The Pros and Cons of Knots in Wood.
There is a reference to a knothole in a tree in the famous novel To Kill A Mockingbird by the late authorHarper Lee.A small box of coins, a ball of twine, two figures carved from soap, an entire pack of gum, and a spelling medal are hidden in a tree in the book.
The movie To Kill a Mockingbird is an American drama film.
I have always been fascinated by knotholes that form on tree trunks, but they don't seem to make sense.How do knots form on tree trunks?
The tree trunks are solid.How do these knots appear on the trunk?
Knots are broken off limbs or branches that reveal wood that is rotten or sound.These are common blemishes in trees, which can cause holes or lump in the trunk of the tree.
Natural growth of the tree is a primary reason for the formation of knots.As a tree continues to grow, its lower branches tend to die off and their bases may become overgrown and enclosed by subsequent layer of trunk wood.This leads to a knot in the tree trunk.There are knots in wood in places where branches used to be.
As a tree grows, its trunk naturally gets bigger, so I want to explain how a typical knot forms on the trunk.The branches that grow out of their own surface are overtaken by the continuously growing trunk.As the tree grows, trunk material builds up and knots form around the branches.The wood in the knot is very tough and can form a hard bulge around the branch emerging from its center.
A knot is made of wood.Evelyn Simak is a Wikimedia Commons contributor.
The dead branch can't be attached to the trunk wood except at its base.A knot on the surface of a tree's log represents a knot in the wood beneath it.The formation of holes in the wood can be caused by knots.
Not all knots are formed as a result of the tree's natural growth, and some are also formed due to injuries, which can spread to other trees as well.The black knot disease, which causes rampant knot formation in some trees, is considered harmful for trees.
The technical properties of wood are affected by knots.They are difficult to cut through, but they also reduce the strength of the wood around them.The elastic strength and rigidity of structural timber are more dependent on the sound wood than on defects.
Knots are often used for visual effect.The knots on the trunks add to the aesthetic appeal of the wood.