Sources & methodology

How we ground the data

The calculators run on public engineering formulas, board-foot geometry, beam deflection, the FPL equilibrium-moisture equation, log rules, and so on, each shown on its own page. The wood properties behind the strength, weight and movement tools come from published measurements, not estimates: principally the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook (a public-domain federal reference), cross-checked against The Wood Database, with movement coefficients from the FPL and Hoadley dimensional-change tables and sheet-good stiffness from panel specifications.

Each value carries its source in the underlying data, and a build-time validator rejects any species missing a citation or sitting outside a sane physical range. Where a figure is an estimate rather than a measured constant, mainly indicative lumber prices and a few panel densities, it is labelled as such on the wood's page. We summarize working properties in our own words and cite the source rather than copy it.

Bibliography

138 distinct sources, ranked by how widely they are cited across 117 woods and 17 tools.

• Dimensional change coefficient table (Hoadley / FPL Wood Handbook), reproduced by Popular Woodworking (cited 18x)
• USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook (GTR-282) (cited 10x)
• Dimensional change coefficient table (USDA FPL Wood Handbook, Table 13-5; values per Hoadley, Understanding Wood) (cited 6x)
• Board foot - measurement and conversions (Wikipedia) (cited 6x)
• The Sagulator - shelf material stiffness values (woodbin) (cited 5x)
• ANSI A208.1-2016 Particleboard (M-1 core grade and density)
• Miter joint (Wikipedia)
• The Wood Database - African Blackwood
• The Wood Database - African Mahogany
• The Wood Database - African Padauk
• The Wood Database - Afrormosia
• The Wood Database - Alaskan Yellow Cedar
• The Wood Database - Basswood
• The Wood Database - American Beech
• The Wood Database - American Elm
• The Wood Database - Holly
• The Wood Database - American Hornbeam
• The Wood Database - American Sycamore
• The Wood Database - Anigre
• The Wood Database - Bald Cypress
• The Wood Database - Balsam Fir
• The Wood Database - Bigleaf Maple
• The Wood Database - Bigtooth Aspen
• The Wood Database - Black Ash
• The Wood Database - Black Cherry
• The Wood Database - Black Locust
• The Wood Database - Black Tupelo
• The Wood Database - Black Walnut
• The Wood Database - Black Willow
• The Wood Database - Bloodwood
• The Wood Database - Bocote
• The Wood Database - Bubinga
• The Wood Database - Bur Oak
• The Wood Database - Butternut
• The Wood Database - Canarywood
• The Wood Database - Chestnut Oak
• The Wood Database - Cocobolo
• The Wood Database - Cumaru
• The Wood Database - Douglas-Fir
• The Wood Database - East Indian Rosewood
• The Wood Database - Eastern Cottonwood
• The Wood Database - Eastern Hemlock
• The Wood Database - Eastern Redcedar
• The Wood Database - Eastern White Pine
• The Wood Database - Engelmann Spruce
• The Wood Database - European Beech
• The Wood Database - European Hornbeam
• The Wood Database - Gaboon Ebony
• The Wood Database - Garapa
• The Wood Database - Goncalo Alves
• The Wood Database - Hackberry
• The Wood Database - Hard Maple
• The Wood Database - Honduran Mahogany
• The Wood Database - Honey Locust
• The Wood Database - Imbuia
• The Wood Database - Incense Cedar
• The Wood Database - Ipe
• The Wood Database - Iroko
• The Wood Database - Jack Pine
• The Wood Database - Jatoba
• The Wood Database - Koa
• The Wood Database - Leopardwood
• The Wood Database - Lignum Vitae
• The Wood Database - Live Oak
• The Wood Database - Loblolly Pine
• The Wood Database - Lodgepole Pine
• The Wood Database - Longleaf Pine
• The Wood Database - Lyptus
• The Wood Database - Makore
• The Wood Database - Bulletwood (Massaranduba)
• The Wood Database - Monkeypod
• The Wood Database - Noble Fir
• The Wood Database - Catalpa
• The Wood Database - Olive
• The Wood Database - Oregon Ash
• The Wood Database - Osage Orange
• The Wood Database - Paper Birch
• The Wood Database - Pau Ferro
• The Wood Database - Pecan
• The Wood Database - Persimmon
• The Wood Database - Pin Oak
• The Wood Database - Pink Ivory
• The Wood Database - Ponderosa Pine
• The Wood Database - Port Orford Cedar
• The Wood Database - Purpleheart
• The Wood Database - Quaking Aspen
• The Wood Database - Red Alder
• The Wood Database - Red Elm
• The Wood Database - Red Maple
• The Wood Database - Red Oak
• The Wood Database - Red Pine
• The Wood Database - Red Spruce
• The Wood Database - Redwood
• The Wood Database - Santos Mahogany
• The Wood Database - Sapele
• The Wood Database - Sassafras
• The Wood Database - Shagbark Hickory
• The Wood Database - Shortleaf Pine
• The Wood Database - Silver Maple
• The Wood Database - Sitka Spruce
• The Wood Database - Spanish Cedar
• The Wood Database - Sugar Pine
• The Wood Database - Swamp White Oak
• The Wood Database - Sweet Chestnut
• The Wood Database - Sweetgum
• The Wood Database - Tamarack
• The Wood Database - Teak
• The Wood Database - Wenge
• The Wood Database - Western Larch
• The Wood Database - Western Red Cedar
• The Wood Database - White Ash
• The Wood Database - White Fir
• The Wood Database - White Oak
• The Wood Database - White Spruce
• The Wood Database - Willow Oak
• The Wood Database - Yellow Birch
• The Wood Database - Yellow Poplar
• The Wood Database - Yellowheart
• The Wood Database - Zebrawood
• The Wood Database - Ziricote
• Birch Plywood Density, Weight and Strength (cites EN 13986)
• Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF): A Life-Cycle Inventory (panel density)
• Crown molding (Wikipedia)
• Cubic foot - definition (Wikipedia)
• Cutting stock problem (Wikipedia)
• Bin packing problem (Wikipedia)
• Deck (building) (Wikipedia)
• Wood finishing - overview (Wikipedia)
• Cord (unit) (Wikipedia)
• Log scaling (Wikipedia)
• Regular polygon (Wikipedia)
• Screw (Wikipedia)
• Deflection of beams - engineering formulas (Wikipedia)
• Equilibrium moisture content (Wikipedia)
• Wood drying (Wikipedia)
• Fibre saturation point (Wikipedia)
• Wood - density and specific gravity (Wikipedia)
• Specific gravity (Wikipedia)