WOOD FOR THE JOINT

For this build, we have used kiaat and poplar. These are great woods for practising your joinery skills – they’re not too hard, and are generally forgiving. Both species are well suited to use in fine furniture, the kiaat as primary wood and the poplar as secondary. (Secondary wood is structural and not seen, as it is used internally in the construction.)

Brendan and Seamus HarcourtWood from Rare Woods South Africa (rarewoods.co.za) are again the generous sponsors of the wood for this feature.

KIAAT (PTEROCARPUS ANGOLENSIS)

Detailed before on page 63 of the September/October 2021 issue, kiaat is extremely durable, stable in use, and easy to work. Textures vary from medium to fine, making this a lovely all-round wood for furniture building. It cuts, shapes, glues and finishes very well.

AMERICAN TULIP POPLAR (LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA)

This species is the tallest of all eastern USA hardwoods, although the timber that it yields is among the least dense. It’s characterised by its light, muted cream colour. Traditionally, poplar has been considered a ‘utility’ wood; its straight, uniform grains and medium texture offer highly cooperative working properties, and it glues and finishes well. Poplar species are widely used in veneer, panelling, musical instruments (specifically electric guitar bodies), plywood, paper pulp, secondary wood for furniture and many other utility applications.