Garden

Features of the application of cherry wood

At first glance, the usual cherry, which can be found in almost every garden, is a valuable species in the woodworking industry. This is due to its aesthetic qualities, as well as a relatively small number: after all, this culture is not planted on an industrial scale for such purposes. What is made of cherry wood and what are the features of this material - read on.

Main characteristics and properties of cherry wood

Cherry has been grown by man for more than 10 thousand years. Today it is common in Central Europe, North African countries and North America. For the first time, they began to use it for arranging residential premises in Ancient Rome, later it gained popularity in Kievan Rus.

At the moment, there are 150 species of this family, which are divided into bush and tree-like. It is the second group that is used in the woodworking industry.

The most popular varieties for these purposes are:

common cherry;
American or black;
Patagonian;
Brazilian

Did you know? Today, cherry makes up almost 4% of all types of wood used in industry.

The differences between the varieties are insignificant and consist in shades, wood pattern, therefore, they are often hardly noticeable for non-specialists.

The following characteristics can be attributed to the description of cherry wood:

the core is red, which, depending on the type and age of the tree, can have a yellowish to brown hue in the context. It tends to darken as one grows older;
narrow yellow-white sapwood;
clearly distinguishable annual rings, thanks to which the wood has an original pattern;
uniform, fibrous structure of the material.

As for cherries as raw materials for processing, it is peculiar to it:

density - about 600 kg / cu. m;
slight swelling;
significant elasticity;
uniformity due to which the material is easy to process;
satin, smooth structure;
hardness index is low;
medium strength and stability.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood

Specialists in the processing of wood appreciate this breed for a number of advantages:
ease in machine processing;
the material sticks well;
perfectly polished;
dries quickly, maintaining a stable size after drying.

Important! However, the main advantage of this wood is called a beautiful texture, which can decorate any house, adding to it warmth and coziness.

But there are wood and cons:
susceptibility to bacterial effects, because of which it is used only in interior decoration;
the need for special processing, otherwise the material may rot;
adult trees can often be with anomalies (ingrown bark, stratification, etc.).

How to dry

In practice, drying cherry wood is easier than most other fruit trees.

Vacuum drying of wood It looks as follows:

To begin with, fresh wood is left for 10 days in the open air.
After that, it is given to the steaming, due to which an attractive golden red hue is formed.
Then the tree is dried at + 40 ° C, gradually raising the temperature to + 70 ° C.

Did you know? American colonists made bronchitis medicines from the cherry bark. On average, drying a segment up to 3–3.5 cm thick will take up to 1 month, however, for high-quality processing, do not forget to periodically cool the chamber to eliminate excess moisture in it.

What do and where do they use cherry wood

Cherry has gained popularity due to its unique color and glossy surface. It does not have the strength of oak or beech, so it is not used very often for furniture. Although cherry veneer is regularly used for cladding products from other breeds to give a noble color.