| When choosing a hardwood, it is most likely to be | | | | Ash is light in colour and has a straight grain, making it |
| the appearance of the wood - its colour and grain | | | | particularly suitable for tool handles (it also has a |
| structure - which will determine your choice for a | | | | natural springiness). Also useful for making furniture |
| particular woodworking project. | | | | where the wood has to be bent. |
| By far the most commonly available hardwood is | | | | Beech is also straight grained and has a fine even |
| mahogany. Originally, 'true' mahogany (Swietana) | | | | texture. Widely used for tools and tool handles and |
| came from Central America (particularly Cuba) and | | | | also for furniture making. |
| this is known now as American mahogany. African | | | | Elm This is not so widely available since Dutch elm |
| mahogany (Kyaha) has broadly similar properties and | | | | disease, but it is useful as a wood for making garden |
| comes from all parts of Africa, and, these days, | | | | furniture. |
| other hardwoods, such as sapele and utile, are often | | | | Iroko is very similar to teak but is about half the |
| categorised under the mahogany umbrella. | | | | price and does not have the oil texture. It is very |
| All these woods have a distinctive warm reddish | | | | durable so can be used outside and is also suitable for |
| colour and are reasonably durable so can be used | | | | furniture making. |
| outside if treated with preservative. The mahogany | | | | Oak British oak is expensive to buy these days |
| family of woods are strong and easy to work with | | | | (except possibly second-hand) but is a hard durable |
| sharp tools and will take glue, screws and paint or | | | | timber which is ideally suited to use as fencing-posts. |
| varnish well. Their attractive appearance and close | | | | It is very difficult to work and its acid content is likely |
| grain structure make them ideal for furniture making, | | | | to corrode ferrous metal. |
| but many do-it-yourselfers will be more likely to come | | | | As well as oak grown in Europe, you may come |
| across 'mahogany' as a veneer on a plank of | | | | across American White Oak (durable) and American |
| chipboard. | | | | Red Oak (non-durable). Chestnut, known for its use |
| Philippine mahogany - or lauan - is a much darker red | | | | in fencing, is sometimes used instead of oak. |
| wood than the other mahoganies. | | | | Obeche is a light-coloured wood used for the insides |
| Ramin is the other widely available hardwood. It is | | | | of furniture, such as the sides of drawers. Like ramin, |
| closely textured and has an even grain which makes | | | | it can easily be stained and requires sharp tools to |
| it ideal for mouldings. A light yellow in colour, it can be | | | | work it |
| stained easily to match other wood - a common use | | | | Teak is one of the most attractive of hardwoods, |
| for ramin mouldings is as a lipping for shelves. | | | | but is prohibitively expensive. Teak contains natural |
| You may well be able to find other hardwoods | | | | oils which make it extremely durable and resistant to |
| available either from stock or to order, and it is | | | | decay, so it is particularly suitable for exterior |
| worth knowing something about the pros and cons | | | | furniture. For inside furniture, it has now largely been |
| of the various types. | | | | replaced by iroko. but is still used for thin veneers. |