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BigJimP · March 5, 2012, 05:40 PM

Thanks. Beech is kind of mid-hardness....but I have not worked with it much ....it isn't something we see much of in the Northwest.

http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/techtalk/hardns.html

It ranks between red oak and white oak on the attached scale ..but its very workable ...its not unusally hard .../ its way softer than hard maple ( which can be difficult to rout without burning )...

Sharp tools ...and running a router or shaper at the right speed ...and controlling the feed rate ...means you shouldn't have a problem working Beech ( or any Oak or Maple for that matter).

I haven't burnt up a router ..at least a good router ...in over 30 yrs ...on any kind of hardwood...( not even hard maple, purpleheart, etc...) ...and some of my routers have a lot of hours on them....( maybe the craftsman told her that to justify the cost ...??) ...just saying...don't know about the claim...but not surprised it was a good looking stock.

March 5, 2012, 05:40 PM	#26
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Thanks. Beech is kind of mid-hardness....but I have not worked with it much ....it isn't something we see much of in the Northwest. http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/techtalk/hardns.html It ranks between red oak and white oak on the attached scale ..but its very workable ...its not unusally hard .../ its way softer than hard maple ( which can be difficult to rout without burning )... Sharp tools ...and running a router or shaper at the right speed ...and controlling the feed rate ...means you shouldn't have a problem working Beech ( or any Oak or Maple for that matter). I haven't burnt up a router ..at least a good router ...in over 30 yrs ...on any kind of hardwood...( not even hard maple, purpleheart, etc...) ...and some of my routers have a lot of hours on them....( maybe the craftsman told her that to justify the cost ...??) ...just saying...don't know about the claim...but not surprised it was a good looking stock.