new toy for wood ID


phinds

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1 hour ago, Chestnut said:

This is cool. Is the washing out from the light because you have the end polished so smoothly? Also how do determine an unknown species. Are there descriptions or do you have books that have pictures?

To get started on wood ID via wood anatomy, go here:

https://woodbarter.com/threads/wood-anatomy-an-introduction.18349/

The LEDs are very bright and sometimes make the image a bit washed out, as you see in image #2. There is a brightness control but it's not much use.

 

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3 hours ago, JohnG said:

Easiest way would be to use The Wood Database :lol:

can you adjust the light? 

No, it would not. The Wood Database is a terrific site and if you know what wood you have , it's good for getting more info on that wood. For identifying from scratch an unknown wood, it's pretty useless. That was not Eric's goal.

My own anatomy site is WAY more useful for getting an ID starting from scratch. and my main site is considerably more useful for ID than Eric's is because he has a couple of pics per species and I have dozens to hundreds. For general info and good articles, mine is OK but his is better.

My anatomy pages have what amounts to decision trees that allow you to hone in on a wood based on characteristics

There is a brightness control but it's not much use.

 

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4 hours ago, phinds said:

No, it would not. ...

 

It was supposed to be a joke but wasn’t very funny. I’ve used both sites a good bit and really appreciate all the work that you put into yours. I’m terrible at identifying wood that doesn’t have a label on it, so it has been very helpful. 

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10 hours ago, JohnG said:

I’m terrible at identifying wood that doesn’t have a label on it

Me too, but unfortunately just because I can read the label doesn't mean that I now know what the wood is.   Wish there was more truth in wood names. 

Paul, I think the photographs are fantastic.  That is a really cool new toy, and I bet the price tag was "magnified", too. 

I don't know if the washed out colors are much of a problem for you looking at the screen as the human eye and brain tend to adjust.  For that matter structure is probably more important for wood ID than color.  If it is an issue for you or your photography there might be a couple of things you could try.

The washed out colors in the pictures look to me like they may be due to scattered light from within the clear plastic piece or glare reflected from the wood's surface.  My first inclination was to use a polarizing filter, but it looks like the camera and lights are all integrated into one unit.   Since the brightness control has limited utility, is it possible to interpose a thin neutral grey filter between the subject and the LED lights?  Wrapping the circumference of the clear plastic piece with dark paper or tape may also reduce scatter due to light bouncing back from the plastic air interface (much as a clear window will still reflect an image).  Can you try taking images without the LED's?  Perhaps an external light source will give you adequate illumination with less scatter.  

But no matter, that's a fantastic new tool.  

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Mark, the price wasn't really bad. Just $76 shipped.

As for the lighting and color, it's generally OK since it's really only the anatomy that I care about. There have been a few pics where I wish the contrast was better. I just got the tool a couple of days ago and am still playing around w/ it.

 

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