If you are into woodworking, chances are, you build some of your own furniture, or are at least looking into starting to build your own furniture. Building your own can lead to more quality furniture that lasts longer than mass produced factory quality furniture, as well as giving you that special sense of accomplishment that you can only get through working with wood. If you are looking into wood for furniture building, there are a lot of factors you need to take into account before making your purchase.
One of the first characteristics of wood is the hardness of it. This will play into many different aspects, from how easy it is to work with the wood, to how durable your furniture will be at the end of your woodworking project. As discussed in our last blog post on types of wood to use for general woodworking, oak and ash are going to be the hardest woods you will work with, making them a very common choice for furniture building as they will be very durable over time. Keep in mind however, as also discussed in our previous blog post, oak and ash will also be two of the most difficult woods to work with, so patience is key. While oak and ash are very hard woods, you will most likely still come across woods like maple and pine more than you will ash.
Another factor to take into account when it comes to selecting the proper wood for your furniture building is the color and grain of the wood. Hardwoods used for furniture building are usually targeted for their rich color and grain that is a bit smoother than that of softer woods like cedar. These harder woods like oak and ash will also usually react well to finish, making them another great option for furniture building. Maple is another great option for your woodworking needs if you are looking for something very durable, as it is a popular wood for bedroom furniture and is even used on bowling alleys.
Another great option for furniture making that you will commonly find is black walnut, a wood that is commonly found in both Europe and America. This wood will typically be found as kitchen structures such as cabinets and pantry doors. This wood is very easy to cut and is a very easy wood to paint, making it another great choice for your furniture woodworking project.
No matter what kind of furniture you are building, there are a myriad of types of wood that will fit your needs for your project.