EUROPEAN BEECHWOOD — EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
One of man’s invaluable discoveries is the usage of wood for various purposes in life. Right from inventing the wooden wheel (considered as man’s most primitive invention even before fire was discovered) to wooden pellet grills, wood as a material has found its calling in numerous fields and still a lot more remains untapped.
To all of you who feel wooden pellet grills are a big threat to Mother Nature, this quote by the cooking genius Chef Homaru Cantu, who unfortunately took his own life a few months back, would be soothing enough — “Wood pellet grilling could potentially have a lower risk of cancer when compared to other forms of grilling, as some people say that it leads to the creation of fewer carcinogens”.
For those who have been following our blog since our first post on FSC certified wood and its relevance in responsible furniture making, and are eagerly awaiting its continuum, this post would be worth reading in that it would unveil the special characteristics of a unique type of wood called the Beech — the basic input used in the making of the furniture brand Woodbeei.
Before we move our focus to Beechwood, it would be nice to start with a quote from Joshua Foer, an American freelance journalist about the art of woodworking. He says, “Woodworking requires a completely different kind of thinking and problem-solving ability than writing. With writing, you take a set of facts and ideas, and you reason your way forward to a story that pulls them together. With woodworking, you start with an end product in mind, and reason your way backward to the raw wood”.
The above quote is a perfect way to understand the complexities involved in using wood for building a furniture and the process of reverse engineering which is put through with the design of an end product in mind, and also in paper. Such a skilled process surely requires a high quality raw material to match the ingenuity involved in the development / production process. And Beechwood provides the quintessential grist to support the argument.
Basic introduction on Beechwood is available through the following playlist to get a better understanding.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ccz5238fQAehVEZjijIWJU3DSHcKZSf
The Beech is predominantly present in Central and Western Europe, although it can be found as shrub or tree between the 40th and 60th degrees of latitude. Of all deciduous trees in Germany, the Beech is the most widespread and its timber, highly valuable. Beech can be found in mixed woodlands as well as in beech woods particularly in lowlands but also in low mountainous regions.
It is interesting to note that the 5 Beechwood forests in Germany including the Grumsiner Forst have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites since 2011. Have a look at this short video from the Woodbeei Furniture’s Youtube channel to know more.
http://youtu.be/iYRMQWnsA6E
The European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the most useful of all beech timbers and is therefore known simply as Beech. The prefix “red” is sometimes used to describe the light red colouring of the wood. The Copper Beech with brown or red leaves is a special breed and has no commercial relevance. The White Beech or Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) belongs to another botanical family and has quite different properties.
Beech trees can grow to 300 years or more, although trees of between 100 and 140 years old are typically felled. They can reach a height of 30 to 35 meters.
Felling of a Beechwood tree can be seen through the following playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ccz5238fQAMAZfzqfoXDriLs1Qlvrnl
Beech belongs to the family of heartwood trees. Sap and Heartwood have an even pale yellow to reddish-white colouring, red-brown when steam-treated. The wood has an even fine-pored structure without noticeable markings. Older trees (over 80 years old) can develop a reddish core of irregular color intensity and shape.
To know more on the differences between sapwood and heartwood, click
http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/what_is_the_difference_between_sapwood_and_heartwood
It has a medium Wood Density 0.73 g/cm3
For more information on Wood Density, visit
http://prometheuswiki.publish.csiro.au/tiki-index.php?page=Wood+density+protocol
Salient Properties
Beechwood is medium to heavyweight. It is very hard and tough. It has good strength properties and high abrasion resistance. Beech can shrink considerably and is subject to movement more than other woods. It should not be subject to moisture fluctuations before or during working.
Charateristics and Usage
Beech is available as round or sawn timber as well as veneer. Despite its hardness, Beechwood can be worked easily. It can be cut, planed, drilled and milled. When steam-treated it is well-suited, like the ash, to bending into form. Surface finishing is straightforward. It can be stained, painted and polished.
Have a look at some of the beautiful creations made out of Beechwood from the following playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ccz5238fQAGLZs3K8qKJGkfQF9NfRkK
A few woodworking videos with Beech are available from the following playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ccz5238fQBZWrJVqDpj1NqYTTDVQ93W
Do-It-Yourself projects on Beechwood can be learnt from the following playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ccz5238fQAJ5npkm8ppeJU_wY6VKWBG
Why Beechwood is the best wood for furniture making?
Finally the compelling reasons behind the popularity of using Beechwood for furniture making are explained through the following playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ccz5238fQDax223DKoMWQ7vKbJow66m
Other Fascinating Uses
Did you know that the Old Masters used Bistre (a shade of brown made from burning of Beechwood to produce the soot, which was boiled and diluted with water) as the ink for their drawings? The first recorded use of bistre as a color name in English was in 1727; another name for the color Bistre is Soot Brown.
Some other very interesting usages of Beechwood are available at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech#Uses
Woodbeei Furniture’ Secret Ingredient
The Grade of Beechwood procured for its factory by the brand Woodbeei is only A Grade and AB Grade. Now that the cat is out of the bag, you know the reason behind the quality furniture offered by Woodbeei.
All the video playlists are courtesy the Woodbeei Furniture’s Youtube Channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSl1umT9am1U9wQruWsUU2A/
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