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 Post subject: Wood can be...
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:47 am 
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Very hard. That's why some of it is called hardwood. :D

However, different kinds of wood are harder than others.

This baby's a three parter... get 'em all right, and the weasels may pay you a visit. In the middle of the night. After a day-long ice cream binge. While listening to Barry Manilow's Ultra-light album "Barry's songs to snooze by"

1) What's the name of the test that shows how hard wood is?

2) How does it work?

3) Can you name the hardest and the softest woods in the test? (Yes, it's OK to be 'close' - I will leave the final judgment to Gina the Weasel.. she's pretty good at breaking people's hearts who get things wrong...)

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:46 pm 
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The Janka test involves a small steel ball that is forced into the
the tested peice of wood. The rating comes from the distance the ball goes into the timber from the same force. The further in the softer the wood.


The hardest is Brazilian walnut, the softest Eastern White Pine (the last bit I had to search,but I knew the first two!!!)

Back to vacation now!!

Eric


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:59 am 
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I agree with the Janka test which is most commonly used to specify hardness in wooden flooring.
I disagree with Erics timbers however.
Ipe "Brazilian Walnut" has a Hardness of 3,684 pounds-force whereas the list I found had Lignum Vitae at 4,500 pounds-force.
At the other end of the scale we have Eastern White Pine at 380 pounds-force but Balsa at 100 pounds-force.

I'm still not sure about Lignum being the hardest... the list I found wasn't huge... I suspect that Ironwood would beat Lignum.

Ray

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 3:50 am 
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Ray I was suspicious too, but am on the run holiday wise, so showed my hand and moved on.

Lignum must be getting close!

Maybe the weasel rancher will chime in and steer this boat! Not that he need do anything but sit back and enjoy his self seeded dilemma!

:wink:

eric


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:36 am 
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I thought that Balsa would be the softest wood but, all I can think of for the hardest would be Iron wood. Never used it but, "iron" just sounds hard. :D

Rog

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:37 am 
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You talkin' to me? You talking TO ME? I don't see anyone else here, so you MUST be talkin' to me...

Image

Hey, I don't sweat the petty, I pet the sweaty. Yes, the hardness test for wood is the Janka test....

Not to be confused with Jenga.. which is a favorite game at the ranch:

Image

The test is simple as Eric said - a steel ball and a sample board are put into a press, and the pressure it takes to drive that ball halfway into the wood is calculated. Fiendishly simple.

On the abbreviated list at Wikipedia, Lignum Vitae is rated the hardest at 4,500 pounds of force. I'm sure that somewhere there is the shagbark weasel tree found only on the summit of K2 on Thursdays in May. It may be six times harder, but it's as scarce as hen's teeth. That makes LV he hardest of the most frequently seen hardwoods.

And, the famous balsa wood is waaaaay at the other end, needing only 100 pounds of force. Look at it the wrong way, and you are going to dent it.

Even though you are on holiday, Eric, Gina Weasel wanted to wish you congratulations and send you Barry's best to enjoy on your time off...

Image

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* http://tomsworkbench.com
* Purveyor of the world's finest Weasel Spit
* Why do they call it a WORKshop if I go there to have fun?
* Founding member: WWAFLAUX#1
* Passed 16,000 posts 7/23/09 - 8:41 a.m.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:18 pm 
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I'm gutted that Gina is so partial in her favours since Eric only got half the question right... and I got the other half :(

Ray

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:41 pm 
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BAD GINA! No ice cream for you!

Man, Turnpike, the weasels are slipping...

You get a double scoop for your troubles...

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And.. I'm going to have to have some words with her... grrr...

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* Purveyor of the world's finest Weasel Spit
* Why do they call it a WORKshop if I go there to have fun?
* Founding member: WWAFLAUX#1
* Passed 16,000 posts 7/23/09 - 8:41 a.m.


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