Materials for Joinery Projects
Listed below are some of the materials that we use in our joinery projects. Each wood has certain characteristics that are listed. Note: Colours are only approximations and will look different depending on monitors and settings.
European Oak
Strengths: Strong, firm and durable with a distinctive grain
Type: Temperate hardwood
Colour: Light brown, with a golden hue
Texture: Coarse. Soft tissue can be worn away with a wire brush or by sandblasting for special effects
Grain: Can be very waxy
Idigbo
Strengths: Economical for a hardwood and durable
Type: Tropical hardwood
Colour: Pale yellow-brown
Texture: Coarse
Grain: Straight but occasionally interlocking
Sapele
Strengths: Inexpensive, Consistent.
Type: Tropical Hardwood
Colour: Medium red-brown
Texture: Fine to medium
Grain: Fairly straight
Douglas Fir
Strengths: Uniform texture
Type: Temperate softwood
Colour: Pale yellowy beige contrasting with reddish orange latewood lines
Texture: Neither fine nor coarse, but uniform and relatively easy to work with
Grain: Straight with some wavy grain
Utile
Strengths: Hard and stable, alternative to mahogany
Type: Tropical hardwood
Colour: Varying bands of pale and medium reddish brown that darken with age to a more consistent colour
Texture: Medium to coarse, but relatively even
Grain: Straight, but can also be interlocking
Maple (Sugar Maple)
Strengths: Hard, Strong and Heavy
Type: Temperate Hardwood
Colour: Pale, darkening towards the heart and with distinct red-brown latewood lines
Texture: Even and fine
Grain: Straight to wavy
Beech
Strengths: Consistent grain and texture, easy to use
Type: Temperate hardwood
Colour: Light brown with pinkish due
Texture: Consistent and close grained, very smooth when sanded
Grain: Straight and free of defects
Ash (European Ash)
Strengths: Strong with excellent bending qualities
Type: Temperate hardwood
Colour: White
Texture: Coarse and open grained, but takes a sharp edge
Grain: Straight