General information on Southern hardwoods

HIS chart, third and last in a taining to 16 major Southern hard- April, p. 42, and, May, p.40. series within a series on Southern woods.

We again would like to thank the hardwoods, gives a valuable run- The issues presenting the first two Southern Hardwood Lumber Manudown on general information per- installments of this mini-series were facturersAssociation.

ASH

BEECX

COTTONWOOD

An ercellent and versatile linishing wood. Being largely creamy white in color, ash may be finished in a full range ot pigmented or natural tones.

Padrcularly surted to medium and darker tones and parnted linishes. May be bleached where required to blend with certain face ven6ers,

Fhis very light cotored woocl is suited to the full range ol light to daik natural tones, A tendency to tuzz is easily reduced by sandinS. Stain3 enhance subdued Era n,

P.oduced throughout tne southo.n region in mode.€te quantiti6s, ash lumber is usually availablo from all hardwood mills.

A limited oroduction soocies in the south, beech lumber is available trom selected saw mills.

A major species in the Mississippi delta and adloinin8 rivers, cottonwood is readily available in this area and to a l€sser extent throughout the South.

Furniture, lixtures, woodwork, noveltres, bent wood palts, spodrng 8oods, handles and panelin8.

Southern ash rs lreq!enlly sepafated nto a solt texlured category called 'cabrnet ' and the tougher. harder classrlcatron known as Frrm & Eetter.

Furniture, flooring, handles. wooden ware, bent wood Parts and loys. the many iavorable qualrt es ot beech rre now berng ulrlrzed more tul y ,irnce dryLng lechnrques have 1m.

Furniture parts and cores, paneling, shippinB containers. a8ricultural rhplement pads and specraltres.

SOFT ELI$

SAP GUI$

Medium to dark tone linishes are well suited to elm. Sohewhat mor€ control r€quired to subduB grain pa! tern In dark finishes and minlmize rarsed 8rarn,

Except for moderate color variations, this wood will take a wide range ol line fanishes with medium to dark tones

Perhaps the most widely available economy hardwood in the south.

Nert to th6 oaks in availability, this species is oltered by all mills in a rang€ ot thicknesses including quar. tered thick stck.

Probab y the lastest growing tree In Noilh Amefica cottonwood ls econom. rcal and possess€s favorable prop. edres not fully realrzed by many

Furniture, bent wood parts, novelties, woodwork, containers and soecialties. Rega/ded as one o{ the more re. lractory hardwoods, rmp/oved dryrnS and machrnrng practrces have help€d rmprove the utility of €lm.

Furniture, cabinets, woodwork, novel- An all around rmporiant and economrcal volume wood lor many uses.

HACKBERRY

HICKORY

TIAGI{OLIA

SOFT TAPLE

RED OAX

WHITE OAK

PECAN

YELI.OW POPLAR

Suitable for liSht to dark finishes with. out the ne€d lor bleachinS. The mod. erate hackberry Srain pattern is widely favored lor use with similarly Irained

A versatale tinishrng wood which bleaches well but is used more frequently in the medium to dark wod tones.

An excellent tinishing wod fd enam€ls and naiural wod tones. Can b€ bleached or the wood may be 36lectad lor color wh€re headwood is loo dark.

Poisa3sing about lhc rsmc tinishing prop.rlias rs hrrd m.pla, soft m!ple a3 suitad tor an.mal tinashos rnd th6 Drown tonas.

Mcdium to dark natural ton€3 are w€ll 3uated lo oak. Th. pigmanbd and nov€lty tinishes a16 also lrequ€ntly used.

Fini3hes w.ll in the samo rang. with red oek. Light brown tonca morc..gily achievod, however, becau3. pinkirh cast as absent, sYcAlroRE ;uilabla for various natural or cnamel inish€t, syc6morc usually r€quires iomowhat more sandinS in finishing,

An oxcell€nt and easy wood to finish. Th€ mod€rate grain pattern responds to a full rang6 ot m€dium to dark finishes and bl6ach treatmcnts.

-ess trequ€ntly used for natural linshes because otwood color verietions )ut particulaily suited to enamel finshe3.

TUPELO I BIACK GUIII ircollant lor a widc range ot finishes ncluding €namel. lhis lar8ely light rolored wod tak6s a range ot light to lark tini3hes. wtLLotv fhas contrasty colo.ed wood takes lnishes well and is best suited tor ,arkor ton€s or enahel. wrdery avarlable but not plentrlul. Production is usually adequate for Furniture. cabrnets, lixtures, noveltresResemblrng ash somewhat but lrghter in weight, hackbery possesses many sup€nor qualrtres tor a rang€ ol usuallyavarlable separately butsome. lmes in combinatron wilh p€can in A primo wood for uses requiring great strength and hardness as well as in turniture, woodwork and soecialties.

A limited supply species ot medium cost bur available tor specialties and Furnitur€, cabinotry, interro/ wood. work and nov€lti.s.

Oenerally availab16 but individual mill inventories usualiv are limited, Furniture, cabrnetry. paneIng, spe cialties and core st6k.

Most rmportant and widely available soecics in th€ south.

Somawhat horc restrictcd in produc. tion than rod oak but 3till.oadily rvailablc.

Maior p.c8n production i3 found in thc lowcr Mi3sissippa O.lta rcSaon. With latsar amounts throughout tha 3outh.

P.duced in modarat. quantities throu8hout the south, but rcadaly availablc taom som6 dills.

Gen€rally available but larg. inv€n. lories not usually accumuleted by mills. 5/8" st6k readily avail.ble.

Widely available with mills operating in maior river areas and coastal re. Sions ot the south, thc largest pro.

Commercial production lar8ely lim' dod to the lower Mississiooi River where it is readily available.

Flooring, furniture, specralties, cabl netry, rnterior woodwork,

Same as red oak,

Furniture, flooring, woodwork, spe cialties, and cabinets-

Fu.niture, fixtures, core stock, mrll work, cabinetry and trim-

Furniture pad3-padicularly drawer sides, paneling and specialtres,

Furniture, tirtuies, wodwork and cabinets. TV.HrFi cabrnets and novel. les,

Furniture and lurnrture core st@k, firtur€s. caskets, cabrnetry and con.

General availabrlity ol carbrde lpped cutting tools has broadened the use ol thrs attractrve and economrcal wood.

Somewhat similar in appearance to yellow poplar but superior in most properties. Use lrmited only by supplv.

Although 25% softer than su8ar maple, soft maple is suited to most ol the same uses, Separations practiced where pin worm holes are common in lumber.

Oak'i historic roputation is hardly helched by any other wood, lts properties and evailability represent a chall6n0e to present day aichitects and d€signors.

A wood with unusual Intrrnsrc value, pecan has recently achieved new prominence as a line lurnrture wood.

Rated medium in price. yellow poplar is a long time woodworkers favonte.

A historic lurniture drawer srde tavor. ite. Also possesses striking quarter

Both species belonS to the tupelo famrly. Thrck stock usually avarlable

Although lrght and soft. wrllow rs an extermely stable wood surted lo many