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PZC Chatometry

A standard system to measure wood chatoyance

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  • Home
  • What is Chatoyance?
    • Curl
    • Ribbon Stripe
    • Other Figures
    • Flecks
    • Growth Rings
    • Knots
  • The PZC method
    • Scale example 1
    • Scale example 2
    • Scale example 3
    • Scale example 4
  • Woods
    • Summary Table
    • Africa
      • Abura
      • Afrormosia
      • Agba
      • Agba
      • Afzelia
      • Aniegre
      • Avodire
      • Azobe
      • Bilinga
      • Bilinga
      • Bomanga
      • Boire
      • Bubinga
      • Cola
      • Ebiara
      • Ebony, Gaboon
      • Etimoe
      • Faro
      • Faro
      • Framire
      • Guarea
      • Iroko
      • Lati
      • Khaya
      • Kosipo
      • Kotibe
      • Kotibe
      • Koto
      • Limba
      • Limba, Black
      • Makore
      • Mansonia
      • Moabi
      • Movingui
      • Niangon
      • Niove
      • Obeche
      • Ocotea
      • Ocotea
      • Ovangkol
      • Okoume
      • Padouk
      • Purpleheart
      • Ramin
      • Rosewood, African Blackwood
      • Rosewood, African Blackwood
      • Rosewood, Madagascar
      • Sapele
      • Sipo
      • Tali
      • Tiama
      • Wenge
      • Walnut, African
      • Zebrawood
    • Asia
      • Acacia, unspecified
      • Ailanthus
      • Albizia, unspecified
      • Alstonia
      • Artocarpus
      • Ash, Tamo
      • Bintangor
      • Bamboo
      • Camphor
      • Coconut
      • Ebony, Black and White
      • Ebony, Macassar
      • Fig, misc.
      • Kapur
      • Keruing
      • Mango
      • Meranti
      • Merbau
      • Mersawa
      • Narra
      • Paulownia
      • Rosewood, Indian
      • Satinwood
      • Sen
      • Sucupira
      • Teak
    • Europe
      • Alder
      • Apple
      • Ash, European
      • Ash, Olive
      • Beech, European
      • Birch
      • Birch, Karelian Burl
      • Black Locust
      • Bog Oak
      • Cedar, European
      • Cherry, Sweet
      • Chestnut, Horse
      • Chestnut, Sweet
      • Cypress, Mediterranean
      • Elm
      • Fir, European Silver
      • Hawthorn
      • Hazelnut
      • Hornbeam
      • Laburnum
      • Lagerstroemia
      • Larch, European
      • London Plane
      • Lime, European
      • Madrone
      • Maple, European
      • Mulberry
      • Oak, Sessile
      • Olive
      • Olive, Russian
      • Poplar, Yellow
      • Pine, Maritime
      • Pine, Swiss Stone
      • Pine, unspecified
      • Pear
      • Poplar
      • Spruce, Fiemme (Ciresa tonewood)
      • Sumac
      • Walnut, European
      • Yew
    • North America
      • Ash, American White
      • Alder, Red
      • Beech, North American
      • Beech, North American
      • Boxelder
      • Butternut
      • Catalpa
      • Cedar, Eastern Red
      • Cedar, Western Red
      • Cherry, Black
      • Cypress, Bald
      • Cypress, Lawson
      • Desert Ironwood
      • Desert Ironwood
      • Dogwood
      • Fir, Douglas
      • Giant Sequoia
      • Hackberry
      • Hemlock
      • Hickory
      • Holly
      • Honey Locust
      • Juniperus misc.
      • Koa
      • Magnolia
      • Maple, Bigleaf
      • Maple, Bigleaf
      • Maple, Hard
      • Mesquite
      • Mesquite
      • Oak, Red
      • Oak, White
      • Osage Orange
      • Osage Orange, Green
      • Red Gum
      • Pecan
      • Pecan
      • Redwood
      • Sassafras
      • Service Tree
      • Sycamore, American
      • Sycamore, American
      • Walnut, Black
      • Walnut, Claro
      • Walnut, Claro
      • Willow
    • Oceania
      • Agathis
      • Ash, Crow’s
      • Australian Blackwood
      • Black Bean
      • Cedar, Australian Red
      • Eucalyptus, unspecified
      • Ash, Mountain
      • Gum, River Red
      • Oak, Tasmanian
      • Jarrah
      • Maple, Queensland
      • Oak, Northern Silky
      • Oak, Southern Silky
      • Pine, Huon
      • She-Oak, River
      • Spotted Gum
      • Tasmanian Myrtle
      • Walnut, Queensland
    • South and Central America
      • Angelim
      • Araucaria
      • Aspidosperma
      • Bloodwood
      • Bocote
      • Canarywood
      • Carapa
      • Cedar, Spanish
      • Cerejeira
      • Chechen
      • Cumaru
      • Curupixa
      • Freijo
      • Garapa
      • Goncalo Alves
      • Goupie
      • Granadillo
      • Guanacaste
      • Guatambu
      • Imbuia
      • Ipe
      • Jacareuba
      • Jatoba
      • Jequitiba
      • Katalox
      • Leopardwood
      • Lignum Vitae
      • Louro Faia
      • Louro Preto
      • Mahogany, Cuban
      • Mahogany, Honduras
      • Massaranduba
      • Nothofagus
      • Osage Orange, Argentine
      • Pao Rosa
      • Peroba Rosa
      • Piquiarana
      • Podocarpus
      • Primavera
      • Rosewood, Brazilian
      • Rosewood, Cocobolo
      • Rosewood, Honduras
      • Rosewood, Kingwood
      • Rosewood, Santos
      • Tatajuba
      • Timbauba
      • Tineo
      • Tulipwood (Brazilian)
      • Ziricote
  • Case studies
    • Roasting Curly Maple
    • Epoxy resin
    • Bleaching Sapele
    • 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
      • UV light exposure
    • 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
      • Quartersawn vs Flatsawn on White Mulberry
    • 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
      • Large GIFs 11
      • Large GIFs 12
      • Large GIFs 13
      • 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
  • Services
  • Shop
  • Credits
  • Contacts

The PZC method

Measuring wood chatoyance means overcoming a number of conceptual issues with the goal of reaching a stable, reliable and repeatable method which also fits human perception.

The PZC method is based on a custom-made, high resolution, fully automated gonioreflectometer.
Data are then numerically analyzed to provide results in terms of specimen chatoyance value. 

Table below shows an example of tests repeated three different times with change in measurement set-up parameters. The result is repeatable and stable with respect to set-up parameters.

WoodResult
(setup 1)
Result
(setup 2)
Result
(setup 3)
Error
Boxwood8.17.47.65.1%
Black Walnut17.016.215.93.5%
Iroko22.422.321.81.4%
Example of method stability

Examples below provide a visual summary of what PZC numbers mean. These were selected as having no figure (curl, flecks, etc) so that the basic chatoyance property is shown, rather than its effect on contrasting areas. Four examples of scale are provided:

Scale 1 – Scale 2 – Scale 3 – Scale 4

Examples of figured pieces are shown here: https://www.chatometry.com/home-page/what-is-wood-chatoyance/

These are also shown as a summary video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQN-zb95EXc

In addition, the method provides a high resolution “picture” of wood chatoyance showing its distribution.

Example of chatoyance map on different wood species

Finally, the method provides information about the angular phase of the peaks of brightness of each point of the specimen. This is graphically reported allowing to catch very clearly any type of “figure” caused by fiber distortion and emphasized by chatoyance itself:

Example of waves on Curly Maple

All specimen from all woods are prepared in the same way, and no paint or finish whatsoever is employed; to provide significant statistical results, specimen from as many different logs as possible are analyzed from each specie.

The method is now being used to compare different wood species and the performance of different finishes (eg. Shellac, Linseed oil, etc) in terms of impact on chatoyance.

Full details of the method are available in the article “Measuring Wood Chatoyance”, by the authors P. Pisani, L. Zanetta and D. Codoro, accessible from this link:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17480272.2021.2018625

An extensive amount of data can be found in “Wood chatoyance within different species”, by the authors P. Pisani, L. Zanetta and D. Codoro, accessible from this link:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17480272.2023.2225048?journalCode=swoo20

For a more practical description of the results, find us on these magazines:

Legnolab (Italy) – issue 127 (March-April 2022)
https://www.legnolab.it/catalogo/17730-rivista-n-127.html

The Woodworker (UK) – July 2022
https://www.thewoodworkermag.com/woodworker-inc-good-woodworking-%E2%80%93-july-2022
(the article can be found here: https://www.thewoodworkermag.com/colour-changing-chatoyance )

The Australian Woodworker – issue 224 (August 2022)
https://www.skillspublish.com.au/Skills%20AWW%20Current.htm

Want to know more? Get Woodworker’s Guide to Chatoyance!

Available on Amazon in 12 countries – just click on your flag below…

… and enjoy the read!

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