Wood Glossary

Wood can be divided into two categories: softwoods obtained from conifers with evergreen and needle-like leaves and hardwoods from broadleaf trees.

 

Best known essences:

 

Oak, light and hardwood.

 

Yew, light, hard wood used in the processing of small objects.

 

Ash, light wood, flexible and robust, suitable for steam bending.

 

Mahogany dark wood, red, robust and easy to work.

 

Pine, wood with multiple uses.

 

Larch, hard and resistant wood suitable for load-bearing structures.

 

Spruce, endowed with resonance quality, used for the making of musical instruments.

 

Rosewood, pink, very hard, used in cabinet making.

 

Core, sweet and pliable, suitable for weaving.

 

Willow, sweet and pliable, often used in place of wicker.

 

Ebony, very hard wood, suitable for veneers.

 

Beech, easily moldable, used for the construction of furniture.

 

Apple tree, hard and heavy, used for carving and turning.

 

Cherry, reddish wood, suitable for furniture making.

 

Pear, hard wood, used in the making of models.

 

Teak, durable and easy to maintain.

 

Eucalyptus, scented wood.

 

Elm, mainly used for the construction of chairs.

 

Boxwood, suitable for the production of small objects.

 

Maple, light wood, with various veins, used to build furniture.

 

Guaiac, hard and heavy suitable for turning work.

 

Linden, cream colored, easy to work, used by carvers.

 

Walnut, wood with dark shades, suitable for the construction of furniture.

 

Cedar, light, workable in thick and robust sections to build furniture, or plywood (set of several sheets with fibers arranged in different directions and joined by gluing).

 

Technically advanced lamellar, consisting of layered and glued lamellar structures, with a very high weight/strength ratio, ideal for building beams and arches.