Types of Wood

Fine-grained woods are characterized by narrow, inconspicuous annual growth rings. Coarse-grained woods, on the other hand, have wide, conspicuous annual growth rings. Open-grained woods are those having large pores. None of the softwoods and only some of the hardwoods (black walnut, butternut, white ash, etc.) are open grained. Close-grained woods are those having small pores.

The terms open-grained and close-grained would be more appropriately used in reference to texture. Since texture is also a term of overlapping and confusing meanings, we will specifically use it here to refer to the size and distribution of the individual cells (pores) on the surface of the wood. This could range anywhere from extremely fine (more frequently a characteristic of the softwoods) to extremely coarse.Illustrates how the meanings of these terms overlap.

Both grain and texture are aspects of figure, a term which gives a more general description of the wood surface. Basically, figure is any distinctive pattern or marking appearing on the surface of the wood. Annual growth rings, knots, irregularities in coloring, rays, and deviations in grain patterns all singularly or in combination produce the distinctive markings known as figure. Some of the confusion in these overlapping terms may be explained.

The remainder of this chapter contains a brief description of a number of hardwoods and softwoods used in furniture construction. They have been grouped according to whether they are hardwoods or softwoods. As you will notice, the hardwoods is by far the larger of the two groups.

HARDWOODS

RED ALDER (Alnus rubra). This wood is grown all along the Pacific coast from California to Alaska. The color of its wood ranges from an off-white to a pale pinkish brown.