Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material [Paperback]

Forest Products Laboratory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

Since it was first issued in 1935 the Wood Handbook, developed by scientists at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin has served as the preeminent source of information on wood and wood products. This 1999 edition of the Wood Handbook reflects a complete revision of the last edition published in 1987, and presents many new chapters on new products and processes. Subjects covered in this 428-page handbook include 1) basic wood and wood product characteristics and properties, 2) various wood manufacturing processes, 3) processes to enhance the performance of wood products, 4) structural design information, and 5) specifications and rules for the proper use of wood products. The Wood Handbook contains nearly 200 figures and over 100 tables.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anybody who is serious about making things of wood - whether it be a building or a piece of furniture - should have a keen interest in how wood behaves as a material. The Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material .... does appear to be the only comprehensive source worth considering as a basic reference. Engineers, architects, and educators would appreciate having this book on their personal shelf, and builders, cabinetmakers, furniture makers, and sculptors would all find something of interest in the pages...The Wood Handbook is a significant achievement developed over a period of more than sixty years and deserves to be recognized as a preeminent reference in the field. It is brimming with useful and fascinating information for those of us interested in wood. -- Rob Thallon, Architect and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon

About the Author

This book contains 19 Chapters each written by a Research Scientist or Engineer at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Forest Products Research (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892529025
• ISBN-13: 978-1892529022
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Outdated edition - not worth the price, July 22, 2003

By 

David Kn. (Newton, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wood Handbook: Wood As an Engineering Material (Paperback)

This book is available free online in PDF format from the Forest Products Laboratory (a division of the USDA). I decided to buy the paper copy because the price was fairly low, and I thought it would cost me about that much to print out all the chapters. Unfortunately, the technical production quality of this edition is VERY bad (small, murky print & illustrations). To make matters worse THIS IS NOT THE MOST RECENT EDITION. The online version has been updated to include newer research reflected in current building codes.

This handbook is a classic, don't get me wrong. It should be part of any wood designer's library. It gathers together lots of basic technical information on things like creep and shrinkage that's very hard to find anywhere else. But do yourself a favor - skip this edition!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource. Cheaper version available., June 17, 2008

By 

G. Shadduck "gshadduck" (Mpls, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (Paperback)

Bob Fitzsimmons is right in pointing toward "The Encyclopedia of Wood," which is an unfortunately retitled reprint of the public domain "Wood Handbook." That confuses. The price of $13.57, on the other hand, pleases.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another update needed., April 3, 2007

By 

Bob Fitzsimmons (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (Paperback)

This book is great, but since it was last revised in 1999, it needs to be revised again. Check out "The Encyclopedia of Wood," also from the United States Department of Agriculture for an updated, definitive wood resource.