AMERICAN VENEERS

ALDER

Trade Names:	Alder
Similar Woods:	American Red Alder, Hard Maple.
Origin:	Europe, Asia.
Range:	Europe, Siberia, North Africa, Prefers loose, deep and moist clay soils, rich in nutrients. Frequently to be found along water courses and in river plains.
Uses:	For veneer, lumber, musical instruments , fruit crates, at present used as solid wood for furniture. Was considered to be an inferior wood not accepted by the furniture industry until the mid-nineties when it became fashionable.
Properties:	After felling the colour is first orange-red and subsequently darkens to a reddish –white or brownish-red. Alder is less decorative and often has defects. Perfect logs are seldom to be found. The species is relatively unsuitable for sliced veneer. Fine streaks are found spread over the entire surface in almost all cases.
Machining:	Working Alder by hand and tools presents no difficulties. It can be easily planed, moulded and turned. Very smooth surfaces are produced.
Seasoning:	Alder can be dried well and quickly without any great tendency to check and warp.
Finishing:	Mat finishes are generally applied as well as wax and preservatives containing oil. Their application presents no difficulties.
Jointing:	Glue joints hold very well. Screws and nails provide tight joints.

ALDER

AMERICAN BLACK CHERRY

Trade Names:	Cherry , American Cherry , Black Cherry.
Similar Woods:	European Cherry, French Cherry.
Origin:	North America.
Range:	Northeaster halves of Canada and USA as well as south to Florida and Texas. Cultivated to some extent in Europe. However, only the trees, from the growing areas in Northeaster USA and possibly Canada are significant for veneer production. Northern Pennsylvania is best known growing region.
Uses:	Very good sliced veneer for faces. As lumber it is preferred for architectural panels and furniture. Good qualities are always in demand. However, due to this heavy demand it is becoming more and more difficult to find American Black Cherry in good qualities. It also very much sought after as lumber.
Properties:	The colour of the heartwood is orange-reddish to reddish-brown with a satiny finish. Unlike the European Cherry the wood darkens considerably. This is why the European Cherry is considerably more select and purer in colour than the American Black Cherry. Numbering amongst the natural features of Cherry are gum pockets , black gummy deposits in the annual rings (a frequently occurring feature) as well as pin knots (tight-grown, small knots).
Machining:	As a general rule machining operations present no difficulties. Moulding can also be carried out cleanly without any re-machining or surface treatment being necessary.
Seasoning:	The wood can be dried relatively quickly without any great difficulty.
Finishing:	Cherry is a wood that can be treated very well by all methods. Quick darkening is prevented by using light protective varnishes.
Jointing:	Cherry can be glued without difficulty. Screw and nail joints hold well but should be pre-drilled.

AMERICAN BLACK
CHERRY

AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT

Trade Names:	Walnut, Black Walnut, American Walnut.
Similar Woods:	French Walnut, Boire, Laurel.
Origin:	North America between latitude 32’ and 42’ north.
Range:	Best known felling areas for high quality veneer wood are the Eastern States in the USA with Delaware in the east, New York in the north, Iowa in the west and Kentucky in the south with the main centre in Ohio and Indiana. As a general rule American Walnut grows in mixed forests.
Uses:	Sliced veneer and lumber for architectural woodwork and high class furniture making. Due to its high strength and elasticity suitable also for production of chairs and seats. Used especially for gunstocks and aircraft propellers. Traditional wood for upright and grand piano making.
Properties:	Dark brown, frequently with figuring. American Walnut is unique for “bird pecks”, fingernail size knots which occur in the veneer as stain streaks with a small in the middle, which degrade the wood.
Machining:	There is no difficulty to working this wood with all hand or machine tools. Walnut is excellent for molding.
Seasoning:	Drying should be carried out very slowly to avoid possible cell damage. The wood is prone to checking and warping. Good results can be achieved only by drying very carefully.
Finishing:	The very smooth wood takes all stains well, especially nitro and water stains. Thorough polishing of the wood is necessary when using fillers
Jointing:	Screw, nail and glue joints are easily made and of normal tensile strength Alkaline glues, however can cause reaction stains.

AMERICAN BLACK
WALNUT

AMERICAN RED OAK

Trade Names:	American Elm, Red Elm
Similar Woods:	Dutch Elm.
Origin:	North America.
Range:	Canada and USA, particularly central area around the Great Lakes.
Uses:	Sliced veneer for faces. In America a special wood for boat building and harbour work.
Properties:	The only differentiating feature between “White Elm” and “Slippery Elm” is the slippery inner bark of he latter. This slime is used for medical purposes. Generally the wood is dark brown with a reddish tone. Otherwise the American Elms are very similar to the European Elms, but since these are no longer available for veneer purposes because of the Dutch Elm disease, Red Elm is used as an alternative.
Machining:	The slow grown grades are easily machined by hand and tools. Fast grown pieces are difficult to plane and shape.
Seasoning:	Drying is slow and must be carried out carefully and gently due to the tendency to check and warp.
Finishing:	Normal surface treatments can be applied without difficulty. Filler is recommended because of the coarse texture.
Jointing:	All wood joints using nails, screws and glue hold well, but pre-drilling is recommended due to the wood’s tendency to split.

AMERICAN RED OAK

AMERICAN WHITE OAK

Trade Names:	White Oak, American White Oak.
Similar Woods:	Chestnut , European White Oak.
Origin:	North America.
Range:	Throughout North America but mainly in the Eastern and Mid-West states. Known especially as suppliers of high quality veneer are the states of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Since there are over 80 different species of Oak in the USA there are many mixed genera and varieties. The diameters are smaller than those of European Oak.
Uses:	The White Oak can be used universally in all branches of the woodworking industry because it is most resistant to external influences. This is why it is held in high esteem in the veneer and lumber trades due to its expressive texture. It has great significance in the USA as stave wood (for whiskey). Used as veneer and lumber in all branches of the furniture, door and panel industries as well as fro making parquet floors and stairs.
Properties:	Due to the strong interbreeding of the different species, the colour spectrum is broad and extends from light yellow to dark brown. Deviations into pink are possible, too. Frequent occurrence of so-called mineral deposits, dark streaks which appear on the surface as clearly defined patches. Blue stain can occur through contact with metal in wet wood.
Machining:	Sawing an planning presents no difficulties when carbide tools are used.
Seasoning:	The wood of the American White Oak dries very slowly and there is a tendency to check. Particularly mild and slow drying is necessary.
Finishing:	All surface treatments are is easy to apply and the wood is particularly suitable for rustic staining.
Jointing:	The gluing properties are satisfactory . Screws hold well but pre-drilled holes should be provided for nails.

AMERICAN WHITE OAK

BAHIA ROSEWOOD

Trade Names:	Bahia Rosewood, Rosewood
Similar Woods:	Rio Palisander, Honduras Palisander
Origin:	South America.
Range:	South America, primarily in Eastern Brasil in the lower tropical rain forests. Very seldom used as veneer wood since the tree only grows toa small diameter.
Uses:	High quality architectural woodwork, in demand as inlay wood (France), architectural wood for furniture, paneling and luxury products.
Properties:	The heartwood is yellow with irregular reddish streaks, stripes or with patches which fade when exposed to light and air. Nevertheless, very decorative. Due to the small diameter often has defects and split heart. Therefore, only suitable for occasional and inlay furniture, seldom used for architectural woodwork.
Machining:	Since this wood is very hard, sharp tools are essential. The wood splits easily and tears when the feed speed id too high. Cleanly planed surfaces on the other hand are very smooth and have a light lustrous finish.
Seasoning:	Drying should not be too quick to avoid later losses through checking. Bahia Rosewood is not prone to warping.
Finishing:	The Surface should be polished to highlight the magnificent marking and this operation is not difficult. It is also easy to apply all surface treatments.
Jointing:	Joints with screws, nails and glue are very smooth and are made in the normal way.

BAHIA ROSEWOOD

BIRDSEYE MAPLE

Trade Names:	Birdseye Maple, Curly Maple, Fiddleback Maple, Northern Maple, Rock Maple, Sugar Maple, Black Maple.
Similar Woods:	-----
Origin:	Northern parts of North America.
Range:	Special form of Hard Maple ( Sugar Maple ) in which the so-called Birdseye form around the log due to “sleeping bud growth”. This shows as small dots in the wood. There are many theories on the cause of the Birds eye but none of these could be proved conclusively up to now: - Parasite fungi which cause an irregularity in the cambium; - Birdseye develop when the tree grows on barren and rocky ground or under tension; - Genetic causes.
Uses:	High quality architectural woodwork, high quality furniture. For price reasons often copied by fineline veneers (artificial Birdseye Maple). At the present time it is fashionable to colour-stain or dye Birdseye Maple in all thinkable colours (chemical treatment not permitted in Germany due to waste water contamination).
Properties:	Often slight changes in colour within one log from a yellowish white on the outside to reddish in the heart of the log. In additional frequently occurring black patches and brown “sugar patches”. Trunks over 2.70 m long are rare due to their small dimensions.
Machining:	Smooth surfaces can be produced by using carbide-tipped tools and adjusted feed speeds. The same applies to moulding. The burn risk has to be considered.
Seasoning:	Drying must be carried out very slowly and carefully to prevent checking and warping.
Finishing:	Birdseye Maple is particularly suitable for staining and producing lustrous surfaces.
Jointing:	Glue joints hold well. Screw joints should be pre-drilled.

BIRDSEYE MAPLE

BOCOTE

Trade Names:	Freijo.
Similar Woods:	Louro Preto.
Origin:	Central America.
Range:	Bocote grows from Mexico to Costa Rica in heights of up 1600 m. The tree can reach heights of up to 40 m. As there are many different types of the Cordia species, Bocote is often mistaken for Ziricote, Laurel and other Central American timbers. However, it can be found more often than Ziricote.
Uses:	Bocote is often used in the exclusive furniture production, but also as wood for turning objects and for musical instruments. Quite often,it is used for high – quality knife handles. Bocote veneers are not used much in Europe; however they are high demand in Asia.
Properties:	The dark brown wood impresses with clearly set-off dark stripes, which give surfaces a highly decorative look. Hence its popular use for knife handles. Lenghts vary between 2.0 and 2.7 meters in most cases and very rarely reach more than three meters.
Machining:	Can be worked with very well, the wood only has a slight tendency to develop splinters. Smooth turned and planed surfaces can be achieved without difficulty .
Seasoning:	Drying is problem-free, however, should be done slowly in case of larger thicknesses.
Finishing:	Bocote takes lacquers and other surface treatments very.
Jointing:	Gluing can be carried out problem-free, nail and screw joints hold well.

BOCOTE

CEDAR

Trade Names:	Cedar
Similar Woods:	White Cedar.
Origin:	Northwest Africa, Asia, in the Himalayas.
Range:	The best known Cedars are the Atlas Cedar native to Northwest Africa, today’s almost extinct Cedar of Lebanon as well as the Himalayan Cedar, the so-called Deodar. In Europe the Cedar is known as a cultivated garden and park tree. The Cedar of Lebanon belongs to those three species with highest live expectancy and can get up to 3,000 years old.
Uses:	Cedar is used for furniture making but was earlier a popular lumber for shipbuilding.
Properties:	Light-reddish wood which has a characteristic pungent odour.
Machining:	Cedar can be worked well by hand and machine. Planed surfaces have a light gloss but tools become quickly dull due to its resin content.
Seasoning:	Cedar dries quickly and without any great problems. It is only slightly prone to checking and warping.
Finishing:	Surface treatment is possible but only with great difficulty because of the high resin and oil content resisting varnishing. A slight improvement is achieved by washing with wood soap.
Jointing:	Wood joints can be produced without any difficulty with glue , screws and nails and are very durable.

CEDAR

COCOBOLO

Trade Names:	Cocobolo, Granadillo.
Similar Woods:	Rio Rosewood, East Indian Rosewood, Santos Rosewood
Origin:	Central America, South America
Range:	Central and north eastern parts of South America, particularly down the west coast of Nicaragua, but also in Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama . The Dalbergia hypoleuca is often listed as Cocobolo.
Uses:	Veneer for architectural woodwork or inlays, all kinds of handles , parts of woodwind instruments (but not for mouthpieces).
Properties:	The heartwood is red to dark brown with black lines. Due to its high oil content the surface appears dense with waxy luster. An absolutely superior wood.
Machining:	Due to its high density and interlocking grain this wood is very difficult to machine. Preference is to be given to carbide-tipped tools. Planed surfaces can be very smooth.
Seasoning:	This wood can be dried only with the greatest care and pure precautions must be taken to obtain the final product free of checking. It is of advantage to season in log form.
Finishing:	In general surface treatment presents no problems. Since the wood darkens fast the use of UV-resistant varnishes is to be given preference.
Jointing:	Due to deposits in this wood it is extremely difficult to glue. Screw and nail joints hold well but pre-drilling is recommended.

COCOBOLO

GONCALO ALVES

Trade Names:	Tigerwood , Goncalo Alves, Kingwood, Urunday, Zebrawood.
Similar Woods:	South America.
Origin:	Northern parts of North America.
Range:	Goncalo Alves is part of the Anacardiaceaen family. From Guyana and Colombia via Ecuador and Mexico through to Peru and Honduras. Also in El Salvador, Trinidad, and Brazil.
Uses:	Due to its salient light-dark contrast, Goncalo Alves is perfectly suitable for the production of decorative veneer. Its extravagant colour combination , which often commemorates the skin of a tiger, makes the wood of the genus “astronium fraxinofolium” interesting especially for the furniture industry and the producers of panelling and ceiling lining. It is also utilized for shipbuilding and for the building constructions with extraordinary stress as well as for weaver’s shuttles and tools helves in the high – class sector as a special wood.
Properties:	In kiln-dried status, Goncalo Alves has a density of apx. 850-960 kg/m3, therefore, it is one of the extra sturdy hardwoods. Very decorative , red brown to crimson colour , often spotted with or traversed by wide dark brown to almost black veins.
Machining:	Woodworking presents difficulties due to the hardness of the wood (especially with irregular fiber course ). Ideally , very sharp carbide-tipped tools should be used in order to avoid rapid blunting of the knives. Pre-drilling before screwing and nailing is recommended .
Seasoning:	Drying is quite complicated and must be carried our very slowly and carefully to prevent checking and warping. In general, Goncalo Alves is characterized by a good stability.
Finishing:	In general, smooth and clean surfaces can be achieved which impose by their natural gloss. Goncalo Alves takes well to polishes.
Jointing:	Joints cause problems due to high presence of tylosis.

GONCALO ALVES

GRANADILLO

Trade Names:	Macawood, Coyote, Granadillo.
Similar Woods:	Cocobolo , Kingwood, Santos Rosewood.
Origin:	Tropical South and Central America, from South Mexico to the Brazilian Amazon region.
Range:	Granadillo is mainly growing in the humid regions of the Central American tropics. The tree can reach heights of up to 40 m. Very often, Granadillo is compared with other wood species, frequently with Cocobolo. Although Granadillo is less shiny than Cocobolo, it is relatively similar to it. However, Granadillo can be found considerably more often than Cocobolo.
Uses:	Being an excellent and less expensive alternative to Resewood or Cocobolo due to its similar appearance, Granadillo is used as well for exclusive furniture, both as veneer as well as solid wood. The wood is also used for instrument making. Special products such as violin bows or billiard cues are made of Granadillo, too.
Properties:	The highly decorative wood shows a colour spectrum ranging from dark purple to various shades os red up to dark brown, and it is often streaked with darker or lighter stripes, however, less spectacular than Rosewood or Cocobolo.
Machining:	Problem-free, smooth and closed surfaces can be produced without difficulty
Seasoning:	Granadillo only has a slight tendency to check and warp when being dried. Apart from that, drying presents no problem.
Finishing:	Granadillo takes lacquers and other surface finishes without any problems.
Jointing:	Nail, screw and glue joints hold firmly and can be carried our problem-free.

GRANADILLO

HARD MAPLE

Trade Names:	Hard Maple , Sugar Maple.
Similar Woods:	Sycamore (European), Maple (European), Swiss Pear, Alder, sliced Birch.
Origin:	North America.
Range:	Eastern area of North America, from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Mexico. Exploited commercially mainly in the north of the USA. Apart from its use as wood also significant as a source of maple syrup. Special forms of Hard Maple are the Curly Maple, Quilted Maple, Fiddleback Maple and the Bird’s Eye Maple.
Uses:	Hard Maple is one of the most used furniture woods in the USA. Over the last two years Hard Maple has established itself in Europe as a furniture wood, above all as a “substitute” for Pear, Alder or European Sycamore in un-steamed white or steamed pink colour shades. Due to its resistance to friction it is also suitable as hard-wearing parquet in gymnasium, etc… Turned into bobbins, loom shuttles and billiard cues.
Properties:	So-called “sugar” occurs in Hard Maple veneer – small, brown stains spread over the surface. These can be diminished by steaming or staining.
Machining:	More power is required for machining Hard Maple wood but smooth surfaces and profiles can be produced by using hard metal–tipped tools. There is a risk of burns when using dull tools.
Seasoning:	Kiln drying in particular must be carried our very slowly and carefully because the wood tends to easily check or warp.
Finishing:	Hard Maple can easily be stained and can be surface-treated with any finish with no difficulty.
Jointing:	Glue joints hold well and pre-drilled screw joints are preferred over nail joints.

HARD MAPLE

ipe'

Trade Names:	Ipé, Lapacho, Ironwood.
Similar Woods:	Pockwood (lignum vitae). Greenheart.
Origin:	Central and South America.
Range:	Ipé can be found all over the Central and South American continent as far as the Caribbean. Economically, mainly Ipé from Brazil is used, where the tree can reach a height of 65m with diameters of approx. 120 cm, depending on its habitat.
Uses:	In the past, the Puerto Ricans used Ipé as construction wood whereas today it is mainly used for stakes and masts there. Due to its high stability and potentialities as construction wood for highly stressed purposes in exterior (boat bridges, wooden terraces in gastronomy), it is very popular. Furthermore, it is used for furniture and boat building, for floorboards and panels, too handles and sports equipment. As veneer, Ipé is used for interior fittings and exclusive furniture.
Properties:	This wood species originating from Central and South America is traded with different types of the Tabebuia species, for example from Bolivia , Peru, Brazil , Guayana, Surinam, Venezuela and Colombia. Processing needs to be done carefully because the sawdust has biological effects. The colour of Ipe varies from reddish brown to greenish black with partly subtly distinctive stripes. It is very hard and durable and, therefore, has become known as “garden wood“ outside South America as well. Ipé is considered to be one of the hardest wood species world-wide. For this reason, it is also called iron wood.
Machining:	Due to its hardness, machining of this wood species is difficult. Therefore, the use of carbide tipped tools is recommended, as these do not tend to become dull easily. In order to facilitate processing, tools should always be well-sharpened. For the final assembly, screw and nail joints always need to be pre-drilled.
Seasoning:	It is important to dry Ipé slowly. Apart from that, kiln-drying can be carried out well and easily.
Finishing:	Problem-free with all methods.
Jointing:	Gluing presents problems because the wood doesn’t take glue well.

ipe

JATOBA

Trade Names:	Brazilian Cherry, South American Cherry, Jatoba
Similar Woods:	Afzelia, Angelique, Bilinga, Padouk , Guapinol.
Origin:	Central and South America, Antilles.
Range:	The occurrence of Jatoba is limited to the tropical America. Its natural growing area reaches from Mexico and West India to Paraguay and Bolivia . It is mainly native in Northern Brazil – Amazon Basin – and in the countries of the Guyana shield. The trees are mostly consistently cylindrical and, therefore, very suitable for veneer production. In Central America this specie is also known as “ Courbaril”.
Uses:	In the veneer sector, Jatoba is mainly used as parquet wood and less often as furniture wood in the series furniture production. Ideal also for terrace wood due to its good resistance to fungal disease and insect infestation.
Properties:	Jatoba has an intensive reddish brown colour , relatively uniform without bigger colour deviations. The veneer business distinguishes between the more light brown and the more reddish types and uses one or the other colour, but not mixed together.
Machining:	A mechanical treatment requires a higher application of force due to the above average hardness of this non –coniferous species. The use of sharp, hard metal tools promises relief. Jatoba can easily be sawn, sanded, drilled and turned; only planning of the wood is difficult. Pre-drilling is necessary for screws and nails.
Seasoning:	Air drying as weel as kiln drying run smoothly when straight fiber course is given and take place quickly in relation to Jatoba’s high density.
Finishing:	Thanks to the predominantly straight fiber course , smooth, flat-shining surfaces and proper edges result. Takes glaze and lacquer very well.
Jointing:	No difficulties known.

JATOBA

LOURO PRETO

Trade Names:	Louro Preto, Cordia, Louro Pardo
Similar Woods:	-----
Origin:	Tropical, Central and South America, especially Guayana, Ecuador and Brasil.
Range:	A number of different botanical genera are produced and trades as Louro Preto. This is why it is not possible to isolate one single species of this wood to be the very fist one to carry this name.
Uses:	Architectural woodwork and mass-produced furniture. Less known in Europe. Used in South America also as deck planks for shipbuilding.
Properties:	Beautiful medium brown to olive-brown color in which the different textures, from regular to extremely wild, come into their own.
Machining:	Despite a certain hardness Louro Preto is easy to work with all tools. However, crystalline deposits quickly dull tools. Carbide-tipped blades are to be recommended.
Seasoning:	To avoid tension checking on the surface and at the ends it must be dried slowly and carefully. Louro Preto also tends to distort.
Finishing:	The planed surfaces must be carefully treated, the pores should be brushed out and pretreated with a filler. After this treatment any type of surface finish can be applied without difficulty.
Jointing:	Glue joints are easy to produce and durable. Pre-drilled screw and nail joints have normal tensile strength.

louro preto

MAHOGANY HONDURAS

PACIFIC MADRONA

QUARTER AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT

Trade Names:	Quarter american black walnut
Similar Woods:	French Walnut, Boire, Laurel.
Origin:	North America between latitude 32’ and 42’ north.
Range:	Best known felling areas for high quality veneer wood are the Eastern States in the USA with Delaware in the east, New York in the north, Iowa in the west and Kentucky in the south with the main centre in Ohio and Indiana. As a general rule American Walnut grows in mixed forests.
Uses:	Sliced veneer and lumber for architectural woodwork and high class furniture making. Due to its high strength and elasticity suitable also for production of chairs and seats. Used especially for gunstocks and aircraft propellers. Traditional wood for upright and grand piano making.
Properties:	Dark brown, frequently with figuring. American Walnut is unique for “bird pecks”, fingernail size knots which occur in the veneer as stain streaks with a small in the middle, which degrade the wood.
Machining:	There is no difficulty to working this wood with all hand or machine tools. Walnut is excellent for molding.
Seasoning:	Drying should be carried out very slowly to avoid possible cell damage. The wood is prone to checking and warping. Good results can be achieved only by drying very carefully.
Finishing:	The very smooth wood takes all stains well, especially nitro and water stains. Thorough polishing of the wood is necessary when using fillers
Jointing:	Screw, nail and glue joints are easily made and of normal tensile strength Alkaline glues, however can cause reaction stains.

QUARTER AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT

RIO ROSEWOOD

Trade Names:	Brazilian Rosewood, Rio Rosewood, Jacaranda.
Similar Woods:	East Indian Rosewood, Honduras Rosewood, Cocobolo, Santos Rosewood.
Origin:	South America.
Range:	Eastern Brazil : Bahia to Rio de Janeiro, lower tropical rain forests. Dalbergia nigra was classified as one of the species threatened with extinction at the Species Protection Conference 1992 in Montreal and has beeen protected since that time (Species Protection Class I, like ivory). Trading is absolutely prohibited. Only old stocks may be marketed with the “Cites Certificate” and special approval.
Uses:	Highest quality architectural woodwork.
Properties:	Rio Rosewood numbers amongst the most beautiful and most expressive woods on this earth. Its irregular marking (ears) and its variegated streaks result in highly decorative and most beautiful architectural woodwork. Brazil has banned the export of logs since 1968.
Machining:	Despite its extreme hardness Rio Rosewood can be easily and cleanly worked with all tools. Planning and moulding produce very smooth surfaces.
Seasoning:	Drying is easy and without any great risk of checking and warping. Only a little and checking can occur.
Finishing:	All surface treatments are possible. Oily content of pores can make high polishing difficult.
Jointing:	Rio Rosewood can be easily glued and the joints are highly durable. Nail screw joints hold firmly but should be pre-drilled.

RIO ROSEWOOD

RED GUM

Trade Names:	Red Gum, Satin Walnut.
Similar Woods:	Walnut.
Origin:	South-eastern parts of the USA.
Range:	From southern Connecticut to Central Florida , and up to eastern Texas. Grows up to 30 m tall with diameters reaching up to 90 cm. In its Growing region, a very frequent species ranking second in use among the American hardwoods, right after the Oak species.
Uses:	In USA, it is an often used as commercial timber fro inexpensive furniture-veneered as well as made of solid wood- for plywood, fruit crates, paper production and barrels. Relatively unknown in Europe as veneer and seldom used for interior wood work.
Properties:	The sapwood is cream-coloured and relatively uniform-looking; the heart Wood is of a reddish to dark-brown colour both of which can alternate Within one single log, this creating a beautiful marblelike effect. When Working up the sap and heart wood together , an extremely decorative result Is obtained. The heart wood often has a silky sheen.
Machining:	The wood can easily be worked with all tools.
Seasoning:	The wood is highly prone to checking and warping and drying must be done Slowly and carefully. Even after fitting-in, strong distortion of the wood May occur in case of variations in temperature.
Finishing:	No problem . The wood takes lacquers well.
Jointing:	Problem-free, including screw, nail and glue joints which all hold well.

red gum

RED OAK

Trade Names:	Red Oak.
Similar Woods:	Scarlet Oak, Southern Red Oak, Pin-Oak, Cherrybark Oak.
Origin:	North America.
Range:	Eastern and northern areas of the USA , Southern Canada and native in Central and Southern Europe for more than 200 years. Most frequent species of Oak in North America.
Uses:	Veneer. Only very good logs are used for slicing , others are peeled. Red Oak is also used fro facing in the furniture and door industries and as construction wood. Unlike in White Oak, Red Oak wood is not suitable for staves due to its open pores.
Properties:	The colour is light reddish to dark red. Compared with White Oak it is considerably larger in diameter and cleaner. Knife stain can very easily occur when slicing since the wood contains more tannic acid than found in White Oak and the water flow is facilitated by the open pores.
Machining:	Red Oak can be quickly and cleanly worked with all the usual tools. No machining problems are given with this species of wood.
Seasoning:	The wood must be dried slowly and carefully because of the great tendency to check and warp.
Finishing:	Surface treatments present no problems. Red Oak is very well suited for rustic stains (i.e. dark one).
Jointing:	Red Oak can be glued without problems. Screw and nail joints hold firmly but the holes should be pre-drilled to prevent splitting.

RED OAK

SANTOS ROSEWOOD

sucupira

Trade Names:	Sucupira, Supupira, Coeur Dehors
Similar Woods:	-----
Origin:	South America
Range:	Primarily in Brasil but also an the northern parts of South America, Venezuela and Guayana.
Uses:	Sliced veneer, engineering and construction lumber for all interior and exterior applications, windows, doors parquet flooring, furniture. Of no great significance in Europe.
Properties:	The heartwood is red to brown-red with light yellow lines. It is most resistant to fungi, insect attack and the weather. The wood is hard, heavy, tough and dense.
Machining:	Sucupira is not easy to work due to its extreme hardness and its frequently irregular or interlocked grain. To be recommended are carbide-tipped tools. The wood splits down the edges at too high a feed speed.
Seasoning:	Sucupira must not be dried too quickly because it is very prone to checking and warping. Too high temperatures cause surface checking and even case hardening.
Finishing:	Surface treatment of Sucupira presents no difficulties. Cleanly machined surfaces can be polished well.
Jointing:	Joints are easy to produce with glue, screws and nails and are of normal tensile strength

sucupira

TINEO

TULIPIÈ - TULIP TREE

Trade Names:	Birdseye Maple, Curly Maple, Fiddleback Maple, Northern Maple, Rock Maple, Sugar Maple, Black Maple.
Similar Woods:	-----
Origin:	Northern parts of North America.
Range:	Special form of Hard Maple (Sugar Maple) in which the so-called Birdseye form around the log due to “sleeping bud growth”. This shows as small dots in the wood. There are many theories on the cause of the Birds eye but none of these could be proved conclusively up to now: - Parasite fungi which cause an irregularity in the cambium; - Birdseye develop when the tree grows on barren and rocky ground or under tension; - Genetic causes.
Uses:	High quality architectural woodwork, high quality furniture. For price reasons often copied by fineline veneers (artificial Birdseye Maple). At the present time it is fashionable to colour-stain or dye Birdseye Maple in all thinkable colours (chemical treatment not permitted in Germany due to waste water contamination).
Properties:	Often slight changes in colour within one log from a yellowish white on the outside to reddish in the heart of the log. In additional frequently occurring black patches and brown sugar patches”. Trunks over 2.70 m long are rare due to their small dimensions.
Machining:	Smooth surfaces can be produced by using carbide-tipped tools and adjusted feed speeds. The same applies to moulding. The burn risk has to be considered.
Seasoning:	Drying must be carried out very slowly and carefully to prevent checking and warping.
Finishing:	Birdseye Maple is particularly suitable for staining and producing lustrous surfaces.
Jointing:	Glue joints hold well . Screw joints should be pre-drilled.

tulipiè

ziricote

Trade Names:	Ziricote.
Similar Woods:	Macassar Ebony.
Origin:	Central America.
Range:	Central America from Mexico to Columbia, here and there in the south of the USA ( Florida) and Brazil. Trees with usable log lengths of more than 5 m and 30 cm in diameter are extremely rare. Ziricote is the heaviest wood in the group comprising more than 250 different species of Cordia.
Uses:	Turneries, carvings. Used as veneer solely for architectural woodwork or inlays.
Properties:	Sapwood is white yellowish, the heartwood dark brown with irregular deep black zones. Very decorative when used together with the light sapwood.
Machining:	It is very easy and good to machine with all tools.
Seasoning:	The wood can be very well and quickly dried but there is a tendency for the ends to split. Care is to be taken to ensure good, careful drying.
Finishing:	All surface treatments take well and the wood can be polished well to produce a good finish.
Jointing:	Joints with glue , screws and nails are very durable.

ziricote

Trade Names:	Mahogany Honduras
Similar Woods:	Khaya
Botanical Name:	Swietenia Macrophylla; Family: Maliaceae
Origin:	Southern Mexico southward to Colombia, Venezuela, and parts of the upper Amazon and its tributaries in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.
Uses:	Fine furniture and cabinet making, interior trim, paneling, fancy veneer, musical instruments, boat building, pattern making, turnery and carving.
Properties:	This is a wood considered by most to be the one true mahogany. As such, it is often called “genuine mahogany”. Heartwood reddish, pinkish, salmon colored, or yellowish when fresh; Deepening with age to deep rich red or brown; distinct from the Yellowish or Whitish sapwood. Luster high and golden; texture rather Fine to coarse; grain straight to roey, wavy, or curly, ofteh with an Attractive figure; odor and teste not distinctive.
Machining:	Very easy to work hand and machine tools, torn and chipped grain is Common with figured material. Easy to finish and takes excellent polish Slices and rotary cuts into fine veneer.

Trade Names:	Madrona, Pacific Madrona.
Similar Woods:	Cherry, Pear Tree.
Origin:	North America.
Range:	North America down the Pacific Coast from Canada to California and Mexico.
Uses:	Architectural fittings and fixtures as well as furniture, however restricted to North America. With the exception of Madrona Burl not used in Europe, despite various attempts to introduce it there, because it stains easily.
Properties:	Reddish –Brown wood. Often develops burl knots which are very much in demand fro decorative veneers.
Machining:	Woodworking with all machines presents no difficulties because the wood can be easily and cleanly machined.
Seasoning:	Easy and quick to dry.
Finishing:	All the usual methods of surface treatment can be applied.
Jointing:	All joints can be produced without difficulty and hold well.