All Inclusive Guide to Wood Classifications and Species (Part 3)
A Look at 7 Common Species of Lumber
No matter the characteristics or color you’re looking for, chances are you can find a particular species to meet your needs. Whether you’re looking for white to golden, every shade of brown and grey, black or zebra striped, green or yellow, purple or orange, lots of shades of red to different multi-colors…you will be able to find a species of hardwood to meet your needs. I will briefly look into a few common species of lumber which I use including: Oak, Pecan, Cherry, Maple, Mahogany, Walnut, and Mesquite. Often times there are many scientific subspecies to any overall categorization of one name, such as Mahogany, however I will only be giving the general overview of each as you may find in a lumberyard.
1) Oak has a light to medium brown coloration with Red Oak having a slight red hue. For me Oak sets the standard for domestic lumber density and hardness, sitting slightly above Cherry and Walnut, but below Maple. Oak is easy to work with and reminds me heavily of 18th century furniture. Oak can be easily identified by its color and open pores.
2) Pecan has similar light to medium brown coloration as Oak although generally has more color and figure setting it apart. Pecan is a very dense wood, doubling the hardness of Cherry. Pecan is a little bit more difficult to work with due to its hardness and likelihood to tear out. I like to choose Pecan when I’m looking for a depth of color figurations or its sheer strength. Pecan, being in the hickory family, is commonly used for tool handles such as axes.
3) Cherry has a beautiful light pinkish-brown to medium reddish-brown coloration. The softest of the hardwoods listed here, slightly under Walnut. With Oak, Cherry is what comes to mind when I picture historic American furniture. Cherry is well known for its color transformation, although all woods will eventually age their color at least slightly over time. With time Cherry will normally age to a deep dark red. It can be a common mistake to stain Cherry darker, hoping for a desired finish at first, only to find the coloration is amplified by the Cherry’s natural process over the years.
4) Maple has an iconic white to cream coloration. It is in Maple that you will normally find figurations such as; Birds’ eye, Curly and Spalting. Maple sits a tad above Oak in terms of hardness and is quite workable with both hand and machine tools. Maple is known for being difficult to stain as it can become “splotchy” in areas without warning. Maple is commonly used in baseball bats and bowling alleys.
5) Mahogany’s coloration ranges greatly from very pale pink to a deeper reddish-brown. Mahogany is slightly harder than Cherry. The Mahogany species can be heavily debated within the woodworking community on the list of differing subspecies which are included within the categorization. I enjoy Mahogany for the ribbon-stripe appearance you can achieve on quarter sawn lumber. This effect is amplified when finished with natural oils and as you move your perspective from side to side. I have described this ribbon effect as a vehicle with iridescent paint traveling passed. This effect also makes the lumber more difficult to work as the grain continues to switch directions.
6) Walnut’s coloration can range from shades of grey to pale brown and chocolate brown. Walnut can also easily be found with stripes and streaks of purple and cream. Walnut is the same hardness as Mahogany and also seems to be one of the more popular choices today when it comes to woodworking.
7) Mesquite is by far my favorite wood due to its deep vibrant color and wild grain patterns. Coloration can range from light reddish-brown (not far from a semi-dark cherry) to a very dark brown. Mesquite also darkens with age. Mesquite’s sap wood is a yellowish-pale color often containing old insect holes. Mesquite is extremely dense at almost twice the hardness of Oak. It can be difficult to find solid Mesquite without knots, defect, cracks and voids. Mesquite can be difficult to work with due to its wild grain patterns, extreme hardness and often defects. Mesquite can easily be identified due to its grain pattern, often looking “hairy” with short wisps of grain on its face and edges.
Stay tuned for the rest of the series!