German Beech???

[Paul Greathouse]

Has anyone used German Beech? What type of finish did you use?

I checked out a new supplier in Southeast Texas today and brought home a piece of German Beech to try some stains on. I was more impressed with the bare wood before I stained it than I am now after putting several different shades of stain on it. I think it would be great as a paint grade wood for cabinets but I'm not so sure about how its going to look stain grade.

The wood appears very stable, straight and flat. It comes as 15/16 and is rough sanded on both sides. They had run the piece they gave me through their planer. I ripped one piece and cutting it seemed similar to the Red Oak I have been working lately.

I can get it for $1.62 board foot in the condition mentioned above. Seems like a fair price. I will be building new kitchen cabinets for my own home this winter and was trying to find something a little different to work with that would be both visually appealing and at a resonable price. I'm kind of undecided right now. I'm going to pick up some satin poly tomorrow to see it it brings the stain out any.

[Casey Gooding]

I think beech looks best with a clear finish. It ages and patinas nicely. You may have seen some old handplanes that have a rich brown patina. Most of those were beech. Be careful, beech is only stable once it is dry. I have seen green beech turn 90* from the face when drying. Just make sure what you are buying is dry.

[Frank Drew]

Paul,

I don't know about "German" beech, but I've seen lot of European beech since it's popular over there for hand tools and especially workbenches (as we often prefer maple here). Is the wood you're seeing actually from Germany, or is that just a trade name for a domestic wood?

Some woods aren't improved with staining (more and more I've come to believe that most woods fit into that category), but I can't say I've ever seen stained beech. Would you consider a natural finish, letting the wood develop some richer colors with age?

[Paul Greathouse]

I forgot to mention in the first post that it is also kiln dried so its pretty much "see what you get" as far as dryness. I haven't put my moisture meter on it yet. I'll have to check it though.

[Paul Greathouse]

Frank

According the the supplier, it is from Germany. I'll have to see how it looks with just some satin poly on it. Living down here in southwest Louisiana, I don't have any previous exposure to Beech like the northern guys might.

[Frank Drew]

A lot of wood kitchen tools are also made of beech -- spoons and so on. If they are beech, they'll show the characteristic small flecking in the grain, which gives it a bit of background interest; otherwise, you'd have to call the wood nice-ish, but not particularly figured.

[glenn bradley]

+1 for clear although this piece was BLO'd and then shellaced.