List of Hardwoods for Building a Pirate Ship Playhouse Part 3
The earmarks of elm are its coarse texture as well as its eye-catching ring-growth figure. With the exception of the greenish colored wych elm, elm hardwood typically has pale brown to reddish color. Elm has a definitive pattern of large and small vessels and they are very obvious in the irregular grain. The pattern lends it a feathery appearance often referred to as “partridge-breast” figure. Strength properties and weight vary somewhat among the species. Rock elm is pale, heavy and quite strong. Wych elm on the other hand, is pretty dense and moderately hard as well as stiff. Others are moderately light in weight and not notably strong.
Elm dries readily, though distortion is bound to occur because of irregularities of the grain. This irregular grain is what makes elm near impossible to split. Due to this unique feature, it is often used in making furniture, particularly Windsor chair seats. Elm works well, turns satisfactorily and bends well too. The timber is not particularly durable unfortunately, but it can certainly survive in a waterlogged state. As such, its prime uses are in the construction of fishing boats, coffins and even historically as drain pipes. Bored pieces that were used for this purpose hundreds of years ago have been recovered in excellent condition. You most definitely can use elm for building a child’s pirate ship playhouse.
HICKORY HARDWOOD
Elm dries readily, though distortion is bound to occur because of irregularities of the grain. This irregular grain is what makes elm near impossible to split. Due to this unique feature, it is often used in making furniture, particularly Windsor chair seats. Elm works well, turns satisfactorily and bends well too. The timber is not particularly durable unfortunately, but it can certainly survive in a waterlogged state. As such, its prime uses are in the construction of fishing boats, coffins and even historically as drain pipes. Bored pieces that were used for this purpose hundreds of years ago have been recovered in excellent condition. You most definitely can use elm for building a child’s pirate ship playhouse.
HICKORY HARDWOOD
Hickory is an American wood and can be discovered in the eastern half of the United States and Canada. True hickory includes the wood of four species. Other hickory species produce pecan hickory, which is similar but generally inferior in most respects to true hickory. Hickory has thick white sapwood and red-brown heartwood. The texture is coarse due to its ring-porous nature (the growth rings being marked by rows of large pores). The grain is straight in general and dense. Additionally, hickory is stiff, hard, and heavy and possesses a unique ability to withstand sudden pressure.
It dries slowly and the shrinkage rate is quite high. Also it is rather difficult to work with. The white wood is generally preferable; irregularly grained and knotty pieces are to be avoided. Hickory is chosen where strength and toughness are prime considerations, so if you wish to assemble a wooden pirate ship-style playhouse that can hold up for a long period time, then this should be your primary choice of hardwood. Such things as tool handles and athletic goods are often made of hickory. An interesting usage of hickory is in the smoking of food, where it imparts a distinct odor while slowly burning.
HORSE CHESTNUT HARDWOOD
It dries slowly and the shrinkage rate is quite high. Also it is rather difficult to work with. The white wood is generally preferable; irregularly grained and knotty pieces are to be avoided. Hickory is chosen where strength and toughness are prime considerations, so if you wish to assemble a wooden pirate ship-style playhouse that can hold up for a long period time, then this should be your primary choice of hardwood. Such things as tool handles and athletic goods are often made of hickory. An interesting usage of hickory is in the smoking of food, where it imparts a distinct odor while slowly burning.
HORSE CHESTNUT HARDWOOD
Known in America as “the buckeye,” horse chestnut is a creamy-white wood (similar to poplar) that is light in weight and has a fine texture. It is a rather plain wood, usually having a straight grain, though older trees sometimes produce irregularly grained timber. The wood works easily, and dries well with only moderate shrinkage. Once dry, it is stable, but tends to be weak, brittle and soft. Sharp tools are a must in order to attain a good finish, and if it is for outdoor use, treatment for the wood is mandatory. It can be sawed and turned and is used commercially for a variety of general purposes.
LIGNUM VITAE HARDWOOD
LIGNUM VITAE HARDWOOD
In commercial use, lignum vitae is by far, the heaviest of hardwood. It has a distinctive greenish black color, is highly resinous and has a very fine texture and closely interlocked grain. It is very strong and hard with excellent resistance to abrasion. The resin from this small South American tree was once thought to be curative, thus it was given its name, lignum vitae meaning “wood of life.” Though no longer considered medicinal, the resin does impart to the wood the quality of self-lubrication. Though difficult to dry and to work, it is great for turning and can be bought to a very fine finish.
Because of the density, durability and hardness of the wood, it has a unique commercial use in the bearing surfaces of ship propeller shafts where it wears very slowly and produces its own lubrication. Historically, flat-green and crown-green bowls were made of lignum vitae. Today, however, the unavailability of the wood in even moderately sized pieces has limited its use considerably.
MAGNOLIA HARDWOOD
Because of the density, durability and hardness of the wood, it has a unique commercial use in the bearing surfaces of ship propeller shafts where it wears very slowly and produces its own lubrication. Historically, flat-green and crown-green bowls were made of lignum vitae. Today, however, the unavailability of the wood in even moderately sized pieces has limited its use considerably.
MAGNOLIA HARDWOOD
Only three pieces of the magnolia are used commercially to any extent. These medium to large-sized trees are commonly known as “cucumber tree,” “Southern magnolia” and “sweet bay.” Over sixty other species, many of which are much smaller in size, are generally cultivated for their flowers in the Americas and East Asia. Magnolia is a pale wood – the sap wood being white to pale yellow sometimes with a greenish cast, the heartwood being pale brown.
It has very fine, even texture and straight grain. The plain featureless wood works well and is moderately hard and stiff. It dries satisfactorily with moderate shrinkage and has good shock resistance. It nails without splitting, turns well and finishes wonderfully. Since it is not resistant to decay, it must be treated for outdoor use. Magnolia is low in compression and bending strengths. Used commercially for a variety of general purposes such as packaging, framing furniture and venetian blinds, magnolia can also be sliced for veneer.
MAHOGANY HARDWOOD
It has very fine, even texture and straight grain. The plain featureless wood works well and is moderately hard and stiff. It dries satisfactorily with moderate shrinkage and has good shock resistance. It nails without splitting, turns well and finishes wonderfully. Since it is not resistant to decay, it must be treated for outdoor use. Magnolia is low in compression and bending strengths. Used commercially for a variety of general purposes such as packaging, framing furniture and venetian blinds, magnolia can also be sliced for veneer.
MAHOGANY HARDWOOD
The original mahogany was the Cuban variety, a heavy deep red-brown wood that is rare today. The most frequently used species today are the Central Americans, along with five African woods that are very similar. The color of American mahogany is a bit lighter than Cuban mahogany, and the wood is of medium texture. The wood sometimes appears featureless, but may have a striped pattern and is occasionally highly figured. American wood can be distinguished from African by the arrangement of its pores.
In American species, the pores are evenly spread through the wood; while in the African varieties, they are found grouped in small clusters. Mahogany is easy to dry and very stable in use. It saws easily and can be machined to an excellent finish. Late eighteenth-century furniture designers, such as Chippendale and Hepplewhite, gave mahogany its reputation as a fine furniture wood.
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In American species, the pores are evenly spread through the wood; while in the African varieties, they are found grouped in small clusters. Mahogany is easy to dry and very stable in use. It saws easily and can be machined to an excellent finish. Late eighteenth-century furniture designers, such as Chippendale and Hepplewhite, gave mahogany its reputation as a fine furniture wood.
Continue to Part 4