Wood for furniture (2 hardwoods)
// November 9th, 2009 // wood
Hardwoods : in this category are harvested from trees that take a very long time to grow to maturity, in many cases as many as 200-300 years. Traditionally, the more popular hardwoods for woodworking include oak, beech, walnut and mahogany. Generally speaking, the hard woods have a much more beautiful character, pattern and grain formation, and are far more hardy than the softwoods. They are, therefore, a more popular choice for furniture making than softwoods.
American red oak: this wood is heavy, durable and very strong. It has similiar qualities to American white oak, but tends to be redder in colour and has a more interesting grain.
American white oak: Although similiar in appearance to other oak varieties, American white oak has a yellowish-red colour and a less attractive grain. What it loses in attractiveness, however, it gains in a reputation for toughness and durability.
Australian red cedar: Unlike other cedar varieties, this timber is a hardwood. It is slightly redder in colour than other cedars and has a grain very similiar in appearance to Oregon pine when finished. It is most commonly used for small cabinets and other furniture.
Beech : this is another popular furniture-making wood as it is light, strong and hard. The whiter the wood, the younger it is and the more popular for furniture making. Avoid using the darker or discoloured wood as this comes from much older trees and has the tendency to split quite easily. Beech has an excellent texture, making for easy planing, joining and finishing. It takes the bumps and scrapes of normal household use very well, and because of its smooth finish it is also a favourite choice for use in tool handles.
Elm : this attractive timber is often used for making large pieces of furniture. It is light red-brown in colour and some species, such as European elm, hace a beautiful figure and burl pattern.
Iroko : is generally golden-brown in colour, and has a pungent and irritating aroma when worked in machines. Similiar to teak in appearance and durability, but not as oily, iroko is a good choice for outdoor furniture.
Jelutong : This light-yellow timber is often used as substiture four South African yellowwood as its appearance and characteristics are very similiar, but it is a great deal less expensive. Although strong and durable, boards need to be selected carefully because they have a tendency to contain oval holes, as well as circular worm holes.
Mahogany : this is very beautiful timber with a red-brown colour and a distinctive grain. Most varieties are quite heavy in comparison to other woods, and they are strong and durable. Although it is a popular choice for furniture-making, and has been for many years.
Maple : there are many varieties of maple, but generally it has a very light-brown colour with an attractive grain that finishes well. It is a tough wood and versatile for all aspects of woodworking. One particularly pretty variety is bird’s-eyes maple, which has regular dark-brown marking that look like its name suggests. Bird’s-eye maple is often used for small-scale woodworking projects such as presentation boxes, and veneers.
Meranti : is very similar in many ways to mahogany, It is a plain but attractive straight-grained hardwood with a reddish colour. Because of its straight and event grain, meranti is most often used in the construction of door dan window frames and for skirting boards. when working this wood keep a pair of tweezers in your workshop as more splinters end up in fingers and hands from meranti than any other kind of timber.
Oak: this very beautiful hardwood is grown in many parts of the world and the type of oak you use will depend upon where you live. Oak is a popular choice for lounge and dining room furniture and tends to darken with age. It is an amazing strong wood which, in days gone by, was used in the construction of ships. Is was sawn into massive beams for the construction of houses .
Rosewood : there are many varieties of rosewood available. This species takes it name from the aroma of the wood-the underground section of canary rosewood is, in fact, used in the preparation of perfume. Rosewood has a dark-red to red-brown colour and finishes beautifully. It is used for showpieces of furniture, pianos, veneers and turned bowls.
Sapele (sapele mahogany) : this very grainy and coarse-textured wood is mainly used as a veneer on manufactured boards, and is popularly, used in this form from making pianos and other furniture. It is red-brown in colour, strong and durable, but has a rather dull appearance.
Sycamore : This is a beautiful wood when finished, if you can get it to the stage, as it does not take well to seasoning or to changes in climatic conditions. This wood is compact, has a fine grain and can be worked quite easily. It usualy has a light-cream to white colour, but tends to darken with age. Sycamore is commonly used for in the making of violins and general furniture, but beware of warping and shrinkage.
Teak : this straight-grained, heavy, but particularly durable wood has a greasy feel to it that is caused by its high out content. It is suitable for outdoor furniture, deck planks and shipbuilding, although the oiliness makes the use of wood glues a little tricky. Light-brown to burnt-gold in colour, its is a classically beautiful wood to work and gives a lovely finish, but it tends to be hard on blades.
Tulipwood : this beautifully striped, very hard wood, erroneously referred to as poplar, is a light red-brown in colour and finishes well. It is often used for turning and decorative purposes, but is not a common choice for pieces of furniture.
Walnut : is an exquisitely beautiful hardwood with a dark-brown, grey or red colour. This wood is a pleasure to work and a joy to see. Unfortunately, due to high demand, it is becoming quite expensive and is therefore only used for small project, for example in the production of high-quality gun stocks.
