Marquetry : peculiar qualities of wood

Detailed Artistic Techniques

The aspect of wood used for a realization, and some qualities like the resistance and handiness are very important when one must select it.

Here is a little résumé of main criterion in that choice.

THE GRAIN

It's constituted by the cellular structure of a wood, that is to say by its fibre. The grain is different according to its orientation in comparison with the axis of trunk.

There are several kinds of grain :

the trees with a rectilinear growth give some right grain woods,
the ones, whose fibres are turned aside, have an intertwined or intersected grain,
when the growth of tree is spirally, one talks about bound or screwed grain,
if the fibres are placed at the right for a layer and at the left for the next one and so on, the grain is called alternated or striped,
the woods whose fibres are undulating have an undulating grain.

THE VEINS

This is the design created by the grain, colours and, possible the sicknesses or the bad weather, the used technique to cut the wood, the annual age rings...

THE TEXTURE

This word defines the pores of wood. More they are close to one and all, more the texture is fine. It's determined by the size of pores, their uniformity and regularity.

DURABILITY

It's the quality of a specie to resist against the bacteria, insects and varied mushrooms. A tree which owns these qualities for a minimum of 25 years can be considered like durable. But this durability can be different according to the climate and environment.

Right grain

Right grain

Undulating grain

Undulating grain

Alternated grain

Alternated grain