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Does anyone have any experience working with beech? My local woodmonger sells beech for only a few cents more per board foot than poplar. Wood hardness charts on the internet indicate that it is between red and white oak in hardness, and I think the grain pattern is rather attractive.
Any issues to be aware of with it? I have some some project where the wood species is not that important, and I thought I might give beech a try.
Hank Gillette
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If it's properly steamed and cured, it's not bad. Has a well-deserved reputation for going its own way if not carefully dried. I use it in small work and turnings, wouldn't contemplate furniture with it.
Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
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Beech unstable? Not once it's dried. For years dried Beech has been used for the bodies of wooden planes. If it was truly unstable as it has just been recently judged, I wonder why it would be the choice for a plane, where long term stability was a must. I have found large, and wide boards such as seen in furniture to be the same as small boards of Beech, again provided it was kiln dried, and came out of the kiln stable. This need for coming out of the kiln stable is true with most of the woods we use for woodworking.
Short answer if the Beech your local guy is selling is in flat uniform piles it should remain that way. If it looks like an accumulation of dogs hind legs, let it sit.
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya
GW
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I made a bookcase with american beech. stuff seemed to like to tear out fairly easily, but maybe the planer blades were dull. doesn't take stain very well. it has been stable. I made it about a dozen years ago and it hasn't had movement issues.
Cellulose runs through my veins!
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Forgot to mention. Very similar with stain like Poplar, and pine, to a lesser extent Cherry & Maple. Stain goes on, but consistency may be an issue, prone to blotchy, a sealer of weak Shellac, or a commercial preparation can help. It loves dye though. Probably the biggest feature about finishing is it's usually flat sawn and offers a very dull grain, but quarter sawn it has a bit of a ray fleck, and can get to be interesting. For paint grade you are in the same class as pine and poplar with a heavier, beefier wood, it loves paint.
I've seen it work very well, so I wonder if the blades in the planer weren't dull. Routes fairly crisply (a little furring up, easily enough sanded off), saws and planes like Maple. I've always thought it was vastly under appreciated, except for making planes/plane soles it sees little use. I think it's plain look is responsible.
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya
GW
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Lots of experience with Beech. I used to make laminated work benches like those woodworkers use except without a tool tray or vice.These were for various manufacturers that needed heavy duty lab benches.
Beech is an excellent wood to machine.Saws,planes,glues up well etc without problems.Very stable and attractive light colored species.
Although the majority of my benches were softwoods like fir or yellow pine ,at least 25 or so were Beech.
mike
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I worked a lot with it although mostly rough work in horse barns, box stalls, fencing and walls of tack rooms. Horses will not crib it so it is the preferred wood for fences and stalls. It is rather heavy, does machine well and is hard.
In log form it rots and gets mold streaks in it really fast. So for firewood or lumber it has to be processed really fast in the summer.
It has a smooth bark and if you carve your name in the bark of a beech tree it will be there forever. The big tree up at our cabin in NY has my name carved in it in 1971 and you can still read it clear as day.
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Like many reviews at amazon, this one is negative.
Made a big case, (3 doors, 6 drawers) out of it.
Grossly unstable. Everything changed shape.
Started at 6% EMC. Routs and glues well but changes shape madly.
Pat Warner
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Our business is supplying tabletops to furniture makers. We have sold 20"-24" wide beech slabs. Beech is more difficult to dry, but these wide beech slabs stayed flat after milling and sanding to 120 grit.
Not sure why others had trouble with chip out, beech, tho hard, mills easily.
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Never made anything with beech, it's not readily available here. I've seen it split for firewood, gives the splitter a workout. Tough stuff.
Have a small one on our property, no idea how it got there, need to plant another so they'll have babies.
Ed
