Q. Basswood for furniture: this woodworker knows it's preferred by carvers, but is it any good as lumber for furniture?

(Lee Grindinger) Basswood, a member of the Linden family, is used extensively throughout the woodworking industry. Its most notable shortcoming is its softness. This makes it only marginally suitable for many furniture parts that need hardness for durability. Basswood is often used for moldings because of its great working properties; the indistinct grain and uniformity makes it a good choice for staining to match other, more expensive woods. If you need a hard wood, skip the basswood, but as a secondary wood in furniture components basswood is fully acceptable.

(Rob Johnstone) Basswood is often used as the wooden components of upholstered furniture. As it is a great wood to carve, you often find inset carved panels of basswood in hardwood furniture of various species. Lee is correct, however, its soft nature makes it unacceptable for many different tasks.