A friend showed me a picture the other day for an angled shelf which was made from "solid rubber wood". Where exactly does this stuff come from and where does it fall on the hardness scale. 

No wonder when you tell someone that the price of the wood will be higher than the cost of a "finished" piece they think you're ripping them off. 

Edited March 5, 20188 yr by Pat Meeuwissen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubberwood

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-rubberwood.htm#didyouknowout

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-rubberwood-furniture-considered-good-quality

11 minutes ago, Stick486 said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubberwood

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-rubberwood.htm#didyouknowout

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-rubberwood-furniture-considered-good-quality

So it's all in the branding. If you ever want to "save a tree" species from extinction, just name the wood it produces something dumb, like "Flake Wood" or "Rotwood" or "Wafer Wood" etc.

In the 80s, a buddy of mine owned an unfinished furniture store. He imported a lot and manufactured quite a bit. He made high chairs and other furniture for kids from Rubberwood. The wood was cheap but butt ugly and suitable only for painting. Which he promoted as a desirable quality as it "takes paint so well". And he sold the paint he claimed would do the best job. 

Interesting that the wood is pressure treated with chemicals, yet safe for furniture and toys.

17 minutes ago, Cal said:

Interesting that the wood is pressure treated with chemicals, yet safe for furniture and toys.

 

what do you want for 250 bucks...

 

17 minutes ago, Cal said:

Interesting that the wood is pressure treated with chemicals, yet safe for furniture and toys.

Don't think my buddy even considered that. The wood had no obvious odor by the time he got it in his shop. I helped him sand a few toy chests...without a mask...I'm still here.

11 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Don't think my buddy even considered that. The wood had no obvious odor by the time he got it in his shop. I helped him sand a few toy chests...without a mask...I'm still here.

It might could explain a few things, though?

20 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

I'm still here.

 

you sure???

1 minute ago, Stick486 said:

 

you sure???

I was, the last time I checked.

56 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

I was, the last time I checked.

 

 

Of such information.

3 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I was, the last time I checked.

But are you all here?  (Not y'all here, only Gene)

7 minutes ago, Cal said:

But are you all here?  (Not y'all here, only Gene)

Us'ns is all here. But not all the time.  Nor, all at onest.

Edited March 5, 20188 yr by Gene Howe

Guys here is my "wooden" version all finished.

that looks great..

nice, clean...

Pat, that's very well done.

On 3/5/2018 at 7:19 AM, John Morris said:

So it's all in the branding. If you ever want to "save a tree" species from extinction, just name the wood it produces something dumb, like "Flake Wood" or "Rotwood" or "Wafer Wood" etc.

What the tree huggers don't realize is one word : Mortal.

 

Trees do not live forever.   They all have a life, some longer than others.   But if you ever pass a 'virgin" or "near virgin" forest, what will you see?   Lots of dead trees lying on the ground rotting away, perhaps even releasing carbon dioxide!

Rubber wood probably comes from the latex tree....

The word latex is also used to refer to natural latex rubber, particularly non-vulcanized rubber. 

Rubberwood is a light-colored medium-density tropical hardwood obtained from the Pará rubber tree. Can we also spray paint rubber wood? I have one project related to it. please guide. thanks

23 minutes ago, Dianajk said:

Rubberwood is a light-colored medium-density tropical hardwood obtained from the Pará rubber tree. Can we also spray paint rubber wood? I have one project related to it. please guide. thanks

 

Sure you can.  For best results you may want to use a primer first.  Please post up a pic of your project!