It has been called the world’s most useful plant (though hemp advocates might argue otherwise). Naturally resistant to decay, moisture, insects—even fire—it's so dense that it actually sinks in water. You want pine to be good and dry, which may be a problem with HD and Lowes. All Rights Reserved. 2001 - 2003. Maple Cabinets. Although the bird's-eye figure occurs in hard maple, soft maple occasionally provides some curly figure. The storm ain't over yet.". Recording Location. Vinyl trim was first created in the 1950s along with vinyl siding. It is also used in furniture and a wide variety of other construction … "As I said, poplar has a tendency to be fuzzy and you can usually get through that process by priming it and scuffing it, but we do lot of doors and one of the driving forces is the guy runs our mill department is way more in favor of soft maple than poplar because of its stability and machinability," Harris says. Bamboo is making its way into all types of applications, from flooring and kitchen countertops to sheet goods and decorative banding. Seal surfaces against moisture with an oil finish or polyurethane to avoid warping and swelling. Soft maple is a versatile wood and is as useful in furniture and cabinetry as hard maple. Other uses include kitchen utensils, toys, crates, pallets, furniture framing and turnings. Here is a sampling of wood alternatives, most with some environmental advantages, for home construction and remodeling projects. WHY YOU SHOULD TRY IT: The color of Lyptus ranges from light pink to a deep cherry tone, and it finishes easily. Using hard maple for cabinetry helps produce a range of high-end cabinet units. When it comes to bringing out the natural beauty of a highly figured piece of wood, such as quilted maple or quartersawn oak, nothing beats a hand-rubbed Danish-oil finish. This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue. But any mention of a substantial rally taking place was greeted cautiously by even the most optimistic of dealers.". Hemp . Maplewood Maplewood . © 2020 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. an Active Interest Media company. Use carbide-tipped blades and bits and make sure that they are sharp to reduce splintering and tear-out. Marketed variously as Combi Core, Armor Core, Classic Core, and Pro Core, combination-core sheet goods sandwich softwood plies between MDF layers, which are then faced with hardwood veneer. And while hardwood-veneered sheets of medium-density fiberboard (MDF-core) give you smoothness, they're not suitable for applications where rigidity and strength count. Although few pests impact the wood, tuliptree scale suck sap from twigs and leaves then deposit their ample, sticky discharge on cars and lawn furniture. Maple is quite durable, and when finished using proper techniques, will provide a very distinct look. The holy-grail quest of the lumber world has long been to find an inexpensive and sustainable alternative to genuine mahogany. WATCH OUT FOR: Price. Like vinyl siding, the trim is made of a type of plastic that’s created in a mold. Modern manufacturing and "green" thinking have led to a number of new woods. Take a look at ipe (pronounced EE-pay). From an appearance standpoint, there is not a lot of big difference, but there is pricewise, absolutely. And, though its price runs about twice that of cypress or cedar, with proper treatment, outdoor projects made from ipe will long outlive these less-durable woods and may very well outlive you. Hard maple ought to be considered the king of the Acer genus. And it is maybe as much as 35 to 40 percent cheaper than hard maple.". These wood alternative trims often match wood alternative sidings, but can also be installed on homes with wood siding if the trim requires replacement first. The various African and South American substitutes that rise to the challenge often become increasingly unavailable and pricey as they gain prominence. So we use it a lot in production. The heartwood varies from light to medium reddish-brown. The MDF layers ensure that the imperfect plies don't telegraph through the top layer of veneer, giving you a smoother surface and a void-free substrate. The creamy-white sapwood is valued for its clarity. Also, bamboo's porous end grain quickly absorbs all liquids. That statement is applicable one year later as wood markets have barely changed in the last year. To maintain a rich walnut color, apply an annual treatment of a penetrating oil finish containing UV inhibitors such as Penofin (800-736-6346, penofin.com). The most common and popular use of maple lumber is to make cabinets with it. The fact that it is a domestic wood augments its popularity and it is often used on electric guitars, most notably Gibson Les Paul tops. (Some woodworkers choose to wear gloves when handling Lyptus to avoid the small splinters.) Soft maple has traditionally fallen in the shadow of hard maple (Acer saccharum), but because of the higher price of hard maple the two woods have grown closer in popularity in the cabinetry world. … But that's not nearly as much as replacing the plywood you ruined while sanding out surface irregularities. I suppose consistency is the most important factor for them. In steps Lyptus. Lyptus splinters easily, so back up your routing, cutting, and drilling with scrap. Soft maple is classified as a good steam-bending wood, is a stable wood for turning and takes a fine finish. WATCH OUT FOR: Splintering. A year ago, Woodshop News wrote the following about the status of domestic wood markets: "Wood dealers have a 'wait-and-see' attitude when it comes to forecasting how wood markets will perform in … There's more to life than oak, pine, and plywood. Poplar. 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