Why Beech?

[Sean Reilly]

So I was wondering why are old hand planes made of beech wood? Specifically molding planes? I've noticed that beech moves a lot compared to some other woods like Cherry, and seems to be about as hard. I know planes are made from quarter sawn wood, but still, having less wood movement seems like it would be better? What about the ware qualities of beech, does it ware better than other woods?

I was thinking of making some of my own planes and was thinking of using maple. I know some people don't like to work with hard maple, but I am used to it. So if I were to make some planes out of hard maple would I still need boxing? or would maple work just fine without boxing? Just some thoughts I've been having. Thanks

[Brian Holcombe]

Beech holds and releases a wedge very well, it is also fairly resistant to wear on the flat sawn face.

[Morey St. Denis]

Likely substantially predates Buchenwald, the "Beech Forest"... Have you any access to some Older Growth, quartersawn Beech?... In my experience it's substantially harder and wear resistant than North American Black Cherry, also benefits from prolonged seasoning and acclimating to a new environment. If you want extreme wear resistance and enjoy good figure and color variegation, might consider laminating some CocoBolo to the wear surface.

[Patrick Chase]

We've covered this very recently, so I'll just link my response:

https://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?259153-Alternatives-for-molding-plane-blanks&p=2742052#post2742052

[george wilson]

I think beech was just a cheap,readily available hardwood. It is not a very stable wood when drying. We cut 5000 bd. ft. in abut 1986,and stored it under the uninsulated roof of a large wooden garage in the Historic Area,where it sat for several years. Even LOOOOONG after the prescribed drying time,it would still warp. We got out a 6x6" of it and it had a propeller twist in it. We needed to make a long cooper's plane. After it had been in the Toolmaker's shop for a few years,we planed it true and square,and it soon twisted again. We waited several months and trued it up again. Twisted again. This went on for a few years. The 6x6" was getting close to the required dimension and still twisting. We were about to give up on using it for the plane,but whn we got down to a 4x4",somehow,it finally quit twisting.

Maple would make a harder,less wear resistant plane,and of a more attractive wood. I have several 4x8"'s of it and while they are cupped a bit hollow,they aren't twisted. I have had them for many years,and whether in the lawn shed,or inside my heated,air conditioned shop,they don't twist at all.

The large,dark varnished jointer plane I have posted here is made from the square part of an unfinished bed post,which must easily been over 100 years old when I cut it to make the plane. It had aged to a medium dark brown color friom many years oxidizing in the air. Of course,that planed right off,just being a thin surface color.

[Pete Taran]

Most mills don't deal with American Beech anymore. My brother runs a lumber business and I recently asked him to get me some 5/4 for a restoration project I've been wanting to get started. Unfortunately, none of his his feeder mills dry it. They all state it's too hard to dry and not worth the effort. Most cut it up for center skids for pallets and use it wet. He did score me some nice European Red Beech though, even has a fair amount of figure in it. Just another data point.

[steven c newman]

Unless you are looking for that Beechwood Aged stuff.....

[Patrick Chase]

Most mills don't deal with American Beech anymore. My brother runs a lumber business and I recently asked him to get me some 5/4 for a restoration project I've been wanting to get started. Unfortunately, none of his his feeder mills dry it. They all state it's too hard to dry and not worth the effort. Most cut it up for center skids for pallets and use it wet. He did score me some nice European Red Beech though, even has a fair amount of figure in it. Just another data point.

Horizon Hardwoods sells very nice kiln-dried 16/4 Beech plane blanks, with near-ideal grain orientation. Old Street Tools (the former Clark and Williams) sources at least some of their blanks from Horizon, as do a couple of the other US makers of wooden planes.

As always the catch is cost - almost $20/bdft shipped.