Commonly Used Wood Species

Western Broad Leaf Maple:
Maple is a strong and dense wood with a wide range of colors from bright white to deep golden brown. This species is native to our area of BC and is often cut down by landowners for firewood, land clearing, or to obtain a better view. Clegg Woodcrafts is able to gather sections of maple from windblown trees or from utility companies clearing under power lines. Some maple trees develop various types of character within their wood grain ranging from bubbling or pillowing to the appearance of parallel waves or ripples (see image above). This type of wood is highly sought after by the makers of musical instruments which drives an illegal black market for the top quality pieces. Unscrupulous individuals will cut down mature Maple trees just to remove a couple choice pieces from the tree’s trunk in order to sell them to craft wood distributors or the manufacturers of musical instruments. Clegg Woodcrafts has obtained our supply of figured Maple after a private landowner realized he had fallen victim to this wood poaching and allowed us to utilize the rest of the already cut tree.

Black Walnut:
Black Walnut is coveted by many woodworkers and clients alike for its dark coloring and distinct contrast between Heartwood and Sapwood. (See image above) As it is not native to our area, it does not naturally reproduce and thrive like other local species making Black Walnut very hard to come by. Clegg Woodcrafts acquired our stock of Black Walnut from a farmer in Chilliwack who cut down a row of them to make more room for growing crops. The wood was destined to be burnt but we were able to salvage the majority of the usable pieces and utilize it in our many projects.

Ponderosa Pine:
Found in the interior of BC, forests of Ponderosa Pine have been plagued by the “mountain Pine Beetle” causing the trees to die by the millions. The adult beetles bore their way through the bark to lay their eggs. After hatching, the larvas eat the tree’s cambium layer for its nutrients. As a result of the beetles and their secretions, the trees die and the wood becomes stained blue in unique and wavy patterns. Clegg Woodcrafts sources this wood from Kelowna BC where a rancher is struggling to keep ahead of his beetle infested forest. Each tree we select is striped of its bark in order to find and kill every larva hiding underneath. (See image below) Further, all of the removed bark is burned to ensure that 100% of the larvas are killed.

Western Red Cedar:
Native to BC forests, Cedar was widely used by coastal First Nations people for many things from clothing to canoes. Cedar has natural decay-resistant properties that make it ideal for outdoor applications. With warm red to brown coloring and a rich aromatic smell this local wood is a favourite for indoor uses as well. All of our Cedar products are made from a couple of large trees that blew over right here on our Ryder Lake property in the November storms of 2008.  

Oak:
Grown in the Fraser Valley as ornamental trees, there are a wide variety of Oak species dotting our community boulevards, parks, and residential properties. Clegg Woodcrafts has gathered our supply of Oak from multiple big trees, one of which was removed by arborists for safety reasons, one was cut down by BC Hydro to protect power lines, while another was cut down by farmers clearing land. Further, a high percentage of solid-wood furniture is made from Oak. When these desks, chairs, and bed frames come to the end of their useful lives, we reclaim the wood and give it new life in one of our many projects. 

Cherry:
In the early 20th century cherry orchards were prevalent in the upper Fraser Valley. So much so, that fruit was one of Chilliwack’s biggest agricultural markets with an annual Cherry Carnival running from 1927-1955. Despite the demise of this industry in the area, many Chilliwack streets are still lined with flowering cherry trees in light of the towns past. Clegg Woodcrafts has gathered our supply of cherry wood from a couple of residential lots that were cleared for downtown development. The wood boasts beautiful swirls of green, red, brown, and orange colors that accent any project. 

Cascara:
Prescribed as early as 1877, an extract from Cascara bark was used by pharmaceutical companies as a laxative. This spurred the commercial harvesting of the trees bark throughout Oregon, Washington, and then into BC around 1915. After the commercial decimation of many trees, regulations were put into place to conserve the remaining populations of the species. Now and then an old gnarled Cascara blows over in the wind which we gladly gather up for its unique rainbow of yellow, orange, and pink coloured wood. 

Birch:
Birch trees are commonly found in BC’s Lower Mainland as they are native to the area. Featuring distinctive white bark on the outside, Birch has fairly uniform light tan coloured wood on the inside. Clegg Woodcrafts gathers our supply of Birch wood from trees that have blown over in the wind, been cut down by urban arborists, or left by loggers.

Image above: Mountain Pine Beetle Larva removed from affected Ponderosa Pine.