List of Hardwoods for Building a Pirate Ship Playhouse Part 5
PADAUK HARDWOOD
Padauk is the name for a group of exotic woods that are known for their striking color. African padauk heartwood is purple-red to purple-brown, while that of Andaman padauk is crimson with darker markings. These are coarse-textured woods with interlocked grains. They are heavy, very strong and solid, and are noted for their decay resistance.
Padauk dries slowly, but well, and is exceptionally stable when dry. Considering its weight and strength, padauk is not unduly difficult to work and finishes very well. It is a favored wood for boat building and is used in joinery, counters, pool tables, and for tool handles. Its properties of strength and unusual beauty make it understandably popular for a number of purposes. If you intend to use Padauk to build a playhouse in the shape of a pirate ship, I’d recommend you go for it. I’m sure you won’t regret it—as I’ve mentioned earlier, Padauk hardwood is not hard to work.
PEAR HARDWOOD
Sometimes known as "fruitwood," pear wood can be distinguished by its exceptionally fine and uniform texture. It is a pale, but rich, pinkish brown and is generally straight grained. Irregular grain is not uncommon, however, from gnarled or misshapen trees.
Pear wood is moderately heavy, is strong, and is known for its toughness. It dries slowly and tends to distort, especially if irregular grain is present, but is very stable once dry. It is hard to split or saw, but machines well and turns extremely well. Pear wood yields a fine finish and can be used for veneer. It is not naturally decay resistant.
Because its fine texture holds up in the most intricate of work, pear is a favorite among wood-carvers. The wood is in short supply since the tree is generally grown for its fruit and wild pear is not widely available. The timber, therefore, generally comes from old orchard trees. Used for small turned and carved items, inlay, and tableware, pear wood is often used for rulers and drawing instruments because it can be worked to fit precise requirements and will then remain stable.
PERSIMMON HARDWOOD
Persimmon wood is a white ebony, and, though similar in some respects to darker ebonies, its color and working properties are significantly different. The sapwood is off-white with a greyish cast. The small core of heartwood may have more color, but is rarely used commercially because of its meager amount. Persimmon is dense with a fine, even texture and usually straight grain.
It dries fairly easily, but is not very stable and may change with humidity variations. Hard and strong, it can be worked to an excellent finish that wears well, and persimmon has good impact resistance. Persimmon can be worked to show intricate and precise detail and is chosen for small industry items, such as spools and shuttles. It is also used for golf club heads because of its smooth finish and impact resistance.
Persimmon is native to the United States and has an edible fruit that is a beautiful pink-orange hue. There are other white ebonies, but none are of commercial value.
POPLAR HARDWOOD
Poplar (sometimes called "cottonwood” in North America) includes a large number of species that have similar woods. The aspen is one of the best known of these. Poplar wood is white, often having a pink, grey, or brown tint. It has straight grain and fine, even texture. One of the lightest commercial hardwoods, poplar is rather soft and fibrous and can often be identified by a fuzzy or wooly surface, which is the result of the number of large pores needed for water conduction in the fast-growing season.
Poplar is not a strong wood, but it is considered tough for its weight. It does not split or splinter and it dries well with good stability. It is easy to work and saws well, but is most successfully handled with sharp tools. Poplar is susceptible to decay, so it is generally used for indoor purposes. Its most well-known use is in match sticks, but poplar veneer is also woven into baskets and used for plywood.
PURPLEHEART HARDWOOD
Sometimes called "ameranth," purpleheart is one of the most distinctly colored of all woods. Though a dull brown when the wood is first cut, the color fast becomes bright purple and then, over long exposure, gradually changes to a rich brown-red. Produced by about twenty species of large South American trees, the woods vary in texture from fine to moderately coarse. Figured wood is rare and the grains vary from straight to interlocked with a very occasional wavy look.
Purpleheart is a heavy wood and is very strong, dense, and tough. It dries well, if rather slowly, and is then quite stable. Because of its remarkable density and durability, it is difficult to saw and will dull tools rapidly. Once finished, it wears very slowly.
Despite its unusual color, purpleheart is seldom used as a decorative wood. Instead, it is more in demand for its properties of strength for heavy construction. A common place to find it is in the butt of a billiard cue where both its strength and beauty play a part. I would not hesitate to use purpleheart if my intention is to construct a pirate ship playhouse that can withstand the test of time.
ROSEWOOD HARDWOOD
Rosewood is one of the most prized and sought-after timbers because of its unusual color and exotic figuring. The pale sapwood from this small tree is generally discarded; it is the red to purple-brown heartwood with its dark markings that is prized. Figuring and coloration of the wood varies somewhat with species, and, because rosewood trees are generally small, wood is usually only available in short lengths.
Rosewood is hard and very heavy. It dries fairly well, but works with some difficulty. When freshly cut, it often emits a roselike scent. It can be worked to a fine finish and has an almost silvery sparkle (produced by the shiny gum filling in its rather coarse pores] on longitudinal surfaces. It turns well and can be sliced for veneer. Rosewood has long been favored for fine cabinetry and furniture and is preferred for xylophone keys and marimbas. It is often used in inlay work.
SANDALWOOD HARDWOOD
Sandalwood has been coveted since classical times both for its wood and precious oil. True sandalwood comes from India. It is a small tree that is actually a parasite of the roots of other trees, but other species have been discovered that have a similar scent. The scent of sandalwood is, unlike many others, persistent and can be detected long after the wood has been dried and worked.
Sandalwood is pale yellow or brown when first cut, but darkens to a medium brown over time. It has a very fine, even texture and a straight to irregular grain. It is a heavy wood and is naturally durable with an oily feel. It dries very slowly, but does not split and has excellent working properties.
Sandalwood carves especially well, and its natural oils contribute to a lustrous finish. This hardwood is highly recommended if you want your kid’s pirate ship playhouse to look genuinely eye-catching. Long used for carving, especially for ornate boxes and combs, sandalwood is also distilled for its oil, which is used in perfumery.
Continue to Part 6