Rex Krueger
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Building Furniture with Softwoods?
🕑 Added 2020-02-28 23:15:45 +0000 UTCI hear from woodworkers all the time. They tell me they’ve got their space, built their bench, and sharpened their tools…but they don’t have wood.
It’s a common problem, and the Internet isn’t making it any better. Once you’ve seen 100 Instagram dovetails cut from walnut and rock maple, you might just throw in the towel. How are you supposed to achieve this joinery perfection if you can’t even source the damn wood?
Well, what wood did you build that bench out of?
You got any left over?
Pine and fir for regular people.
If you look at fancy antique furniture, you see the same woods over and over: mahogany, walnut, cherry, and oak. These were the woods for rich people who bought expensive pieces from skilled artisans. But what about the artisans themselves? What about the farmer, the blacksmith, and the miller? Their furniture was frequently made from pine, hemlock and fir: woods that were light, workable, and affordable.
Flip through Russell Hawes Kettell’s outstanding book The Pine Furniture of Early New England. It has every imaginable piece of furniture from foot stools to carved dressers and every stick of it is made from pine.
If craftsmen from centuries ago made such lovely work from common softwoods, we might need to rethink our own wood choices.
Not so Soft.
The line between hardwoods and softwoods is confusing for the beginner.
A hardwood comes from a deciduous tree. These are the broad-leafed species that drop their foliage in the fall and stand bare all winter. Maple, oak, and ash are hard woods.
This maple tree is a hardwood. It will lose its leaves in the fall and its wood is truly hard.
Softwoods are conifers. They have needles instead of leaves and they stay green the whole year. Pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock are all softwoods.
This Southern Yellow Pine is technically a soft wood, but its timber is surprisingly dense and sturdy.
So when we say that a certain wood is a “hardwood,” were talking about the species of tree. Yes, the hardest hardwoods are harder than any soft wood, but balsa is a hardwood. Ever built a model plane? Then you know that the line between hard and soft is pretty dumb.
Woodworkers use a measurement called the Janka scale to describe the hardness of any species. On this scale, a common hardwood like poplar has a rating of 540, which is respectable, but both Southern Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir are actually harder. Additionally, many softwoods are extremely stiff compared to hardwoods; they can bear more weight per square inch without bending. This is why we build houses from pine and spruce. They’re light, but they hold an awful lot of weight. (Read more about the strength and stiffness of wood here.)
Know Your Wood
I’m making a pretty good pitch for softwoods, but don’t run straight to the home center. Many big-box retailers sell an imported mystery timber they call “white wood.” I don’t know what it is, but I know you shouldn’t use it. This stuff is far too soft and flexible for even light-duty furniture. We’ll need to step it up.
My local Home Depot sells mostly white wood, but also stocks fir and Douglas Fir 2x4s. Of the two, Douglas Fir is harder and it has a pinkish color that ages nicely. If I want to drive a little further, Lowe’s stocks Southern Yellow Pine. This is probably the hardest and stiffest of the common softwoods. I used this stuff for the Joiners Bench and I would happily make furniture from it. Lowe’s, and a lot of other retailers, stock SYP in sizes all the way up to 2x12 in 16 foot lengths. That’s a lot of wood for not a lot of money.
You’ll probably have an easier time finding White Pine, especially in boards. This wood is softer and less stiff than its southern cousin, but it works with a buttery smoothness and it’s durable enough for most projects. I wouldn’t build a kitchen table out of White Pine, but anything else is fair game.
Many places also sell “SPF”, which stands for Spruce Pine Fir. This means you’re getting whichever of those woods was cheapest or easiest to cut and mill. As you become more experienced, you’ll be able to tell the exact species you’re getting, but it doesn’t make a huge difference. All three are solid choices, especially if the price is right.
Perfect for Hand Tools?
Construction-lumber furniture gets a bad rap these days. Most of the furniture I’ve seen made from 2x4s is, well…ugly. When you combine construction-grade wood with a consumer-level machine tools and pocket-screw joinery, you don’t end up with graceful heirlooms. Instead, you get heavy, blocky pieces that are fine for the front porch but no good for inside your home.
This is where the hand-tool woodworker has a huge advantage. We’re not limited to the straight lines and 90° corners of the machine world, and we can turn even 2x4s into big, smooth surfaces. And many entry-level tools were designed with the construction trades in mind. What do carpenters cut all day long? Softwood.
So this saw and this saw both cut pine and fir very effectively. Even a cheap plane transformed into a scrub will hog off the rounded corners on a 2x4 with minimum fuss. There’s no shame in fasteners, but simple joinery is easily executed in good softwood. And if you make a mistake, who cares? Cut yourself a fresh length and do it again. Instead of being precious about our purpleheart and saving every scrap, let’s work fast and carefully in pine. Let the firewood pile grow.
The Way Forward.
This month, I’m going to put extra emphasis on building with softwoods. We’ll have at least one project made from construction lumber and we’ll spend extra time learning how to use this wood to its fullest potential.
*This post is adapted from my new monthly newsletter, Fabrication First. Ill do more content like this, but it will be posted here before it goes out to the list. Thanks for reading!!
Comments
Martin Hartley
Laminate some hardwood veneer on the outer faces. During WW2 they built aircraft such as the Mosquito using Balsa laminated with Birch.
Rex Krueger
I love when experienced woodworkers still find something useful in my work!
Rex Krueger
Remember the Spruce Goose? It flew...once.
Rex Krueger
You can do it! It's very stiff for it's weight. Durability on the other hand...
A1BASE
Now I’m feeling the need to build something out of Balsa just to see what happens.
Matthew Leigh
I grew up next to the forest where most New Zealand pine comes from
Paul Bucalo
That's awesome! So far, those I picked out to be in the best condition were all white oak. In being picky elsewhere, I've come across red oak (once milled so nice looking you would think I bought the boards from a mill), poplar, pine (obviously) and some species I wasn't familiar with. Even the pine boards can be used in making useful things around the shop or home. So it's all about luck in finding and being picky. Pallet snob! :D
The Poor Man
Rex not far from the Michigan/Ohio line there is a store that sells reclaimed barn wood. They've got everything from beams that sell by linear foot to pre dimensional that is all nail free. The prices aren't to bad.
The Poor Man
Paul Bucalo I dont have a coffee importer near me, but I do have a place that gets custom made pallets all the time and they just stack them up out back by the dumpster for anyone who wants them. They are also about 4ft by 8ft and made of everything but pine. I've gotten white oak red oak, walnut (not black just regular) as well as some made from cedar and hickory. And on occasion I get pieces off them that have crotch figure some have what looks like burly figure in them and once they are milled out you cant tell where they came from. This is an amazing tip but you are correct you have to be very picky. I've gotten to the point where if it looks like a normal pallet I'm not touching it.
KosmicValkyrie
I sometimes like to point out that softwoods like SYP, Douglas Fir, and Sitka Spruce (If you can find it) are used in both boat building and wooden aircraft structures due to their high strength to weight ratios. If it's good enough for an airplane, its good enough for your chair!
Michael Nix
I have a couple of thrift stores in the area that get furniture donations all the time that are not really salable due to damage. I have gotten a tremendous amount of hardwood from salvaging damaged or non-repairable tables.
Michael Nix
You are so on target. I have a couple of thrift stores in the area that get furniture donations all the time that are not really salable due to damage. I have gotten a tremendous amount of hardwood from salvaging damaged or non-repairable tables. In fact I built an entire renovation staircase 14 step tread set out of beautiful maple and birch for less cost than one tread of hardwood would have cost if I bought it commercially. I don't salvage wood from repairable items but there is so much out there at dumps, roadsides (free signs abound) and thrift store discards that I haven't bought hardwoods in years. The other benefit of salvaged lumber from furniture is that it is generally bone dry and seasoned as well as in many cases have great patina (if you can save it). Thanks for making this comment to this great post.
Michael Nix
Rex - this is a great post for beginning wood workers. I have been working in woods for a long time but every time I watch one of your videos or posts I learn something. One additional point you might make is that many expert wood workers use softwoods to build prototypes from soft woods to explore all the issues before diving into a high cost wood. Your point about many inexpensive hard softwoods being great is so true, especially popular. Smart use of stains and finishes can make an inexpensive wood highly usable and beautiful.
Steve Crane
Just did some searching and indeed, pines are not native to these shores and I have seen mention of at least five varieties originally from Mexico, USA, the Mediterranean and Scotland. They seem to all be lumped together as SA Pine for sale.
Rex Krueger
Might be the New Zealand stuff, which is great. We get it here, too.
Steve Crane
Here in South Africa most big stores (Builders Warehouse, Timbercity, Lumber City) stock SA Pine in various PAR (planed all round) sizes. Not sure what species of pine it is but it has worked pretty well for any of the DIY things I've knocked together.
William Allen
What a great post!
William Allen
Yes, we have a reclaimers store here as well. It does more than just wood: parts, hardware, architectural elements, windows and so on. However, their reclaimed wood is extremely expensive. For example, a 2x12 4 ft piece of Doug Fir is 350$. On the other hand, the hardware is all well priced. I got 60 Victorian Glass cupboard pulls for 2$ each.
James Crandall
I really enjoyed this post. It is nice to see folks with a woodworking platform advocating for the use of softwoods. I use softwoods for two major reasons. One is that I can get it for super cheap or free. For some strange reason people don’t usually like to give away wood that costs $8+ bdft.....but will get rid of good softwood lumber for next to nothing. The second reason and maybe more controversial is sustainability. Normally, hardwood take longer to grow then majority of softwoods do. This makes softwoods on average a more sustainable product the hardwood lumbers. Awesome post
Robert Bullock
I really liked this post! The very specific details of which stores and which species and the strengths of each are very valuable especially in figuring out how to start a project and keep costs in line without it looking like the lumber grade furniture picture in your post! Looking forward to the videos where you describe the details of picking a specific wood for a specific project. Thanks again!
Rex Krueger
I'll have a douglas fir stool next week and perhaps a little pine table later in the month. We'll see!
Rex Krueger
Generally, you can mix hard and softwoods without a lot of trouble if you keep a few things in mind. 1.) Softwoods are much more stable and don't move a lot with weather changes. So probably don't make a dovetail where one joint is hard and the other is soft. 2.) Softwood is good for bearing weight while being light. Hardwood resists damage. So a table with a softwood structure and a hardwood top work well. You can also do the opposite. That little milking stool has oak legs. 4 years old and going strong!
Rex Krueger
Many craftsmen of old worked primarily in softwoods. No shame. And yes, learn on cheap wood. Save the expensive wood for when you get at little better. Also, poplar is the king of cheap hardwoods. It's all I used for a long time.
Matthew Leigh
Matt Jackson from Next Level Carpentry has a good series on pallet wood
Rex Krueger
Patrons are Great-trons? Ug, sorry. It's early.
Rex Krueger
A whole retail store for reclaimed wood? That's interesting.
Rex Krueger
I think Pine has a nice glow to it. Especially with BLO and poly, it looks great for years.
Rex Krueger
Man, that's a great tip! Pallets do vary a lot and picking them is as important as getting them apart.
Rex Krueger
That's VERY useful, especially for a free resource. I learned this stuff in an expensive book.
Rex Krueger
I have an old pine bookcase in my office. Came out of my parent's barn, where it sat for God-knows how long. Solid as a rock.
Rex Krueger
I also lived in FL! I only just started woodworking then and I didn't get to use native species much. Drag!
Caleb Edward
I work at a lumber yard that sells southern yellow pine, and I was literally going to message you this weekend to request a video about building with it. As always, you're one step ahead of me.
Jan Møgelbjerg
When I need some oak or beech in larger pieces, I will go to some second hand stores and find old furnitures. It's amazing how much I can bring home for $20-$25. Firewood is a good source for smaller pieces of oak and beech. Mostly though, I use pine and douglas, but what I miss the most when I see projects with hardwood is the mix of colors that sometimes makes even the most ordinary design look astonishing. Sometimes I stain some of the wood I use, but I wonder if Rex have some good advice on which dark(er) sorts of hardwood that could be used together with softwood without causing twists, tensions or other problems?
Kevin Lundquist
Bookmarked: Thank you!
Nic Beurskens
https://www.wood-database.com/ Can't live without it. Hardness, grain type, identification, health risks, structural strength, weight wet/dry
Kevin Lundquist
Thank you for the validation, Rex. I was planning on working exclusively with cheap KD SPF (and plywood) until I hone my skills; no use wasting expensive woodworking store wood until I know what I'm doing a bit more! I found a chart on the 'net somewhere that rated wood based on hardness that was kind of surprising. Unfortunately, I didn't save a link.
Matthew Leigh
Pine Is Fine
Marc Gigliello
I’m in Long Island, mostly box stores, I did find a reclaimed wood store, on my days off...I will see what they offer.
James Boatright
You may recall a long ago post in the community section that all my living room furniture is pine including the memorable "half lamp" commonly refered to as the transporter accident. With good design even all 90 degree corners can be attractive. Pine furniture can be glorius.
Nic Beurskens
Lived in Pensacola, Floribama for 2 years. Long leaf and southern yellow everywhere. Try out some live oak if you get the chance!
Paul Bucalo
Our local Lowe's (bless its its-bitsy little heart) has a hard time keeping their quality pine at a "quality" level. Warps, twist, cups, oh my! And it's not as cheap as I would think it should be. If I have to make something sturdy and strong from a 2-by, I'll pay the extra dollar per board for a Douglas Fir. While controversial with many, a lot can be done with pallet wood, if you are picky about what kind and where you get them. About forty minutes from me is a coffee importer than occasionally has too many pallets to store on site. They give them away for free. But before you think of those wimpy pine pallets you normally see, they are 48" x 96", made of red and white oak, weighing in at around 140 a piece. I have them use a fork lift to fill the back of my pickup, which has an 8' box. When I get home, the wife and I struggle to slide these suckers off the truck one by one. I've seen them in two configurations. When the boards are cut away parallel to the length of the runners, the short boards are 7/8" thick and average approx. 21" long. Wide boards are 1-1/4" thick and average around 26" long. Quality, as you can imagine varies. For rustic builds this is great stuff. I've milled some that you never would have guessed where they came from. The better you pick, the better the yield. if you have a coffee importer near you, it's worth checking them out.
Shanni Marmen
Found this: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Wood/Hardwoods_&_Softwoods/1_Wood_Botany/1_Wood_Botany.htm
William Nilsen
You are so right. I have a bookshelf I made out of pine over 50 years ago, and it has spent the last 15 or so down in my damp basement and it's still like new. And still pretty.
The Idle Hands Workshop - Stephen Miller
Living in the Panhandle of Florida aka L.A. ( Lower Alabama ) we have more pine than we can shake a stick at.... I literally see it driving down the roads daily on my way to work ( Final Destination always playing in my head as well ). I've made some really nice stuff with it and only recently started trying new things like oak and walnut. Down here pine is just fine with me as it's cost effective and easy to work with and my tools tend to last a lot longer... just have to clean them a bit more depending on how fresh the pine is.
Jim Williams
Doggone you Rex! Now, you have given another way to spend money I don't have! I'm gonna have to get a part time job soon! :)
Nic Beurskens
Fantastic article! I'd like to add that Douglas Fir and Long Leaf Pine are both used extensively in the paper industries as well. This makes them some of the most sustainable woods for North Americans to use. There are tons of guidelines and regulations that govern replanting and forest conservation tied to these woods and industry. Old growth may be coveted, but second and third growth in the stiffer species are still excellent to work and strong. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I love my trees alive and out in nature as much as I do air-dried and stacked for furniture. Tropical hardwoods are getting expensive for a reason, they are disappearing quickly. I'm not here to judge anyone's choice of wood, but sustainability is one more reason to choose softwoods from your region!
Aaron Sprague
Most of what I have been building with is southern yellow pine. It's always nice when I change up woods to hardwood. I feel it is easier to do nice joins with hardwood.
