What is the difference between beech and oak in making furniture?
Post 1 of 13
What is the difference between beech and oak in making furniture and what are the advantages and disadvantages of both?
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23 Jan 2008 16:25
Post 2 of 13
Quoting from [darkfox133]:
What is the difference between beech and oak in making furniture and what are the advantages and disadvantages of both?
I lock this topic and copy it in Building Materials
26 Jan 2008 09:28
Post 3 of 13
Replying to [darkfox133]:
Beech wood is light, but not used very much for furniture, though I don't really know why. The only thing I know about it is that it is used for traditional meat smoking.
Oak on the other hand is a very heavy and hard wood. Using it for furniture requires sturdy machinery, but you'll produce high-quality items.
Though you should limit your production to "stationary" items, as it would be a major hassle to move around these heavy pieces. Just imagine garden furniture! There is some made of oak though (because of its quality), but there are better wood options for this purpose.
For bookshelves, tables, sideboards, etc., oak is the ideal choice. Now, for certain items you might consider ordinary pine, and veneer (coat) it with oak. Much lighter!
Beech wood is light, but not used very much for furniture, though I don't really know why. The only thing I know about it is that it is used for traditional meat smoking.
Oak on the other hand is a very heavy and hard wood. Using it for furniture requires sturdy machinery, but you'll produce high-quality items.
Though you should limit your production to "stationary" items, as it would be a major hassle to move around these heavy pieces. Just imagine garden furniture! There is some made of oak though (because of its quality), but there are better wood options for this purpose.
For bookshelves, tables, sideboards, etc., oak is the ideal choice. Now, for certain items you might consider ordinary pine, and veneer (coat) it with oak. Much lighter!
26 Jan 2008 17:28
Post 4 of 13
Replying to [darkfox133]:
but I think that beech is stronger thanpine in furniture too
but I think that beech is stronger thanpine in furniture too
29 Jan 2008 12:35
Post 5 of 13
Replying to [darkfox133]:
Could be! Have tried googleing it?
Could be! Have tried googleing it?
29 Jan 2008 14:39
Post 6 of 13
Replying to [darkfox133]:
Oak has a very even graining and handles all types of stresses (from all angles). Also it works fairly well.
Beech splinters a lot because of grain patterns. It also does NOT handle stresses very well.... Beech is basically a **** to work with. Nice looking wood but not something I would recommend using for weight bearing furniture (no way would i use it for chairs etc)
Beech makes a FANTASTIC veneer however so look into that instead.
Oak has a very even graining and handles all types of stresses (from all angles). Also it works fairly well.
Beech splinters a lot because of grain patterns. It also does NOT handle stresses very well.... Beech is basically a **** to work with. Nice looking wood but not something I would recommend using for weight bearing furniture (no way would i use it for chairs etc)
Beech makes a FANTASTIC veneer however so look into that instead.
05 Feb 2008 10:30
Post 7 of 13
Replying to [Foow]:
By the way, what do you know about cherry as a wood - both solid and as a veneer?
By the way, what do you know about cherry as a wood - both solid and as a veneer?
05 Feb 2008 15:34
Post 8 of 13
Uwe,
Since there is no actual cherry wood in Australia I never used it so I can't give you any real knowledge about it. I know of it, but never looked into its properties since it was a wood I knew I would never use when I was doing woodworking back home..... Now Eucalyptus i can tell you about! (and thats easy... working with it sucks big time!)
Since there is no actual cherry wood in Australia I never used it so I can't give you any real knowledge about it. I know of it, but never looked into its properties since it was a wood I knew I would never use when I was doing woodworking back home..... Now Eucalyptus i can tell you about! (and thats easy... working with it sucks big time!)
08 Feb 2008 08:33
Post 9 of 13
Replying to [darkfox133]:
Yeah, I think eucalyptus splits lengthwise. - Too bad, I know I have seen furniture made of cherry wood, but that's all. I believe it was highly appreciated, but am not sure about that and much less know why.
Yeah, I think eucalyptus splits lengthwise. - Too bad, I know I have seen furniture made of cherry wood, but that's all. I believe it was highly appreciated, but am not sure about that and much less know why.
08 Feb 2008 09:53
Post 10 of 13
Replying to [darkfox133]:
For beech:
Pale brown to pinky and white , hard wood but relatively easily worked.
Whitest wood considered to be best grade.
Uses of Beech - Large trees for timber, not suitable for outside use although used for piles immersed in water. Used for furniture and many other uses such as bowls, spoons, tools, plywood, and veneers. Valuable as sawn timber. Widely used for its decorative features and colour for veneers.
For oak:
Advantages: -Very strong, hard, tough and durable. Oak finishes well, works well and has very little shrinkage
Disadvantages: -European Oak is very heavy, expensive and splits easily. It contains tannic acid, which corrodes steel and iron fitting. The acid's effect on the fittings can cause permanent blue stains on the wood surface
Uses: -Garden furniture, boat building, gateposts, furniture, floors and construction work.
If you need some more information, please feel free to tell us. I will send the detail to your E-mail.
For beech:
Pale brown to pinky and white , hard wood but relatively easily worked.
Whitest wood considered to be best grade.
Uses of Beech - Large trees for timber, not suitable for outside use although used for piles immersed in water. Used for furniture and many other uses such as bowls, spoons, tools, plywood, and veneers. Valuable as sawn timber. Widely used for its decorative features and colour for veneers.
For oak:
Advantages: -Very strong, hard, tough and durable. Oak finishes well, works well and has very little shrinkage
Disadvantages: -European Oak is very heavy, expensive and splits easily. It contains tannic acid, which corrodes steel and iron fitting. The acid's effect on the fittings can cause permanent blue stains on the wood surface
Uses: -Garden furniture, boat building, gateposts, furniture, floors and construction work.
If you need some more information, please feel free to tell us. I will send the detail to your E-mail.
06 Mar 2008 22:04
Post 11 of 13
Quoting from [darkfox133]:
What is the difference between beech and oak in making furniture and what are the advantages and disadvantages of both?
i know that oak is stronger and sell for more, but has a higher purchace price.
good luck
Distrabit
01 Aug 2008 13:35