Specification
Beech is an important and widely-used hardwood in Europe. Its hardness, wear-resistance, strength, and excellent bending capabilities—coupled with its low price—make this hardwood a mainstay for many European woodworkers. It is often used to mimic other more expensive woods such as Maple.
Appearance
- Colour – Normally white, pale cream to pale pinkish brown
Characteristics
- Strength – Fairly hard
- Ease Of Drying – dries fairly well at a moderate rate and requires care in air-seasoning and kiln drying to prevent excessive shrinkage.
- Movement In Service – Large
- Preservative Treatment – Satisfactory
Working Properties
- Machining – Easy
- Steam Bending – Exceptional, even when knots and irregular grain are present. It can be bent to very small radii, which makes it particularly useful in the furniture industry.
- Nailing – Nails well
- Gluing – Glues well
Finishing
- When sanded, stained and polished it produces an excellent, smooth finish suitable for all kinds of applications.
