Bleaches in
Woodworking
Picking Your Finish
Purpleheart's Purple
How To Apply A Wood Finish
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Alder |
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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. |
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White Ash |
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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. |
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Beech |
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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.
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Birch |
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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. |
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Bubinga |
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Cherry |
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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.
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Leopardwood |
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Maple |
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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.
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Mahogany |
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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.
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Red Oak |
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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.
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Rosewood |
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Teak |
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Black Walnut |
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White Oak |
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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.
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Zebrawood |
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