What is reaction wood?

Reaction wood

is part of a tree that grows in response to external tension. Almost all tree branches have some form of this unusual wood as a means of resisting gravity, although it may be more pronounced in branches that must carry some excessive load such as heavy snow. Reaction wood also appears on trees that lean, either due to growth on uneven soil or on tension of strong winds or soil shift. It is thicker than wood in other parts of the plant, and this can lead to workers' problems, as this can cause deformation and other irregularities that can make it difficult to work with wood.

There are two types of reaction wood: compression and voltage. Compression wood occurs in the trees of soft wood or conifers. This form of reaction wood is formed under the pressure area and pushes against the tension that affects the tree. It is rich in lignin, causing it very hard and fragile.

Hard Woods, also called angiosperms, create tensionEvo in response to stress. The voltage of wood is formed above the pressure area and stretches against tension. It contains a large amount of cellulose, thanks to which the wood can prone to shrinkage and can prevent smooth wood surface.

Although reaction wood is relatively unusual to pieces of lumber, when part of the wood contains some, it can often be difficult to identify. Significant deformations can be a sign of reaction wood, as well as the presence of small fibers on the wood surface. Severe cracking can also indicate that a piece of timber contains some abnormal wood. Not all of these features will always be obvious, but quite often the woodworkers only realize that a piece of wood contains reaction wood after the piece has already proved to be problematic.

Despite the difficulty in identifying reactivna wood, this is important because it can represent many problems. Because its density differs from wood around it, it will tend to absorbBulling stains differently, which can lead to uneven coloring. It is also usually more susceptible to cracking, especially when under voltage of nails or screws. It responds otherwise to moisture, which can lead to excessive deformation and general lack of uniformity throughout the wood.