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PZC Chatometry

A standard system to measure wood chatoyance

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  • What is Chatoyance?
    • Curl
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  • The PZC method
    • Scale example 1
    • Scale example 2
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    • Africa
      • Abura
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    • Oceania
      • Agathis
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      • Australian Blackwood
      • Black Bean
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      • Eucalyptus, unspecified
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      • Oak, Tasmanian
      • Jarrah
      • Maple, Queensland
      • Oak, Northern Silky
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      • Pine, Huon
      • She-Oak, River
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    • South and Central America
      • Angelim
      • Araucaria
      • Aspidosperma
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      • Carapa
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      • Tatajuba
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      • Tineo
      • Tulipwood (Brazilian)
      • Ziricote
  • Case studies
    • Roasting Curly Maple
    • Epoxy resin
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    • Sapwood vs Heartwood
    • Different Materials
    • Sunlight & Weather
      • Sunlight exposure on purpleheart
      • Sunlight & Weather exposure on sweet cherry
      • Sunlight exposure on field maple
      • Sunlight exposure on Tasmanian Blackwood
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    • Finishing
      • Finishing Maple
      • Finishing Curly Maple
      • Finishing Curly Maple – part 2
      • Surface preparation on Curly Maple
      • Incremental grit and finishing on Curly Maple
      • Finishing Okoume
      • Finishing London Plane
      • Finishing Blonde European Walnut
      • Finishing European Ash
      • Finishing European Elm
      • Finishing Etimoe
      • Finishing Sweet Cherry
      • Finishing Ovangkol
      • Finishing European Oak
      • Finishing Birch
      • Finishing Teak
      • Finishing Iroko
      • Finishing Sapele
      • Finishing Sumac
      • Finishing Redbud
      • Finishing Kotibe
      • Finishing Indian Rosewood
      • Finishing Hackberry
      • Finishing Paldao
      • Finishing Bocote
      • Finishing Merbau
      • Finishing Snakewood
      • Finishing Purpleheart
      • Finishing Padouk
      • Finishing Mulberry
      • Finishing Niangon
      • Finishing Tasmanian Blackwood
    • Progressive grit sanding
    • Ultra-fine sanding
    • Supersurfacing
    • Raw Veneer vs fine sanded
    • Cleaning Black Walnut
    • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on London plane
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on Red Oak
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on European Beech
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on Louro Faia
    • Runout Angle
    • Mud Curing on Osage Orange
    • No. 1 – Hawaiian Koa
    • High-res videos
    • Large GIFs [heavy pages…]
      • Large GIFs 1
      • Large GIFs 2
      • Large GIFs 3
      • Large GIFs 4
      • Large GIFs 5
      • Large GIFs 6
      • Large GIFs 7
      • Large GIFs 8
      • Large GIFs 9
      • Large GIFs 10
      • Australian species
    • Wood samples
    • Fresh-cut wood
    • From firewood to PZC results
    • Hunting for Tasmanian Blackwood
    • Included branches and Crotches
    • Chatoyance distribution within a tree
    • Tasmanian Blackwood – heartwood and sapwood
    • Stabilization
    • Microscope pictures
    • Out of the tablesaw
    • Chatoyance vs Fluorescence
    • Patch of Black Cherry trees
    • Spalting
    • Bark
    • Thuya Burl
    • Dying Curly Maple
    • Ammonia fuming
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Patch of Black Locust trees

In this study samples were taken from 20 different individual Black Locust trees belonging to a single patch of Black Locust and Black Cherry trees located in northern Italy. This is how the patch looked before felling:

… and just after felling:

The chatoyance summary chart below shows that:
1) Data are quite consistent within each individual tree
2) Both riftsawn and flatsawn samples can reach low or high values

Surface brightness is also compared, showing again consistency within each tree, while samples out of some trees are significantly darker:

Chatoyance was compared to surface brightness showing that, in general, darker pieces appear more chatoyant:

Data from this patch of trees were compared to data from 15 more individual trees located in many different areas (various parts of Italy, Germany, Belgium, US).

The chatoyance summary chart shows that
1) results from this patch are generally lower (average 13.4 vs average 17.7)
2) average on each individual tree within this patch ranges from 7.4 to 18.1, against a range of 10.4÷23.1 for other trees

Brightness on this patch is also generally higher; could this be related to wood aging or oxidation?

The general trend is again visible, even if less evident, on the whole population:

GIFs below provide some examples:

Sample 1 – PZC = 7.4
Sample 2A – PZC = 18.7
Sample 11B – PZC = 15.6

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