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Furniture Finishing

On account of the smooth finish, veneer made from basswood is stained or finished natural for drawers, but is never used on the outside of cabinets, unless it is to be painted or lacquered in solid colors, as there is no figure to the grain prominent enough to make a suitable finish.

BIRCH

Birch is found principally in the southern part of the United States and north, following the eastern range of mountains, up to the eastern coast as far as New York, and as far nortli as the southern part of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and south, along the Mississippi to the Missouri and Arkansas valleys. Yellow birch is also found in the northeast section of the United States. The river birch or red birch, as it is commonly known, is the one mostly used in the manufacture of furniture, in both veneers and solid posts, frames, etc.

Identification.—This is an important wood in the construction of furniture, for when stained, it is very hard to distinguish from walnut, and in certain instances, is easily mistaken for mahogany.

This wood is very hard and has great shock resisting qualities. The rays are very fine and are not visible without a hand-lens. The annual rings are also indistinct. The sapwood is wide and faintly reddish brown. The heart-wood is reddish brown and has no characteristic odor or taste. The pores are very small, but usually visible to the unaided eye. Red birch is distinguished from yellow birch by its abundant pith-flecks and lack of the wintergreen flavor in the bark. It may be confused with soft maple, unless one is particular to notice that the rays are more conspicuous in the maple.

Utilization.—Birch is used perhaps more than any other hard wood, with the exception of gum, for the solid construction of furniture. It is also used for manufacturing rotary cut veneer and plywood panels for furniture and architectural construction. This wood has a particular figured grain and the prominent markings are tinted with a faint red. An illustration is given to show the figure. Birch is sometimes finished with a light red stain, but in the majority of cases it is stained to match some other finish. Especially is this true in cabinet furniture, where the posts, legs and frames may be birch and the top, front and sides of walnut or mahogany veneer. This wood is very strong.