Wood Species
How do Hardwoods and Softwoods differ?
They look different. Some are smooth, some
have bold grain and some have knots or bird
eyes. They finish differently. The density
of the various woods change the depth and
tone of the color. The region where the furniture
is made, the style, and the historical period
of the piece determine the wood used.
Hardwoods:
Hardwoods are deciduous, the botanical group
of trees that have broad leaves, produce a
fruit or nut, and generally go dormant in the
winter. There are hundreds of hardwood species
in the United States. Together, all the hardwood
species represent 40 percent of the trees in
the United States.
Softwoods:
In contrast, softwoods, or conifers, from the
Latin word meaning "cone-bearing," have
needles. Widely available softwoods include
cedar, fir, hemlock, pine, redwood and spruce.
Alder
Alder,
a relative of birch, grows from Alaska to Southern
California. It ranks third behind oak and pine
as the wood most commonly used for ready-to
finish furniture.
Color: Very
consistent in color - pale pinkish-brown
to almost white.
Grain: No
distinct grain pattern
Characteristics: Good
working properties, moderately lightweight,
low shock resistance.
Finishing:
Finishes smoothly and takes stain well
Ash
There are several species of American ash:
black, brown, and white. Like most other hardwoods
the timber of the white ash is heavy, hard,
strong and durable. What sets ash apart and
makes it valuable for many special uses is
its exceptional flexibility. Ash is among the
most easily steam-bent hardwood species. Early
windmills were made form Ash. Ash is also used
extensively in the manufacture of sporting
goods. We all know that baseball bats are made
from white ash. Ash is a popular species for
food containers because the wood has no taste.
Color: Nearly pure lustrous white, ranging
through cream to very light brown.
Grain: It has an attractive, straight, moderately
open, pronounced grain.
Characteristics: Heavy, hard, strong and
stiff excellent bending qualities.
Finishing: Because of its large pores it
is seldom painted but takes all other finishes
very well.
Aspen
Both quaking and big tooth aspen are readily
available as lumber in the western U.S. Because
of it's neutral odor and taste, it is used
for food containers and other food industry
needs. In recent years it has become increasingly
important in the manufacture of wood furniture.
Color: Very light and white in appearance.
Grain: Very even grained.
Finishing: Ideal for non-penetrating finishes
such as water based stains and paints.
Beech
Related to the oak and chestnut, beech is most
common in the higher altitudes of the Appalachian
Mountain chain. Elegant and attractive, the
American beech is a medium tall tree with the
smoothest of all bark. It grows, naturally,
along mountain slopes and rich uplands in nearly
pure stands. It tolerates shade well making
it one of the forest trees that can thrive
beneath the canopy of taller species. American
beech is an important timber species. It is
highly adaptable to steam bending while retaining
its strength. It is excellent for woodturning,
wears well and takes preservatives well. Because
beechwood becomes slick with wear, it is perfect
for drawer sides and runners. Because it bends
well, it is used in bent wood chairs and other
bent wood furniture. It does not impart flavor,
odor or color to food so it is good for food
utensils and containers.
Color: Wood ranges from nearly white to deep
red brown.
Grain: Close and straight grained, with little
figure and a uniform texture, identified
by its dark pores in conspicuous rays.
Characteristics: Hard and strong. Good resistance
to abrasive wear.
Finishing: Easy to paint, stain or bleach.
Birch
Yellow birch is a deciduous hardwood which
grows principally in the upland, hilly terrain
of the Northeastern and Lake States forests:
There are nine species of birch native to North
America, including the very distinctive and
familiar white trunked paper birch. But the
species named yellow birch is the most common
and important commercial lumber birch. It is
identified by its bright, yellowish bronze
colored bark that peels in long, thin horizontal
strips.
Color: Cream or lightly tinged with red.
Grain: Fine grained (often curly or wavy).
Characteristics: Heavy, strong, hard, and
even-textured.
Finishing: Birch takes paints and stains
well.
Cherry
Like all fruit trees, cherry belongs to the
rose family and was used as early as 400 B.C.
by the Greeks and Romans for furniture making.
Cherry helped define American traditional design
because Colonial cabinetmakers recognized its
superior woodworking qualities. Today, cherry
helps define Shaker, Mission and country styling.
The wood from the cherry tree can be described
in a single word: beautiful. Its rich red-brown
color deepens with age. Small dark gum flecks
add to its interest. Distinctive, unique figures
and grains are brought out through quarter
sawing. It has an exceptionally lustrous appearance
that glows. The finish is satiny to the touch.
Color: Rich, reddish-brown. Cherry darkens
considerably with age and exposure to sunlight.
Grain: Straight-grained and satiny. Small
gum pockets produce distinctive markings.
Characteristics: Light, strong, stiff and
rather hard. Cherry's grain is more subdued
than some other hardwood species, with very
interesting character.
Finishing: Cherry is unsurpassed in its finishing
qualities-its uniform texture takes a finish
very well.
Eucalyptus
The eucalyptus genus represents more than 300
species. They have been successfully planted
in South America, South Africa, Europe and
the United States.
Color: It is pinkish-brown
in color and turns to a reddish-brown with
age and exposure to light.
Characteristics: Its' resistance to decay
is relative to teak. Eucalyptus is a heavy
hardwood that earns high marks for strength.
Eucalyptus is a renewable resource with high
productivity in relatively short harvest
rotations. The wood in these products comes
from well managed forests, independently
certified in accordance with the rules of
the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Hickory
A Native American tree, hickories are members
of the walnut family. Hickory is the hardest,
heaviest and strongest American wood in common
use. Westward trekking pioneers allegedly made
hickory a prerequisite for their wagon wheels.
Color: White to tan to reddish-brown with
inconspicuous fine brown lines.
Grain: Fine grain.
Characteristics: Extremely tough and resilient,
even texture, quite hard and only moderately
heavy.
Finishing: The grain pattern welcomes a full
range of medium-to-dark finishes and bleaching
treatments.
Mahogany
The heavyweight of all woods, mahogany is one
of the most valuable timber trees. Popular
in the '50's, mahogany is making a comeback
due to the new attraction to the "red" woods.
On an interesting note, new model automobiles
were originally carved, full sized, entirely
out of mahogany! Each piece, no matter how
big or small, from the front bumper, to the
engine, the dashboard, the drive shaft, back
to the lock on the trunk is first fashioned
from this very stable hard wood.
Color: Varies from light red or pale tan
to a rich dark deep red or deep golden brown,
depending on country of origin.
Grain: It is generally straight grained but
is prized for its figures which include stripe,
roe, curly, blister, fiddleback, and mottle.
Characteristics: Extremely strong, hard,
stable and decay resistant
Finishing: Finishes and stains to a beautiful
natural luster.
Maple
The American species of maple are divided
into two groups: Hard maple, which includes
sugar and black maple; and soft maple,
which includes red and silver maple. Until
the turn of the century, the heels of women's
shoes were made from maple, as were airplane
propellers in the 1920s. Maple has been
a favorite of American furniture makers
since early Colonial days. Hard maple is
the standard wood for cutting boards because
it imparts no taste to food and holds up
well.
Color: Cream to light reddish-brown.
Grain: Usually straight-grained and sometimes
found with highly figured bird's-eye or burl
grain. Bird's-eye resembles small circular
or elliptical figures. Clusters of round
curls are known as burl.
Characteristics: Heavy, hard, strong, tough,
stiff, close-grained and possesses a uniform
texture. Maple has excellent resistance to
abrasion and indentation, making it ideal
flooring as well as cutting boards and countertops.
Finishing: Takes stain satisfactorily and
polishes well.
Oak
The oaks-red and white-are the most abundant
U.S. hardwood species. It would be difficult
to name a wood with a longer and more illustrious
history in furnishings and interior design.
Oak was a favorite of early English craftsmen
and a prized material for American Colonists.
White oak is just one of 86 oak species native
to this country, but it is the classic oak
of America. Although prevalent throughout
the eastern half of the United States, from
Maine to Texas, white oak lumber comes chiefly
from the South, South Atlantic and Central
States, including the southern Appalachians.
Red oak grows only in North America and is
found further north than any other oak species.
A big, slow growing tree, red oak takes 20
years to mature and lives an average of 300
years.
Color: White Oak- ranges from nearly white
sapwood to a darker gray brown heartwood,
Red Oak-ranges from nearly white cream color
to a beautiful warm, pale brown heartwood,
tinted with red.
Grain: The grain is distinguished by rays,
which reflect light and add to its attractiveness.
Depending on the way the logs are sawn into
timber (rift-cut, flat sliced, flat sawn,
rotary cut, quartered), many distinctive
and sought after patterns emerge: flake figures,
pin stripes, fine lines, leafy grains and
watery figures.
Characteristics: Heavy, very strong and very
hard, stiff, durable under exposure, great
wear-resistance, holds nails and screws well.
Uses: Flooring, furniture, cabinets, ships
and decorative woodwork.
Finishing: Oaks can be stained beautifully
with a wide range of finish tones.
Parawood
Parawood is A Native tree of the Amazon Region
of South America. Information about Parawood
can be traced back to Christopher Columbus.
It was during his second visit to South America,
that he wondered at the heavy black ball
the natives were using in games. This black
ball was made from the vegetable gum of the
Parawood tree. Later historians would also
marvel at this substance, which bounced so
much when thrown to the ground it appeared
to be alive. In the 19th century an Englishman
named Henry Wickham transported some seeds
to England for germination. The seeds germinated
and these small seedlings were then transported
to the Malay Peninsula for planting; there
to start the Great Rubber Plantations of
Malaysia. After 25 to 30 years of latex production,
tapped in the same manner syrup is tapped
from the Maple trees, the tree ceases to
produce sufficient quantities of latex. The
tree is cut for processing in the manufacture
of fine furniture and a new tree is planted
in its place.
Color: Pale yellow.
Grain: Open grain similar to mahogany.
Characteristics: A very hard wood.
Finishing: Takes a very even stain.
Pine (Radiata)
Radiata Pine is a plantation-grown wood from
South America and New Zealand that is harder
than other pines and has fewer knots.
Color: Pale cream color.
Grain: Has a distinctive grain pattern.
Finishing: Takes most finishes well.
Pine (Southern Yellow)
Southern Yellow Pine is actually a species
group that is made up of primarily four trees:
loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), long leaf pine
(Pinus palustris), shortleaf pine (Pinus
echinata) and slash pine (Pinus eliottii)
Loblolly Pine is the most important and predominant
of the four. It grows throughout the Atlantic
Coastal Plain, often in commercial stands,
from Maryland south through all the Carolinas
and Georgia into Florida, and westward to
East Texas. It is classified as a hard pine
and is harder than white pine.
Color: Warm pale yellow with brown knots.
Grain: Distinctive light and dark grain pattern.
Finishing: Pine takes most finishes well.
With some stains, a sealer helps prepare
the wood to achieve a more even look.
Pine (White)
Found in the uplands of Newfoundland, Ontario
and Manitoba in Canada, south throughout
New England and the Great Lakes Region to
South Carolina White Pine is the state tree
of Maine and Michigan. A very large tree
with relatively few horizontal big limbs,
the Eastern white pine is one of the tallest
timber trees in the Northeast.
Color: white to pale yellow with a reddish
tinge. It darkens with age and air exposure,
eventually turning to a deep orange color.
Grain: The wood is light, soft, straight
grained and with very uniform texture.
Characteristics: It works very well and is
easily shaped with hand and power tools.
This wood accepts many types of glue well,
making for tight bonding.
Finishing: Pine takes most finishes well.
With some stains, a sealer helps prepare
the wood to achieve a more even look.
Poplar
Also known as yellow poplar, tulip poplar,
tulipwood and hickory poplar -poplar trees
grow taller than any other U.S. hardwood
species. The yellow poplar grows quickly
into a tall straight tree. It is found alone
in open, rich, moist soil. Because of its
fast maturity the lumber from poplar is lightweight
and soft for a hardwood. But it is strong,
durable and seasons well resisting warping
once it is dried. Because the trunk has no
limbs or branches, except at the very top,
the wood has no knots.
Color: White to yellowish cast, sometimes
with slightly greenish cast and occasionally
with dark purplish streaks.
Grain:. It is straight grained and evenly
textured.
Characteristics: Comparatively uniform texture,
light to medium weight, excellent strength,
and stability. . It cuts and sands well,
keeps its' edge and resists splitting.
Finishing: The wood stains well and can easily
be made to resemble walnut or maple. Because
it takes paint exceptionally well, it is
often painted.
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