Make your own presents, but first choose the right wood

The season for giving is here, so why not put a personal touch to your presents and make them yourself?

Wood is one the best resources to use for a DIY gift.

By reusing wood, which is a renewable resource, your are being environmentally aware.

Warren Budde from Col Timbers Swartland shared how to select the right wood for the best strength and durability of the finished product.

“Choosing the right wood is crucial.

“It is probably one of the most important steps for any woodworking project,” said Budde.

Knowing the difference between hardwood and softwood is the first step.

“Softwood timber is softer than its hardwood counterparts. It grows much quicker and it tends to absorb and lose more moisture.

“This makes it less expensive than hardwood timber,” said Budde.

Hardwood timber comes from deciduous trees, which take longer to grow.

According to Budde, hardwood is much harder, more durable and more resilient to moisture and on the upper end of the price spectrum.

When buying wood, look for stability.

“Wood does change and ‘move’ over time, but the less it moves, the more stable it is deemed to be,” he said.

Timber with a vertical grain is regarded as the most stable, and it is essential for making the likes of fine furniture doors.

Avoid wood with defects.

“Wood is a natural product, so both hardwood and softwood timber can have defects.

“Although you can design around the majority of defects, when it comes to structural lumbar, defects should be kept to a minimum,” said Budde.

Differentiated quality is also a factor to consider.

There a number of things you can keep an eye out for that will differentiate good quality PAR timber from its inferior quality counterparts.

Firstly, laminated timber is made by gluing timber together, under pressure and heat.

The resulting product is strong, stable and rigid.

Secondly, laminated PAR timber improves strength and stability, providing stable lengths of timber.

“This will save you time and ensure a professionally finished product, as you won’t need to sand or plane the product beforehand,” he said.

It also saves you money as it ensures that you are paying for what you can use and that the wood only needs one coat of paint at the end of the project.

Lastly, select PAR timber that is consistently and easily available, so that if you run out, you can source extra timber should you need it.

Happy gift-making.

Budde shared common defects you should be on the lookout for in wood:

1. Bow is a warp on the face of a board from end to end.

2. Cup is a hollow across the face of the board.

3. Crook is a warp along the edge line, also known as crown.

4. Split is a crack going all the way through the piece of wood, commonly at the ends.

5. Twist is a warping in lumber where the ends twist in opposite directions.

6. Check is a crack along the wood’s annual growth rings, not passing through the entire thickness of the wood.

7. Shake is a separation of grain between the growth rings, often extending along the boards, face and sometimes below its surface.

8. Wane is a missing wood or untrimmed bark along the edge or corner of a piece.

9. Other things to look out for include large knots and insect holes, which can seriously compromise the strength of the timber.