Do you know your wood? :P - Writers Forum

puglover · 05-31-2005, 09:15 PM

I know I am lazy..
I can't be stuffed to look on google..
I am so going to get far on writting with this sort of attitude.

Ok I will make a deal.
If I don't get a responce in say like 5 mins I will go look ok.
I need like a type of wood say a wooden desk would be made out of...
like the ones in some of the old schools..
and umm like a name..
i preffer a nice dark brower wood

i need it for my story

Philo · 05-31-2005, 09:33 PM

I can only tell you what the desks were made of here in the US and I would guess it would vary depending on local availability, so I would only say this is good for Northeast US.

Most old desks, and most affordable, durable type wood furnishings are made from maple. The grain is closed, tight and smooth. So it won't split and holds its shape well and is very strong and dense, which also helps it from marking when writing on it.

Even when desks started to move into the steel tube frame type, they still used maple, until switching over to composite.

Beech was also used. As far as the color goes, both of these woods are naturally light, but before polymer finishes, these would have been varnished or shellaced, both of which yellowed as they got older until reaching a medium brown. Shellac was even more prone to this because its so water soluable, the humidy makes the surface sticky and airborne dust, smoke, etc sticks to it so that very old pieces are nearly black.

Ilan Bouchard · 05-31-2005, 09:41 PM

It's been more than five minutes. Hit google, champ!

puglover · 05-31-2005, 10:43 PM

Thanks very much.
You have made me re-think a few things in my story.
Like time and place.
Because all of this can change the type of wood for the table.
Other writers be weary of this.
Re-look your story.
Really get to know your location.
Even the smallest of things.
Thankyou so very much for your help.

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EDIT:
Yes champ, champ will go to google.

I need to see a picture of this wood one talks about so it will help me describe it in my story!