We are immensely
lucky to work in infinitely variable and immensely
beautiful native and exotic hardwoods. One
of the joys of making furniture is working
these materials. Each timber has its own character.
Each board is different. Some species cut
under the chisel like hard cheese. Others
have all the hardness and resilience of mild
steel but without the coldness of touch, Cherrywood,
Pearwood, Elm, Ripple Sycamore, Olive Ash
are all materials that we enjoy working. We
have a stock here of exceptional timber that
we are reserving for our clients work. All
we need is the encouragement from a client
with vision and imagination. |
Western
red cedar
Thuja plicata
A real giant of a tree, available in wide
boards and very easy to work. The lovely
scent can remain in the wood especially
when used in confined spaces. Very durable
and much used for internal joinery. Especially
good for houses as it withstands almost
any climatic condition. |
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Alder
Alnus glutinosa
An unusual timber in that it has almost
no use in furniture-making due to its
wild nature on expose to air. |
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Sugar maple
Acer saccharum
This species comes from Canada and,
like most maples, is very versatile:
from furniture-making to fine letter
blocks for the printing trade, to tool
handles and billiard cues. It ages and
discolours less than sycamore and its
grain can be very wavy.
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Zebrano
Brachystegia fleuryana
This is often used as a detail in marquetary
but its initial lustre can fade when
exposed to too much ultraviolet light.
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Brazilian
mahogany
Swietenia macrophylla
Although this species is, without doubt,
the best available mahogany from any of
the exporting countries, we have an obligation
to our environment and the world conservation
principles to try to use mahoganies from
other sources where conservation is an
important factor. |
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Teak
Tectona grandis
A timber which exudes a natural oil
from its pores, enabling it to withstand
exceptional conditions. Very difficult
to de-grease for gluing purposes, but
still a joy to work despite its calcium
pockets and grit particles blunting
your tools
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Indian laurel
Terminalia tomentosa
A species that can resemble walnut to
a degree. It shows strong, generally
straight grain in solid form, but in
veneer form it can be very highly figured.
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European
lime
Tilia
vulgaris
One of only a very few woods, but arguably
the best, for carving. The world's greatest
carvings are generally in lime, which
is a real delight to work. Unfortunately
not really suitable for furniture. |
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Obeche
Triplochiton scleroxylon
This pale straw-coloured wood is useful
as a good stable base to incorporate
with other woods.
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British elm
Ulmus procera
When available this magnificent species
provides all that one could desire in
terms of durability, size, depth of
beauty and wonderfully exotic figure.
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Ramin
Gonystylus macrophyllum
Very open, featureless grain wood which
is difficult to cut to a crisp finish.
The splinters are poisonous and must
be removed from the skin immediately.
Used for door and window frames and
in the production of plywood.
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Lignum vitae
Guaiacum officinale
Another timber sold by weight and one
that sinks in water. It has an oily
texture which makes gluing difficult.
For making wooden bearings, or bowling
bowls, it is excellent, but it is not
suitable for furniture-making.
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American black
walnut
Juglans nigra
A beautiful wood, perhaps more in the
burr veneer form than in the slightly
plain solid form. Although mild and
easy to work it can prove less exciting
than its European counterpart. Regardless
of aesthetics, however, this is a magnificent
furniture-making wood.
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European walnut
Juglans regia
If one timber had to be chosen as ‘king
among kings', this would be it. Without
doubt, its ease of usage, colour, texture,
figure and sheer depth of beauty, combined
with stability and its vast range of
application, from turning to furniture,
make this one species which has to be
experienced.
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American whitewood
Liriodendron
tulipifera
Second rate in its use for furniture,
but excellent as a good stable sub-base,
or where painted furniture is required.
It machines easily and is excellent
for making jigs. It is confusingly called
tulipwood poplar, and some timber merchants
‘dress it up' by calling it tulipwood!
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Wenge
Millettia laurentii
When planed, changes in ultra-violet
light from straw colour to almost black.
Open pored but, with a good grain filler,
replaces rosewood admirably. Lacks figure
and very straight grained, but for small
areas such as turnings it has a wonderful
grain distinction.
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Balsa
wood
Ochroma lagopus
A confusing wood: the lightest wood
in the world and the softest, yet classified
as a hardwood! A marvellous timber for
model making and for containers requiring
buoyancy.
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Olive
Olea hochstetteri
A very stripy and powerful grain is
attributed to this dense species, mainly
from Kenya. It is often used in the
production of small decorative items
and burr olive is a real delight to
the eye.
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Plane (lacewood)
Platanus acerifolia
One of the few species which, when the
medullary rays are seen in the quartered
board, changes its name from plane to
lacewood. The tree is predominant in
many cities and is distinguished by
its forever peeling bark. A good furniture
wood has great subtlety.
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English cherry
Prunus avium
Often a difficult timber to obtain.
It can be difficult to plane without
breakout, especially on the quartered
boards, but equally it is worth persevering
as the close grain can polish beautifully.
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American cherry
Prunus serotina
Difficult to obtain the best quality
outside the USA as it is rarely exported.
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Muninga
Pterocarpus angolensis
Not always easy to obtain but freely
available in southern Africa. It is
very versatile wood and has the advantage
of being resistant to decay.
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Padauk
Pterocarpus dalbergiodes
Not too dissimilar to muninga. It is
difficult to work due to its interlocked
surface, but if you persevere your reward
will be a beautiful rich, deep red timber
with dark streaks dancing over the surface.
Beware of this colour fading somewhat
when exposed to ultraviolet light.
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American white
oak
Quercus alba
This oak is regarded by many as adequate
in that it is durable and tough, has
good sectional sizes and length, but
is prone to having sapwood included
in sawn boards. It is, however, dull
and must rank as a functional oak rather
than a character oak.
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American red
oak
Quercus borealis/rubra
One could argue that whereas there is
a greater depth of colour to red oak,
compared to white oak, its main disadvantage
(to some) is that it cannot take stain
readily. A very similar timber in working
qualities to that of the white oak.
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English oak
Quercus robur
The English oak has a majesty all of
its own and, of all the oaks, is the
most magnificent for furniture-making.
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Parana pine
Araucaria angustifolia
The joy of this pine is that it is generally
knot free, often growing above 70ft
(21 m) in height. It is used for internal
work where the reddish streaks are regarded
as a feature.
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Cedar of Lebanon
Cedrus libani
A general term, as there are three or
four different cedars of similar characteristics,
this species is famous for its strong
fragrance, which deters moths, and is
often used as a drawer lining. It is
very light with little constructional
strength, but much sought after for
small boxes and caskets.
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Larch
Larix decidua
A wonderful timber for outdoor use,
it not only grows to great height but
produces really wide boards.
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Scots pine
Pinus sylvestris
In Western Europe this species abounds
as household furniture and structural
members in house building.
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Douglas fir
Pseudotsuga taxifolio
A giant tree, often growing in excess
of 280ft (85 m). Generally reddish in
colour, the sectional sizes available
are enormous, thus its use is vast,
from large wooden structures to interior
usages. It is not only very tough but
also water resistant.
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Yew
Taxus baccata
Some trees exceed 1000 years in age.
Yew has extraordinary elastic properties,
hence its historical use for long bows
and finest ‘Windsor chairs'. It has
a very high wastage content (up to 40%)
and its branches make beautiful veneer
oysters. The foilage is poisonous to
many animals, including cattle.
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Box
Buxus sempervirens
One of those woods to which every furniture-maker
must turn. It is so close grained, with
a pale straw-yellowish colour, you will
only find it in small sections, but
do buy it. Even in small inlay strips
it is beautifully hard and provides
great protection for vulnerable corners
and edges.
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Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
A wood with engineering qualities in
that it can produce wooden screws. Heavy
and very tough, it is not commercially
readily available. Its great use is
for tool parts, such as plane stocks,
and where a shaped block can be worked
on, as in the leather trade.
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Sweet chestnut
Castanea sativa
Sometimes called ‘poor man's oak' because
of its resemblance to flat sawn oak.
Softer than oak but found in larger
sections. A handsome tree with a large
crown; although few medullary rays are
seen, this wood is delightful to work.
Its high tannic acid content stains
fingers very easily.
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Iroko
Chlorophora excelsa
A pale to dark-brown wood, not dissimilar
to teak in appearance. It is a nightmare
to machine without good extraction facilities
as its pungent smell irritates the nasal
passages.
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Bubinga
Copaifera amoldiana
A West African hardwood which is available
in veneer and solid form. A fairly dense
wood which is reddy brown with dark
thin lines giving an interesting pattern,
often seen when used for the manufacture
of plywood. Sometimes this species is
known as kevazingo.
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Rosewood
Dalbergia
There are various rosewoods; Rio, Indian,
East Indian, British Honduras, etc.
for some years source countries have
imposed an export ban so it is difficult
to obtain. Difficult to glue and prone
to fine surface splits, but equally
an amazingly beautiful timber, still
much sought after.
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Kingwood
Dalbergia cearensis
A very striking timber from Brazil which
is difficult to obtain in anything other
than small sections. It is often sold
not by cubic content but by weight.
A dense wood which polishes well and
is often seen as decoration in a piece
of furniture.
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Tulipwood
Dalbergia oliveri
Confusingly called ‘poplar' by some
timber suppliers. It is not, and its
source is Myanmer (formerly Burma).
A very dense wood, used and sold in
a similar way to kingwood. In the USA
the tulip tree is likely to be called
poplar- though of different appearance
to this species.
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Cocobolo
Dalbergia retusa
So difficult to obtain it is often sold
by weight, which at nearly 90 ib/ft3
(1440 kg/m3) would make a good door
stop if it was not so expensive. Beautiful
to turn, but inclined to have an interlocked
spiral grain which makes planing difficult.
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Macassar ebony
Diospyros macassar
Rich and elegant with dark brown streaks
on a black background. The figuring
can be so strong that it can take over
from the overall shape of small pieces.
In wall panels, or tables it can be
very bold.
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Jelutonz
Dyera costulata
Sometimes called ‘jelly' in the trade,
this pale yellow timber is excellent
to veneer on. Very stable but dull in
appearance. An annoying aspect of this
species is the preponderance of worm
holes combined with oval shaped resin
pockets, which can break out over the
planed board.
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Sapele mahogany
Entandrophragma
cylindricum
Very stripy which, due to the size of
the tree, appears in very wide boards.
When converted into veneered panels
and seen en masse it does not excite
the taste buds. Used by piano makers
and in commercially produced doors.
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Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata
A fair percentage of Western Australia
is built of jarrah; it is used in bridges,
railway sleepers, flooring and many
areas where its strength and suitability
for outdoor use prevail. Used for internal
cabinet work, it is a very even red
colour, but often lacks the character
of beautiful grain.
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Mountain ash
Eucalyptus regnans
Not a true ash but an Australian eucalyptus,
this can have a number of different
names – Tasmanian oak, Australian oak,
giant gum, white ash. Grows to a very
large size, but is likely to resist
even drying and, due to its fast growth
rate, it can be liable to distortion.
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European beech
Fagus sylvatica
An excellent wood to steam bend, beech
is renowned for moving and shrinking
in the solid. This shrinkage is 400%
greater than any other comparable hardwood
in Europe. However, it can work beautifully
when dry, and woodworking tools are
often made of beech.
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