Table 3-2.--Common Woods--Continued
CHARACTERISTICS
SOURCES
USES
TYPE
Patternmaking, excellent
Fine-grained, grain often curly or
All states east of
Maple
"bird's eyes." Heavy, tough, hard,
Colorado, Southern
furniture, high-grade
strong. Rather easy to work, but
floors, tool handles, ship
Canada.
construction crossties,
not durable. Heartwood is light
counter tops, bowling pins.
brown, sap wood is nearly white.
Dimension timber, masts,
Light, fairly hard, strong. Not
Norway
States bordering Great
durable in contact with ground.
pine
Lakes.
spars, piling, interior trim.
Philippine
Philippine Islands
Patternmaking, pleasure
Not a true mahogany. Shrinks,
boats, medium-grade
expands, splits, warps, but
mahogany
furntiure, interior trim.
available in long, wide, clear
boards.
Poplar
Virginias, Tennessee,
Patternmaking, low-grade
Soft, cheap obtainable in wide
Kentucky, Mississippi
furniture, cheaply
boards. Warps, shrinks, rots
Valley.
constructed buildings,
easily. Light, brittle, weak, but
interior finish, shelving,
works easily and hold nails well,
drawers, boxes.
fine-textured.
Red cedar
East of Colorado and
Mothproof chests, lining
Very light, soft, weak, brittle, low
north of Florida.
for linen closets, sills, and
shrinkage. Great durability,
other uses similar to white
fragrant scent. Generally knotty,
cedar.
beautiful when finished in
natural color. Easily worked.
Red oak
Virginias, Tennessee,
Interior finish, furniture,
Tends to warp. Coarse-grained.
Arkansas, Kentucky,
cabinets, millwork,
Does not last well when exposed
Ohio, Missouri,
crossties when preserved.
to weather. Porous easily
Maryland.
Heavy, tough, strong.
Redwood
California.
Patternmaking, general
Inferior to yellow pine and fir in
construction, tanks,
strength. Shrinks and splits little.
paneling.
Extremely soft, light straight-
grained. Very durable,
exceptionally decay resistant.
Spruce
New York, New
Light, soft, low strength, fair
England, West
wood, piles, airplanes,
durability, close grained,
Virginia, Central
oars, masts, spars, baskets.
yellowish, sap wood indistinct.
Canada, Great Lakes
states, Idaho,
Washington, Oregon.
Sugar pine
California, Oregon.
Same as white pine.
Very light, soft, resembles white
pine.
Teak
India, Burma, Java,
Deck planking, shaft logs
Light brown color. Strong, easily
Thailand.
for small boats.
worked, durable, resistant to
damage by moisture.
3-9