5 NEW HARDWOODS FOR YOUR WOODWORKING PLEASURE

Sure, there’s still a calamity called rainforest destruction. It’s happening throughout the Amazon region of South America and elsewhere in the tropics. However, commercial logging takes responsibility for only a part of it. For the rest, slash-and-burn agricultural practices, mining, and road building catch the blame. The large-scale logging that does continue seeks trees long valued in the world timber trade—imbuya, mahogany, pernambuco, rosewood, snakewood, and a host of others. Just getting to them cuts a wide swath, let alone bringing them out. As a consequence, many unwanted trees go to waste.

Thankfully, there’s a competing philosophy regarding harvesting trees

that’s far less destructive, more economical, and more

profi table to the locals. It’s

called

selective harvest and it focuses on lesser-known species such as the fi ve Peruvian hardwoods presented here. (See the sidebar on the facing page to fi nd out how it works.)

History in woodworking“Lesser-known species” doesn’t go far enough in titling our fi ve featured woods. It should be “unknown species.” After all, only one of them has a bona fi de Latin species name—limoncillo, a Rheedia according to the U.S. Forest Service’s list of tropical timbers of the world.

Why is that? According to forest experts in Peru, there’s simply just a lot of confusion at this time. First of all, the Amazon rainforest contains perhaps hundreds of thousands (or more) of tree species, but only a small percentage have been scientifi cally identifi ed and classifi ed. Therefore, most rainforest woods have been given common names rather than a Latin genus. However, even common names can vary from village to village and river valley to river valley. Making it even more confusing, some Amazon woods were named and classifi ed years ago only to unknowingly be renamed and classifi ed as a new species at a later date!

Meanwhile, Peru and other South American countries (as well as wood suppliers) are working diligently to upgrade the identifi cation and classifi cation system. But regardless of their lack of scientifi c names, woods like dalmation, huayruro, limoncillo,

orange agate, and tigre caspi have a history of use by the Amazon basin’s indigenous people. With primitive tools, the villagers have hewed them into huts and homes, fences, boats, furniture, and about everything that can be made of wood.

In today’s relatively small scale forest products industry that’s based on selective harvest, Amazonian hardwoods that were once considered waste wood are fashioned into decking, fl ooring, gunstocks, knife and turning blanks, fi nished woodturnings; and, of course, kiln-dried lumber for export.

Where the woodcomes fromThe rainforest of eastern Peru consists of 156 million acres (third largest in the world) with large areas still intact. Drained by the Marano and Ucayali rivers, which form the headwaters of the mighty Amazon, the area is rich in natural resources besides timber, such as oil, gas, and minerals (especially gold).

WOODSENSE

FROM PERU TO YOU

Latin genus. However, even common names can vary from village to village and river valley to river valley. Making it even more confusing, some Amazon woods were named and classifi ed years ago only to unknowingly be renamed and classifi ed as a new species at a later date!

American countries (as well as wood suppliers) are working diligently to upgrade the identifi cation and classifi cation system. But regardless of their lack of scientifi c names, woods like dalmation, huayruro, limoncillo,

Orange Agate

orange agate, and tigre caspi have a lesser-known species such as the fi ve history of use by the Amazon basin’s

Thankfully, there’s a competing philosophy regarding harvesting trees

that’s far less destructive, more economical, and more

profi table to the locals. It’s

called called

Limoncillo

Huayruro

Tigre Caspi

Dalmation

By Pete StephanoYou’ll � nd these � ve lesser-known species from Peru’s rainforest real knockouts for your woodworking projects, and as you’ll discover, your fun using them will be guilt-free!

70 W O O D C R A F T M A G A Z I N E 8

(Note: Forested land receiving more than 78" of annual rain qualifi es as a rainforest.)

What you’ll payAvailable in the United States only at Woodcraft stores, the Woodcraft catalog, and online, the Peruvian hardwood sizes and prices refl ect their low-impact, lower volume harvest and their uniqueness in the woodworking marketplace.Dalmation, orange agate, tigre caspi, huayruro, and limoncillo come in 4" and 6" widths, thicknesses from 1/4" to 2", and lengths from 24" to 48".The price of a 1×6×48" board ranges from $38.99 to $45.99. All boards would grade FAS or better by U.S. hardwood standards, and they’re surfaced four sides (S4S).

How to select the best stockFirst of all, look for boards of even color (sapwood is little problem). Huayruro and orange agate are of fairly uniform color, so no trouble there. Dalmation, limoncillo, and tigre caspi, though, have pronounced fi gure and varying grain patterns, so plan your project joinery (as with a jewelry-box project) so that the wood grain has an eye-appealing fl ow. There’s also the possibility of combining the fi gure of one of the latter woods with the even grain of one of the former for a dramatic accent. If you have a project plan, bring a copy of the cutting diagram, cut list, any exploded view with you when you buy for the best end result. To fi nd out how these woods perform in the shop see the Performance

Profi les on page 72.

Conventional large-scale logging in the Peruvian rainforest involves much wood waste, and the roads built to accommodate heavy machinery open it up for impoverished squatters to practice subsistence agriculture. More roads also invite unregulated and illegal timber harvest.

However, selective harvest, a better method that ensures the rainforest’s sustainability as a resource, is responsible for delivering the handsome hardwoods shown here.

Walk in and carry outUnder the guidance of Donald Harby, a consultant and forestry professor at the University of Central Missouri, logging crews out of Iquitos, Peru, began implementing this method in 2007. Here’s how it works.

First, desirable trees are identifi ed, and simple foot trails to them are hacked out of the rainforest. Next come the harvest crews, equipped only with chainsaws and the necessary hand tools. The selected trees are felled, cut into cants 49" long (a size easily carried on a man’s shoulders), squared off, and walked to the loading site. Then, the cants are trucked to a basic, no-frills sawmill for resawing into boards prior to seasoning and kiln-drying.

As primitive as the method seems, it has multiple benefi ts over conventional harvesting: It puts more native people to work. The yield is higher because a chainsaw operator can harvest much more of a tree than mechanized equipment can. Fuel consumption is low. Sawdust residue adds to the fragile soil. Finally, there’s less disruption to the rainforest since only specifi c trees are taken, and large roads are unnecessary.

W O O D C R A F T M A G A Z I N E 71

FROM THE RAINFOREST TO THE SAWMILL

A worker halves a log so it can be reduced to smaller sections.

Here a worker chainsaws a log into more manageable pieces or cants.

On a foot trail, workers carry cants to a truck loading site.

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72 W O O D C R A F T M A G A Z I N E O C T / N O V 2 0 0 8

5 PERUVIAN HARDWOODS: Performance Profi les*

WOOD DESCRIPTION MACHINING GLUING/FINISHES

Very hard and heavy, with closed, irregular grain, oily feel. Medium brown color and light/dark grain contrast for special projects.

Carbide cutters and blades required/sharp hand tools. Rip at slow feed. Slight splintering with crosscuts. Drilling diffi cult—clear bit often to avoid heat build up. No noticeable toxicity.

Don’t skip sanding grits. Glues well. Oil fi nish recommended.

Somewhat heavy with straight, medium texture grain. Brown and orange streaks with luster. Good furniture wood.

Rips, crosscuts, and machines well with no chipping or splintering. Hand tools okay. No drilling problem with sharp bits. No noticeable toxicity.

Easy to sand. Glues well. Polyurethane used in test, but would take all fi nishes well.

Medium weight with straight, medium-textured grain. Light brown color with faint streaks and some spalting. Grain contrast and luster makes great feature parts.

No problems in any sequence from ripping through routing. Hand tools okay. Drills well. No noticeable toxicity.

Some loading problems in sanding (use open-grit paper). Glues well, but drill pilot holes for screws. Shellac (3# cut) enhanced grain signifi cantly.

Light to medium weight with open, straight grain. Distinct orange color with much luster. Ideal wood for unique projects large and small. (See the knife box on page 54.)

Some tear-out/splintering in ripping, crosscutting, and all machining steps. Hand tools okay if sharp. Sharp drill bits a must. No noticeable toxicity.

Glues well, but requires pilot holes for screws. Fine sanding dust so wear a mask. Excellent results with polyurethane or shellac to enhance color.

Medium weight with closed, straight grain. Feels oily. Tan color with chocolate streaks. Nice grain contrast perfect for small pieces.

No problems in ripping, crosscutting, and other machining tasks. Use sharp bits for drilling. Sharp hand tools okay. No noticeable toxicity.

Glues well. Paper loads some in sanding. Penetrating Danish oil brings out grain colors best.

*Editor’s note: New to woodworking in North America, none of these Peruvian woods had a shop behavior history. To record one for each, we asked woodworking pro Don Hamrick of Woodcraft’s Parkersburg, West Virginia, store to perform a series of tests in his shop. Over several days Don came up with the shop notes from which the above chart entries were derived. We give him a “well done” for his effort. We welcome hearing from you regarding your shop experience with any of these woods. Email us at Editor@WoodcraftMagazine.com.

5 PERUVIAN HARDWOODS: Performance Profi les*

WOOD

*Editor’s note: New to woodworking in North America, none of these Peruvian woods had a shop behavior history. To record one for each, we asked woodworking pro Don Hamrick of Woodcraft’s Parkersburg, West Virginia, store to perform a series of tests in his shop. Over several days Don came up with the shop notes from which the above chart entries were

WOODSENSE

Dalmation

Huayruro

LimoncilloLimoncilloLimoncilloLimoncilloLimoncillo

Tigre Caspi

Orange Agate

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