Furniture; Chili Peppers vs Wood

Odd title, isn't it?  There is some relation though.  Both peppers and wood are rated on a scale, meaning the higher up on the ratings the more potent.  Obviously the Scoville_scale is for peppers of all kinds, both delicious and those that are used in combat warfare.  Not sure I would ever want to try something rated over a million for the fun of it - it sounds very painful to be honest.  I'll stick with my love of Jalapenos and all the goodies that go well with it.

Wood however is also on a scale, the Janka_Scale.  Again the higher the score, the harder it is.  It is based on the amount of pressure it takes for a small steel or metal ball to be inserted into the wood.  Pretty scientific, considering shooting a BB gun at wood is never a safe thing (ricochet and all) - so I'll rely on the scale.  It's very interesting to find out which woods are very hard and which woods are very soft.  I bet a few would even surprise you.

The largest misconception is that Pine is soft.  Well technically it is (more on that confusion below).    Most people associate pine as in there is only one pine - that commonly thought of wood is actually called white pine.  White Pine was used as flooring, furniture, paneling and anything else back in the day.  It gained popularity because of it's abundance on the East Coast during the colonial era to modern day.  White pine is pretty much found everywhere in the U.S..  Pretty sure even Florida grows it.  Because it was so widely used in many types of furniture people associate this particular soft pine - as being the only pine available.  Go to your Home Depot or Lowe's and the narrower thinner strips of wood are white wood, aka, white pine.  Put your finger nail on it and press - do you see the indentation?  Horrifying isn't it?  Imagine spending $1,000 on a lovely dining room set from Ashley Furniture and the first time the kids do homework on it - you can see the homework mistakes they make indented into the wood.  Their and they're used in the wrong places are forever ghosted on my table - till i got rid of it.   Therefore - because the market was flooded with white pine, most people automatically think this is the only pine available and used in furniture. 

Maybe you have heard of Soft woods?  Yes pine is considered a soft wood, and trust me the reputation that the white wood has as being actually soft really makes sense as why it's called a soft wood.  I bet you have heard of hard woods?  Oak is a hardwood so is Alder wood.  But do you know the difference between what makes a wood considered hardwood or softwood?  Hardwoods come from trees that have leaves, deciduous - they fall off in autumn, pretty colors and all that glory.  Softwoods come from trees that have needles - both those that fall off and those that stay all winter long - Christmas Trees, majestic trees.

Did you know that some "hardwoods" are actually softer than some "softwoods"?  

Making our solid wood beds, our choice of wood is Fir.  Small simple name from a huge tree that has federal and Eco guidelines and protocols for the lumber industry.  Yes your government is on top of it when it comes to planting, cutting and replanting trees.  Especially when it comes to the most common lumber type in the United States.  Fir is a  +Eco-Friendly  sustainable wood, meaning the lumber industry cuts one section, tills and replants that section with fast growing fir and then moves on to another section a ways away.  Basically every tree that is cut is also replanted.  

Fir is actually a very hard and durable wood compared to some hardwoods.  Look at the Janka Scale. 

It is harder than Alder wood which is currently the favorite wood chosen by the furniture industry.  Most kitchen cabinets are made of Alder wood.  Fir is also harder than Chestnut - which we all know to be a beautiful grained wood and is considered very expensive.  Fir however is not as hard as oak.  Fir is rated a 660 - which considering Maple is at a 700 - um, I'm thinking that's really good since Maple is also a common wood used in furniture. 

Fir however, also has a bad rep for those that are not knowledgeable with in the wood world.  It is commonly used as lumber for construction.  Why not, it's hard, durable, lasts forever and is good against pests and mold.  It's perfect to build your house with - behind those walls of your house are studs made of fir and those studs hold up your roof, which is also made with fir. 

So next time you want to purchase a bunk bed for your kids to sleep on or a bed for yourself, ask what type of solid wood (ply with veneer is a whole other gripe in my +Woodworking Network industry).  Would you rather it be built with the same wood that leaves your kids homework indentations on the surface or something that your house is built with?  Many furniture makers make furniture out of the white pine and white wood because it's cheap, it looks great and can be used in any format.  Those pieces will not last over time - especially on weight and structure bearing beams.  Please be careful when ordering or shopping with your local artisans.  Ask.  Then find out if the structure is made of something else and then faced with white wood - that is a different build all together.  

Here at Backwood Beds we use fir for everything.  That means that I plane down to the sizes that i need.  I don't go and buy a white wood piece because it fits or looks better - I form my fir wood to what I need it to do.  It's hard, sturdy, rigid and very durable.  

So next time you are looking for some salsa or hot sauce - ask yourself just how "hot" is my wood?  (Now that's a funny question, right there!)