Use of an air pressure method for detection and mapping of highly permeable ponderosa pine

A problem that has long been recognized in the millwork industry is the ove r absorption of treating solution by occasional pieces of wood. The cause o f the problem has been well established, but there has been no widely accep ted method for detecting highly permeable material in the production proces s. An air-pressure-based method was utilized to detect highly permeable woo d. The method applied a regulated pressure to the surface of aboard and the pressure between the regulator and the board was measured. The method is c apable of rapidly measuring the surface permeability on the face of boards. The method was used on known highly permeable wood and wood with induced p ermeability. The method would enable millwork producers to effectively sort the highly permeable wood from normal wood.