Choosing the right hardwood for your project is crucial to achieving the desired aesthetic and durability. In this guide, we'll explore some of the most popular hardwoods— to name a few European oak, American Walnut, African Iroko, African sapele, American maple, European beech, and American ash. We'll also discuss how to account for wastage to ensure your project goes smoothly.
Characteristics: European oak is known for its strength, durability, and beautiful grain patterns. It has a light to medium brown colour with a slight olive hue.
Uses: Ideal for furniture, flooring, and joinery.
Considerations: Oak is relatively easy to work with but can be prone to tannin staining if not properly sealed.
Characteristics: Iroko, often referred to as African teak, has a rich golden to medium brown colour and is highly durable. It has interlocked grain which can be wavy.
Uses: Excellent for outdoor furniture, decking, and boat building due to its resistance to decay.
Considerations: Can be challenging to work with due to its interlocked grain but finishes well.
Characteristics: Sapele is a reddish-brown hardwood with a fine, interlocked grain. It’s known for its stability and strength.
Uses: Commonly used in fine furniture, cabinetry, and musical instruments.
Considerations: May cause tear-out during machining due to the interlocked grain, so sharp tools are essential.
Characteristics: Walnut is a dark, elegant hardwood with a straight grain, though it can also have waves or curls. Its color can range from light brown to dark chocolate.
Uses: Perfect for high-end furniture, cabinetry, and decorative veneers.
Considerations: Walnut is relatively easy to work with, but it's important to source it sustainably due to its higher cost and demand.
Characteristics: Maple is a light-coloured hardwood with a fine, even texture. It’s very hard and durable.
Uses: Ideal for kitchen cabinets, cutting boards, and flooring.
Considerations: Hard maple can be difficult to work with due to its density, but it provides a smooth finish.
Characteristics: Beech is a light-coloured hardwood with a fine, straight grain and uniform texture. It’s strong and resistant to abrasion.
Uses: Commonly used in furniture, flooring, and tool handles.
Considerations: Beech is relatively easy to work with but can be prone to warping if not properly dried.
Characteristics: Ash is a light-coloured wood with a straight grain and a coarse texture. It’s strong, flexible, and shock resistant.
Uses: Frequently used for furniture, tool handles, and sports equipment.
Considerations: Ash is easy to work with and takes stains and finishes well.
When purchasing hardwood due to it coming in random widths and length, it’s essential to account for wastage to ensure you have enough material for your project. Here’s how to calculate it:
Standard Wastage Percentage: A general rule of thumb is to add 10-20% to your total material needs if your buying PAR machined timber. For example, if your project requires 100 board feet of hardwood, purchase between 110 and 120 board feet. This will allow for you to work around any natural defects and essential if you are trimming on site to fit windowsill, treads and shelves.
Complex Projects: For intricate or large-scale projects, consider a higher wastage percentage, such as 20-30%, to ensure you have enough material.
Rough Sawn Purchases: the industry standard for most rough sawn timbers is 30% wastage which will allow the extra for length and width to achieve your final dimensions after machining. Sometimes even more for example if your after American walnut with little to no sap you may need to account for 50% wastage.
Measure Twice, Cut Once: Accurate measurements and careful planning can significantly reduce wastage.
Efficient Planning: Create detailed project plans and cut lists to maximize the use of each board.
Use Offcuts: Save and reuse offcuts for smaller components or future projects.
Practice on Scrap: If you're new to woodworking or trying a new technique, practice on scrap wood before working on your final pieces.
Conclusion Buying hardwood for your projects involves understanding the characteristics of each type of wood and planning for wastage. By selecting the right hardwood and accounting for potential wastage, you can ensure your project is a success. We have extensive knowledge of all hardwood timbers and have one distinct advantage of most timber merchants and that’s we have backgrounds in furniture making alongside of being a timber merchant so feel free to get in touch for a chat about your specific needs. Happy woodworking!
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