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Beech
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Species - Domestic
Top portion is finished with water-base finish; bottom with oil-based finish
Appearance
Color: Heartwood is mostly reddish brown; sapwood is generally pale white.
Grain: Mostly closed, straight grain; fine, uniform texture. Coarser than European beach.
Variations: Within Species And Grades: Only one species is native to the United States. Moderate to high color variation between boards.
Workability
Sawing/Machining: Difficult to work with hand tools, but good machining qualities.
Sanding: Sands satisfactorily if correct sanding sequence is followed.
Nailing: Has a tendency to split the tongues.
Finishing: May be difficult to stain
Properties
Hardness/Janka: Janka Hardness: 1300 (1% harder than Northern red oak.
Dimensional Stability: Below average (11.9%; 38% less stable than Northern red oak).
Durability: Availability
Moderately available. Origin North America