Ringed, semiranular and diffusely porous woods are all hardwoods. If you can't sand the part, look inside the drawers, cabinets, trim boards, or even the bottom of the legs to see the veins on the untreated ends. It will really help you with identification. Furniture manufacturers choose different types of wood for use in furniture because of their diverse qualities.
With a plethora of ways to cut and stain wood, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the type of wood used in antique furniture and trace it back to a specific period. There are additional variations within each type of wood, such as “gnarled pine” or “bird's-eye view”, which can complicate the identification process. There are plenty of books and online resources to use, but experience is always the best teacher, as trees grow differently in every environment. Veneer is rarely used to cover the bottoms of tables or the bottom of drawers.
Pulling out a drawer and checking the back and bottom will show if it's made of wood products rather than solid wood. By looking into the space left free by the drawer you took out in a dresser, sideboard or sideboard, you'll discover what the interior partitions, the back and the bottom of the countertop are actually made of. Likewise, checking the underside of a dining table or desk will clearly reveal what it's made of. If it's plywood or OSB, the stamped numbers can reveal its origin and batch number.
If you have an MDF core, you'll see an extension of grain-free material in gray, brown, or beige. It's not always easy to find such craftsmen in today's world of mass production and the mass market of faux wood furniture. Mahogany Native to Central and South America and the West Indies, mahogany is a popular type of wood used in European-style furniture. Solid wood, on the other hand, is the natural or soft hardwood found in the beautiful furniture seen in old houses or hotels.
Wood from freshly felled trees or wood that has been stored in an extremely humid environment will have a very high moisture content. So how do you know if a piece is real or fake wooden furniture to make sure you're getting your money's value? Oak is a very solid wood, popular in joinery, wood turning and almost all furniture construction. The following techniques and recommendations do not necessarily have wide application for initially classifying wood species and eliminating large swaths of wood species, but are most likely only used as a final step in special identification circumstances. Good quality wood provides furniture that is beautiful to look at, easy to maintain and that doesn't need to be thrown away in a few years.
If the wood comes from a wood pile or from a sawmill where all the pieces come from locally processed trees, the potential species are immediately limited. In both cases, a surface that has the appearance of solid wood is glued to a less expensive artificial wood product, hiding it from view. If possible, take the piece of wood to get an idea of its weight and compare it with other known wood species. Artificial wood is manufactured by attaching threads or particles or thin wooden boards together with adhesives to create a composite material.
Mass-manufactured, cheap quality furniture rarely has the kind of exquisite woodwork that can be seen in quality products.
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