Wood Species and Types @ Robinsons Woodcrafts

We accept!

And

Good Evening,
I'm sure with the closing of this holiday, you are ready for a break! I received the Floor Quilt Rack today and it is absolutely beautiful! I can't deny I was a bit nervous of the outcome due to ordering something like this over the internet. It is the perfect size for my mother's quilt. She will love it. The quality meets all of my expectations. There is one small problem. The box had a hole in it and when I opened it, there were a couple of loose screws and screw buttons. It was odd because the package of hardware was sealed tightly. Anyway, I am lacking one screw button. I looked through the box twice as my husband did once. After the holidays, could you possibly mail me the missing button? It is oak with natural stain. I have your website bookmarked and look forward to checking out your other products in the future. I hope you have a wonderful (and restful!) Christmas. Thanks so much.

Lisa
Georgia, USA

Wood Types and Species

Good selection of wood types to choose from

The first step in choosing a wood type for your item is to understand that each wood species has its own degree of durability, beauty, natural color, and characteristics. Below we have attempted to offer you the best view and personal opinion of what woods we have readily available. Cherry being the most expensive, fallowed by Walnut, Mahogany, Maple, Oak and then Pine. If your not really sure, feel free to call us. Other wood types available upon special request.

Oak Wood
The oaks-red and white-are the most abundant U.S. hardwood species. It would be difficult to name a wood with a longer and more illustrious history in furnishings and interior design. Oak was a favorite of early English craftsmen and a prized material for American Colonists. White oak is just one of 86 oak species native to this country, but it is the classic oak of America. Although prevalent throughout the eastern half of the United States, from Maine to Texas, white oak lumber comes chiefly from the South, South Atlantic and Central States, including the southern Appalachians. Red oak grows only in North America and is found further north than any other oak species. A big, slow growing tree, red oak takes 20 years to mature and lives an average of 300 years.

Grain: The wood is most often straight grained, and open pored. It can be steam bent with caution. The grain is distinguished by rays, which reflect light and add to its attractiveness. Many distinctive and sought after patterns emerge: flake figures, pin stripes, fine lines, leafy grains and watery figures.

Characteristics: Heavy, very strong and very hard, stiff, durable under exposure, great wear-resistance, holds nails and screws well.

Durability: Stiff and dense; resists wear, with high shock resistance, though less durable than white oak.

Color: White Oak- ranges from nearly white sapwood to a darker gray brown heartwood, Red Oak-ranges from nearly white cream color to a beautiful warm, pale brown heartwood, tinted with red.

Finishing: Oaks can be stained beautifully with a wide range of finish tones.

Woodworkers Preferred:
Oak is our most popular woods.

Pine Wood
The western white pine was named by David Douglas in 1831 while on a journey exploring the west coast of North America. It is found in southern British Columbia and Alberta down to northern California and Utah.

The western white pine thrives on a variety of soils, but grows best in moist valleys and on gentle slopes.

It is commonly called a soft pine because its wood is soft. Its creamy-white and moderately decay-resistant wood is used extensively in all areas of woodworking, cabinets, scroll saw & craft work, folk art and even wood turning for table legs. It has some grain pattern but not as much as say, red oak.

Grain: The wood is light, soft, straight grained and with very uniform texture.

Characteristics: It works very well and is easily shaped with hand and power tools. This wood accepts many types of glue well, making for tight bonding.

Durability: Soft, fairly durable, although not as resistant to scuffs, dents and abrasions as the hardwoods. Often used as flooring, but may not be suitable for all applications due to its softness.

Color: white to pale yellow with a reddish tinge. It darkens with age and air exposure, eventually turning to a deep orange color.

Finishing: Pine takes most finishes well. With some stains, a sealer helps prepare the wood to achieve a more even look.

Stained best with: Golden Oak, Natural, Cherry, Red Mahogany, Red Oak stain.

Woodworkers Preferred:
Pine is our second most popular woods.

Cherry Wood
Like all fruit trees, cherry belongs to the rose family and was used as early as 400 B.C. by the Greeks and Romans for furniture making. Cherry helped define American traditional design because Colonial cabinetmakers recognized its superior woodworking qualities. Today, cherry helps define Shaker, Mission and country styling. The wood from the cherry tree can be described in a single word: beautiful. Its rich red-brown color deepens with age. Small dark gum flecks add to its interest. Distinctive, unique figures and grains are brought out through quarter sawing. It has an exceptionally lustrous appearance that glows.

The finish is satiny to the touch

Grain: Straight-grained and satiny. Small gum pockets produce distinctive markings.

Characteristics: Light, strong, stiff
and rather hard. Cherry's grain is more subdued than some other hardwood species, with very interesting character.

Durability: Strong, moderately hard; excellent shock resistance. Usually considered too soft for an entire floor - mostly used for borders and accents.

Color: Rich, reddish-brown. Cherry darkens considerably with age and exposure to sunlight.

Finishing: Cherry is unsurpassed in its finishing qualities-its uniform texture takes a finish very well.

Stained best with: Cherry Stain, Natural Stain, Red Mahogany, Red Oak.

Woodworkers Preferred:

Cherry is our most favorite Woods.

Walnut Wood
Black Walnut is a prized species for veneer panels, doors, furniture and cabinetry, with a warm, rich, high-quality appearance, and a wide variety of grain patterns and figuring. Walnut also has superior physical properties, making it the preferred wood for airplane propellers and gun stocks.

Grain: Mostly straight and open, but some boards have burled or curly grain. Arrangement of pores is similar to hickories and persimmon, but pores are smaller in size.

Characteristics: Great variety of color and figure within species, as well as variation in color among boards. Especially in lower grades and from material that isn't steamed prior to kiln-drying

Durability: Moderately dense, very strong, good shock resistance. Not as dent-resistant as Oak.

Color: Heartwood ranges from a deep, rich dark brown to a purplish black. Sapwood is nearly white to tan. Difference between heartwood and sapwood color is great; some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.

Finishing: Walnut finishes nicely, with a handsome grain pattern.

Stained best with: Dark Walnut, natural, Ebony or Jacobean stains.

Woodworkers Preferred:
Fun to work with, stain's well, smells good.

Mahogany Wood
While it is reported to be relatively secure in El Salvador and Honduras, the status of Honduras mahogany in Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and Bolivia is known to be either Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare.
Although Mahogany may be widespread, and apparently secure within parts of its growing area (more than 100 occurrences), there is some long-term concern about its continued abundance in these areas and the threat to its population in other areas (Source - The Nature Conservancy - Rank of relative endangerment based primarily on the number of worldwide occurrence of the species).

Grain
The grain is straight to roey, wavy, or curly. Irregularities in the grain often produce highly attractive figures such as, fiddle back, blister, stripe or roe, and mottle. Storied rays produce wavy horizontal bands across the surface of flat-sawn boards.

Characteristics: Straight grain with a fine even texture. Honduras Mahogany is relatively free of voids and pockets

Durability: Heartwood is reported to have high durability, and is resistant to brown-rot and white rot fungi. It is rated as moderately resistant to attack by dry-wood termites, and is susceptible to marine borer attack. Logs are vulnerable to attack by pinhole borers.

Color: Mahogany varies considerably in color. It may be yellowish, reddish, pinkish, or salmon colored when freshly cut, maturing into a deep rich red or brown color with age. Exposure to strong sunlight may cause some fading. The wide variability in color has enabled many look-alike species to be marketed as mahogany.

Finishing: No known finishing problems.

Stained best with: Cherry Stain, Natural Stain, Red Mahogany, Red Oak.

Woodworkers Preferred:

Fun to work with, stain's well.

Please Note:
Not added to drop down list yet. If wanted please ask.

Maple Wood
The American species of maple are divided into two groups: Hard maple, which includes sugar and black maple; and soft maple, which includes red and silver maple. Until the turn of the century, the heels of women's shoes were made from maple, as were airplane propellers in the 1920s. Maple has been a favorite of American furniture makers since early Colonial days. Hard maple is the standard wood for cutting boards because it imparts no taste to food and holds up well.

Grain: Closed, subdued grain, with medium figuring and uniform texture. Occasionally shows quilted, fiddle back, curly or bird's-eye figuring. Figured boards often culled during grading and sold at a premium

Characteristics: Light color lends itself to contemporary light floors. Extra care must be taken during sanding and finishing, as sanding marks and finish lines are more obvious due to maple's density and light color.

Durability: Dense, strong, tough, stiff; excellent shock resistance -- often used in bowling alleys and athletic facilities. Markedly resistant to abrasive wear

Color: The heartwood is light reddish-brown with deeper-colored late-wood bands. The sapwood is white in co lour. and furnishes the white maple prized for certain uses. It differs mainly from the soft maples in its greater density and finer texture.

Finishing: Takes neutral finish well; does not stain uniformly.
Stained best with: Natural or Colonial Maple stain. Dark colors sometimes come out blotchy. Colonial Maple looks lighter and more orange.

Woodworkers Preferred:
Too hard, doesn't like stain.

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Testimonial

I just wanted to let you know I received my quilt hanger and am absolutely
thrilled! It's exactly what I hoped it would be and the oak matches my furniture
perfectly. It was definitely worth the wait. Every time I walked by it I smile because
I am so pleased with it. Thank you for great quality and craftsmanship at an affordable price.

Tacoma, WA
12/21/04

Testimonial

I received my order from you today. Thank you so much, you do beautiful
work!!! I was most pleased with the quilt hanger. The color was exactly
what I had hoped for (color choices via the computer, aren't always as they may appear on the screen).
Thank you again. I know I'll shop your website again.

Sue
Waldport, OR

Hello Mr. Robinson-

I just wanted you to know that I received my shelf and IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Thank you ever so much. I will definitely pass your name along to my
friends. I am sure I will be ordering from you again. The workmanship you
did on this shelf is absolutely perfect! My husband will be hanging it for
me soon. Thank you again for such a quality piece of furniture!

Sincerely,
Terry
USA