20 BULLETIN 1437, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Red alder is used to a large extent for turned and other exposed 
parts in all classes of furniture. Its uniform texture and workable- 
ness especially suit it for such purposes. Fairly hard and not " wool- 
ing up," it polishes well. It takes and hold screws and nails satis- 
factorily and is relatively easy to glue. All the common kinds of 
glues, such as animal, casein, and vegetable, can be used successfully 
with alder, and no difficulty is encountered in making joints as strong 
in most respects as the wood itself. It compares favorably in gluing 
properties with yellow poplar, basswood, and red gum. 
Alder is used extensively for enameled furniture, its uniform tex- 
ture being well adapted to take paint, and under ordinary conditions 
to hold it without cracking. The wood is also frequently finished 
to imitate black walnut or mahogany. 
Much of the alder used for drawer sides, bottoms, and ends con- 
sists of three-ply panels. An increasing quantity also is being built 
up into five-ply panels for high-grade furniture, the alder serving 
as core and cross bands for high-grade walnut and mahogany 
veneers. 
As a core stock red alder appears to be surpassed by none of the 
woods now used for this purpose, possessing all the properties essen- 
tial to this use. As indicated by Table 1, red alder is of low specific 
gravity and shows but a relatively slight tendency to shrink or 
swell, a quality most desired in a core stock. Furthermore, the 
growth rings are not inclined to shrink and swell, with the result 
that stock made from alder has no objectionable grain markings. 
The wood has excellent gluing properties, stays flat, and keeps its 
place under changing moisture conditions. It does not bend easily 
however, and is not entirely suitable for curved surfaces. 
For the purpose of indicating particular uses of alder, the furni- 
ture industry may be divided into four general classes, based on 
the type of furniture manufactured: (1) Combination walnut or 
mahogany, (2) oak, (3) enameled, and (4) upholstered or over- 
stuffed. 
(1) Combination walnut or mahogany furniture includes various 
kinds of parlor, dining-room, and bedroom furniture, such as dining- 
room and library tables, table pedestals, piano benches, chairs, 
buffets, dressers, dressing tables, chiffoniers, wardrobes, sideboards, 
china cabinets, and desks. In these articles red alder is used for 
panels, more particularly the core and crossbands; for turned parts, 
such as legs and stretchers of tables and chairs; for chair and table 
rails; table slides; drawer bottoms, sides, and ends; mirror frames; 
and for hidden parts. 
(2) Oak furniture includes house, office, college, and library fur- 
nishings. In this class alder is used for panel cores, also for drawer 
sides, bottoms, and ends. 
(3) Enameled furniture includes bedroom, nursery, and kitchen 
furnishings, such as dressers, dressing tables, commodes, chiffoniers, 
breakfast tables, cabinets, cribs, and chairs, such as high chairs, 
nursery chairs, dressing chairs, breakfast chairs, and bedroom chairs. 
Except where special strength is required, alder is used in all parts 
of such furniture. It is used in solid form for table and dresser 
tops, and as a core stock in high-grade tops, 
