French Polishing and Bespoke Furniture
The lumber has a dense, coarse grain which makes it unsuitable for use in “fine furniture ,” but it is strong and cheap which makes it ideal for lower priced imported products. Rubberwood is more often found in smaller furniture items than in large case goods. Rubberwood actually does come from rubber trees.
Rubberwood is strong, it has a Janks score of 980 lbs which makes it harder than some coniferous species so will not scratch easily having approximately the same hardness as walnut and teak but a little bit softer than oak.
It is difficult to compare rubberwood to pinewood because rubberwood is a hardwood imported as moderately priced indoor furniture, and pinewood is a native resinous softwood made into both interior and exterior furniture and is widely available to carpenters and cabinet-makers.
Rubberwood is a light-colored medium-density tropical hardwood obtained from the Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), usually from trees grown in rubber plantations. Rubberwood is commonly advertised as an “environmentally friendly” wood , as it makes use of plantation trees that have already served a useful function.
MDF’s advantage is that as it is made up of separated fibers. This allows it to be denser than plywood, as well as stronger and denser than particle board. Furthermore, MDF does not contain knots or rings like natural wood.
Since rubberwood tends to have issues with fungus and insect infestations, the wood is usually coated in antifungal insecticide chemicals after it’s cut. Kiln drying helps diffuse those chemicals , but some people prefer to avoid products with harsh chemicals used during processing.
Dust rubberwood furniture several times a week with an absorbent, lint-free cloth to prevent the build-up of dirt and grime. Wash the wood with a sudsy solution of mild soap, such as castile or dish soap, and warm water. Make a deep- cleaning solution with turpentine and boiled linseed oil for especially dirty wood.
So rubberwood should be treated , especially for furnisher making. The log should be cut into timber in 3 days, otherwise, fungicides and insects should be applied for temporary protection. The timber should be treated by pressure or diffusion process promptly after it is cut for preventing stain fungi and insects.
Best woods for furniture Maple Wood Furniture. Maple may be the ideal furniture wood. Oak Wood Furniture. Oak is a very durable wood that is typically used for flooring and kitchen furniture. Cherry Wood Furniture. Pine Wood Furniture. Cedar Wood Furniture.
Why Solid Wood is best Solid wood is by far a much better choice for homeowners. It may cost more than furniture made out of engineered wood , but will last much longer making it much better value for money.
If you want a table to last through years of dinner party wear and tear, choose a table made from a hardwood , such as mahogany, walnut , maple, oak and teak. Tables made from engineered or composite woods, which include plywoods and MDF, are durable and economical but are never as strong as a hardwood .
Rubberwood is naturally light coloured (almost white) and can be painted or stained just like any other wood. To paint rubberwood you’ll need to use an acrylic (quick-drying) wood primer followed by at least one coat of undercoat, then one or two coats of gloss or eggshell finish.
Rubberwood , or parawood, is a blonde, close-grained wood used to make inexpensive furniture. You can refinish it just as you can any other wood, but it’s advisable to condition the wood before staining to avoid blotchiness.
Solid rubberwood bread boards can be trimmed to any width making them great for retrofit applications or new construction. Rubberwood has very little tendency to warp or crack, has a dense grain character and is very stable.
While teakwood and rosewood, which are categorised as Class 1, have natural properties to protect themselves against termites and vagaries of weather, rubber wood falls in Category III, which means that it is susceptible to termite attack and may not be long lasting without treatment.