The business sessions will offer experts on Export Markets on Friday and Domestic Markets on Saturday. There will be receptions, networking, golf and fishing tournaments and time with industry friends during the Feb. 19-23 Meeting at The Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, FL.

The presentations are:

World Markets for American Hardwoods – AHEC Executive Director Mike Snow will share AHEC’s international promotion activities for 2020 in existing and new markets.

Market for American Lumber In China – James Xu, founder of AM Forest Products China and a director of the China National Hardwood Council and Shanghai Timber Trade Association, will share his perspective on the Chinese market for American hardwoods in 2020.

Real American Hardwood Coalition – A coalition of hardwood industry associations will discuss a new promotion to consumers titled “Real American Hardwood.” The goal is to educate the public on the benefits of solid hardwood over substitutes. Presenters will be the Leadership Team.

Hardwood Use In Crane & Road Mats – Sterling Inc. is one of the largest crane and road mat producers and rental companies in the US. Owner Carter Sterling will explain their use of hardwoods and new technology to glue timbers.

AHMI Annual Meeting & Election of Officers – Chairman Lowery Anderson will present the State of the Association and recognize anniversaries. There will be an election of officers and trustees.

Also, Producers and Distributors Divisions Meetings to discuss issues of importance.

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This course and demonstration introduced a new publication developed by the two groups to help landowners, loggers, sawmills, and brokers understand scaling, grading and valuing hardwood logs in the US.

The post Log Grading & Scaling Workshop appeared first on AHMI.

That is changing with a new emphasis by a group of hardwood association executives, re-energized by the success of joint efforts on the Hardwood Economic Impact Study. This Real American Hardwood Coalition came together in early 2019 to brainstorm on a voluntary industry-wide promotion initiative.

The top priorities are transparency and moving forward in a way that engages all members of the hardwood community. The mission is to develop a clear, concise and overarching brand statement and promotion program.

The post Release from the Real American Hardwood Promotion Coalition appeared first on AHMI.

Sterling has been an industrial hardwood production and distribution company for 70 years. It has sold millions of hardwood road and crane mats and pier materials across the U.S.

Company executive Carter Sterling hosted the group and explained its latest process, gluing southern yellow pine into CLT crane mats. The process surfaces the rough lumber, aligns boards in layers, applies glue and then presses three- and five-ply panels.

The plant can produce one mat every minute and the product is widely accepted by construction and gas exploration companies.

The post Sterling Inc. Plant Tour appeared first on AHMI.

American white oak is one of the most popular species from the U.S. hardwood forests in export markets – and is unique to North America.

White oaks have an attractive grain, similar to many other oaks grown globally. In general the sapwood of white oak is whitish to light brown and the heartwood is normally light to mid or even dark brown. The difference between the sapwood and heartwood of white oak is less distinct than in red oak. The wood of white oaks is mainly straight-grained with medium to coarse texture.

White oak lumber machines well, with good performance in nailing and screwing, although pre-boring is recommended. It glues well (although the inclusion of primers are recommended for structural gluing) and can be stained and polished to a very good finish. The wood has to be dried slowly and carefully to avoid degrade and it has high differential radial and tangential shrinkage so can be susceptible to movement in performance in humid conditions. It has excellent drilling and finishing properties.

The heartwood is resistant to decay and resistant to preservative treatment.

American white oaks have excellent overall strength properties relative to weight, making them a preferred hardwood species for structural applications. The wood is hard and relatively heavy with good bending strength and compression strength but lower in stiffness. Structural testing carried out in Europe confirms that the white oak has greater inherent fibre strength than European oak. It has excellent steam bending capability. Being hard, stable when dry and easy to finish and stain, it is highly popular for furniture and flooring, especially in export markets.

White oak trees grow exclusively in North America and are widely distributed throughout most of the eastern United States in mixed hardwood forests. As with red oak there are many sub-species, all within the white oak classification, and together form the most common species group accounting for about 33% of the American hardwood resource.

The trees are tall and easily identified by their rounded leaf form, turning brown in the fall. White oaks also grow from north to south; some high in the mountains and others on low land giving rise to different characteristics. Thus there are significant variations in white oaks depending on location, in particular between the slower grown northern and faster grown southern trees. As with red oaks, they are regarded as sustainable for both domestic andexport consumption. Also referred to as northern white oak and southern white oak.

**Information pulled from americanhardwood.org.

Images:

Solid White Oak Hardwood (Caramel) by Mullican Hardwood Flooring.

Solid White Oak Hardwood (Gunstock) by Mullican Hardwood Flooring.

Solid White Oak Hardwood (Dark Chocolate) by Mullican Hardwood Flooring.

The post Species of the Week: White Oak appeared first on AHMI.

American basswood is a light weight species renowned for its creamy colour and ability to be machined and shaped accurately into thin sections, and as a premium wood for carving.

The sap of basswood tends to be large and is creamy white in colour giving way to the heartwood that is pale to reddish brown. It may display dark streaks which are not a defect. The difference between sap and heartwood is small and may be indistinct. The wood of basswood has a fine uniform texture and straight grain, which is not distinct.

This unique hardwood, growing in natural forests in the USA, is considered the best species for venetian blinds and internal shutters. It is widely used for carving, turning, mouldings and furniture. Specialist uses include pattern making and musical instruments, especially for piano parts.

Basswood machines easily and works well with hand tools, making it a preferred species for carving. It holds screws better than nails, and glues reasonably well and can be sanded, stained and polished to a good smooth finish. It dries fast with low degrade and has good dimensional stability when dry.

The wood is non-resistant to heartwood decay but is permeable, which makes it possible to accept preservative treatment.

Basswood is light and soft but said to be ‘tough’, with low density and strength. It has poor steam bending classification.

American basswood is botanically related to the lime tree found in Europe. The trees are generally large in height and diameter, often with straight trunks and relatively free of limbs. Basswood can be found growing throughout the USA in natural hardwood forests.

Basswood from the USA is available in relatively limited volumes compared to some other species, both as sawn lumber and veneer. Lumber is available in a range of grades and thickness from 4/4” (25.4mm) right through to 16/4” (102mm) due to its ease of drying. Basswood lumber is also available in 9/4” (56mm) a specially produced thickness for production of window shutters and venetian blinds. Also referred to as Linden.

**Info pulled from americanhardwood.org.

Images:

2″ Select Classic Basswood Wood Blinds (Inside Mount) from selectblinds.com.

2″ Select Classic Basswood Wood Blinds (2″ slat) from selectblinds.com.

2″ Select Classic Basswood Wood Blinds (Standard Crown Valance) from selectblinds.com.

The post Species of the Week: Basswood appeared first on AHMI.

American hickory and pecan are different species of a very diverse group, but in the round (log) they are virtually indistinguishable from each other and therefore often processed by saw mills and sold mixed together.

The wood of hickory varies greatly in colour, grain pattern and appearance from this very diverse group. It is fine textured and the grain is usually straight but can be wavy or irregular. The sapwood is white and maybe tinged with brown, while the heartwood is pale to yellow brown to dark in colour. Deep purple mineral streaks are a natural characteristic. Bird pecks are also a common characteristic and neither is considered a defect.

Furniture, cabinetry, ladders, striking tool handles dowels and sporting goods. Traditionally used by wheelwrights and for making drumsticks. The hardwearing properties of hickory make it an excellent choice for flooring, especially in situations of high traffic use. Historically the first wooden golf club shafts were made from hickory, and NHLA lumber graders still use the traditional flexible hickory measuring stick.

Hickory is considered difficult to machine and glue, and very hard to work with hand tools. It will hold nails and screws well but tends to split so pre-boring is advised. The wood can be sanded and polished to a good finish. It can be difficult to dry and has large shrinkage, which may affect stability under variable moisture conditions and in wider width material.

The wood is non-resistant to heartwood decay and classed as moderately resistant to preservative treatment.

The wood of hickories is rather coarse and varies from strong to less strong but is heavy and very hard. It has good bending strength, shock resistance and excellent steam bending properties.

The hickories are an important group and the trees grow naturally throughout the Eastern U.S., from north to south. They are split into two groups; the more important true hickories and hickories producing pecan nuts, the latter being an important fruit-bearing tree. Trees vary in size enormously. Often referred to as pecan in the South.

*All information has been pulled from americanhardwood.org.

Images:

Tamilo Dining Room Table by Ashley Furniture.

Vaughan-Bassett Hamilton/Franklin Chest with 5 Drawers.

Pic Credit: furnops.com.

Vaughan-Bassett Bonanza King Bedroom Group.

Pic Credit: wayside-furniture.com.

The post Species of the Week: Hickory appeared first on AHMI.

American hard maple, growing naturally in the hardwood forests of North America, is world-renowned for its delicate colour, hardness, fine grain and finishing quality.

The sapwood of hard maple is normally creamy white but can show a slight reddish/brown tinge. White sapwood lumber can be selected and veneer is always selected. The heartwood of hard maple varies in colour from light to dark reddish brown and may also vary according to region. The difference between heart and sap colour may only be slight. Both may contain pith fleck as a natural characteristic.

The wood of hard maple has a close fine texture and is generally straight grained. Hard maple can occur as ‘curly’, ‘fiddleback’ and ‘birds eye’ figure. The wood darkens on exposure to light with time.

This sustainably managed wood from natural forests of North America, with excellent environmental credentials, is revered worldwide for its hard-wearing property, delicate light colour and fine finish. It is highly suitable for all types of flooring, including high traffic areas such as public buildings, furniture, cabinet making and high-class joinery. It is widely used for table and work tops, mouldings, and kitchen cabinets.

Hard maple lumber is excellent to machine, bore, turn and finish. It glues, planes, drills and carves well but screwing and nailing is only fair. It produces good mouldings. Hard maple can easily be sanded, stained and polished to a very fine and smooth finish.

The heartwood is only slightly or non-resistant to decay and the heartwood is resistant to preservative treatment. The sapwood is permeable.

Hard maple is hard, as the name suggests, and is heavy with good strength properties. It has high resistance to abrasion and wear as well as good steam bending properties. Accordingly it is a preferred species for flooring, including sports floors, bowling alleys and worktops.

American hard maple is a cold climate species although trees can grow throughout the USA in mixed hardwood forests but favour the more northern states. The species is quite different from other maples throughout the world. The trees often grow in dense stands on many types of soil and are also farmed for their famous maple syrup. Harvesting the trees is seasonal (autumn and winter).

Hard maple from the USA is readily available as sawn lumber in a range of grades and sizes and as veneer. Lumber is regularly produced in 4/4″ through to 8/4″ but limited as thicker stock.

The lumber may be sold according to (white) colour selection, for which a premium is normally charged. This is usually done using the NHLA grading standard for colour sorting producing colour grades such as “1&2 white”. Consultation with suppliers is recommended.

*All information was pulled from americanhardwood.org.

Images:

Bench*Made Maple 90″ Georgian Table by Bassett Furniture.

Bench*Made Maple Bar Stool by Bassett Furniture.

Bench*Made Maple Panel Bed by Bassett Furniture.

The post Species of the Week: Hard Maple appeared first on AHMI.

American beech is an important species within the huge family of Fagaceae in the silvicultural composition of the natural hardwood forests of North America which include oaks and chestnut, but beech is not one of the most commercially available.

American beech tends to be darker in colour and less consistent than European beech. The sapwood is almost white with a red tinge and the heartwood is light to dark reddish brown. The wood of beech is generally straight and close grained with uniform texture. It has medium bending and crushing strength, but is low in stiffness and shock resistance. The wood may exhibit brown mineral streaks in the heartwood which, under NHLA Grading Rules, are not considered a defect.

Beech is considered suitable where hardness and hardwearing properties may be essential. It is used in furniture, doors, flooring and panelling. It has specialist applications including tool and brush handles as it iis easy to turn. Having no smell or taste, it is suitable for food containers.

American beech works well with most hand and machine tools. It has good nailing and gluing properties and can be stained and polished to a good finish. The wood dries fast and tends to warp, split and is subject to surface checks when dry. It is prone to large shrinkage on drying and will move in humid conditions.

The wood is non-resistant to heartwood decay but is permeable for preservative treatment.

Beech is heavy, hard and reasonably strong. It has high resistance to shock and is very suitable for steam bending.

American beech trees grow widely across the eastern USA in mixed hardwood forests, although are concentrated in the central areas of the eastern States. American beech is different to European beech as the trees grow less tall and generally less straight and are frequently multi-stemmed in older stands.

Beech from the USA has limited availability as sawn lumber, especially in higher grades and thicker sizes. This is attributed partly to the fact that most parcels of mixed species logs do not contain sufficient beech to produce a full charge for kiln drying. Furthermore beech, which is rather difficult to dry, requires a particular kiln schedule and cannot easily be mixed with other species.

For this reason availability is mainly from specialist producers who can also usually supply steamed beech. The lumber is normally sold unselected for colour and mainly in thicker specifications. Beech veneer is rarely available.

*All information has been pulled from americanhardwood.org.

Images:

Gilbert Side Chair by Ethan Allen.

Gilbert Armchair by Ethan Allen.

Gilbert Side Chair by Ethan Allen.

The post Species of the Week: Beech appeared first on AHMI.

Soft maple, growing naturally in the hardwood forests of North America, is one of the most prolific and sustainable species, similar to hard maple but slightly softer in impact hardness.

Soft maples are somewhat like hard maple, but much more variable in colour, especially from one region to another. The sapwood of soft maple is normally greyish white but can be darker, with pith flecks as a natural characteristic. The heartwood of soft maple varies in colour from light to dark reddish brown. The difference between sap and heartwood is greater than in hard maple.

This highly sustainable, managed hardwood from natural forests of North America, with excellent environmental credentials, is considered where hardness and hardwearing properties may not be essential. It is used in furniture, cabinet making and joinery as well as doors, kitchen cabinets and for turning and mouldings.

Soft maple lumber is excellent to machine, bore, plane and finish. It turns, glues, planes, drills and carves well but screwing and nailing is only fair. It produces good mouldings. Soft maple can easily be sanded, stained and polished to a fine and smooth finish, and has good steam bending properties. It is regarded as a substitute for cherry when stained. Its mechanical properties and performance also make it a substitute for beech.

The wood is non-resistant to decay and the heartwood is moderately resistant to preservative treatment. The sapwood is permeable.

American soft maples grow widely across the eastern USA in mixed hardwood forests with more red maple in the northeast and silver maple concentrated in the mid and southern states. The name can be misleading as soft maple is not technically very soft. There are a significant number of sub-species – all sold as soft maple. Several, including Pacific coast/big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), grow in the northwest USA, for which there are specific grading rules that apply.

Soft maple from the USA is widely available as sawn lumber in a range of sizes and grades, but rarely as veneer. The lumber is normally sold unselected for colour. West coast production is usually sold surfaced and graded from the better side, in a departure from standard NHLA Grading Rules.

*All information has been pulled from americanhardwood.org.

Images:

An American soft maple daybed, designed by Wiid Design Studio.

American Maple- Rustic Grey by Vaughan-Bassett Furniture.

American Maple- Natural Maple by Vaughan-Bassett Furniture.

The post Species of the Week: Soft Maple appeared first on AHMI.