Do you include things like particle board, MDF, plywood etc? Is there a line? And if so, what is it for you?
Solid wood has the same grain texture all the way through. Plywood, MDF, OSB, etc., are engineered wood. Basically, if it says ‘solid wood,’ my assumption is that what I see is what I get. If it’s plywood with a hardwood veneer, then it’s trying to trick me into thinking it’s something it’s not, and that doesn’t count. Although, technically, if a piece is made of plywood and doesn’t try to hide it, I guess you could argue it’s solid wood - because, technically, it is.
not mdf, not plywood, solid tree, no glues.
I donno, Ikea can do wonders with floor sweepings and Elmers.
Same for me.
If it’s on a product like a piece of furniture, then it means any part not specifically labeled as “solid wood” is some sort of composite material.
e.g. “solid wood table top!” = legs and frame are made of the cheapest shit we could find
I think someone is making an inappropriate joke
Someone else may be, but I was/am genuinely curious as to what others thought. I have a pretty “purist” view myself and wanted to see if I was in the minority or not.
I get the idea, but that was an honest answer. I usually refer to specific materials when working on a project, not a term to group a bunch of them. Either way works tho.
But if you would like to know my preference, the name of the tree translates to “european spruce” according to wikipedia. It’s because it’s readily available here, and usable inside and outside without a lot of extra treatment
Yeah, when I build stuff, I always just say the timber it’s made out of, but I was talking with someone about an old dresser. They mentioned it was “solid wood”, but the case was made out of an old press board. Which led to this question. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t confused.
Sounds like the person you were talking to may have been the confused one. (In all fairness, if they have no great interest in wood, woodworking, or furniture, they don’t really need to know that engineered sheet goods don’t count as solid wood.)
Ahh, context! Then I would probably think of oak, just because that’s what the few old dressers I’ve seen are made of. Although I would want to double check
Something is “solid wood” if it’s made from pieces of solid-sawn lumber. If it’s built up from rotary-peeled veneers, woodchips, sawdust, or pulp, then it is not solid wood.
Cardboard’s out.
Cellophane?
Is that a cardboard derivative?
More like a cousin?
The wood is continuous, from a single tree, from one surface to the other.*
*Veneer is ok I guess, but I would rather see a cheap real surface than an expensive sheet of paper.
Why is veneer ok? It could be covering anything?
Usually when something is called ‘solid wood’ but it has a veneer the underlying wood is real it’s just something cheap.
Agreed. A mahogany veneer on top of bamboo doesn’t really count as “solid wood” in my book.
These are all great definitions.
A hard erection is another interpretation.Excellent delivery.
Yes, I’ve been told so on occasion.
Solid wood is generally understood to be lumber or timber, that is pieces of wood sawn from a tree. This is distinct from engineered wood or manufactured wood products which include MDF, plywood, and OSB. Engineered wood is made of fibers or strands that are pressed or glued, there is more in the final stock than just wood (I.e., glue, lignin separated via heating and pressing).
Particle board
and plywoodis made of sawdust and wood shavings. My definition of solid wood is something that came directly from a tree with the only major processing being cutting it into board, sheet, or similar.Plywood is literally neither of those things.
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