Lumber types are often classified as hard or soft. This characteristic is a distinction derived from the foliage of the originating tree. Soft wood trees such as pine have evergreen foliage that stays on the tree all year long. Hardwood trees such as oak and maple have broad leaves that fall from the tree every year. Other differentiating factors are hardness, strength and applications.
Pine is a soft wood that is common to the northwest -- among other places -- and grows far more rapidly than any hardwood. For this reason it is readily harvested and used to provide 2-by-4 studs and beams of all sizes for framing and construction purposes in the building industry. It is soft, light and somewhat pliable, making it strong and easy to work with. Pine is also used for small projects such as picture frames, crafts, cabinets and other woodworking items when a rustic look is desired. Pine lumber is a light amber color with a variety of embedded knots that give the wood character.
There are two specie of oak commonly used by woodworkers, red and white. They are both used for the same purposes. White oak is more dense, with tighter grain patterns, and is more expensive. Red oak is far more common, used in far greater quantities and is more affordable. Both species are very hard, but not as hard as maple. Oak has bold grain patterns and when stain is applied, has a natural aesthetic beauty to it that is prized for complex swirls, dips and zigzag grain patterns. Oak is very strong, but is somewhat brittle and can shatter or splinter if used improperly or cut with dull bits or blades.
Maple is at the top of the hardness scale. Few other hardwoods rival the clean, hard surface of maple. It is almost free of grain patterns, due to extremely tight and small pores. Maple ranges from almost white to a light brown color with a blend of cream and light chocolate coloring that make maple one of the most unique hardwoods available. The pores in maple are so tight that when stain is applied, it takes minutes or longer for the stain to penetrate even slightly into the surface of the wood. Maple is used for all the things that other hardwoods are used for, but is prized for flooring due to its inherent hardness.
All three species -- pine, oak and maple -- have corresponding plywood. Pine plywood, which is somewhat of a rarity, is used for knotty pine furniture, paneling or other amenities that might be found in the rustic furnishings or trim work of a cabin or lodge.
Oak plywood is one of the most common of all the plywood brands. The bulk of oak plywood is used on cabinets and furniture in homes and businesses. Oak plywood is traditional and easily recognized by its familiar, bold grain patterns. Maple plywood is somewhat rare but can be found on custom crafts such as grandfather clocks, small chests, ornate boxes, small credenzas or china buffet cabinets.
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