Entry Doors by Old World Design in Sarasota
Castles for kings. A mysterious medieval fortress. Grand entryways to the ancient walled cities of Renaissance Europe. These are only a few of the images that Old World Design doors draw to mind. Yet they are more than homages to a period in time long since passed. They are functional pieces of  decoration that lend character and sophistication to celebrated homes and businesses worldwide, including Williams Island's Island Club, Fisher Island, and the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach. History, as it relates to design, becomes less a marker of a particular era than it does a conduit to what's modern now. Old World Design doors, by being rooted in history, therefore are equally as relevant to homes of classic lineage as they are to those with contemporary influences. Regardless of the degree to which the door is manipulated and accessorized, it is at once elevated to the position of the home's focal point. A functioning object of art that welcomes, entices, invites. Transcending time....   is a collection that is as timely as it is timeless. A modern element with a vintage appeal.

Some Old World Design Testimonials (What people think about us)

We wanted to let you know what a pleasure it was to work with you on our door. You surpassed our expectations and created a masterpiece. Our entry is truly spectacular with door as the centerpiece. Cyntia & Dick Morelli, Jacksonville, FL.

When considering a visitor's first impression on approaching our home, we could imagine no better statement than the entrance doors you designed for us. We continually receive compliments from our guests. Thank you for adding just the right touch to our 'new' home. Bob & Birdie Lape, Sarasota, FL.

We are thrilled! The doors truly create a mood in the house, framing each entry as an artistic opening. The craftsman-ship, coloring, technique and presentation of the doors are superb. We couldn't be more pleased. Kelley & Dale Jarrett, Hickory, NC.

Our 'old world' doors add so much to our country french house, and the 'aged' hardware complements the doors very well. We feel good about our decision to have Old World Design build the front doors to our new home – they really are special.” Dr & Mrs Jeffrey Hoggard, Greenville, NC.

Old World Design doors are the perfect way to enter a home. Wonderful old world' workmanship, fine detailing and elegance. An absolute work of art! Deanne A. Miller, President – Design Concepts, Virginia Beach, VA.

Old World Charm meets functionality. The Moks Residence Sarasota, Florida

CUSTOM REFINISHING, MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS

Quite often, restoration costs less than replacement on quality items. High quality furniture, doors and woodwork may be restored or repaired several times in its history, maintaining a functional and beautiful appearance for generations.
Restoring woodwork becomes a deeply fulfilling and rewarding process as you see worn pieces with faded panels and crackled finishes come to life revealing wood grain that was hidden, hardware that was tarnished, and a beauty that seemed lost.
Old World Design’s purpose is to use superb craftsmanship, to provide the highest quality restoration solutions for those pieces which shouldn’t be allowed to be lost to time. This craftsmanship is an intense layered process requiring a very high level of skill and training.  Although the process may take a few days and multiple artisans, it will leave you with something to be proud of for a lifetime.
However, Maintenance and Repair may be the only solution required. Old World Design often saves their customers from unneeded restoration costs when all that was required was repair and maintenance. Call Old World Design for a free consultation and recommendation.

For more info go to: http://www.oldworlddesignllc.com/

We provide these services:  Millwork | Custom Doors | Moulding Wood | Cabinets | Cabinetry | Handcrafted | Trim | Crown | Old Unique Doors | Interior Country French | Tuscany | Mediterranean | Woodwork | Hand carved | Art Classical Craftsmanship Hardware | Architecture | One of a kind Entry way | Exterior Old Doors | Wood Doors | Impact Doors | Engineered Doors | Quality Doors | High end Custom Doors | Stained Grade Doors | Antique Rustic Doors | European
In Florida Serving: Charlotte Harbor, Fort Myers Beach, Cypress Lake, Bonita Springs, Naples, Pelican Bay, Marco Island, Key West, Key Largo, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Tequesta, Palm City, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Indian River Shores, Micco, Melbourne beach, Cocoa Beach, Mernitt Island, Titusville,Daytona Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Palm Valley, Jacksonville, Savannah, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington, Orlando, Kissimmee, Tampa, St. Pete Beach, Largo, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Gainesville, Panama City, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Mobile Bay.

An Old-growth forest (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier forest or in Britain, ancient woodland) is a forest that has attained great age (and associated structural features), and thereby exhibits unique ecological features^[1].

Old-growth forests typically contain large and old live trees, large dead trees (sometimes called "snags"), and large logs. Individual tree mortality creates gaps in the main canopy layer, allowing light to penetrate the main canopy and create favorable conditions for photosynthesis in the understory (which is why old-growth understory is more developed than in immature stands).

Forest regenerated after a severe disruption, such as clear-cutting or fire, is often called second-growth or regeneration until enough time passes for the effects of the disturbance to be no longer evident. Depending on the forest, this may take anywhere from a century to several millennia. Hardwood forests of the eastern United States can develop old-growth characteristics in one or two generations of trees, or 150–500 years.

Many old-growth forest stands are threatened by habitat destruction through excessive logging. This destruction reduces biodiversity, affecting not only the old-growth forest itself, but also indigenous species that rely upon old-growth forest habitat.^[2][3]

Old-growth forests are often home to rare species, threatened species, and endangered species of plants and animals, making them ecologically significant. One example of a rare species reliant upon old-growth forest is the Northern Spotted Owl. Levels of biodiversity may be higher or lower in old-growth forests compared to that in second-growth forests, depending on specific circumstances, environmental variables and geographic variables. Logging in old-growth forests is a contentious issue in many parts of the world.

Old-growth European Beech forest in Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro.

[edit] Definitions

Tongass National Forest, Alaska

Distinguishing characteristics of old-growth forest fall into three major categories: ecological, social, and economic.^[4]

[edit] Ecological definitions

[edit] Definition by forest characteristics

Most definitions use various forest characteristics to define old-growth forest. Usually the characteristics include presence of old trees, dead standing snags, a multilayered canopy dominated by large overstory trees, and accumulations of large dead woody material.^[5][6]

[edit] Stand dynamics definition

From stand dynamics perspective, old-growth forest is a forest in a stage that follows Understory Reinitiation stage.^[7] A review of the stages helps to understand the concept:

1. Stand-replacing: disturbance hits the forest and kills most of the living trees.
2. Stand-initiation: population of new trees becomes established.
3. Stem-exclusion: trees grow higher and enlarge their canopy, thus competing for the light with neighbors. Light competition mortality kills slowly growing trees and reduces forest density. This allows surviving trees to increase in size. Eventually the canopies of neighboring trees touch each other and drastically lowers amount of light that reaches lower layers. Due to that, the understory dies and only very shade-tolerant species survive.
4. Understory reinitiation: trees die from low level mortality, such as windthrow and diseases. Individual canopy gaps start to appear and more light can reach forest floor. Hence, shade-tolerant species can establish in the understory.
5. Old-growth: Main canopy trees become older and more of them die, creating even more gaps. Since the gaps appear at different times, the understory trees will be at different growth stages. Furthermore, the amount of light that reaches each understory tree depends on its position relative to the gap. Thus, each understory tree grows at a different speed. The difference in establishment timing and in growth speed create a population of understory trees that are variable in size. Eventually, some understory trees grow to become as tall as the main canopy trees, thereby filling the gap. This perpetuation process is typical for the old-growth stage. This, however, does not mean that the forest will be old-growth forever. Generally there are three possible futures for old-growth stage forest: a)The forest will be hit by a new stand-replacing disturbance and most of the trees will die. b)The tree community will eventually create unfavorable conditions for new trees to regenerate. In this case, the old trees will die and smaller plants will create woodland. c)The regenerating understory trees are different species than the main canopy trees. In this case, the forest will switch back to Stem-Exclusion stage, but with different tree species. The forest in old-growth stage can be stable for centuries but the length of this stage depends on the forest's tree composition and climate of the area. For example, frequent natural fires do not allow boreal forests to be as old as coastal forests of western North America.

It is important to note that while the stand switches from one tree community to another, the stand will not necessarily go through old-growth stage between those stages. Some tree species have relatively open canopy. That allows more shade-tolerant tree species to establish below even before Understory Reinitiation stage. The shade-tolerant trees will eventually out-compete the main canopy trees in stem-exclusion stage. Therefore, the dominant tree species will change, but the forest will still be in Stem-Exclusion stage.

[edit] Stand age definition

Stand age can also be used to categorize forest as old-growth.^[8] For each geographical area, there is an average time since disturbance when the forest will reach old-growth stage. This method is useful, because it allows quick and objective determination of forest stage. However, this definition does not provide explanation about forest function. It just gives a useful number to measure. Due to that fact, some forests may be excluded from being categorized as old-growth even if they have old-growth attributes just because they are too young. Also, older forests can lack some old-growth attributes and be categorized as old-growth just because they are so old. The idea of using age is also problematic, because human activities can influence the forest in varied ways. For example, after logging of 30% of the trees, we can wait less time for old-growth to come back than after removal of 80% of the trees.

[edit] Social definitions

Redwood tree in northern California redwood forest, where 45 percent of remaining old-growth redwood trees are park managed. According to the National Park Service "96 percent of the original old-growth coast redwoods have been logged."^[9]

Common cultural definitions and common denominators regarding what comprises old-growth forest, and of the variables that define, constitute and embody old-growth forests include:

• The forest habitat possesses relatively mature, old trees;
• The old-growth trees have long continuity on the same site;
• The forest itself has not been subjected to significant inhabitation by mankind that has altered the appearance of the landscape and its ecosystems, has not been subjected to logging, and has inherently progressed per natural tendencies.

"Ancient woodland" is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland dating back to 1600 or before (in England and Wales) or 1750 (in Scotland). Before this, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present at these dates was likely to have developed naturally. By this definition Ancient Woodland may have been affected by human management, and may have no very ancient trees: the important characteristic is long continuity of woodland on the land.

In North America, the term "old growth" is often (but not always) used to characterize a forest that has experienced little direct disruption or disturbance by humans during contemporary historical epochs, although sometimes determining the long-term history of human land management can be difficult. Additionally, because landscapes are naturally dynamic and continue to change as time progresses, it is difficult to ascertain hypothetical old-growth forest characteristics that may have come into fruition had humans not destroyed such a great deal of old-growth forests.

The role of natural disturbances in defining old-growth is more ambiguous. For example some definitions exclude recently burned forests, even where fire has been part of the natural forest dynamics for millennia. In other cases such natural disturbance is incorporated in the old-growth concept. However, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the ecological effects of natural disruption from human-caused disruption. Furthermore, many forests that have never experienced direct manipulation by humans have been subjected to indirect effects in the form of invasive species, removal of native species (including megafauna), climate change, and regional modifications of ecological disturbance regimes (e.g., fire suppression).

[edit] Economic definitions

[edit] Characteristics

Down wood decaying.

Many botanists specifically define old-growth in terms of meeting several criteria, under which system forests with sufficient age and minimal disturbance are considered old growth. Typical characteristics of old-growth forest include presence of older trees, minimal signs of human disturbance, mixed-age stands, presence of canopy openings due to tree falls, pit-and-mound topography, fallen timber in various stages of decay, standing snags (dead trees), multi-layered canopies, intact soils, a healthy fungal ecosystem, and presence of indicator species.

[edit] Mixed age

A forest in old-growth stage has a mix of tree ages, due to a distinct regeneration pattern for this stage. New trees regenerate at different times from each other, because each one of them has different spatial location relative to the main canopy and hence each one receives a different amount of light. This regeneration pattern is different from the regeneration of trees after a major disturbance, when trees regenerate on the site in relatively similar time. In younger forests trees have similar ages, because they all started to grow at the same time, after the old forest stand was killed.

[edit] Canopy openings

Forest canopy gaps are essential in creating and maintaining mixed-age stands. Also, some herbaceous plants only become established in canopy openings, but persist beneath an understory. Openings are a result of tree death due to small impact disturbances such as wind, low-intensity fires and tree diseases.

Old-growth forests are unique, usually having multiple horizontal layers of vegetation representing a variety of tree species, age classes, and sizes, as well as "pit and mound" soil shape with well-established fungal nets.^[10] Because old-growth forest is structurally diverse it provides higher-diversity habitat than forests in other stages. Thus, sometimes higher biological diversity can be sustained in old-growth forest, or at least a biodiversity that is different from other forest stages.

[edit] Topography

Fungus on a broken tree in the Bia?owie?a Forest, one of the last largely intact primeval forests in Central Europe.

The characteristic topography of much old-growth forest consists of pits and mounds. Mounds are caused by decaying fallen trees, and pits (tree throws) by the roots pulled out of the ground when trees fall due to natural causes, including being pushed over by animals. Pits expose humus-poor, mineral-rich soil and often collect moisture and fallen leaves, forming a thick organic layer that is able to nurture certain types of organisms. Mounds provide a place free of leaf inundation and saturation, where other types of organisms thrive.

[edit] Standing snags

Standing snags provide food sources and habitat for many types of organisms. In particular, many species of dead-wood predators such as woodpeckers must have standing snags available for feeding. In North America the spotted owl is well-known for needing standing snags for nesting habitat.

[edit] Decaying ground layer

Fallen timber contributes carbon-rich organic matter directly to the soil, thus providing a substrate for mosses, fungi and for seedlings, and in creating microhabitats by creating relief on the forest floor. In some ecosystems, such as the temperate rain forest of the North American Pacific coast, fallen timber may become nurse logs, providing a substrate for seedling trees.

[edit] Soil

Intact soils harbor many life-forms and usually have well-defined soil profiles. Different organisms may need different soil profiles to adapt to the forest, while many trees need well-structured soils free of disturbance. Some herbaceous plants in northern hardwood forests need thick duff^{[clarification needed]} layers (which are part of the soil profile). Fungal ecosystems are essential for efficient in-situ recycling of nutrients back into the entire ecosystem.

[edit] Importance

• Old-growth forests often contain rich communities of plants and animals within the habitat due to the long period of forest stability. These varied and sometimes rare species may depend on the unique environmental conditions created by these forests.

• Old-growth forest serves as a reservoir for species which cannot thrive or easily regenerate in younger forest, and so can be used as a baseline for research.

• Plant species that are native to old-growth forests may someday prove to be invaluable towards curing various human ailments, as has been realized in numerous plants in tropical rainforests.^[11][12]

• Old-growth forests also store large amounts of carbon above and below the ground (either as humus, or in wet soils as peat). They collectively represent a very significant store of carbon. Destruction of these forests releases this carbon as greenhouse gases, and may increase the risk of global climate change.^[13]

[edit] Logging

Loss of old-growth forest in the United States; 1620, 1850, 1920^[14], and 1992^[15] maps. These maps represent only virgin forest lost. Some regrowth has occurred but not to the age, size or extent of 1620 due to population increases and food cultivation.

The large trees in old-growth forests are often economically valuable, so these forests have been subjected to aggressive logging around the world. This has led to much controversy between logging companies and environmental groups. An example of this was that over Spotted Owls in the 1980s and 1990s.

In Australia, the regional forest agreement (RFA) attempted to prevent the clearfelling of defined "Old Growth Forests". This led to struggles over what constitutes "Old Growth". For example in Western Australia, the timber industry tried to limit the area of Old Growth in the karri forests of the Southern Forests Region; this led to the creation of the Western Australian Forests Alliance, the splitting of the Liberal Government of Western Australia and the election of the Gallop Labor Government. Old Growth Forests in this region have now been placed inside National Parks. A small proportion of Old Growth Forest also exists in South-West Australia, and is protected by a Federal laws from logging, which hasn't occurred there for more than twenty years.

[edit] Locations of remaining tracts

In 2006 Greenpeace identified that the world's remaining intact forest landscapes are distributed among the continents as follows:^[16]

• 35% in Latin America. The Amazon rainforest is mainly located in Brazil, which clears a larger area of forest annually than any other country in the world.^[17]
• 28% in North America. North America harvests 10,000 square kilometres of ancient forests every year. Many of the fragmented forests of southern Canada and the US lack adequate animal travel corridors and functioning ecosystems for large mammals.^[17]
• 19% in Northern Asia. Northern Asia is home to the largest boreal forest in the world.^[18] The Siberian tiger once roamed across huge areas of Northern Asia but today can only be found in a small area of intact forest near the Sea of Japan. Only about 400 remain in the wild and 800 in zoos.^[17]
• 8% in Africa. Africa has lost most of its intact forest landscapes in the last 30 years. The timber industry is responsible for destroying huge areas of intact forest landscapes and continues to be the single largest threat to these areas.
• 7% in South Asia Pacific. The Paradise Forests of Asia Pacific are being destroyed faster than any other forest on Earth. Much of the large intact forest landscapes have already been cut down, 72% in Indonesia and 60% in Papua New Guinea.^[17]
• Less than 3% in Europe. In Europe, more than 150 square kilometres of intact forest landscapes are cleared every year and the last areas of the region’s intact forest landscapes in European Russia are shrinking rapidly.^[17]

[edit] Effect on climate change

Old-growth forests store large amounts of carbon, which is stored in wood, soil humus and peat. When forests are cut, the trees' wood, soil humus and peat all decay, releasing the carbon as carbon dioxide or methane.^[19] Logging practices often include burning of the logged area, releasing further CO₂.

While old-growth forests are often perceived to be in equilibrium — releasing as much carbon dioxide as they capture; or even in a state of decay,^[20] studies of soils in undisturbed tropical rain forests, Siberian woods and in German national parks have found that soils contain enormous amounts of carbon derived from fallen leaves, twigs and buried roots that can bind to soil particles and remain for 1,000 years or more. Replacing old-growth forests with plantations is counter-productive from a carbon-storage view, as the new forest may take centuries to recapture the carbon lost. Further, the loss of biodiversity in a plantation monoculture lessens the performance of ecosystems regarding biomass production, nutrient retention and carbon dioxide absorption.^[21]

	Ecology portal
	Environment portal
	Earth sciences portal
	Sustainable development portal

Uses:
Ash is a great craft wood, but best known as the wood of choice for baseball bats. Other woods are stronger, but it has the best strength to weight ratio, and since most players do not want a bat greater than 32 oz. this becomes significant. For the same reason, it is used for tool handles, hockey sticks, and canoe paddles. Historically it was used for food bowls because it had no significant odor or taste. Curved components for chairs, snowshoes and boats capitalize on its wonderful bending properties. Really you can use it for any fine woodworking, with only your imagination as the limiting factor

The Tree:Oleaceae (olive) Family
There are about 70 species in the world, and it is the oil in the wood that is chemically similar to olive oil, that links this tree with the Olive family. There are only about 17 types of this tree found in North America and only 2 or 3 that have any commercial significance. We predominately talk about white (Fraxinus Americana) and black (Fraxinus Nigra) ash in the lumber industry. The tree is never found in pure stands, but rather is widely distributed among other species

Wood Description:
The wood is straight-grained, open pored, and hard, with no distinctive taste or odor. It is tough and yet elastic, with high shock resistance and excellent steam bending characteristics. The wood is relatively stable with little downgrade in drying. It only occasionally shows interesting figure in crotch wood. It is not considered to be a durable wood when in contact with the ground. It is susceptible to fungal and beetle attack. White ash has quite a clear white to pale yellow sapwood, with heartwood pulling more to the light to medium tone browns. Often the commercial lumber yards pull the sap out of the pile to form a more consistent white stock in the higher grades.

Black Ash is a more consistent pale brown, or tan colour. Rarely have I found curly stock in the black ash, but it is nice to work with, since it tends to splinter less than the white variety.

I also prefer the black ash because it does not yellow in the same way as the white ash, rather stays a beige colour if left natural. It is a little softer thus making fabrication somewhat easier.

Weight: approximately 41lbs/cu.ft.

Finishing: Ash finishes relatively easily and takes a beautiful stain. It is ring porous, so if you are looking for a glass like finish you must use a pore filler. It can be stained to look like oak as the grain pattern of the two woods is very similar. Ash has less chatter (ie. the little lines) between the rows of open pores, so tends to stain a little brighter than oak. You must sand carefully to eliminate cross grain scratching, particularly if you are using a dark stain.

Machining:
Ash works easily with hand and power tools, with normal wear on cutting edges. It glues well, but pre-drilling is recommended. It holds screws well. It is most known for its excellent bending characteristics. It does have a very long fibre, so splintering can be a problem when turning it on the lathe. Make sure your tools are sharp and take a finer cut. Watch the grain direction, when jointing the edges.

The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-coloured hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany.^[1]

The term was next applied to the wood of Swietenia macrophylla, which is closely related, and known as Honduras mahogany.^[2]

Both are from the Meliaceae family.

Today, all species of Swietenia grown in their native locations are listed by CITES, and are therefore protected. Both Swietenia mahagoni, and Swietenia macrophylla were introduced into several Asian countries at the time of the restrictions imposed on American mahogany in the late 1990's and both are now successfully grown and harvested in plantations in those countries. The world's supply of genuine mahogany today comes from these Asian plantations, notably from India, Fiji, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Species of Swietenia cross-fertilise readily when they grow in proximity; the hybrid between S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla is widely planted for its timber. Mahogany is the national tree of Dominican Republic and Belize. It also appears on the national seal of Belize.

"Mahogany" may refer to the largest group of all Meliaceae, the fifteen related species of Swietenia, Khaya and Entandrophragma. The timbers of Entandrophragma are sold under their individual names, sometimes with "mahogany" attached as a suffix, for example "sipo" may be referred to as "sipo mahogany". Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile), a close relative, is sometimes called New Zealand Mahogany.

The term "genuine mahogany" applies to only the Swietenia mahoganies, wherever grown. The term "true mahogany" applies to any timber commercially called "mahogany" with or without qualification that is derived from the Meliaceae family. In addition to Swietenia mahoganies this applies also to Khaya (African Mahogany) and Toona (Chinese Mahogany) which are both from the Meliacae (Mahogany) family.

In addition, the US timber trade also markets various other FTC-defined species as "mahoganies" under a variety of different commercial names, most notably "Philippine mahogany", which in reality is actually a Shorea. This wood is also known as Luauan or Meranti.

[edit] Uses

Mahogany has a generally straight grain and is usually free of voids and pockets. It has a reddish-brown color, which darkens over time, and displays a reddish sheen when polished. It has excellent workability, and is very durable. Historically, the tree's girth allowed for wide boards from traditional mahogany species. These properties make it a favourable wood for crafting cabinets and furniture.

Much of the first-quality furniture made in the American colonies from the mid 1700s, when the wood first became available to American craftsmen, was made of mahogany. Mahogany is still widely used for fine furniture; however, the rarity of Cuban mahogany and over harvesting of Honduras mahogany has diminished their use. Mahogany also resists wood rot, making it attractive in boat construction. It is also often used for musical instruments, particularly the backs of acoustic guitars and drums shells because of its ability to produce a very deep, warm tone compared to other commonly used woods like Maple or Birch.

A wide variety of electric guitars are also made with mahogany, notably the famous Gibson Les Paul, which uses a sandwiched body with a maple cap over a mahogany core. The tighter grain of maple generally yields a brighter tone, the combination of woods produce a warm, rounded tone with great sustain, as well as weight, for which the guitar is famous. The Gibson SG, and most of the PRS Guitars among others make use of Mahogany for the entire body, and often for the neck as well.^{[citation needed]}

Mahogany is now being used for the bodies of high-end stereo phonographic record cartridges^[3] and for stereo headphones^[4], where it is noted for “warm” or “musical” sound.

maple, common name for the genus Acer of the Aceraceae, a family of deciduous trees and shrubs of the Northern Hemisphere, found mainly in temperate regions and on tropical mountain slopes. Acer, the principal genus, includes the many maples and the box elder. Maples are popular as shade trees and often have brilliantly colored foliage in the fall. Several E North American species provide valuable timber, notably the sugar, hard, or rock, maple (A. saccharum), and the more brittle-timbered black maple (A. nigrum). Their strong, close-grained, easily worked hardwood is used in shipbuilding and aircraft construction, for floors, fuel, and wood pulp, and in many other industries. Bird's-eye and curly maple are decorative cuts used for cabinetmaking. In addition, these two maples are the main sources of maple sugar. A prevalent and widely distributed North American species is the swamp, or red, maple (A. rubrum). The box elder, or ash-leaved maple (A. negundo), is a smaller North American species also planted as a shade tree; its softer wood is used for woodenware, cheap furniture, and paper pulp. Several European and Japanese maples have been introduced to the United States as ornamentals. The only other genus of the family is Dipteronia, consisting of two species indigenous to China. All members of the family have characteristic winged fruits. Maple syrup is the concentrated sap obtained for commercial purposes from the sugar maple and the black maple. Sap flows intermittently for periods of up to six weeks in the spring, is caught in buckets, strained, and concentrated by boiling to a density of 11 lb (4.9 kg) per gal for syrup or evaporated further for sugar. The syrup and sugar, first prepared by Native Americans (by dropping hot rocks into the sap or by freezing out the water) became the staple sweetening used by the colonists and remained important until c.1875. As cane sugar-with a higher saccharine content and a lower manufacturing cost-gained precedence and as the maple forest stands, or "sugar bush," were depleted, maple sugar and syrup became scarcer and are now used mainly for confectionery and for flavoring, especially of tobacco. Vermont and New York are the chief producing states. Maples are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Aceraceae.

¶ There are many varieties of oak in this country, but of these the white oak is by far the most desirable, both for cabinetmaking and for interior woodwork. One reason for this is the deep, ripened color it takes on under the process we use for finishing it, a process which gives the appearance of age and mellowness without in any way altering the character of the wood. We refer to the fuming with ammonia, which we have already described in the preceding chapter. The fact that ammonia fumes will darken new oak was discovered by accident. Some oak boards stored in a stable in England were found after a time to have taken on a beautiful mellow brown tone and on investigation this change in color was discovered to be due to the ammonia fumes that naturally are present in stables. This ripening, so essential to the beauty of oak woodwork, takes a long time when left to the unaided action of air and sunlight, and the fact that the wood darkened very quickly when it was stored in a stable led to experimenting with the effect of ammonia fumes upon various kinds of oak. The reason for this effect was at first unknown and, to the best of our belief, it was not discovered until the experiments with fuming made in The Craftsman Workshops established the fact that the darkening of the wood was due to the chemical affinity existing between ammonia and tannic acid, of which there is a large percentage present in white oak. This being established, preparations were at once made for using ammonia fumes in a practical way.

¶ The process, however, is practicable only when furniture is to be fumed, as it is quite possible to construct an air tight compartment sufficiently large to hold one or more pieces of furniture, but when it comes to fuming the woodwork of a whole room it is not so easy. The fuming boxes we use in The Craftsman Workshops are made of tarred canvas stretched tightly over large light wooden frames which are padded heavily around the bottom so that no air can creep in between the box and the floor. The box is drawn to the ceiling by means of a rope and pulley; the furniture is piled directly below and shallow dishes are set around the edges inside the line that marks the limits of the compartment. The box is then lowered almost to the floor; very strong aqua ammonia (26 per cent.) is quickly poured into the dishes and the box dropped at once to the floor. The strength of the ammonia used for this purpose may be appreciated when one remembers that the ordinary ammonia retailed for household use is about 5 per cent.

¶ Of course, for fuming interior woodwork, the air tight compartment is hardly practicable; but a fairly good substitute for it may be obtained by shutting up the room in which the woodwork is to be fumed, stuffing up all the crevices as if for fumigating with sulphur and then setting around on the floor a liberal number of dishes into which the ammonia is poured last of all. It is hardly necessary to say that the person to whom the pouring of the ammonia is entrusted will get out of the room as quickly as possible after the fumes are released.

¶ Another way of treating oak with ammonia is to brush the liquid directly on the wood, but owing to the strength of the fumes this is not a very comfortable process for the worker and it is rather less satisfactory in its results. The ammonia being in the nature of water, it naturally raises the grain of the wood. Therefore, after the application, it should be allowed to dry over night and the grain carefully sandpapered down the next day. As this is apt to leave the color somewhat uneven, the wood should again be brushed over with the ammonia and sandpapered a second time after it is thoroughly dry.

¶ This method of getting rid of the grain is by no means undesirable, for the wood has a much more beautiful surface after all the loose grain has been raised and then sandpapered off. Where paint or varnish is used there is no necessity for getting rid of the grain, as it is held down by them. But with our finish, which leaves the wood very nearly in its natural state, it is best to dispose of the loose grain once for all and obtain a natural surface that will remain permanently smooth.

¶ We find the finest white oak in the Middle West and Southwest, especially in Indiana, which has furnished large quantities of the best grade of this valuable wood. Like so many of our natural resources, the once bountiful supply of our white oak has been so depleted by reckless use that it is probable that ten or fifteen years more will see the end of quartered oak, and possibly of the best grades of plain sawn oak as well.

Quarter Sawn Oak

¶ The popularity of quartersawn oak, a very wasteful process of manufacture, is one of the causes of the rapid depletion of our oak forests. We append a small cut showing the cross section of a tree trunk marked with the lines made by quarter sawing. As will be seen, the trunk is first cut into quarters and then each quarter is sawn diagonally from the outside to the center, naturally making the boards narrower and increasing the waste. There is some hope to be derived from the fact that great stretches of oak timberland are now being reforested by the government, but at best it will be a generation or two before these slow growing trees are large enough to furnish the best quality of lumber. There is no question as to the greater durability of quarter sawn oak for uses which demand hard wear and also where the finer effects are desired, as in furniture, but for interior woodwork plain sawn oak is not only much less expensive than quartersawn but is quite as desirable in every way. The markings are stronger and more interesting, the difference between the hard and soft parts of the grain is better defined, and the openness of texture gives the wood a mellower color quality than it has when quarter sawn. The distinguishing characteristic of quarter sawn oak is the presence of the glassy rays, technically called medullary rays, which bind the perpendicular fibers together and give the oak tree its amazing strength. In quarter sawing, the cut is made parallel with these medullary rays instead of across them, as is done in straight sawing, so that they show prominently, forming the peculiar wavy lines that distinguish quarter-sawn oak. The preservation of the binding properties of these rays gives remarkable structural strength to the wood, which is much less liable to crack, check or warp than when it is plain sawn. This, of course, makes a difference when it comes to making large panels, table tops, or anything else that shows a large plain surface, and for these uses quarter sawn oak is preferable merely because it "stands" better. But for the woodwork of a room, we much prefer the plain sawn oak on account of its friendliness and the delightful play of light and shade that is given by the boldness and color variation of the grain. When quarter sawn oak is used for large stretches of woodwork, the effect is duller and more austere because the color of the wood is colder and more uniform and it shows a much harder and closer texture.

Cross section of tree trunk, showing method of quarter sawing.

Finishing Oak Wood

¶ In the final finishing of oak woodwork, the method that we find most practicable differs somewhat from that described in the directions we have already given for finishing furniture. As the woodwork in a room is not called upon to stand the hard wear that is necessarily given to the furniture, we do not need the shellac, and after the right tone has been obtained by fuming, the wood may be given several coats of prepared floor wax and then rubbed until the surface is satin smooth. If, however, a darker shade of brown is desired, the fumed wood may be given one or more coats of thin shellac, with a little color carried on in each coat, and then finished with wax after the manner described in the directions given for finishing furniture. This method of finishing is one that we have adopted after years of experimenting and it has become so identified with the Craftsman use of oak that it has been very generally taken up by other makers of this style of furniture and by decorators who advocate the Craftsman treatment of interior woodwork.

Walnut Wood

Uses:
Walunut lumber is used for fine furniture, architectural woodwork, musical instruments, decorative panels, interior trim, and flooring. Large amounts are also used for veneer. Its stability and shock resistance make it the wood of choice for gun stocks. Many customers appreciate its "easy of use" and beautiful colours to use as a craft wood in all their small turning and scrollsaw projects. The fact that it is the only dark North American wood, has added to its reputation.

The Tree: Juglandaceae family
The black walnut's specific name is J.nigra. The black walnut is sometimes called eastern or American black walnut. There are about twenty species of walnut with six found in the U.S.A. Black walnuts were once abundant in old growth forests with trees reaching 150 feet with six-foot diameter trunks. Today's trees are generally 80-100 feet tall with trunks of less than three feet.

The black walnut has one "bad habit" however in that it can poison neighbouring trees and shrubs with a substance called juglone in its roots. This is its way of protecting its territory and assuring its access to good sunlight necessary for its growth.

It typically grows in a mixed hardwoods forest, with light coverage.

Wood Description:
The sapwood is creamy white and may be three inches wide. Heartwood is a rich chocolate or purplish brown in colour, with a dull sheen. Black walnut is normally straight grained and is noted for its beautiful grain character, producing more figure variation than any other wood. Over the years the wood develops a lustrous patina. It is the only dark brown domestic species, so it has a large following of devoted woodworkers, that enjoy its rich colour and ease of use..

Weight: approx. 36-38 lbs. per cubic foot

Finishing:
Walnut takes any finish and most complement the lovely satin sheen of the wood. It polishes well. Rarely do you find sap pockets that cause difficulty.

Machining:
Walnut works easily with power or hand tools but may cause some dulling of cutting edges. Planing, turning, shaping, routing and sanding all produce crisp detail. With figured crotch wood it is necessary to watch the direction of feed, in both thickness planers and jointers. Fasteners hold well with little tendency to split. Standard adhesives and stains go on uniformly. Wood is rated tough and hard with good steam bending qualities and little movement in service. Wood and sawdust of black walnut are known to cause irritation of the eyes, nose, skin and lungs, and may stimulate allergies and asthma - precautionary measures are advised... a good dust mask is essential.

Cherry Wood

Wood is a natural product. Some variation in color and grain pattern will occur between samples, images on this website, photographs and any specific installation.

Cherry is easy to machine, nails and glues well and when sanded and stained, it produces an excellent smooth finish. It dries fairly quickly with moderately high shrinkage, but is dimensionally stable after kiln-drying.

PDF file on strength & mechanical properties

The wood is of medium density with good bending properties, it has low stiffness and medium strength and shock resistance.

 950 Janka Hardness Rating

American Cherry, Wild Cherry, Black Cherry, Black Chokecherry, Rum Cherry, Whiskey Cherry

American Colonists used the cherry tree for its fruit, medicinal properties and home furnishings. They mixed cherry juice with rum to create Cherry Bounce, a bitter but highly favored cordial. The bark was used in the production of drugs to treat bronchitis, and cherry stalks were used to make tonics.

Like all fruit trees, cherry belongs to the rose family. Early printmakers used cherry for their engraving blocks.

Throughout Midwestern and Eastern U.S. Average tree height is 60 to 80 feet. Cherry trees can live to the extreme ages of 150 to 200 years.

Fine furniture and cabinet making, mouldings and millwork, kitchen cabinets, paneling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turnings and carvings.

3.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.

The heartwood of cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age and on exposure to light. In contrast, the sapwood is creamy white. The wood has a fine uniform, straight grain, satiny, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.

Readily available.

Cypress-What did Noah’s Ark and the first doors of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome have in common? Legend has it that both were made of the durable wood we know as cypress. In fact, it’s said that the doors of the original St. Peter’s were more than 1,100 years old when the building was torn down and reconstructed in the 1500s. When it comes to recommending a product based on its strength and good looks, cypress is hard to beat. People who work with cypress on a regular basis say the wood’s natural durability is a plus for exterior applications. Because cypress generates cypressene, its own preservative oil, its heartwood is naturally resistant to insects, decay, chemical corrosion and other damaging elements. For this reason, the wood has long been a favorite choice for long-wearing outdoor applications such as fence posts, telephone poles, pilings, docks and railroad ties. Cypress also is an exceptionally stable wood, which makes it highly resistant to splitting and warping. Dimensional stability also enables the wood to readily accept paints and stains, although many people select cypress siding for the natural appeal of its honey-like hues, which can be maintained with a clear sealer or permitted to weather to a dark grey. Cypress is also well-suited for interior applications, as architects, designers and homeowners throughout the country are discovering. The wood’s versatility makes it ideal for interior paneling and millwork, as well as cabinets, decorative beams, built-in furniture, railing and more. When used for indoors, cypress typically displays a predominantly yellow tone, with reddish, chocolate or olive hues.

The common name alder is derived from an old Germanic root, also found to be the translation of the Old French "verne" for alder or copse of alders. The botanic name Alnus is the equivalent Latin name. Both the Latin and the Germanic words derive from the Proto-Indo-European root el-, meaning "red" or "brown", which is also a root for the English words elk and another tree: elm, a tree distantly related to the alders. In Celtic mythology, Bran the Blessed is associated with the alder tree "The Alder deity is considered to be Bran the Blessed, god of the Underworld. He was also known as the god of Prophecy, Arts, War and Writing. With the size of a giant, it was impossible for Bran to fit in a house or in a boat.

Alder coat of arms of Grossarl, Austria.

Alder catkins are edible and high in protein. Although they are reported to have a bitter and unpleasant taste, they are best remembered for survival purposes. Alder wood is also commonly used to smoke various food items.

Alder bark contains the anti-inflammatory salicin which is metabolized into salicylic acid in the body.^[2] Native Americans used Red Alder bark (Alnus rubra) to treat poison oak, insect bites, and skin irritations. Blackfeet Indians used an infusion made from the bark of Red Alder to treat lymphatic disorders and tuberculosis. Recent clinical studies have verified that red alder contains betulin and lupeol, compounds shown to be effective against a variety of tumors.^[3]

Alder is illustrated in the coat of arms for the Austrian town of Grossarl.

Electric guitars, most notably the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster have been built with alder bodies since the 1950's. Alder is appreciated for its bright tone, and has been adopted by many electric guitar manufacturers.

The heartwood of this exotic and imported hardwood is a reddish-brown wood. A remarkable feature of Sapele is that the grain is interlocked and changes direction in frequent, irregular intervals. The lumber has a cedar like aromatic odor when cut. Before WWI the principal demand for this wood came from Germany where it was used for decorative cabinet work. Interestingly enough, Sapele was found in the propeller-blades of German Zeppelins. Sapele is also one of Europe's most desired woods in manufacturing doors, windows and hardwood flooring. It has a wide variety of applications and is very popular as a decorative surface veneer for high-grade furniture such as book cases and cabinets. These boards enjoy a high golden luster. Sapele is stronger and more dense then African or American Mahogany and it’s also stronger than Red Oak.

ORIGIN:
A large African tree ranging from Sierra Leone to Angola and eastward through the Congo to Uganda and grows in Nigeria and along the African Ivory Coast.

HARDNESS:
Janka hardness is 1500, 16% harder than Red Oak (1210 Janka)

DURABILITY:
Heartwood is moderately durable, resistance to termite attack variable.

Common USES:
Used extensively, primarily as flooring, furniture, cabinetwork, veneer, decorative moldings, boat building, musical instruments, paneling, doors and windows, plywood and anything you would use Mahogany for. Sapele is in the Mahogany family

Average Dried Weight: 40 lb/ft.
Average Specific Gravity: .55

Custom Wood Cabinetry in Sarasota Florida:

Old World Design provides both antique rustic as well as traditional fine finish stain or paint grade doors and trim. We will need to determine with you the finish, distressing level if there is any at all - light, medium, or heavy?  Finish - Flat, Semi-gloss, or Glossy? Color? Samples will be sent, one to the contractor, builder, or interior designer, for their files and the other to be signed and returned to Old World Design LLC.

We provide these services:  Millwork | Custom Doors | Moulding Wood | Cabinets | Cabinetry | Handcrafted | Trim | Crown | Old Unique Doors | Interior Country French | Tuscany | Mediterranean | Woodwork | Hand carved | Art Classical Craftsmanship Hardware | Architecture | One of a kind Entry way | Exterior Old Doors | Wood Doors | Impact Doors | Engineered Doors | Quality Doors | High end Custom Doors | Stained Grade Doors | Antique Rustic Doors | European
In Florida Serving: Charlotte Harbor, Fort Myers Beach, Cypress Lake, Bonita Springs, Naples, Pelican Bay, Marco Island, Key West, Key Largo, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Tequesta, Palm City, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Indian River Shores, Micco, Melbourne beach, Cocoa Beach, Mernitt Island, Titusville,Daytona Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Palm Valley, Jacksonville, Savannah, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington, Orlando, Kissimmee, Tampa, St. Pete Beach, Largo, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Gainesville, Panama City, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Mobile Bay.

We deliver custom wood doors to all 50 states: Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Pennsylvania, Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV) and Wisconsin (WY).

Contact us for options and delivery pricing.

Welcome to our blog, come back soon for news, specials and tips.

Thanks. OWD