Wood figure results from natural patterns formed in wood grain and coloration during growth. There are three main types: normal figure from growth layers and texture; pigment figure from infiltrated coloring; and specific figure from non-vertical fiber alignment. Specific figure includes spiral, undulating, and indented growth ring patterns. Figure can be enhanced by cutting techniques and reveals variations in grain orientation, rays, and knots that give wood a unique appearance valuable for decorative uses.

2. What is wood figure?
Figure is:
the form of the
grain and colour
patterns,
formed
naturally in
wood,
that give it a
unique
appearance.

3. Figure
• Figure may be defined as the pattern
produced on a wood surface by annual growth
layers, rays, and knots; by irregular coloration;
and by deviations from straight, regular grain.
Three broad types of figure in wood are
recognized.
(1) Normal figure
(2) Pigment figure
(3) Specific figure,

4. Normal figure
• which results from textural variation, depends
largely on the plane of cutting.
• Tangential cutting usually results in nested V's or U's
when the wood has visible growth layers.
• Radial cuts reveal growth layers in relatively
straight, vertical lines. All gradations between
tangential and radial surfaces occur.
• Knots mayor may not be present.
• Wood with no more than normal figure
paradoxically is called unfigured in the lumber and
veneer trade.

5. Pigment figure
• Which results from infiltration of coloring
materials in regular or irregular patterns.
• May be local or generalized and is influenced
occasionally by the plane of cutting.

6. Specific figure
• Which results from non-vertical alignment of
longitudinal fibers.
• May be hidden or enhanced by cutting methods.
• Specific Figure in Wood
• Specific figure in wood can be divided into three
categories based upon the type of growth within
trees that initiates the figure:
(1)Figure related to spiral growth;
(2) Figure related to undulating growth; and
(3) Figure related to indented growth rings.

7. How does it arise?
• Uneven coloration resulting from pigmentation in
wood.
• Variations in Grain Orientation.
And also it may be enhanced by specialized cutting
techniques.

8. Cutting patterns of wood
• Oblique
• Tangential
• Radial

9. Tangential and Radial

10. Oblique

11. Cause of figure in wood
Normally variations in the xylem elements of the wood
causes for wood figures.
• Longitudinal parenchyma
• Rays
Silver grain - ray flecks, slightly oblique
to vertical axis (radial) C
Flake - numerous short ray flecks (radial)
Ripple marks - storied cambium
(tangential)

12. • Deviation of longitudinal axis of cells from vertical axis.
Crotch - major branches (radial)
Ribbon or stripe - interlocking grain (radial)
Fiddleback - wavy grain (radial), regular changes in direction of
grain in the tangential direction
Roe - combination of interlocked grain and wavy grain
Birds eye - numerous, small indentations in the growth
rings (tangential)
Quilt - indentations in cambium somewhat elongated
transversely (tangential)
Blister - local irregularity in the growth rings (tangential)
Burls - irregular swellings of trunk caused by
adventitious buds

13. Causes of figure in wood occur &
how it is revealed.
 Figure may be defined as the pattern produced on a
wood surface by annual growth layers, rays,grain,and
knots.
GRAIN
 Grain is the alternating regions of relatively darker and
lighter wood resulting from the differing growth
parameters occurring in different seasons.
 Grain Direction: A tree species can grow in a number of
grain directions.

14. What is grain?
Grain is the alternating regions of relatively
darker and lighter wood resulting from the
differing growth parameters occurring in
different seasons (i.e., growth rings)

15. 1. Straight: Grain which runs in a single
direction, parallel to the axis of the tree.
2. Spiral: grain which spirals around the
axis of the tree.
3. Irregular: This is a more ambiguous
catch-all term that describes wood grain
that swirls or twists in an abnormal
way. Irregular grain can be due to a
number of factors, such as knots, burls,
large branches separating from the
trunk.

16. Straight grain
Spiral grain
Irregular grain

17. Knot
A knot is a particular type of imperfection
in a piece of wood; it will affect the
technical properties of the wood, usually
for the worse, but may be exploited for
visual effect.

18. knot
 A knot is a particular type of imperfection in a piece of
wood.
 In the tree a knot is either the base of a side branch or a
dormant bud.
 A knot (when the base of a side branch) is conical in
shape (hence the roughly circular cross-section) with the
inner tip at the point in stem diameter at which the
plant's vascular cambium was located when the branch
formed as a bud.
 dead branches produce knots which are not attached,
and likely to drop out after the tree has been sawn into
boards.
 knots are classified according to their form, size,
soundness, and the firmness with which they are held in
place.

19. There are two types of knots
1. Dead knots.
2. Live knots.
Dead knots Live knots

20. Live knot.
Right angle
Dead knot.
Right angle

21. Differences between dead knot
and live knot
Live knot is a knot whose fibers are
largely inter grown with those of the
surrounding xylem whereas a dead knot
is a knot whose fibers are only partially
inter grown with those of the surrounding
wood.

22. What is texture?
In the most basic terms, the wood texture
describes how a wood feels. Given an equal
amount of sanding and smoothing operations,
different woods will feel smoother than others.
Coarse texture- soft and rough.
Fine texture- very smooth and glassy.

23. Soft wood & Hard wood
Hardwood
 Hardwoods are angiosperms.
 Have many vessels & many fibers.
 Hardwood structure is more
complex than softwoods.

24. Softwood
 No vessels & few tubes.
 Cellular structure is simple & 90% percent
of the cells are longitudinal tracheids.
 softwoods surface is soft and light.
 Ex- Pines,Cycus & hemlocks.

25. Places
where
different
figure
patterns
can be
gained in
plants

26. Different types of wood
figures
Ambrosia Bird's Eye Burl Curly
Quilted Crotch Swirl Spalt

27. 1. Angel Step 7. Crotch
2. Ambrosia 8. Curl
3. Burl 9. Fiddle back
4. Bird’s Eye 10. Flame
5. Bear Stretches 11. Dimple
6. Blister 12. Spalt
TYPES OF WOOD FIGURES

28. •Cutting across stump and butt sections of trees
(trees that have twisted trunks) produces a
staircase-like, somewhat curly figure, that is
commonly called “Angel step".
•This occurs most frequently in walnut & maple.
•
Angel step wood figure
Here is a pic of (1) angel step maple, (2) angel step walnut, and (3) angel step maple:

29. • The Ambrosia figure has a tapered, oblong
shape running with the grain, and usually
grayish color.
• The figure pattern can be mild or dense,
depending on the degree of infestation.
Ambrosia figure wood

31. Burl wood figure
• Burl is a mutated growth that will
sometimes happen on a tree. Instead of
normal growth a burl can form on the side
of the tree trunk or underground where the
trunk meets the roots.
• Curly Burl Figure – Redwood , Pin Burl
Figure - Maple

33. Bird's eye figure wood.

34.  Bird's-eye is the name for a figure pattern most often
associated with hard maple (acer saccharum).
 The logs are most often rotary cut or half-round
sliced (in an arc) to produce the most uniform
distribution of nice round eyes, distinctive pattern
that resembles tiny, swirling eyes disrupting the
smooth lines of grain. It is somewhat reminiscent of a
burl
Eg- red maple, white ash, Cuban mahogany, American
beech, black walnut, and yellow birch.

35. Bear Stretches
figure wood patterns

36. Blister figure wood.
 Produced by an
uneven contour of
the annual rings.
 The effect of being
blistered.
 Must be cut rotary
or half-round.
 It is commonly
found in makore
and anigre.

37. Blister figure wood patterns.

38. Crotch wood figure
•Occurs in places
were the tree starts
branching.
•Has the pattern of a
folded paper.

39. CURL FIGUE WOOD
It is also referred to as tiger
stripe and ripple.
Curl is compression grain
perpendicularly crossing the
face of a board producing
alternate stripes of hard and
soft board fibre.
This phenomenon creates a Variation in strength
depending on the degree of
Eg- maples, walnut, ash, oaks and even ebony.

40. Flame wood figure
•Flame Like patterns Can be observed.

41. Dimple wood figure
•The pattern has Dimple like structures

42. FIDDLE BACK FIGUE WOOD
•Fiddleback is clearly
visible and regular
streaks running across
the grain.
•The more regular the
streaks, the more
valuable the veneer.
•Produce nearly
perpendicular patterns
running from edge to
edge.

43. Spalted Figure wood
•Splatting is a figure pattern caused by
fungus growing in trees and logs.
•It produces black streaks usually growing
with the grain and can result in a beautiful
marbling.
•The fungus enters the tree through an
injury and starts to spread.
•The trick is to get dense splatting before
the lumber turns to punk.
•It is not uncommon to find a log with
splatting penetrating the end grain for a
short distance but this can be little more
than a distraction.

45. • Figured wood has been esteemed for its beauty
and universal appeal for centuries. Certain types
of figured wood are primary materials for
numerous small but important industries
throughout the world.
• To use as decorator Materials
• To use in Furniture and in flooring tiles.
• Used to make car dash boards, furniture drawer
fronts and tops, and gunstocks. Contemporary
uses include table and counter tops, sculpture,
and electric guitar tops.
Uses of Figure in wood