A solid wood is the type of wood that is most often used in furniture wood working projects. This type of wood comes from the trunk cut of the tree and the beauty and strength of the finished product is greatly determined by this type of wood.

Available on the market today there are many types of different woods all with different qualities and properties. Most generally speaking there are softwoods and hardwoods.

Softwoods come from the conifer tree family such as cedar, fir, and pine. Although these wood types fall into the softwood category, it is not to say that they are weaker than hardwoods.

For the purpose of this article, let's take a look at a few of the common softwoods.

Cedar:

The western red variety is the most common wood type of the cedar family and as its namesake indicates it has a redish hue to it and it is relatively soft. Cedar is probably most recognized by the aromatic smell of the wood itself. Since cedar can withstand moist environments without rotting, it is most used for outdoor projects and furniture.

Redwood:

The redwood type of wood is much like that of the cedar in the sense that the redwood is also very moisture resistant and as such is used for outdoor environment types of projects. Relatively soft, the redwood is also easy to work with.

Pine:

Coming from several varieties of tree, this would type includes Yellow, White, and Ponderosa. All of these wood types make very good choices for most furniture woodworking projects. Pine is also easy to work with and is relatively soft.

As long as you seal it first, pine as a wood type will generally accept stains. Sap can be a bit of an issue particularly witht the Ponderosa pine wood type, so be mindful of that. Although an actual lumberyard would be the place to find the best grade of pine, most any homecenter will also stock plenty.

Fir:

Also referred to as Douglas Fir, this wood type is very soft and has a bit of a reddish or brownish tint to it. Fir is most generally used for building material, although it can be used for some specific furniture woodworking projects. Fir doesn't really have a grain pattern that will pop out at you and it doesn't accept stain all that well. So, if you're on track to use the fir wood type in your project, it would be best if it was a project that you are going to be applying a coat of paint to. The Douglas fir is one of the hardest of the softwoods category.

So, there's a quick rundown of the softwood wood types and their general properties. With these softwoods now tucked away in the back of your mind you'll now have a better idea as to what type of woodworking projects would be best suited for these types of wood.