very much for putting this together... like you said- there's a ton of sources for info on wood but few that make it easy to absorb ! I am an MBA grad that quit his corporate job and jumped into this vast ocean that is woodworking in the hopes of reviving a family business of furniture retail... Info like this gives me some confidence while approaching woodworking- which, frankly terrifies me with its low margin of error. Much much more comfortable with plywood; but wood working is what I consider 'the challenge' to overcome ! ✌️
If you're building a business, I can't stress overmuch the importance of networking. Join a professional woodworking organization and start asking questions. You will quickly find (1) you aren't the only one who has to deal with these problems and (2) for every problem, there are many solutions. Oftentimes, you can cobble together a solution for your specific problem by combining several different solutions that have already proven effective. You might take a look at the International Furnishings and Design Association for starters, but I would go down the list here: www.woodworkingnetwork.com/red-book/woodworking-industry-associations and see if there are any other associations that appeal to you.
As someone who does both cooking and woodworking, I would like to point out that cooking is also a collection of insights and inspirations from thousands of years of craftsmanship. One could argue it's only a couple of hundred years because of how much the ability to ship foods and ingredients between climate zones readily has impacted traditional cuisines across the world, but I would suggest that's a similar change to the introduction of power tools to traditional woodworking - a bunch of new options that are added, some of which have dramatic implications in a broader scale...but the fundamentals are still ancient. And anyone who's tried baking bread or pastry can tell you that not all cooking is just a matter of following a recipe verbatim. (Amusingly, it's also humidity that offers the biggest wildcard for bakers.)
I just want to say you have a gift and i am grateful you share it with the world I don’t woodwork but your passion knowledge and delivery are inspiring Thank you
😊 that was wonderful. I grew up watching the New Yankee workshop.. and Bob Vila... I loved woodshop with all my heart as a teen.. one of these days, I will get into woodworking.
Fantastic video, I'm starting my leap into the art of woodworking and your videos have been very helpful in understanding some of the things I thought I "knew". Thank you for your content and the exceptional breakdown you did on the imitation Stanley #4, that helped me get my imitation tuned up and working much better once I understood the pieces and their functions. I look forward to learning more in the future!
You sir, brought out the childhood love that I had for woodworking right back up to the surface. I just feel really warm and cozy watching this video for some reason... keep doing what you are doing!
So good...I'm a cabinet maker from Australia, went to Tafe or trade school during apprenticeship and learnt about furniture making and wood behaviour, however the trade is built around manufactured products. I realise just how little I know about real timber. This is an awesome resource, thanks cobba👍
Man in a single video you've taught me more about the properties of wood than years of watching videos on YT of people working with the stuff. Most folks just focus on the direction of grain and don't elaborate further than "I'm using [wood species] and which means it will better take the everyday stresses of this project once finished" But elaborate on what makes that specific species suitable for the project or other factors. I don't even remember this information coming up in shows like This Old House or The Woodright's Shop. This channel needs more subscribers.
That last statement @10:52 is pretty humbling. When I visited Horyuji Temple in Nara, Temple I was blown away when I was told that the red painted pillars holding up part of the structure were dated to at least 600 CE... which means they're 1400 years old. Taking into account the trees were estimated to be ~1000 years old, that means a seed was planted sometime around when Alexander the Great was alive... and its still holding up this structure. If you take care of it, wood can last centuries and even millennia. Pretty amazing, when you consider that trees are designed are basically made out of air, extracting carbon in their efficient solar panels called leaves, pulling up ground water and minerals from impressive elevator-like capillaries, and lit up with blossoms along with feeding a massive network of ground cover with excess carbon from its leaves. Credit where credit is due. The tree is a fantastic bit of engineering.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Just to add to your observations, the oldest (and still serviceable) wooden furniture in the world was found in the cemetery of King Midas in Gordion, Turkey, who died in 696 BCE. Many of the tables and chairs found in Gordion are thought to date back more than 2,700 years. The oldest piece of wood still in use today is top of a table made made from a single piece of New Zealand Swamp Kauri wood. The wood has been carbon-dated at 50,000 years.
I'm linking this video to anyone who questions the fact that wood can move as much as it does. I do hardwood flooring for a living and so many people are in disbelief when their home has giant gaps and or buckling planks because they can't stabilize the conditions
I've found that it's not only difficult for folks to believe how much the wood moves, but also how impossible it is to restrict the movement -- and how much damage they can do by attempting to restrict it.
You’re exactly right: this is A LOT to digest. And as beautifully and clearly as you describe it, it’s still necessary for me to listen to it again. Imo, you are the very best at disseminating this basic woodworking info. I have many more of your vids to catch up on. So thank you for all you do for woodworking education.
I could watch you read that book and still enjoy three video. You're quite the speaker and educator sir. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
I am a big fan. As a beginner who always want to learn and know science/technical details of "why" something happens - thank you for your educational content
Amazing information my friend. Just found your Channel, but you've definitely earned a subscriber here. I love the idea of Old-Timers with knowledge wanting to share their knowledge freely to enhance the Next Generation. You don't find that anymore. And the fact that you offer that book free; and it's actually legitimately free blew my mind. That information is more than worth paying for, so when I clicked on the link I thought I was going to get taken to some site they would eventually ask me for money. Not the case, I was able to download your 509 page book as a digital copy absolutely free of charge. I just launched a construction and remodeling business this past January and finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a small business owner in my community, but my passion has always been Woodworking, and I'm looking at reformatting. This book will be invaluable and I thank you.
So much just clicked into place in my brain watching this. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of wood but a fair bit is new to me. Thanks for making this
YOU'RE AWESOME! you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get an explanation of the names of the wood boards I've collected over the years. The dark & heavy like walnut
Great. Now the interwebs can read my mind! I watched yet another few hours of YT project videos, and I was yearning for the information you gave in this video... which magically appeared in my suggested list. Well done!! Thanks for the great info!
Wow! There is many with knowledge to be found on the internet but there is something about you and the way you present things that makes it come through and land in me with such ease and actual joy of learning. Bless you and thank you for doing what you do.
I'm not really a woodworker but I like to make stuff instead of buying if I can, and sometimes that involves woodwork. This video taught me a lot! Great information! My current project is a small tabletop greenhouse.
I found this informative. I have a collection of old Ww2 rifles with beautiful wood stocks. I can now understand how the woodworker made the wrist strong enough.
Once interviewed a craftsman who reproduced flintlock rifles. He would scour his patch of forest for hardwood limbs and roots with a slight bend, dry them, then carve the stock with the bend at the wrist. That way the grain ran straight through both the butt and the forestock.
Nice job, sir. At first, given the closeness to Christmas, I thought I had stumbled in to Santa's workshop and the Head Elf giving the newbies a lecture before they went off to make wooden toys. Very enjoyable and educational format. Thanks.
not once in my sixty years have i come across another person as knowledgeable in the life of wood as my dad! I am over-the-moon! tickled bright pink! to have found you here today!. I wish I could forward this video to him because I know he would have felt the same as I do. my dad was voted king of lumber in California many years over for his knowledge In wood. whether it was one man building a single home or a tract of homes he was the man who everyone brought their plans to. dad would then figure out what types of wood to use where to put that type of wood and how much board feet it would take to build their homes.then to cut it and deliver it to the site. and as I hated math Growing Up Haha I would avoid the office work as much as possible and couldn't wait to get out to The LumberYard where the cutting began because I just loved the different smells of wood! wow! dad and I shared in the love of the smell of different trees being cut or the Beauty strength and durability that went into the life of a barn or old office desk! so my passion is in restoring old tables desks chairs things like that and I want to make my son an acoustic guitar so I will watch your videos Everyone thank you again so very much. and I'm not sure that I want to know the answer to this haha but I was really hoping that is your Woodshop and not just a prop or a set.?
Thank you Nick. I am a newcomer to woodwork and a bear of very little brain in terms of abstract 3D conceptualisation, my skills lie elsewhere. Your posts are always crystal clear and enthusing. This one in particular will inform all my future projects. Cheers.
Loved the educational value of this video. I lost my grandparents at a very low age and I don't remember them quite well. But I must say: after watching this, and if grandparents were a matter of choosing, I would like you to be my grandpa for sure! 👨🏻🦳
I always thought that all those videos of fancy joinery and tooling instruction shown on different channels is not enough and there is a basic, important knowledge that I miss. Now I have found it. Thank you for such a load of it in a very simple explanation! ❤
With your extravagant haircut I thought you to be one of those youtube clowns.... Man was I wrong! You really did change my approach on building anything from wood. I used to build without even considering your explanations due to not knowing about it. Thank you for this video! Well done mate!
That is the beginning of a running joke at my shop -- when the younger craftsmen I work with do an imitation of me, they point their fingers in the air and say, "Wood has grain..."
Absolutely excellent! This is, without a doubt, the best presentation of this info to be found on the web. You are incredibly clear, supremely informative and wonderfully entertaining. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you obviously put into it. Bravo!
I truly appreciate this video!! I'm just starting to get into small wood working projects, making little pipes and figurines. How much does the direction of the grain matter when you're doing little hand carvings🕵️♂️🕵️♂️🕵️♂️ I'm cutting my own little wood blocks out of my own felled trees, some maple and ash is what I just got this fall
Great video.... however.... in one segment you say that wood moves 4% across quarter grain and 8% across flat grain. In another segment, you say 3mm over 30cm for quarter and 6mm over 30cm for plain (flat) grain which works out to 1% for quarter and 2% for flat. So which is it? 4~8% or 1~2%?
Great observation. And actually, both sets of numbers are correct. This seems confusing, I know, but let me explain the science behind it. The figures that the US Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) publishes for radial and tangential expansion and contraction are the dimensional changes they observed when wood loses its “bound” water - all of it. A freshly-felled tree has two types of moisture content - free water, which fills the cells, and bound water, which saturates the cell walls. As the wood is being dried, it loses free water first. During this phase there is very little dimensional change. And once it’s shed of the free water, it will never again re-absorb it - unless you store the wood underwater for a very long period of time.
When it reaches about 26% moisture content (MC), wood begins to lose the bound water. This is where things started happening and they continued to happen until the wood reached 0% MC in the FPL ovens. During this phase, the wood shrank about 8% tangent to the annual rings and 4% radial to them.
I should warn you that these are averages, and they can be wildly different for specific species. Take beech, for example. The FPL found its tangential movement to be 11.9%! The radial movement of redwood is only 2.2%. The 8% and 4% numbers are what wood engineers use for guesstimation. They also describe the maximum amount of movement for most wood species - the movement that occurs between 26% and 0% MC. In the real world, the wood we use never gets that wet or that dry.
Kiln- and air-dried wood loses moisture until it reaches equilibrium with the relativity humidity (RH) in its immediate environment. Once it stabilizes, it will release or absorb about 1% MC for every 5% change in the RH. Here in my corner of Ohio, the average RH wanders between 40% and 70% during a typical year - a change of about 30%. Consequently, the moisture content of the wood in my barn wanders between 8% and 14% -- a change of about 6%. That’s 6% out of a possible 26%. So it doesn’t begin to move as much as it might if I lived in the place where the RH swung between 0% and 100%. Fortunately, there are no such places.
As you can begin to see, the calculations necessary to determine how much a given piece of wood might actually move in a given year are complex - you need to take into account not just wood species, but the climate in which that species exists. And what happens if you build a table in the Arizona desert and send it to a client in a Louisiana swamp? To overcome this complexity and uncertainty, craftsmen have developed a rule of thumb that works for most cases - for every 12" (30 cm) of width, allow for 1/4” (6 mm) of movement tangent to the rings and 1/8” (3 mm) radial to them. These numbers are purposefully larger than they need to be and will accommodate more movement than the wood is likely to display in a temperate environment - once again - in most cases.
I hope that clears things up.
Absolutely great explanation!... But unfortunately too much for my (unfortunately) small brain!... Easier to stick to plywood!?... 🤝🍻🖐️👍
@@WorkshopCompanion thanks a ton for that explanation (especially the last part, was already starting to type that up as I was reading and beat me to it :P )
Leaving a 6mm of room for expansion would seem like it would make for a wobble or shakiness to the construction, and when watching vids learning here it never is seems like people are avoiding clamping something firmly together, or making as exact a fit as possible. Is it just the case that the natural human inaccuracies of manual processes introduces enough "error" (so to speak) to allow for this expansion?
@@Sharkey007x Honestly, I don't believe those content makers really care about the science of it. They need to build something in order to produce the video for youtube. Once they know how to push the lumber through a table saw, or band saw, or know how to turn a router on, they don't care beyond that.....imo. They just want to make good looking content. This is honestly the most educational video I've watched in wood working, and I've watched a ton (outside the "How to (watch me) make [this]" vids).
@@WorkshopCompanion My lord, what a specialist. Thank you for this information
This may be some of the best content I've ever seen on TH-cam since this information channel came into my life in 2007-2008. You're pedagogic approach, proper enthusiasm and the love for your trade is really worth a Nobel Prize in the category of YouTubing. I'm a hobbyist woodworker myself and a educated as a mechanical engineer and this is such spot on delivery of what engineering and is all about - the application of knowledge. I almost feel honored that you've spent your time making this - you have such amazing teaching and communications gifts.
I love that word "pedagogic." I honed my teaching skills at the University of Cincinnati and thoroughly warmed to the idea of a workshop as the classroom and each class as an adventure in which in which we explored the relevant knowledge and discovered how to apply it. But this vid isn't just my doing. There is a spectacularly gifted producer/editor behind the camera -- Travis Blair -- that shares this vision. Thanks for noticing our modus operandi.
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen a number of articles that address this topic, but none as clear and helpful as this. Thank you for sharing your excellent knowledge!
@@shamu7014 Most welcome.
@@WorkshopCompanion I laughed at the brilliant way to show adding and removing moisture at th-cam.com/video/oZkYLVrTYe4/w-d-xo.html. My compliments to Mr. Blair.
@@WorkshopCompanion Thank you!
This man should explain everything on TH-cam from now on.
Isn't that Neil deGrasse Tyson's job?
@@WorkshopCompanion :D
Man, what a legend. I've been working with wood for years as a hobbyist but you know EVERYTHING there is to know. Further more you are a pleasure to watch. My old woodworking teacher once said in class "just think, when you cut a piece of wood in two you are gazing at something no one has ever seen before,." That blew my mind. You have same turn of phrase & are equally the best teachers ever.
Thanks for the kind words, but I can say emphatically that I know enough about woodworking to know that I don't know everything and never will. Mankind has been working wood for almost 500,000 years, as demonstrated by the oldest worked wood found by anthropologists. That's a lot of stored up knowledge to get through.
@@WorkshopCompanion Nice perspective to have. I just found your channel yesterday, and I'm plowing through videos as fast as I can absorb the information. I've been a designer/builder for most of my adult life, but I'm learning tons here. Thanks for the videos.
@@TimTimTomTom Most welcome.
Woodworker for 35 years. I love the way he puts this stuff together! To the point without a bunch of jabbering. I learned something new everyday thanks to TH-cam and guys like this.
This man's content seems almost too good for the Internet. Hats off to you sir, appreciate your work. Love from Zambia 🇿🇲
Thanks, and right back at ya from Ohio.
Did anyone else think this was hilarious? This guy is a damn gift. I have never been more educated and entertained.
As a forester, I appreciate this video. You did an excellent job presenting this often confusing material.
Absolutely indispensable information for woodworking ! The sad part: I must reconsider my woodworking skills ... I now know without a doubt, that I have none. The good news: I now know why my stupid doors stick in the summer and work great in the winter !
Love your presentations. Thanks from Canada.
As a former woodwork teacher, I am very bloody impressed with your density and flow of information, Nick. Thank you!
With your permission, I would like to forward this video for classroom use to some teaching colleagues of mine, as a brilliant lesson or even a minor assessment task, could be planned from this video.
Kind regards from Australia,
Jason
Permission granted. Compliments bloody appreciated. A salient point, relative to your purpose, is that this vid is a distilled version of my opening lecture when I was teaching at the University of Cincinnati.
@@WorkshopCompanion Thank you sir! I knew you had to have taught. My colleague, a veteran of four decades in wood rooms, described this video as "One of the best teaching resources he's ever seen." I shall pass your preamble on to him. Our plan is to build an online quiz for the video and make it a minor assessment, early in it furniture making course, but really, this is adaptable to any year in high school, college, or uni, as you point out.
Thanks again,
Jason
@@jasondoust4935 Keep me informed. I'd like to be be involved, if I could. You are extremely lucky to be living in a country that values and teaches hands-on skills. Shop programs in my neck of the woods are an endangered educational species.
@@WorkshopCompanion my grandfather, father, and myself all went to the same highschool. We all took woodshop, I learned on the same my father did. In 2004 they tore the shop down and replaced it with computers and 3D printers. I was heartbroken. Thank you for making these videos and sharing your experience. You have the BEST content!
@@jimbusmaximus4624 Thanks for saying.
Great presentation. All relevant information, no fluff, confident and expressive delivery, just enough humor, and diverse visual demonstrations
Thanks.
The best part is how I knew most of this already, but was laser focused on the information anyway. Solid video.
Awesome, thank you!
I have several books written by Mr Engler, about 15-20 years old. Clearly written, easy to understand, and spot on as far as accuracy. He is a genius on anything wood. Thank you.
Most welcome, an thanks for the kind words.
I have made a living working with metal all my life. I know very little about wood. This honestly is one of the most informative, best presented information pieces I have ever seen on you tube. Now I know what I don't know.
Thank you!
You're most welcome.
That was amazing...and overwhelming, at the same time. A must rewatch to retain the info. Thank you for this. There is so much so many of us don't even consider when wood working.
This is a thinking man's (or woman's) craft; there is little doubt about that.
@@jeremiahbullfrog9288 Some, perhaps. But I learned blacksmithing from a farrier when I was much younger, and metalworking from a top-notch machinist when I started building airplanes. Both crafts require incredible amounts of skill, knowledge, and finesse, and most of the iron mongers that I've hung out with seem to understand this.
What a great video! The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. For instance I had no idea that relative humidity had that much impact on wood movement. Sure there is some, but to be able to calculate the amount to get an idea... That could come in handy on larger projects. I've got a lot to learn and I'm glad that Nick is here to help guide the way. Thanks Nick.
Aw, shucks...
Found the discussion of effects of relative humidity very interesting. I live in Florida and have had a particular problem with outdoor projects, now I know why.
@@UnsaltedCracker267 You live in an area of the country where there are wide swings in relative humidity and the moisture content of the wood rarely falls below 12%. Sure, there are going to be problems. If you're making outdoor furniture, consider Atlantic White Cedar. Not only does it do well in humid conditions,; it's resistant to salt water.
You, sir, yes you. I like you.
You bring a good dose of nutty, somewhat corny, professor vibes combined with actual, quality information, and I'm absolutely loving it.
Please keep doing what you do, the way you do it, because it's a joy to watch and learn from.
We'll try.
I was getting a little of the vibe of Belle's father in Beauty and the Beast (cartoon version). I'd like to hear you say "pass me that dog-legged clincher..."
In all seriousness though, great video.
This is the first video I’ve seen from this channel and already I’m impressed!
I like the way you share your wisdom and your friendly nature. You have gain my respect and wood be more than happy to subscribe to your channel.
Thank you for your kind words, and by all means, subscribe! We have a seat reserved. ("...wood be more than happy..." Pun intentional, I'm sure...)
Same
@@bennygerow Welcome!
Been a pipe organ builder the last 24 years, we work mainly with poplar, and white oak, with some cherry and walnut, cedar.
The older instruments typically had quartersawn sugar pine, spruce pipes, windchests and so forth.
It's always amazing how when we do a restoration or repair on an organ built in the 1890s and sanding or cutting into the wood the scent of sugar pine etc is strong even after well over 100 years!
They typically made sure to use knot-free boards, the wood pipes' boards might range from 3/16" thick" for the smallest pipes, 3/4 to an inch thick for the mid range pipes, and quite a bit thicker for the larger pipes.
When we installed a new organ in NY City, the old organ's largest wood pipes came back to cut up for boards to re-use to make new pipes from, the 100 year old boards were sugar pine up to 16 feet long, 1-1/2" thick and the largesr pipes were a good 30" deep, 20" wide.
I've always been amazed at the tonal qualities of clear spruce and pine. I have a 8-foot long piece of Sitka Spruce laid up to make some stringed instruments. When struck with a wood mallet, it rings like a bell.
This video is so well made. Huge props to the creator, it was so easy to digest the information and I'm not even a woodworker.
Thanks for the kind words.
Thank you so much for the free wood handbook, that's an amazing resource and the woodworking world will be so much better for having that information freely available. Again, thank you.
Thank you! Learning the basic science behind any pursuit or hobby is well worth the time spent. Without a solid foundation any project crumbles.
Well said.
This channel deserves many more subscribers.
What a great teacher.
Thanks for saying -- it's getting there.
Wow … it’s only recently I’ve started paying attention to my passions and I have discovered woodworking as one of them. I loved this video and for me it was jaw dropping… I never realised how complex it all was. I wish you had of been my school teacher sir as your passion is infectious.. I have subscribed and I look forward to delving into your channel.
Thanks for your kind words...and welcome!
This is one of the best "primer" videos on wood I have ever seen. It summarizes years of reading and experience, and summarizes them into a quick digestible format. 👍
Thanks for the kind words.
Good Sir, thank you very very much for putting this together... like you said- there's a ton of sources for info on wood but few that make it easy to absorb !
I am an MBA grad that quit his corporate job and jumped into this vast ocean that is woodworking in the hopes of reviving a family business of furniture retail... Info like this gives me some confidence while approaching woodworking- which, frankly terrifies me with its low margin of error. Much much more comfortable with plywood; but wood working is what I consider 'the challenge' to overcome ! ✌️
If you're building a business, I can't stress overmuch the importance of networking. Join a professional woodworking organization and start asking questions. You will quickly find (1) you aren't the only one who has to deal with these problems and (2) for every problem, there are many solutions. Oftentimes, you can cobble together a solution for your specific problem by combining several different solutions that have already proven effective. You might take a look at the International Furnishings and Design Association for starters, but I would go down the list here: www.woodworkingnetwork.com/red-book/woodworking-industry-associations and see if there are any other associations that appeal to you.
I already understood the basics of wood movement, but I learned even more. Engler explains it very well.
I agree that one must watch more than once but very informative.
As someone who does both cooking and woodworking, I would like to point out that cooking is also a collection of insights and inspirations from thousands of years of craftsmanship. One could argue it's only a couple of hundred years because of how much the ability to ship foods and ingredients between climate zones readily has impacted traditional cuisines across the world, but I would suggest that's a similar change to the introduction of power tools to traditional woodworking - a bunch of new options that are added, some of which have dramatic implications in a broader scale...but the fundamentals are still ancient.
And anyone who's tried baking bread or pastry can tell you that not all cooking is just a matter of following a recipe verbatim. (Amusingly, it's also humidity that offers the biggest wildcard for bakers.)
6:45 I got really scared for a sec!😅 You engulf your viewers into the world of your topic. First-time watcher!
I was shocked. 😮
I just want to say you have a gift and i am grateful you share it with the world
I don’t woodwork but your passion knowledge and delivery are inspiring
Thank you
Most welcome.
"something to consider when building your next canoe!"
Nick you would make the world’s greatest shop teacher! You speak and explain so clearly it’s like I should be paying for this! Thank you!
Most welcome. And thanks for the kind words.
This was well done. Artful, informative and insightful! Much appreciated Paul.
Thanks!
All the top comments brilliantly said it already, you've made such an insanely informative and entertaining lesson. Thank you
Most welcome.
I sent this to every person i know who uses wood furniture.
😊 that was wonderful. I grew up watching the New Yankee workshop.. and Bob Vila... I loved woodshop with all my heart as a teen.. one of these days, I will get into woodworking.
Fantastic video, I'm starting my leap into the art of woodworking and your videos have been very helpful in understanding some of the things I thought I "knew". Thank you for your content and the exceptional breakdown you did on the imitation Stanley #4, that helped me get my imitation tuned up and working much better once I understood the pieces and their functions. I look forward to learning more in the future!
And we look forward to your visits.
Hands down - major value content right here.
You sir, brought out the childhood love that I had for woodworking right back up to the surface. I just feel really warm and cozy watching this video for some reason... keep doing what you are doing!
That's the plan.
So good...I'm a cabinet maker from Australia, went to Tafe or trade school during apprenticeship and learnt about furniture making and wood behaviour, however the trade is built around manufactured products. I realise just how little I know about real timber. This is an awesome resource, thanks cobba👍
No worries, mate.
Absolutely worth any woodworkers time to watch this video . Very well done !!
Thanks so much for your recommendation!
This channel imparts the most technical wood working knowledge than any other channel I've watched on TH-cam thus far. Great, informative content!
Thanks for saying.
My favorite channel for woodworking advice
Just found this channel, I’m going to save this show for my son. This info is priceless. It could save your life!
Not sure it's all that critical, but it certainly will save you some wood. Thanks.
Having a passionate and enthusiastic teacher and great visuals makes for an excellent guide. Thanks for this,
You're most welcome.
Man in a single video you've taught me more about the properties of wood than years of watching videos on YT of people working with the stuff.
Most folks just focus on the direction of grain and don't elaborate further than "I'm using [wood species] and which means it will better take the everyday stresses of this project once finished"
But elaborate on what makes that specific species suitable for the project or other factors. I don't even remember this information coming up in shows like This Old House or The Woodright's Shop.
This channel needs more subscribers.
Thanks for the kind words.
You're like the Albert Einstein of woodworking, smart, great talker and the crazy hair. This taught me a lot in a short time, thank you.
Most welcome.
That last statement @10:52 is pretty humbling. When I visited Horyuji Temple in Nara, Temple I was blown away when I was told that the red painted pillars holding up part of the structure were dated to at least 600 CE... which means they're 1400 years old. Taking into account the trees were estimated to be ~1000 years old, that means a seed was planted sometime around when Alexander the Great was alive... and its still holding up this structure.
If you take care of it, wood can last centuries and even millennia. Pretty amazing, when you consider that trees are designed are basically made out of air, extracting carbon in their efficient solar panels called leaves, pulling up ground water and minerals from impressive elevator-like capillaries, and lit up with blossoms along with feeding a massive network of ground cover with excess carbon from its leaves.
Credit where credit is due. The tree is a fantastic bit of engineering.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Just to add to your observations, the oldest (and still serviceable) wooden furniture in the world was found in the cemetery of King Midas in Gordion, Turkey, who died in 696 BCE. Many of the tables and chairs found in Gordion are thought to date back more than 2,700 years. The oldest piece of wood still in use today is top of a table made made from a single piece of New Zealand Swamp Kauri wood. The wood has been carbon-dated at 50,000 years.
This show makes me feel better inside
I'm linking this video to anyone who questions the fact that wood can move as much as it does. I do hardwood flooring for a living and so many people are in disbelief when their home has giant gaps and or buckling planks because they can't stabilize the conditions
I've found that it's not only difficult for folks to believe how much the wood moves, but also how impossible it is to restrict the movement -- and how much damage they can do by attempting to restrict it.
You’re exactly right: this is A LOT to digest. And as beautifully and clearly as you describe it, it’s still necessary for me to listen to it again. Imo, you are the very best at disseminating this basic woodworking info. I have many more of your vids to catch up on. So thank you for all you do for woodworking education.
Thanks for your kind words.
I could watch you read that book and still enjoy three video. You're quite the speaker and educator sir. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
I am a big fan. As a beginner who always want to learn and know science/technical details of "why" something happens - thank you for your educational content
Most welcome.
Amazing information my friend. Just found your Channel, but you've definitely earned a subscriber here. I love the idea of Old-Timers with knowledge wanting to share their knowledge freely to enhance the Next Generation. You don't find that anymore. And the fact that you offer that book free; and it's actually legitimately free blew my mind. That information is more than worth paying for, so when I clicked on the link I thought I was going to get taken to some site they would eventually ask me for money. Not the case, I was able to download your 509 page book as a digital copy absolutely free of charge. I just launched a construction and remodeling business this past January and finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a small business owner in my community, but my passion has always been Woodworking, and I'm looking at reformatting. This book will be invaluable and I thank you.
Old timers! Where? I thought I sprayed for those...Seriously, thanks. And good luck.
Thank you for the free link to the Wood Handbook! And thank you for making so much of your own content freely available!
Most welcome.
So much just clicked into place in my brain watching this. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of wood but a fair bit is new to me. Thanks for making this
Most welcome.
YOU'RE AWESOME! you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get an explanation of the names of the wood boards I've collected over the years. The dark & heavy like walnut
First time I've seen your videos, I'm 15 seconds into it and already I love it.
Then please, stick around for another 15 seconds -- it gets better.
Great. Now the interwebs can read my mind! I watched yet another few hours of YT project videos, and I was yearning for the information you gave in this video... which magically appeared in my suggested list. Well done!! Thanks for the great info!
Most welcome. We'll reassign our clairvoyants to someone else's case now.
Wow!
There is many with knowledge to be found on the internet but there is something about you and the way you present things that makes it come through and land in me with such ease and actual joy of learning.
Bless you and thank you for doing what you do.
Kind of you to say.
Incredible. Exactly what the internet was made for, thanks for teaching us.
Most welcome.
I'm not even much of a wood worker, and even I think this guy is awesome! Great stuff!
Thanks.
I'm not really a woodworker but I like to make stuff instead of buying if I can, and sometimes that involves woodwork. This video taught me a lot! Great information! My current project is a small tabletop greenhouse.
Thanks -- and good luck with your table.
You have earned a subscriber. I love people who dive into the fine details that others avoid.
Thank you, and welcome.
Perfection. The croquet comment had me chuckling for a while.
i think this is my favorite youtube video. the intro by itself is better than the last 20 movies ive seen
I found this informative. I have a collection of old Ww2 rifles with beautiful wood stocks. I can now understand how the woodworker made the wrist strong enough.
Once interviewed a craftsman who reproduced flintlock rifles. He would scour his patch of forest for hardwood limbs and roots with a slight bend, dry them, then carve the stock with the bend at the wrist. That way the grain ran straight through both the butt and the forestock.
Nice job, sir. At first, given the closeness to Christmas, I thought I had stumbled in to Santa's workshop and the Head Elf giving the newbies a lecture before they went off to make wooden toys. Very enjoyable and educational format. Thanks.
There's usually a lot more horse-play that goes on when I have to address the elves.
Great job thank you. Bow makers rejoice. Best I have ever seen
Thanks.
not once in my sixty years have i come across another person as knowledgeable in the life of wood as my dad! I am over-the-moon! tickled bright pink! to have found you here today!. I wish I could forward this video to him because I know he would have felt the same as I do. my dad was voted king of lumber in California many years over for his knowledge In wood. whether it was one man building a single home or a tract of homes he was the man who everyone brought their plans to. dad would then figure out what types of wood to use where to put that type of wood and how much board feet it would take to build their homes.then to cut it and deliver it to the site. and as I hated math Growing Up Haha I would avoid the office work as much as possible and couldn't wait to get out to The LumberYard where the cutting began because I just loved the different smells of wood! wow! dad and I shared in the love of the smell of different trees being cut or the Beauty strength and durability that went into the life of a barn or old office desk! so my passion is in restoring old tables desks chairs things like that and I want to make my son an acoustic guitar so I will watch your videos Everyone thank you again so very much. and I'm not sure that I want to know the answer to this haha but I was really hoping that is your Woodshop and not just a prop or a set.?
It's a working shop, I assure you. Thanks for the kind words.
@@WorkshopCompanion thats so cooool! thank you for being genuine! i love your work of beauty
@@shellilogan771 Thank you for your kind words.
Thank you Nick. I am a newcomer to woodwork and a bear of very little brain in terms of abstract 3D conceptualisation, my skills lie elsewhere. Your posts are always crystal clear and enthusing. This one in particular will inform all my future projects. Cheers.
Cheers back. And thanks for the kind words.
You are an excellent teacher. I like your style and appreciate your wit. Thank you for the tip on the book!
Most welcome.
I have gained a significant amount of knowledge from you posts. Thank you for the free book!
You're most welcome, but it's real the Forest Products Laboratory that provided it.
This kind of video is exactly why I have not written off TH-cam completely. Great content... Thank you.
Most welcome.
You, dear sir, are the Bob Ross of woodworking.
A breath of fresh air. Subscribed two minutes in. Happy holidays!
Thanks...and welcome.
The sheer amount of comments which have been replied to directly by WC speaks volumes about the quality of this channel 😭
Well what an interesting video, just goes to show that even a seasoned woodworker like me (40 plus years ) can still learn something, thank you
Incredibly charismatic. Thanks for this.
Most welcome.
i swear i learn more between you , mathew peach , and 731 woodworks than the next 12 woodworking channels combined.
Thanks.
I wish you were my grandfather, you are seem so wholesome and a good teacher. Thank you for the video
Most welcome.
Loved the educational value of this video.
I lost my grandparents at a very low age and I don't remember them quite well. But I must say: after watching this, and if grandparents were a matter of choosing, I would like you to be my grandpa for sure! 👨🏻🦳
Kind of you to say.
Not only a great woodworker, great entertaining storyteller as well. Bravo!
Thanks.
Superb video delivered with simple authority and a dash of humor. Bravo.
Thanks for saying.
What a nice and easy to understand explanation 👏👏👏👏
I always thought that all those videos of fancy joinery and tooling instruction shown on different channels is not enough and there is a basic, important knowledge that I miss. Now I have found it. Thank you for such a load of it in a very simple explanation! ❤
Most welcome.
What a great primer in woodworking!
Thanks.
I am currently binge watching your library. So much info crammed into a series of amazingly easy to digest videos.
Thank you. Kind of you to say.
Great job educating the wood working community!
Thank you.
Most welcome.
With your extravagant haircut I thought you to be one of those youtube clowns.... Man was I wrong!
You really did change my approach on building anything from wood. I used to build without even considering your explanations due to not knowing about it.
Thank you for this video! Well done mate!
Simply awesome advice! This should be the first stop for the would-be aspiring carpentry hobbyist or anyone wishing to tinker with wood construction!
Thanks.
Just bought your book. Thanks for assisting with such important information.
Thank you for your interest and support.
Best shop teacher I never had 👍💯
Great video! Who would have thought I'd learn more from a video without any tools?
FINALLY somebody talking about grain!
That is the beginning of a running joke at my shop -- when the younger craftsmen I work with do an imitation of me, they point their fingers in the air and say, "Wood has grain..."
Absolutely excellent! This is, without a doubt, the best presentation of this info to be found on the web. You are incredibly clear, supremely informative and wonderfully entertaining. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you obviously put into it. Bravo!
I should hire you as my agent. You're most welcome.
Very good discussion about wood characteristics! Thanks!
Most welcome.
I truly appreciate this video!! I'm just starting to get into small wood working projects, making little pipes and figurines.
How much does the direction of the grain matter when you're doing little hand carvings🕵️♂️🕵️♂️🕵️♂️
I'm cutting my own little wood blocks out of my own felled trees, some maple and ash is what I just got this fall
This guy is one of the best! And we get to drink from the fountain of his cornucopia of knowledge for FREE!