How to buy a heartwood worktop

[amsbam1]

I wish to get a heartwood iroko worktop. However, can you specifically order that the worktop is made from heartwood as opposed to sapwood?

I can normally guess by the shade of brown if it's one or the other when I see it, but i'm wondering is this a request that worktop suppliers would take on?

 

[RobinBHM]

I use a lot of iroko and very rarely come across any sapwood. The sapwood is very different in colour, being a creamy white.

I would think that iroko worktops are most likely to be heartwood anyway without needing to specify.

Iroko timber, the heartwood, does vary greatly in colour from straw to a rich mid brown although iroko timber darkens very quickly, so this variation reduces quickly with time.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I had wenge in my last house, and very nice it was too. I did however have two strips of solid sapwood in the middle of two seperate pieces that stood out so badly they were like another species - the colour clashed so badly I wondered why they were used (I know the difference is greater than that in iroko). They weren't flashes of a different colour, they were different coloured staves. Had I been at home when the job was done, I'd have rejected them before they were fitted.
I would think with any species that had a very noticeable colour variation between hardwood and sapwood it would be a perfectly reasonable request to the supplier to ensure all heartwood - they can only say sorry, no, we can't supply you. At least you'd know what to expect.

 

[ED65]

I would think with any species that had a very noticeable colour variation between hardwood and sapwood it would be a perfectly reasonable request to the supplier to ensure all heartwood

Totally agree.

 

[custard]

Bit of a digression but there are several timbers where it's common practise to introduce steam during the kilning process so that the heartwood colour bleeds across into the sap wood, which means a higher percentage of the timber can then be utilised.

American Black Walnut is a good example, but there are several others. In fact the vast majority of ABW sold in this country has been treated like this, if you buy PAR or square edged ABW it's pretty much guaranteed to have been steamed.

Personally I dislike this practise, it muddies the grain and makes the wood look a bit flat and lifeless. There are a few timber yards, but only a very very few, that source ABW logs, process it themselves, and sell it on as unsteamed waney edged boards. Yes, you lose a lot more timber to waste, but the quality IMO makes it worthwhile. Subtly variegated with streaks of purple and red, it's streets apart from the normal stuff.

If you want to see the difference try somewhere like Tyler Hardwoods. In fact if you're a South East woodworker Tylers should definitely be in your little black book, they also stock Cedar of Lebanon in 1/2" thick, 30" plus wide, waney edged boards for shingling. As long as you're not a complete pr@t about it they'll usually let you sort through the stack and pull a couple of perfectly quarter sawn boards which are ideal for drawer bottoms.

 

[amsbam1]

I will request all heartwood to the supplier and see how he responds.

 

[woodbrains]

Bit of a digression but there are several timbers where it's common practise to introduce steam during the kilning process so that the heartwood colour bleeds across into the sap wood, which means a higher percentage of the timber can then be utilised.

Hello,

Slightly off the thread, but this is not entirely true. If a piece of walnut sapwood, without any brown heartwood included, is steamed, it will turn brown. It is more due to the heat, I guess it works like torrification.

Regarding the original question, many species, black walnut being typical, is sold as sapwood no defect. If the wood is paid for at the full price, it will get used, sapwood and all. If you want to specify no sap in the finished product, then I suspect it will be twice the price, if the manufacturer will do it. Firstly someone has to pay for the wood graded out, and secondly, the extra time involved sorting the sap out, has to be charged. When I used to make fine furniture for clients, I would always make sure there was no sap in showing parts of the piece and it is amazing how much wastage is involved. You can't use all the sapwood in none vital components, so there was a lot of expensive off cuts. Of course it can be incorporated in the finished piece if uses for aesthetic effect, rather than it just being randomly incorporated, but that can take even longer, basically designing patterns and symmetries with light and dark, that works artistically. No one but another maker ever appreciates the time and artistry involved in doing this, but was part of the enjoyment for me. It is difficult to charge for that process, though.

Mike.