Academy Notes and Tips
JULY/AUG
2005
Volume 48/Issue 4
IN
THIS ISSUE
Project
Articles
•
The Heirloom Cradle
• The Spirit of St. Louis Toy Airplane
• Making All-Purpose Wooden Boxes
DEPARTMENTS
•
Ask Smitty
• Owner’s Gallery
• Letters from Owners
Academy Notes
Properties
of Cabinet Lumber
Service Pointers
Bandsaw
Service Pointers
What's
New
Lift-Assist
EDUCATION
• Find
A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You
•
National
Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH
ONLINE
CATALOGS
• Online Accessory Catalog
•
Request
Printed Accessory Catalog
• Online
Replacement Parts Catalog
MARK
V INFORMATION
•
Find
A Shopsmith
MARK V Demo Near You
•
Request
MARK V Information Package
LINKS
•
Links Worth Visiting
•
Free Woodworking
Tips
FEEDBACK
Contacting
Shopsmith
Copyright
2005.
Shopsmith, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
From
the Shopsmith Woodworking Academy
Properties
of Cabinet Lumber - General Characteristics
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The chart below is based on general characteristics and averages. For example, pounds-per- cubic-foot are given for samples of dry wood. However, samples cut from the same tree and reduced to the same moisture content can vary.
The Planing & Jointing column relates to the ease of either operation with the respective wood. Smooth Sanding refers to how well the wood sands and the recommended sandpaper grit to use for the scratchless and smooth sanding step.
Under Stain Type, "Oil" refers to a penetrating oil stain...and "Wiping" to a wiping stain. "NGR" Means a non-grain-raising stain. All other heads should be self-explanatory.
| Wood Species | Weight # per cubic ft. | Hardness | Planing & Jointing | Turning | Smooth Sanding | Natural Color | Usual Grain Figure | Stain Type | Stain Color | Filler Color | Natural Finish Preferred |
| Ash | 55 | Medium | Good | Fair | Best 100 | White to Brown | Plain or Fiddleback | Any | Any | White or Brown | Yes |
| Basswood | 24 | Soft | Good | Poor | Poor 150 | Cream | Very Mild | NGR | Red or Brown | None | No |
| Birch | 39 | Hard | Good | Good | Fair 150 | Cream | Mild | Any | Walnut or Mahogany | Natural or Brown | Yes |
| Cedar (Aromatic Red) | 23 | Soft | Poor | Fair | Good 120 | Heart: Red Sap: Cream | Knotty | None | None | None | Yes |
| Cherry | 36 | Medium | Excellent | Excellent | Best 150 | Red to Brown | Good | Water | Red or Brown | Red to Black | Yes |
| Cypress | 29 | Soft | Good | Poor | Fair 36 | Heart: Brown Sap: Cream | Plain or Figured | Water, Oil or Wiping | Red or Brown | None | Yes |
| Mahogany | 35 | Medium | Good | Good | Good 150 | Brown to Red-Brown | Stripe | Water | Red or Brown | Red to Black | Yes |
| Maple | 41 | Hard | Fair | Good | Good 150 | Cream | Varied | Water and Wiping | Maple | None | Yes |
| Oak (Red) | 39 | Hard | Excellent | Good | Best 36 | Red Brown | Plain or Flake | NGR | Green toner | Brown | No |
| Oak (White) | 40 | Hard | Excellent | Good | Best 36 | White to Light Brown | Plain or Flake | NGR | Brown | Brown | Yes |
| Pine (White) | 25 | Soft | Good | Good | Fair 36 | White to Cream | Mild | Water or Oil | Brown Only | None | No |
| Poplar | 29 | Soft | Good | Good | Poor 150 | White to Cream-Green to Brown | Occasional Dark Stripe | NGR | Brown | None | No |
| Redwood | 29 | Soft | Good | Fair | Poor 36 | Red | Mild-Straight Grain | Red only for toning | Red only for toning | None | No |
| Walnut | 36 | Medium | Good | Very Good | Best 150 | Heart: Brown Sap: Cream | Varied | Water | Walnut | Brown to Black | Yes |
| Willow | 30 | Soft | Fair | Fair | Fair 120 | White to Brown | Varied | Any | Brown to Red | Dark | Yes |
