BASSWOOD - COMMERCIAL WOOD With the possible exception of willow and buckeye, basswood (Tilia americana) is the lightest, softest, and weakest of the hardwoods. It is neither stiff nor tough, but, because of its even grain, white color, and extreme ease of working, is one of the most widely used woods. The more important factory uses reported are as shown in Table 69.
Table 69 Factory Uses of Basswood Purpose Per Cent Boxes and Crates 23 Mill work 16 Woodwork and Novelties 15 Furniture and Fixtures. 11 Trunks and Valises 6 Picture Frames and Molding 5 Excelsior 4 Musical Instruments 3 Toys 2 Agricultural Implements 2 Vehicles 2 Matches 1 Refrigerators and Kitchen Cabinets 1 Car Construction 1 Laundry Appliances 1 Tobacco Boxes 1 Uses 6 Total 100 The diversity of the uses of basswood is indicated by the following list of articles in the manufacture of which this wood is used to a greater or less degree : Agricultural implements Church pews Altars Circus seats Apparatus parts (electric) Cigar boxes Automobiles Cleats (organ) Backings (furniture) Clothes bars Backs (organ) Commodes Baseboards Coops (poultry) Baskets (fruit and vegetable) Cornice Beehives Corn shellers Bellows (organ) Couches (box) Boats Crating Bookcases (inside work) Cupboards Boxes Desks (school) Breadboards Drawer bottoms Bureaus (inside work) Engraving boards Butter ladles Fans (electric) Cabinets (kitchen) Feed mills Cameras File cases Candy pails Fixtures (bar) Car construction Fixtures (barber shop) Car repairing Fixtures (store and office) Casings (building) Flag poles China closets (interior work) Frames (couches) Frames (davenports) Parlor furniture (frames) Frames (hand mirror) Pastry boards Frames (lounges) Patterns Furniture (church) Piano keys Furniture (interior) Picture molding Gameboards Pipe organs (interior parts) Games of chance Pyrography boards Go-carts Refrigerators Grain separators Sample cases Guitars Seeder boxes (farm impleHandles ments) Hayloader parts Sheathing (building) Heading (barrels) Shoe forms Hoppers (fruit and vegetable) Siding (house) Incubators (bodies) Signboards Ironing boards Staves Interior finish (building) Stirrups (head blocks) Kitchen cabinets Stirrups (neck blocks) Ladders (extension) Swing seats Laundry machinery Tables Lodge furniture Thermometers Machinery construction Threshing machines Mandolins Toys Millwork Trunks Moldings (casket) Vehicle bodies Music cabinets (interior) Violin cases Organ cases (folding organ) Washboards Organ frames Washing machines Pails Yardsticks