The Mechanical Properties of Wood Including a Discussion of the Factors Affecting the Mechanical Properties, and Methods of Timber Testing

About this book

Samuel J. Record’s The Mechanical Properties of Wood is a concise technical manual aimed at forestry students and practitioners who need a clear grounding in how wood behaves under load. The work opens with a detailed photomicrograph of western hemlock, illustrating early‑ and late‑wood structures before moving into a systematic exposition of tensile, compressive, shear, bending and other strength characteristics. Record deliberately avoids higher mathematics, presenting elementary mechanics alongside extensive tables of strength values for a wide range of American species, and concluding with a practical appendix that reproduces the U.S. Forest Service’s testing plan.

Written in the straightforward, didactic style of early‑20th‑century scientific literature, the book reflects its 1914 publication date through formal language and a focus on laboratory methodology. Readers who appreciate methodical explanations, historical perspectives on timber testing, or who are involved in forestry, wood engineering, or historic preservation will find the text both informative and accessible, while casual readers may prefer more narrative‑driven works.