George Acock Reproduction of Watercolor Painting (2005) The goal of the renovation of the Grand Reading Room was to restore the look and feel of the original library reference room. Where possible, the original white oak was restored. Where not, new white oak was selected. The first and widest cuts from the quarters of the largest logs were used to later construct the 15-foot-long solid white oak tables in the room. After being dried in a kiln, the lumber was milled, edge-glued together by length, and then cut into three sections prior to assembly. The sections, with their bases attached, were later put back together as one unit.

George Acock Reproduction of Watercolor Painting (2005) Quarter sawn panels and solid trim were chosen to respect the original design of the 1913 library. Quarter sawn oak is more dimensionally stable and was preferred for interior millwork during the era. As drying technologies and interior climate controls improved, it became optional to use different sawing techniques. The visual effect in quarter sawn oak, known as flake, occurs when the saw cuts through the tree’s medullary rays, which carry water and nutrients out the center of the wood to the periphery.

Reproduction of Watercolor Painting George Acock To curve the veneer panels, relief cuts were made in the back of the plywood. Examples of this application can be seen along the walls of curved panels at the entrance of the Buckeye Reading Room. This technique is also commonly used by millwork companies to create columns, furniture, and other pieces where architects want to express movement or add dimension to their work.

Reproduction of Watercolor Painting George Acock Two of our best logs were used to complete the Campus Reading Room on the 11th floor. “Comb grain” (very tight and straight grain) rift veneer was sliced and selected for the panels. The veneer for these panels was specified to be 12 feet long and the knife on the veneer slicer was only four inches longer. The height of the ceiling and the angle of the panels meant that the logs had to be cut perfectly before going to the veneer mill. The 11th floor was the first area to be completed in the renovation. Consistency of color and texture in the wood would follow throughout the rest of the library as timber for the project was harvested from the same forest.