Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 02, 2005 08:26pm | #1

   Maple and pine.  Early pieces were "all one wood" -- later pieces used mixed woods.  For an excellent reference, try your library or used book store (or eBay, LOL) for Illustrated Guide to Shaker Furniture by Robert F.W. Meader.  It's an academic study, not a "gee isn't it cute" book, lots of history and photos.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

   
   

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   Edited 6/2/2005 1:30 pm ET by forestgirl

2. 
   ring | Jun 02, 2005 08:31pm | #2

   Kovr,

   Maple, pine, cherry, butternut, ...Historically they used whatever was locally available for the most part, and therefore there are differences from one community to the next, with a lot of mixing of woods even on the same pieces.  There have been a number of authoritative books published which cover the subject.  See for example John Kassay's "The Book of Shaker Furniture" which is divided into sections by furniture type, and has many measured drawings and cut lists including wood species used.  There is also a thorough book examining each separate community's work.  (The title escapes me right now)*

   DR

   * "The Complete Book of Shaker Furniture" by Rieman and Burks

   
   

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   Edited 6/3/2005 6:08 am ET by ring

1. 
   kovr | Jun 02, 2005 08:58pm | #3

   Thanks for the info Ring and Forrest Girl.

3. 
   twoodward15 | Jun 02, 2005 10:56pm | #4

   Shakers built out of necessity, not for looks.  they would have used whatever was available and cheap.  If their were shakers in your area, they would have used the most abundant/available/cheap wood.

4. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 03, 2005 11:48pm | #5

   Forest got it.... Maple and Pine... Local woods in abundance.. Well, fer awhile till they started makin' all the furniture...