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Home , Aspen, Beech, Birch, Cabinetry, Fagus grandifolia, Framing (construction)

, can be seasoned satisfactorily by air drying or drying. The occurrence of "wet pockets" or "wetwood" in some may require special attention during drying. The wood has low -withdrawal resistance guide but has little tendency to split under the action of nails or . –and some softwods–continue to be It's easily worked and fairly easy to one of the prime components in , cabinet, and finish to a smooth surface. Aspen woodwork . What follows are general uses glues easily with a variety of glues and working and drying characteristic of the most frequently and under a wide range of gluing conditions. It ranks among the used species, including several tropical hardwoods. best hardwoods in properties.

BASIC MATERIALS () Range –The natural range of beech in the U. S. extends from By R. Sidney Boone, Donna grained, stiff, strong, and hard. to northern and Christensen, and Debra Squire White ash is superior to other ash westward from the coast species in these qualities. Ash also into , Missouri, and HARDWOODS has good bending properties, high . shock resistance, and it wears Uses –Beech is used in the Ash () smooth in use. manufacture of furniture, Range –Of the 65 species of Characteristics –White ash especially ; veneer, kitchen and called ash, shrinks moderately but can be kiln cabinets; and architectural six-white, pumpkin, blue, black, dried rapidly and satisfactorily. woodwork. Its ability to maintain , and ash–are Ash commonly is dried from the curvature after bending has led to commercially important for green condition in the kiln and increasing use for curved lumber and other wood products. requires 10-15 days for 1-inch parts. White ash grows throughout lumber. It machines well, is better Characteristics –The wood is almost the entire wooded area of than average in nail- and hard, strong, and machines well. the U. S. east of the Great Plains, -holding strength, and is Because its physical and except the Gulf and South intermediate for gluing, Other ash mechanical properties are so Atlantic coasts, and in southern species have lower strength balanced, it rates highly for nearly Ontario and . Green ash properties than white ash but still all wood- processes. It has practically the same compare favorably with other also has no characteristic taste or geographic distribution except that native hardwoods. These species odor, making it suitable for it also grows along the coast, also split easier shrink more, are woodenware, , and follows the tributaries of the average in workability, and novelties. It shrinks substantially River westward across perform somewhat less favorable during seasoning and requires the , and extends farther than white ash when exposed to maximum care to avoid checks, northward in . Black ash extreme cycles of moisture warping, and discoloration. It's grows along the Great Lakes and content. typically kiln dried from the green St. Lawrence River from New condition to minimize these westward to Aspen () problems. This requires 12- 15 days and northeastern . Range –Aspen grows throughout for 1-inch lumber. Uses –The principal use of ash most of the northeastern and is in furniture, interior parts of western U.S. Commercial stands (Betual) upholstered furniture, kitchen are located principally in the Lake Range – birch grows in cabinets, and architectural trim States and the Northeast; smaller the Lake States, , and . Ash is straight amounts are found in the central , , Rocky Mountain region. Pennsylvania, and along the R. Sidney Boone is a products Uses –Once considered a weed into technologist, Donna Christensen a , aspen is now used for a wide southern . It reaches its botanist, and Debra Squire a public variety of exposed furniture parts best development near the affairs specialist with the U.S. and interior parts of upholstered Canadian border. Sweet birch Department of Forest furniture. grows in New England, New York, Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Characteristics –A lightweight New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and Madison, WI.

FURNITURE DESIGN & MANUFACTURING/DECEMBER 1988 extends southward along the prized furniture wood and brings exception of bigleaf , which Appalachian Mountains to high prices in veneer log form. It's grows on the West Coast. The northern Georgia and Alabama. increasingly popular in kitchen wood of is often divided birch has a transcontinental cabinets and is often used in into two classes-hardmaple and range extending throughout architectural trim, paneling, and soft maple. Hard maple includes Canada to . In the U.S., it cabinetry. maple and black maple. Soft occurs eastward from the Lake Characteristics –Black cherry is maple is made up largely of States to New York and New relatively easy to dry, requiring maple and maple with a very England. 10-14 days to kiln dry I-inch small proportion of boxelder. Uses –Yellow birch is one of lumber from green to 6 percent Bigleaf maple is used as such in the principal furniture in moisture content. It stays in place the regions where it grows. the U.S. because of its good well after seasoning and is Uses –Maple is a consistently machining and comparatively free from checking popular wood for furniture and properties, , pleasing and warping. It's easily machined, cabinetry. As much as 90 percent figure. and attractive color. Sweet can be sawed cleanly, turns well, of the maple lumber produced is birch lumber and veneer also are and planes excellently with further manufactured into a used in furniture. Both species are standard angles. variety of products such as also used in kitchen cabinets and Screw-holding ability is good. furniture, kitchen cabinets, architectural trim, paneling, and Gluing also is good except when architectural woodwork, and cabinetry. Much paper birch is gum streaks are present. The wood . used for specialty veneer products has sufficient hardness to allow it Characteristics –Maple is heavy, such as toothpicks and tongue to take hard use and withstand strong, stiff, and hard; has a high depressors. knocks without marring. resistance to shock; and ranks high Characteristics –The wood of in nail-holding ability. The wood yellow and sweet birch is relatively Black ( nigra) turns well on a and is heavy, hard, and strong and has Range –Black walnut grows markedly resistant to wear. high shock resistance. Although naturally over a large area It takes stain satisfactorily and is the wood is difficult to work with extending from westward capable of a high polish. In ease of handtools, it can be readily shaped to Nebraska and southward to gluing, it has an intermediate rank. by machine and ranks high in southern Georgia and southern The wood of soft maples is not as nail-withdrawal resistance. Sweet Texas. The area of greatest heavy, as hard, or as strong as that birch ranks slightly above yellow commercial production is limited of the hard maples. Kiln drying birch in most strength properties. to the central part of this natural 1-inch soft maple lumber from The wood of paper birch is range. green to 6 percent moisture considerably lighter than the other Uses –Furniture is the content requires 7- 13 days and two and ranks below them outstanding use of black walnut, 11 - 15 days for hard maple. in hardness, strength, and stiffness. with gunstocks, kitchen cabinets, All birches shrink considerably and architectural woodwork also (Quercus) during drying. Yellow birch must using large amounts. Range –Oak species are found be seasoned carefully to prevent Characteristics –The wood is throughout the U.S. Commercial checking and warping. Eleven to hard, strong, and stiff and has stands generally grow east of the 15 days are required to dry 1-inch good shock resistance. Black Great Plains. are grouped as lumber from the green condition walnut works easily with handtools white oaks or red oaks. to 6 percent moisture content. and has excellent machining Uses –Both red and white oak Because yellow and sweet birch are properties. It finishes beautifully are used extensively for furniture difficult to glue, special veneer and with a handsome grain pattern. It and flooring. Oak is the most treatments are usually takes and holds and stains popular wood for kitchen cabinets required to obtain the best results. exceptionally well, can be readily and is widely used in architectural They're glued more easily with polished, and can be satisfactorily trim, paneling, and cabinetry. synthetic- glues than with glued. The wood can be Characteristics –Oak is hard, natural glues. satisfactorily kilndried or air-dried stiff, strong, and shock resistant. and holds its shape well after It’s above average in all machining Black cherry ( serotina) seasoning. Kiln drying 1-inch properties except shaping. The Range –Black cherry is found lumber from green to 6 percent wood undergoes large shrinkage principally throughout the eastern moisture content requires 10-16 while drying: seasoning must be half of the U. S. but grows in days. done carefully to avoid checking significant commercial quantities and warping. Historically, oak only in the northern Allegheny Maple (Acer) lumber is air dried for 60-90 days, Mountains. Range –Commercial maples then dried in a kiln for 5-10 days. Uses –Cherry wood is reddish grow throughout the eastern U. S. A more recent trend is to use and takes a lustrous finish. It’s a and southeastern Canada, with the predryers–large, low-temperature, warehouse-type dryers-to dry for furniture have resulted in screw-holding ability. The from green to about 25 percent greater interest. Nonstructural heartwood requires special moisture content, then finish lumber is the major use of red treatment before gluing can be drying in a kiln for 7-14 days to a ; most of the lumber is used done with best results. 6 percent moisture content. to produce furniture, kitchen cabinets, and . In furniture Yellow-poplar ( / (Carya) and cabinets, red alder is used tulipifera) Range –Pecan and both as case and or as Range –Yellow-poplar occurs true hickories are similar in for upholstered pieces. over most of the eastern U.S. The distribution and wood Characteristics –The wood of most extensive stands grow on the characteristics. Once the wood is red alder is moderately light and mountain slopes and plateaus of processed into lumber, it cannot soft. Its physical and mechanical , Virginia, North be distinguished by species based properties are comparable to those Carolina, , Kentucky, on physical appearance alone. True of other species such as aspen and and Georgia, and in the lower hickories, as a group, occur from butternut. It's rated low in shock Ohio River basin. central Maine and Ontario south resistance, however. Because of its Uses – Lumber is by far the through the eastern U. S. to uniform texture, red alder is largest use of yellow-poplar. In . Pecan grows from excellent for and polishing secondary manufacturing, lumber northern Indiana south to the Gulf and takes glue, , and stain is cut mostly for furniture, frame coast of Louisiana and Texas and well. When properly seasoned, the parts, dimension stock, cabinet from western Tennessee and wood is fairly stable in all parts, and millwork. Yellow- western Alabama west to eastern dimensions and surface checking is poplar is well suited to Kansas and central Texas. uncommon. Both conventional manu facturing veneer. Yellow- Uses –The main use of pecan temperature and high temperature poplar is used for and hickory today is in furniture, dry kiln schedules are used for furniture and shipping containers. both in the form of lumber and drying. Final color can be Characteristics –Among the veneer. It's also found in kitchen controlled to give a honey- commercially important U.S. cabinets and architectural trim, or lighter color to the dried hardwoods, yellow-poplar wood paneling, and cabinetry. lumber. ranks in the lower one-third of Characteristics –The wood of bending strength, toughness, and the pecan hickories is rated as Sweetgum (Liquidambar impact resistance. But it also has strong, still, very hard, heavy, and styraciflua) the reputation of being one of the wry high in shock resistance. It Range –Sweetgum occurs easiest of all hardwoods to work rates below the wood of the true naturally in the southeastern U.S. with hand and machine . It hickories but somewhat above and in Mexico, Guatemala, , planes well and has good turning white oak, sugar maple, and white , El Salvador, and and boring qualities. The wood is ash in strength and other . about average in mortising and in mechanical properties. Pecan and Uses –Sweetgum lumber is accepting nails and screws without hickory are difficult to work with remanufactured into furniture splitting. It rates poor in shaping machines. Hickory can be glued parts and fixtures. and sanding characteristics, satisfactorily, but requires close Furnituremaking also uses large however. control of gluing conditions to quantities of sweetgum plywood. Yellow-poplar is one of the obtain best results Lumber and Characteristics –Heartwood of easiest woods to bond with many veneer have good finishing this species is also known as types of over a wide qualities and have a warm, redgum and the sapwood as range of bonding conditions. It appealing appearance. Pecan and sapgum. Sapgum is much easier to accepts and holds paint well and is hickory may be considered dry than redgum, and if practical easily stained. The initial shrinkage moderately difficult to dry and to separate, should be kiln dried during seasoning is relatively large, require 7-15 days in the kiln to with a different schedule. Sapgum but the wood stays in place well dry 1-inch lumber from green to 6 can be dried in about half the time after drying. The lumber dries percent moisture content. required for redgum. quickly and with only minimal The wood of sweetgum is loss of quality in air seasoning Red alder () attractive, moderately heavy, yards, forced-air dryers, and dry Range – Red alder occurs from even-textured, and machines . One-inch lumber can be Southern to reasonably well. It's moderately dried from green to 6 percent southeastern Alaska and is hard and stiff. Compared to other moisture content in 6-10 days. generally found west of the southern hardwoods, sweetgum is Cascade and Sierra Nevada above average in turning, boring, Mountains. and steam-bending properties, and Uses – Recent increases in the intermediate for , shaping, value of red alder and in its use bending, splitting, and nail- and straight but frequently shows dimpling on the tangential surface. It resists splitting when nailed but Eastern redcedar (Juniperus is only average in nail-holding ability. Ponderosa virginiana) dries easily, either in dry kilns or by air seasoning, Range –Eastern redcedar is the and is moderately low in shrinkage. most widely distributed tree-sized in the eastern U.S.; it is White pine (Pinus) found in every state east of the Range – (Pinus monticola) 100th meridian. grows on western mountain ranges from southern Uses –Because of its aromatic British Columbia and southwestern to quality, the lumber is used for northern Idaho, northwestern , and eastern chests , and closet linings. Oregon to the southern end of the Sierra Nevada Characteristics – The wood is Mountains in California. Eastern white pine (Pinus fine, uniform, straight grain, and is strobus) grows from Newfoundland to Lake favored because of its exceptional Winnipeg in Canada and southward through the Lake cutting qualities, durability, rich States and New England and in the Appalachians as color, and aroma. The wood is far south as northern Georgia. moderately low in strength and Uses – Eastern white pine is more commonly used stiffness but high in shock for furniture, although some western white pine is resistance. It's moderate in used. Western white pine is often used for colonial hardness but still highly workable. period furniture reproductions. The wood splits easily, holds nails Characteristics –The wood of eastern and western reasonably well, and has excellent white pine have similar characteristics. Both are gluing characteristics. moderately soft, straight-grained, light woods that are Because of its natural beauty, moderately low in shock resistance. They work easily most manufacturers merely apply with tools, are easy to glue, and hold paint very well. a clear finish, which enhances the They don't split readily when nailed, but have only color and retards darkening. It medium nail-holding ability. They're fairly easy to shrinks very little during drying dry, shrink moderately, and stay in place well when and isn't greatly affected by properly dried. The occurrence of "wet pockets" or changes in atmospheric moisture. "wetwood" in some lumber may require special One-inch lumber requires 6-8 days attention during drying. to kiln dry from green to 6 percent moisture content. IMPORTED WOODS Banak (Virola) Ponderosa pine (Pinus Range –Banak is found in Central and South ponderosa) America from Belize and Guatemala southward to Range –Ponderosa pine is the Venezuela, the Guianas, and , and on the most widely distributed pine in Pacific coast to and Bolivia. , extending from Uses –Banak is used in veneer and furniture British Columbia into Mexico and components. from the Pacific coast to Nebraska. Characteristics –The wood works easily with both Uses –Ponderosa pine is the hand and machine tools and produces a good finish. principal millwork species and is Banak glues well and cuts well into veneers. It's used for framing, sashes, generally reported to be moderately difficult to season , moulding, shelving, and with a strong tendency to warp and check as well as paneling. It's well suited for collapse and honeycomb. Thick stock is slow to dry. furniture, kitchen cabinets, and architectural woodwork if hardness (Khaya) or high strength are not required. Range –Khaya or African includes Characteristics – The wood is several species that grow in tropical west . comparatively light in weight, soft, Distribution varies with the species. moderately weak in bending, and Uses –Khaya is used in furniture and cabinets, moderately low in shock decorative veneer, and plywood. resistance. The grain is generally Characteristics –All species have good nailing and gluing properties. and K. senegalensis have good working properties with hand and machine tools. They dry rather slowly but fairly well with little checking or warp. However K. ivorensis and K. anthotheca tend to wooliness and torn grain. These species dry rapidly with Uses –Primavera is used in fine well. It needs to be dried slowly to little degrade. furniture, cabinets, decorative prevent checking. Indian veneers, and architectural also is moderately difficult to work Mahogany ( woodwork. with hand and machine tools macrophylla) Characteristics –The wood is because of its high but is Range –Mahogany or Honduras cream colored, yellowish-white to easier to dry. It glues well and mahogany occurs in southern pale yellowish-brown, often more takes an excellent finish. Mexico southward to , or less striped. It is easy to work in Venezuela, and parts of the upper all operations even though there (Hevea Amazon and its tributaries. may be considerable grain brasiliensis) Uses –The reddish brown color variation. It finishes smoothly and Range –The para rubber tree is of mahogany heartwood is popular acquires an attractive polish. It native to the Amazon Basin but is for furniture, cabinets, produces a good quality veneer. widely planted in Southeast architectural woodwork, and The wood is easy to air season, and West Africa for rubber decorative veneers. drying rapidly with no checking production. Characteristics –Mahogany is and only slight warp. Uses –In addition to its use for very easy to work with hand and furniture components, the wood of machine tools, is easy to finish, Ramin () the rubber tree can be used in and takes an excellent polish. It Range –Ramin is found in peat general , provided also slices and rotary cuts into fine swamp of particular care is used to control veneer. Torn and chipped grain is throughout parts of Sumatra, the stain and attack. common with figured material. west coast of , and the Characteristics –The timber is The wood can be air-seasoned and . reported to without difficulty kiln-dried easily without Uses –A general utility woad, and planes easily to a smooth appreciable warping or checking. ramin is used in furniture, surface. The wood tends to split in architectural woodwork, nailing but air dries rapidly. Warp Meranti () mouldings, and paneling. is severe unless stickers are closely Range –Meranti species are Characteristics –The wood is spaced and piles are weighted. grouped as dark red, light red, creamy-white to pale straw with a white, and yellow. They grow fairly fine and even texture. The ( grandis) primarily in Malaysia, , wood has an unpleasant odor Range –Teak is native to , and the Philippines. when freshly cut and this may Burma, , and Indochina. Uses –White meranti is return if dried wood becomes wet. It’s cultivated extensively in generally not used for furniture. It's easy to saw and machine, within its natural range The other meranti groups are used dresses smoothly, and glues and as well as in tropical areas of for furniture, cabinets, and finishes satisfactorily. The wood Africa and America. furniture components. has a marked tendency to split on Uses –Teak is used in furniture, Characteristics –Dark red, light nailing. The wood dries readily cabinets, paneling, and fixtures red, and yellow meranti work with little warp but with a marked requiring high resistance to acids. easily with hand and machine tendency to end splitting Characteristics –Teak is easily tools and have good gluing and and surface checking. worked with both hand and nailing properties. Light red and machine tools and dresses to a dark red take a good finish. Rosewood () very smooth finish if tools are kept However, white meranti is very Range –The three commercial sharp. It glues moderately well difficult to saw or machine due to species of rosewood come from despite its oily nature. It seasons the rapid dulling of cutters caused three parts of the world, Belize, slowly but with little or no by high silica content; Stellite- Brazil, and India. In all locations, degrade; large variations in drying tipped or carbide-tipped tools are their occurrence is scattered. rates are reported. suggested. Dark red is more Uses –In addition to use as difficult to dry than light red and decorative veneers, rosewood is white meranti. used in fine furniture, cabinets, For specific drying schedules by and musical instruments. species and product, refer to Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Primavera (Cybistax Characteristics –Honduras Woods-Temperate and Tropical, donnell-smithii) rosewood is moderately difficult to FPL-GTR-57, available from the Range –Primavera is found in saw and machine due to its USDA Forest Service, Forest southwestern Mexico, the Pacific hardness. It’s excellent for turning Products Laboratory, One Gifford coast of Guatemala and El and finishes well if not too oily. Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705. Salvador, and north central Brazilian rosewood has excellent Honduras. working properties and slices