Basswood
Main Uses
Carvings, turnings, furniture, pattern-making, mouldings, millwork and
musical instruments. An important specialized use is Venetian blinds and
shutters.
Relative Abundance
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras,
sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available
U.S. hardwoods.
General Description
The sapwood of basswood is usually quite large and creamy white in
color, merging into the heartwood which is pale to reddish brown,
sometimes with darker streaks. The wood has a fine uniform texture and
indistinct grain that is straight.
Working Properties
Basswood machines well and is easy to work with hand tools making it a
premier carving wood. It nails, screws, and glues fairly well and can be
sanded and stained to a good smooth finish. It dries fairly rapidly with
little distortion or degrade. It has fairly high shrinkage but good
dimensional stability when dry.
Physical Properties
The wood is light and soft with generally low strength properties and a
poor steam-bending classification.
Availability
Reasonable availability.
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