Here’s a great tip I received from a reader in BC… thanks for sharing Monique.. and for sending your amazing pics!
Hi Denise,
I love your blog. You give tons of great information and tips.
Here’s a quick tip you might like to share for your Quick Tip Tuesday series.
I’ve decided to revamp the top of our iron coffee table using salvaged / reclaimed wood.
When I wasn’t sure how to tell softwood from hardwood my husband told me a quick and easy trick. Simply try to dig your fingernail into the wood (in an inconspicuous spot of course). If your nail makes a mark then you are looking at salvaged softwood. If no mark can be seen then it is hardwood.
My other (and very handy) half says knowing whether I am working with hardwood or softwood can be very important when deciding on indoor or outdoor use and varnish/sealants.
Hope you can share this tip with your readers. Keep up the beautiful and inspiring work.
~ Monique
Do you have any hard/softwood tips? If you have any tips or questions, feel free to leave a comment below! I always love hearing from you!
Catch last week’s Q-T-T here – and if YOU have any ideas or tips you would like to share on the SI Quick-Tip-Tuesday-Series, send me an email!
Enjoy your day and have fun with your next project!
Denise x
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Good point Chris. However for many purposes it is the physical hardness that matters rather than the hardwood aoftwood distinction. The fingernail will tell you whether something is likely to be durable enough for a tabletop or chopping board
Sorry guys, the thumbnail test will tell you if the wood is soft or hard but not whether it is a “hardwood” or “softwood”. Pine and fir are both softwoods but have a wide range of hardnesses depending on exact species, age and origin. Some old Douglas Fir wood or Yellow Pine is hard as nails and has to be treated more like white oak tooling wise, newer pieces much less so. There is a similar range of densities with poplars and maples, both of which are hardwoods. Definitions can be misleading but generally hardwoods are deciduous and have broad flat leaves. Softwoods are conifers and generally evergreen.
For finishing, test the back first, whatever works best.
Great additional info! Thanks for sharing Chris. 🙂