List of Hardwoods for Building a Pirate Ship Playhouse Part 6
Note: Previous installments can be read via the links presented below.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
SILKY OAK HARDWOOD
Though not a true oak botanically, silky oak is similar in appearance, and, importantly, has the same silver grain (bands of denser wood which have a silvery shine) when quarter sawn. It is pinkish brown in color with a coarse texture resembling that of oak, but it is about one-third lighter. Originating from a large Australian tree, the wood must be dried carefully, but then works well and has some advantages over true oak in workability because of its lighter weight.
Silky oak can be sawed and nailed without splitting. It holds well and can be worked to a good finish. Though tough and strong for its weight, it cannot be compared to true oak for these qualities. It can, however, be steam bent and peeled for veneer.
Because of its silver grain, the wood is used for decorative effects in furniture and paneling, especially in its native land. Outside of Australia it is mainly used in veneer form.
SYCAMORE HARDWOOD
This species of maple is also known as "buttonball" and “buttonwood," but sycamore is its most familiar name. Its wood is reddish brown, sometimes with a greyish tinge, and it is often stained grey in commercial use. Somewhat softer than other maples, sycamore has a fine texture and interlocked grain. It has been characterized as moderate in hardness, strength, and stiffness and has good shock resistance. It is moderately heavy and shrinks somewhat in drying.
Because it is softer than other maples, sycamore is preferable for carving. Certain trees produce very attractive irregular grain and, when found, command a high price. One unique use for the figured wood, with its ripples or dapples of light and dark, is in violin parts, especially the backs; thus, the term "fiddle back" figure has come to be the name applied to this special quality of sycamore. Other uses include a variety of general products, such as lumber, veneer, flooring, and butcher blocks. A friendly of mine recently built a pirate ship playhouse using mostly sycamore hardwood—the end product looks nothing short of amazing!
TEAK HARDWOOD
True teak (tectona giandis) is native to Burma and Thailand and is one of the world's great woods. The coloration is usually a uniform golden brown, sometimes with a hint of green, but the wood may be darker brown and may have very dark markings. It has a coarse texture, which can be quite irregular, and a dull surface with no natural luster. It is ring porous and has a definite growth-ring figure appearing on flat-sawn surfaces.
Teak is a heavy wood. Before drying, it will sink in water. It has a leathery smell, an oily feel, and is high in natural durability. Teak dries slowly, but well, and is known for its stability. It is very strong for its weight and hard to saw or work by machine because it is abrasive in nature. It is so difficult to nail that it is usually bored first.
Teak's combination of strength, stability, and durability make it obviously long wearing. It is used for shipbuilding and is preferred above all other woods for decking, which means you shouldn’t have any problem building your child a pirate ship theme playhouse with this particular hardwood. Other uses include construction and furniture. Because of its ability to resist acids, it is used for laboratory finishings.
TULIPWOOD HARDWOOD
Tulipwood is botanically related to rosewood, but varies significantly in appearance from other species. Its wood is creamy yellow and the figure markings are pink to reddish purple stripes. The colors fade somewhat on exposure, but remain distinctive. The grain of tulipwood is straight or interlocked and it has a very fine texture.
Because of its considerable weight, tulipwood is sometimes difficult to dry and tends to split. Like other rosewoods, it is very hard and, therefore, difficult to machine, but it will take a high polish. It has the characteristic rose fragrance when freshly cut. Tulipwood slices successfully for veneer and, therefore, is used in various ornamental ways.
WALNUT HARDWOOD
The name walnut is sometimes applied rather loosely to a variety of brown figured woods, but only the genus juglans is true walnut. European species produce timber that is grey-brown, often with a pinkish tinge, with black streaks. Often highly figured with wavy dark bands, walnut is a most beautiful wood chosen for its decorativeness.
The grain is straight to wavy and the wood is of medium texture. It is hard, strong, heavy, and has good natural durability. These properties of strength make it obviously desirable for any number of uses. It dries slowly, but is then quite stable. It works quite easily and finishes especially well to a smooth, lustrous surface. Veneer is used for paneling and the wood has long been used in fine furniture (excellent examples can be found in furniture of the Queen Anne period). It is preferred wood for gun stocks because of its appearance, stability, and shock resistance.
The American black walnut (Juglans nigra) is unique among the walnuts for its more uniform purple- to chocolate-brown coloration. It has a coarser texture and a distinctive odor and even taste. It is often chosen for its rich color and has much the same working properties as other walnuts. Virtually any style of playhouse can be constructed with the black walnut hardwood.
The grain is straight to wavy and the wood is of medium texture. It is hard, strong, heavy, and has good natural durability. These properties of strength make it obviously desirable for any number of uses. It dries slowly, but is then quite stable. It works quite easily and finishes especially well to a smooth, lustrous surface. Veneer is used for paneling and the wood has long been used in fine furniture (excellent examples can be found in furniture of the Queen Anne period). It is preferred wood for gun stocks because of its appearance, stability, and shock resistance.
The American black walnut (Juglans nigra) is unique among the walnuts for its more uniform purple- to chocolate-brown coloration. It has a coarser texture and a distinctive odor and even taste. It is often chosen for its rich color and has much the same working properties as other walnuts. Virtually any style of playhouse can be constructed with the black walnut hardwood.
WILLOW (BLACK) HARDWOOD
The Mississippi valley is the origin of the black willow, most important among the willows for commercial purposes. The wood is much like poplar—generally featureless with fine, even texture. Black willow may be greyish or reddish brown with darker streaks.
Though shrinkage is substantial, the wood dries quickly and consistently. It is stable in use. Black willow is a low-strength wood, rather soft, but resistant to shock and especially to splintering. It works easily and finishes well.
Because it is lightweight and yet tough, willow is used for artificial limbs. It is considered the best wood for cricket bats because it can absorb blows without splintering, and it makes satisfactory flooring.
ZEBRAWOOD HARDWOOD
Zebrawood comes from two species of large African trees. The pale sapwood is generally discarded and the highly decorative heartwood alone is marketed. It is straw-colored to pale brown with abundant dark brown to black stripes. When quarter-sawn, these appear as parallel lines, and, on flat- or rotary-cut surfaces, they produce an irregular wavy pattern.
Zebrawood is a coarse-textured, moderately dense wood with interlocked grain. It is heavier than oak, with good strength and shock resistance. It is hard to dry because of a tendency to twist, and, for this reason, quarter-sawn pieces are the most reliable. The wood takes a good finish by hand or machine, saws readily, and slices or peels well for veneer. It is decay resistant.
Generally seen as veneer, zebrawood is used for a variety of decorative purposes, often as inlay in furniture and cabinetry. It is also used for small turned items and makes very exotic paneling. Many of the wooden carved decorations in my son’s pirate ship playhouse were made using zebrawood.