How can I tell what kind of wood comprises a piece of furniture?

Question

I recently aquired a china hutch that may have been made between 1887 and 1933. The company primarily worked in hardwoods and were considered a high-end furniture maker.
Unfortunately I have to refinish it because of multiple deep scratches on most of the surfaces of the piece.
I've sanded the top so I have a clear look at the wood but I have no idea what it could be (I don't know maple from mahogany!). The wood is pretty light and has a lot of "rings" on it. The origional varnish was what I'd consider a maple or cherry color. Aside from toting a part of it in to an expert, how might I be able to tell at home? I've tried searching for pictures but I haven't come up with much.
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

This is very hard to tell unless you know what you're looking at. Was the piece made in USA, Britain? You can often narrow it down by native species. It could also be a wood that was prevelent back then like Chestnut or Elm that no longer is used.

Sanded maple will be light in color with very light, straight grain pattern. Mahogony will have a pinkish red color with heavier, curvier grain. Oak is pretty easy to identify.

The lots of "rings" you mention almost point to Pine which would have knots. It would sand out pretty light and was used widely for furniture but not so much the high end pieces.

Another option would be to try and remove a piece like a drawer or door or leg that you could take to a woodworking shop and they might be able to identify.

I would just find a stain color that you like and experiment with it in an inconspicous place (like the underside). If you like the way it looks go with it.

Answer 2

Try this link: www.hardwoodcouncil.com
They have an on-line species guide. There are hundreds of hard and softwoods used to make furniture, so makeing a guess from your discription would be impossible. Many woods look so similar that experts have a hard time distingusing them. You should be able to narrow down your serch at least if not pinpoint the wood used.

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

Hard wood grains are thicker and more pronounced and soft woods have fine lines and if you take your thumbnail and push down into the wood it would actually dent the wood. I would check underneath the hutch. I believe only hardwood were used at that time and if so would possibly be mahogany.

I would check with a local antiques dealer to make sure. they can tell you usually if you give them the era the furniture was made in instead of having to take a sample piece to them.

Answer 4

the best thing to do...to tell if it's antique or not is to look at the joints, if they are well made it usually means antique as workmanship has really fallen off in modern furniture also look for any screws or fitments for an indicator of age. wood itself is fairly difficult. antique objects such as yours may be would have been made with a "HardWood" as their availability nowerdays is restricted, often cheaper woods are used and stained to make them look like more expensive woods if you want a tip go to an antique store and find an object that is made from the same material as your bed and ask the owner what it is made from..

Answer 5

Here is a site that sells veneers and has a page of species pictures. http://www.tapeease.com/specie.htm

You could also try a store like Woodcrafters that will have sample veneers in stock.

Answer 6

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