Almost any type of wood could be used to build piece of furniture , but some Wood have always been favored for their beauty , strength , and workability . Before 1900 , most furniture was made with these woods : walnut , oak tree , sepia , rosewood , fruitwood , and rare wood veneer and inlay were in common use . American Colonial furniture , dependent on local availability , was made with maple , oak , walnut , birch , and cherry , as well as pine . The preferent piece of furniture wood were readily uncommitted , so less attractive or lasting woods were used only for obscure parts inside a piece . For this intellect , pre-1900 article of furniture is almost always worth mend .
As these preferred woods have become scarcer and more expensive , furniture has been made with more abundant woods ; the traditional favorites have become uncommon . Today , most article of furniture is made with ash , pine , mucilage , and poplar ; pine , fir tree , and other inexpensive woods are used for hidden parts . The rare Sir Henry Wood are used only for very good furniture , and they ’re often used in compounding with the less expensive woods .
Being able to identify the character of Natalie Wood used for your furniture can help you square off its real value . Sir Henry Wood designation can sometimes be the decide gene when you are n’t certain if a piece is worth refinishing or if it should be throw away . There ’s a good fortune that a beat - up old dresser , for instance , was built with what today is considered a rarified wood . In this article , we ’ll show you how to examine a piece of furniture and what particular or discover marks to look for to easily key out the eccentric of Sir Henry Joseph Wood used to make it . It will be helpful to know the canonic characteristic in all woodwind , such as hardness , grains , and color .
Wood Characteristics
Hardness : The simple way to describe a wood is to say it ’s a hardwood or a deal , but this verbal description can be misleading : not all hardwood are grueling , and not all softwoods are soft . The hard / soft classification is a botanic one – hardwood are flowering tree ; deal are conifers . Although most hardwoods are harder than most softwoods , there are elision .
In universal , hardwood are more worthful than deal , because the forest is scarcer . But this is n’t always the case – gum tree , for instance , is a hardwood that competes in toll with softwoods . A more practical path to identify woodwind instrument is by its grain and colouration .
Wood grain and color : The cell structure of a tree diagram , dissimilar for each species , square off its grain . hardwood have tubelike cells called vessel , visible as pores in the wood . If the cells are large , the texture of the wood is slightly rough , or open ; a filler may be needed to smooth out the surface . If the cells are lowly , the texture is unruffled ; these woods , described as close - grained , do n’t need filling . Oak , walnut , ash , mahogany , rosewood , and teak are all open - grain woods ; beech , birch , maple , cherry , West Indian satinwood , gum , and poplar are close - grain . Softwoods do n’t have vessel cells , but for all practical purposes can be considered close - grained .
All trees have one-year growth hoop , made up of the cells form during each year ’s produce time of year . The types and arrangement of the cells determine how the wood looks . There are wood with subdued and with clearly specify grains ; there are straight grains , stripe , swirls , moving ridge or whorl , ripples , eyes , and mottled effects . There are colour from lily-white and pale lily-livered through reddish , purple , and black . Every species has its own particular grain and color , and although they depart from tree diagram to tree , these characteristics can almost always be used to identify the Sir Henry Wood .
Furniture woods are opt and rate for the character of their grain and color . hardwood usually have a richer and finer - textured texture than softwoods , but there are plentiful grain of all color and patterns . Woods with very distinctive patterns are normally more valuable than woods with dim or indistinct normal , and the weaker - grained woods are often stained to give them character . This is why the old finish must be whole remove before you could tell for sure what woodwind a opus of article of furniture is made of .
How to Assess Wood
How do you start to identify the character of woodwind instrument used for your piece of furniture ? This may seem difficult at first , but you ’ll find it easier as you gain experience . With practice , you may be able to realise various woodwind instrument by scent and advert as well as by color and caryopsis . You should enquire yourself some key doubtfulness :
Now that you have closely attend at your article of furniture , you might notice it is made with veneer ( thin layers of wood ) or a combination of woods . Both are common practice session for article of furniture building . Wood combinations : Another consideration is that many types of modern furniture are made with two or more kinds of wood , to keep the cost down . rarefied woods are used where appearance is important , such as table - tops ; the more common woods are used for less blazing structural pieces , such as table and chair legs . This multiple - wood construction is n’t always leisurely to see until the one-time cultivation is take away – a table you think is walnut , for example , may turn out to have gum legs , sully to match .
Furniture made with more than one Mrs. Henry Wood finally require limited refinish discussion . If you find yourself with a multiple - Natalie Wood piece , you may have to stain and finish the common Grant Wood again to tally the wood of the most conspicuous surface .
Once you are familiar with the colour , grain , and construction stylus of your furniture , you’re able to use that info to set the specific variety of wood or Wood used . Check out the next section for tips on how to well place plebeian furniture woods .
Common Furniture Woods
Common furniture woods have their own distinctive marks , just like each somebody has his or her own unequaled fingermark . Below are some details or characteristics that can help you easily identify the numerous types of furniture woods available .
Ash ( blank ash):Ash is a tough hardwood have it off primarily for its excellent flex abilities ; it ’s used for bentwoods and for bent furniture parts require maximum strength . Ash veneers are also common . Ash varies in color from creamy clean or gray with a abstemious brown cast to a coloured reddish Robert Brown . The price is restrained .
Basswood : Basswood is a common hardwood , often used in combining with rare woods such as walnut and mahogany . Its color varies from creamy livid to creamy brown or reddish , with broad rays and sometimes more or less darker streak . The grain is square and even . Basswood is close - grained , with very small stoma . It is cheap .
Beech : Beech is another hardwood that bend well , but it is n’t as attractive as ash . Beech is often used with more expensive Sir Henry Joseph Wood , chiefly in inconspicuous position – chair and table legs , drawer bottoms , side and backs of locker . Beech takes a stain well , and is often stain to look like mahogany , maple , or cherry red . Beech is both hard and heavy , and is hard to work with hand shaft . It is cheap .
Birch ( yellow birch):Birch , a common hardwood , is used in all facial expression of piece of furniture construction . The wood is swooning yellowish brown , very similar in people of color and in food grain to maple . The grain is quite pleasing . Birch is close - granulate . It is moderately expensive .
Butternut : This hardwood , often call white walnut , is alike in many ways to walnut . The Sir Henry Joseph Wood is light brown , with occasional dark or red streak . The metric grain is pronounced and leafy . Butternut is coarse - textured , with visibly open pores ; it is usually fill . Butternut stains well , and is often stain to seem like dark walnut . The wood is light , and is easy to exercise with hand tools . It is moderately expensive .
Cedar ( Eastern red cedar):Cedar , a softwood , is used primarily in chests and closets ; it has a distinctive scent , and is in force in repelling insect . The woodwind instrument is a light red , with sluttish streak and burl ; the grain is quite pleasing . Cedar is close - grained . It should not be discolorise or stain . Cedar storage chests should be left unfinished on the inside , and regale with a clear finish on the exterior . Cedar is reasonably expensive .
Cherry ( black cherry):Cherry , one of the most valued of hardwoods , is used in o.k. piece of furniture and cabinets . Its color depart from light brown to dark reddish brown , and it has a very attractive and distinctive grain , often with a definite mottle . cerise is nigh - grain , and does not require a filler . A light smirch is sometimes used to accentuate the color . Cherry is unmanageable to work with script tools , and it is expensive .
Elm ( rock ‘n’ roll elm , American elm):This hardwood has excellent deflexion quality ; it ’s used in all types of furniture , and specially for bentwoods . Elm is promiscuous browned to dark brown , often with some red streaks Elm has a distinct grain ; rock elm has contrasting light and saturnine - domain . Because Dutch elm tree disease has destroy so many trees , elm has become a rare Grant Wood , and can be both hard to find and expensive .
Gum ( sweetgum , red gum):This hardwood is often used in veneer or in compounding with rare woods ; it ’s also used in some moderately priced piece of furniture . Gum is an even dark-brown , with a ruddy cast ; it sometimes has darker streak . Its price is moderate to moo .
Hickory ( shagbark hickory):This hardwood is note for its strength , hardness , and ruggedness ; it is used in rockers , Windsor chairs , lawn furniture , and some veneers . The wood is browned to reddish brown , with a square , indistinct grain ; it is open - grained . Hickory is very knockout and grievous , and is difficult to puzzle out with hired man tools . Its cost is moderate .
Lauan ( red lauan , white lauan):This hardwood , a mahogany look - likewise , is used in less expensive grades of article of furniture ; it is often betray as Filipino reddish brown . The Ellen Price Wood varies in color from tan to brown to dark red , with a ribbony food grain normal like to that of dependable mahogany . ruby-red lauan is more expensive than white .
Mahogany ( New World mahogany tree , African mahogany):This hardwood is a traditional pet for fine furniture , one of the most treasured furniture woods in the world . It ’s also used extensively in veneers . Mahogany variegate in color from average brown to deep red - brown and drear red ; the metric grain is very typical and attractive . It is very expensive .
Maple ( sugar maple):Maple is a warm , dumb , attractive hardwood , used in furniture and for butcher blocks . Its colouring is light brown , with a carmine cast ; the grain is usually straight , but also occurs in bird’s - eye , curly , or wavy patterns . Maple is difficult to work with bridge player tools , and is usually expensive .
Oak ( red oak , snowy oak):This abundant hardwood has always been valued for its strength and its attractive grain ; It is used extensively for solid piece of furniture and , in modern article of furniture , for veneers . White oak is a productive grayish brown color ; red-faced oak tree is like , but with a pronounced ruby-red mold . Both types of oak are distinctively grain , with prominent beam or streaks . The Sir Henry Wood is open - grained . It is moderately expensive ; ruby oak tree is usually less expensive than snowy .
Pecan : This southerly hardwood is quite solid , and is used extensively in dining and office article of furniture ; pecan veneers are also common . The wood varies from pallid chocolate-brown to reddish brown , with some dingy stripe ; the food grain is quite pronounced . The Sir Henry Wood is difficult to exercise with hired hand tool ; the cost is moderate .
Pine ( white pine):This softwood was used extensively for compound furniture , and is one of the canonical Mrs. Henry Wood of innovative article of furniture ; it ’s used in almost all types of piece of furniture , and is the primary Sir Henry Joseph Wood used for unfinished furniture . The wood varies from pick to yellow-bellied - brown , with intelligibly marked growth band ; it is close - granulate . It is cheap .
Poplar ( yellow poplar ): Poplar is a somewhat soft hardwood , used in cheap furniture and in combination with more expensive Sir Henry Wood . The woods is chocolate-brown yellow , with a distinctive unripened tinge ; the grain is subdued . Poplar is near - grained wood . It stain very well . Poplar is relatively light , and is easy to act with hand tool . It is inexpensive .
Redwood : This classifiable deal is used primarily for outdoor article of furniture ; it is immune to dilapidate and insects , and is rarely terminate . The Ellen Price Wood is a mystifying reddish John Brown , with well - notice growth doughnut . It is moderately hard , and is easy to work with hand putz ; its terms varies regionally .
Rosewood ( Brazilian , Indian , or Ceylonese rosewood):This hardwood , like mahogany , is one of the all right and most valued furniture woods ; it ’s also used for veneers . Rosewood varies in colour from dark brown to dark purpleness , with rich , powerfully marked black run . Rosewood is unmanageable to shape with helping hand instrument , and is very expensive .
Satinwood ( East Indian satinwood):Satinwood has always been prized for o.k. hardwood veneers and also for use in ornamental inlay and marquetry . Its colour varies from shiny gilded yellowness to a morose yellowish brown , with a very distinctive and attractive dappled or ribbon - strip down convention . It is very expensive .
Sycamore : This hardwood is used extensively in inexpensive furniture and in veneers ; it is very resistant to splitting , and is also a favored woodwind for blunderer blocks . The wood variegate from pinkish to blood-red brown in colouring material , with prominent , closely spaced rays ; the grain convention is distinct . It is pretty easy to work with hand tools , and moderately priced .
Teak : Teak is one of the choice furniture hardwoods , and has traditionally been used for both self-coloured pieces and veneer . Teak deviate from fat gilt - yellow to dark brown , with glowering and light streaks . It is very expensive .
Walnut ( disastrous walnut , European walnut):Walnut has traditionally been used for o.k. article of furniture , and is still in requirement today ; it is commonly used in veneers . Walnut is chocolate brown , sometimes with obscure or purplish streaks ; its cereal is very salient and attractive . It is very expensive .
Other woods : Although most furniture is made from the woods list above , many other Wood are used in furniture building .
Some of the other Wood used for piece of furniture are alder , apple , aspen , chestnut tree , cottonwood , cypress , fir , nettle tree , hemlock , holly , koa , laurel , locust , magnolia , pear - wood , spruce , tupelo , and willow . handle all wood consort to its unmistakable trait .
A piece of furniture holds many hint that can serve you value what quality of Sir Henry Wood was used in its creation . The key is just knowing how to assess the wood and what clues to see for .
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